Chapter 111: Ignat Territory
When we actually arrived in the Marquis Ignat Territory, we entered the town without any problems at all.
We concocted a story about losing our identification, paid a fee to have new ones issued, and that was all there was to it.
Ignat and the others, their faces hidden, weren’t even questioned.
“In the Empire, are ordinary citizens free to go outside the towns?”
Even Mildrad managed that sort of thing strictly; otherwise, there’s no way we could have passed through so easily.
“Yes. It’s one of the policies through which the Empire rapidly gained power. Though the ease of entering and exiting towns is a secondary effect.
Mainly, the complete liberation of Dungeons, the mandatory acquisition of Enhancement Magic, and the general release of Magic-Powered Cars. Those three points hit the mark, and the Empire rapidly gained power.”
Hmm?
I get the Dungeon liberation and Enhancement Magic, but why would something like Magic-Powered Cars be related to that?
If I recall, those are automobiles that run by devouring Magic Stones, right?
When I asked Ignat, he gave a single nod.
“Because all citizens could freely enter Dungeons and flocked to them, a problem arose where materials became overly abundant.
At one point, it reached a stage where even Magic Stones couldn’t be bought up—”
Ah, so that’s why they introduced Magic-Powered Cars that use Magic Stones…
Or so I simply thought, but the problem he raised was that merchants had become too powerful.
They shifted from being the ones items were sold to, to being the ones who would buy items under certain conditions, and an era arrived where merchants could easily maintain large private armies, he said.
That’s scary.
Normally, an oversupply far exceeding demand causing prices to collapse would seem to be the bigger problem, and apparently, price competition was severe at first, but they put regulations in place to stop it.
As a result, only some Hunters with connections could get their goods purchased.
To strike a balance, they lifted the ban on Magic-Powered Cars, which were originally a status symbol for the upper class, and by making them a symbol of powerful merchants, they boosted the demand for Magic Stone purchases, or so I heard.
With everyone able to use Enhancement Magic and the release of Magic-Powered Cars, the value of Magical Power rose, and the unit price of Magic Stones alone increased significantly above the original market rate, allowing those who could hunt on certain Floors to maintain earnings at a level where they could make a living.
However, with income solely from Magic Stones, one had to hunt a large number.
If the commoners became strong, the nobles were also forced to become stronger.
And so, the Empire rapidly gained power, or so they say.
“Well, regarding the original goal of curbing the merchants’ power, it was a failure, you see…
In the end, because it would be problematic if they became an Anti-Government Organization, they sold peerages for money, which accelerated the corruption.”
Kai lamented that many of the newly risen nobles from merchant backgrounds were, in many ways, fools who didn’t know their limits.
As we walked through the town while talking, I could see the beauty of the townscape and understood what Natalia-san had been saying.
The townscape of the Belfast Royal Capital looks simpler in comparison.
Moreover, there are an awful lot of new houses.
It’s a wealthy-looking townscape, with houses here and there showing elaborate details like wood decks and decorations.
I glanced at Kai, wondering if this was normal around here.
“That’s thanks to the initial wave of economic prosperity being incredible, and a period when materials became dirt cheap.
Our territory didn’t hoard money; we poured it into public works, circulating jobs, so there was a time when we prospered like never before.”
I-I see.
Indeed, the condition of the road paving is completely different from ours.
It’s beautifully hardened with something like concrete over the cobblestones.
Cars could probably drive on this normally.
“Well, most other territories just exploited their resources and neglected to reinvest, so they didn’t prosper as much as ours, though,” Kai said.
“It’s a deplorable story. Both sides would be happier if they circulated and expanded it,” Ignat added.
I see. So other territories hoarded wealth instead of circulating it to the towns.
Just as I was thinking that, a Magic-Powered Car immediately sped past us, and the third group kept staring intently at it.
Its appearance is similar to an early model from around the 1900s.
It’s more stylish than the one I saw in Lestall, with a body that looks like an evolved, rounded black carriage.
When I involuntarily muttered, “Wow, its retro look is cool in its own way,” the guy with the staff exclaimed, “Alright, let’s buy it!”
“You can buy it if you have a hundred Imperial Large Gold Coins, but it might be difficult if you’ve already bought a mansion…” Kai said.
Ah, right.
We only have those one hundred Large Gold Coins in Imperial currency that we received for Natalia-san’s treatment.
“Then we should buy the Magic-Powered Car! You can buy a mansion anywhere, can’t you!
If you buy it for me, I might even tell you my name, Your Highness?”
Huh?
Why would you think I’d find so much value in knowing your name?
Finding it incomprehensible, I ignored him and asked Ignat to take us to a real estate agent.
“No, it would be unwise for me to go, so please have Kai guide you.
I will guide them to a Magic Tool Shop.”
Ignat said that if he were to meet face-to-face with a merchant dealing in land, the chances of him being exposed outside the territory were high, so he would take the third group to a Magic Tool Shop.
“Is a Magic Tool Shop okay? I think it would be better if we stayed together…”
“No, what’s problematic is information spreading outside the territory.
The soldiers here will not raise a hand against Kai or myself, so please rest assured.
If it’s a place I patronize, there’s no worry of information leaking, so I will go there.”
Since it’s the Ignat Family who would be in trouble later if he were exposed, he must be saying it because he truly believes it’s alright.
Trusting him, Yuri and I went to a real estate agent under Kai’s guidance.
While being shown floor plans of properties, I asked about the price, and they said a sufficiently spacious mansion could be bought for fifty Large Gold Coins.
Considering that even rebuilding the small Hunter Guild in Leben cost about twenty Large Gold Coins, this is incredibly cheap.
“Alright, this one then,” I said, and we signed a contract to buy a mansion about fifty meters square.
I had them use Kai’s name.
In this country, the style is to lease the land and buy the house, so if you take the house away, the land will eventually be repossessed due to unpaid land fees, so apparently, it’s fine to just leave it.
Then, we were immediately guided to the mansion, and I received the keys.
Up to that point, both Yuri and I were in high spirits, delighted that we had bought a good mansion, but…
“There’s no way this impressive gate and all will fit…”
“What a waste,” Yuri said.
That’s right. The mansion itself was fifty meters square, but the plot of land was much larger.
Storing all of this was quite impossible.
While I was wondering what to do, Kai suddenly posed a question.
“To begin with, can you even create a Magic Circle between objects that are in close contact?”
A cold sweat ran down my back at his words.
It’s fine if you’re just stepping on something, but I learned even in school that you can’t create a Magic Circle when there are completely joined obstacles like rocks.
However, saying “Actually, I can’t take it after all” here would be far too embarrassing.
Wondering if I could manage it somehow, I first extended my Maso into a string-like form, intending to thread it through the ground, and controlled it with Mana Manipulation.
I stabbed it into the ground and drew the Storage Magic circle relying solely on sensation.
“This will probably work,” I thought, and upon activating it, the earth from the center collapsed as if falling and disappeared into the Magic Circle.
Yeah. It looks like it’ll work out somehow.
Well, if it seems too difficult, maybe lift it with a jack?
If we use Enhancement Magic, we should be able to turn a jack’s handle even with the weight of a mansion.
Probably…
So, while breaking out in a cold sweat, I first used the Magic Tool I used for digging Tunnels to quickly dig a hole down to the foundation and check its depth.
There was a minor accident where I shaved off a bit of the foundation, but I generally succeeded in digging it out without issue.
Apparently, it’s built on top of something like concrete that solidifies the pillars along with it.
In that case, I decided to take it all and made holes in the ground to create the Magic Circle.
I created a wide underground space with a low ceiling beneath the foundation. I left four spots undug to act as supports. If I forcibly made holes for the Magic Circle in just those spots using Maso, I should be able to create it.
“Alright, let’s do this!” I called out, then created and activated a giant Storage Magic circle.
Then, the mansion, having lost even the support of the pillar locations, slowly sank as if being buried.
It was the first time I’d made a Magic Circle over seventy meters, but it somehow managed to activate.
Apparently, making one large circle is more difficult than making multiple smaller ones.
I think it would have been impossible without the Amplifier that Gramps made for me. That’s how tough it felt to maintain.
Even so, it was a pretty close call to get the roof completely inside.
Phew, I did a good job.
After letting out a sigh, I re-measured the depth and width, then had Kai guide me to the Magic Tool Shop where Ignat and the others had gone.
A considerable amount of time had passed, and I was a bit worried if they would still be there, but when I entered the shop, the third group were excitedly discussing magic tools with the shopkeeper.
They were sitting normally at a table, their eyes shining.
Natalia-san and Ignat were flirting as usual, so I was relieved that there seemed to be no problem, but a stranger was sitting at the platform they were heading to.
“Eh, why is Shen-sama here…?” Kai muttered.
“Oh! Kai, you seem to be doing well!”
A chubby man who looked to be around twenty and had the air of a merchant stood up and patted Kai’s shoulder.
Huh… Shen is Ignat’s younger brother, right?
They don’t look alike at all, do they?
No, before that, we’ve already been found out. Is that really okay…?
I shot Ignat a look that said, ‘What’s going on?!’
“My apologies. It wasn’t intentional, but it seems he had some business and came here earlier… Shen, that’s really the case, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it’s truly a coincidence. My favorite Magic-Powered Car was acting up.
Normally, I’d have my subordinates handle it, but I decided to come myself for this one, and then I find my elder brother here. I was surprised too.
I don’t know if the timing is good or bad, but I feel like I’ve caused you some trouble, brother.”
He laughed, “Hahaha,” and patted the Magic-Powered Car that Mizuki and the others were gathered around.
Well, if he arrived before Ignat, then it must be true.
Even if they could have contacted each other with some Magic Tool I don’t know about, it’d be impossible since they were in the same space.
“As long as it doesn’t lead to a fight, I don’t really mind. Either way, it’s about time for us to leave.
What do you want to do… If you have a lot to talk about, should I come pick you up later?”
“No, please wait. I apologize for troubling you when you’re in a hurry, but could we talk for a bit?”
Ignat’s younger brother turned to face me properly and straightened his posture.
Even if he says that, my gaze drifted to his escorts.
It’d be one thing if it were Ignat, who has completely abandoned his country, but sitting down at a table prepared on their home turf with the current Marquis of the Empire, whom I’m meeting for the first time, is a bit…
“Then, I’ll send my escorts away. Since my elder brother is here, there won’t be any problems.
This place is fine too. I’d just like you to hear me out.”
He immediately sent his escorts away and bowed his head, saying, “Please.”
Well, if it’s just a bit of small talk here, I don’t have any particular worries.
Figuring it would probably be fine if he’s Ignat’s younger brother, I took a seat.
“Well, you see… I’ve been chosen as the envoy for the ceasefire.
And so, I’m to head over there with a Cardinal from the Church…”
Listening to him as he began to speak quickly, he said that the Emperor had ordered him, the Marquis himself, to go and negotiate a ceasefire.
Apparently, in this recent war, the balance of power has shifted significantly, and they want to chip away at the unscathed Marquis Ignat’s forces, so he was ordered to succeed in ceasefire negotiations that are unlikely to go well.
Realistically, he’s been handed a role where he’ll be punished no matter what, but before that, he’s apparently incredibly anxious about whether he’ll be killed when he goes as an envoy.
“Even if you tell me that… Our opponent in this war isn’t us, it’s Lestall, you know?”
“No, that’s true, but… I’ve been told that my negotiation partner is Belfast.”
As a “Huh?” escaped my lips, Ignat chimed in with an explanation.
“It’s likely because they consider Belfast a greater threat than Lestall.
As long as Belfast pulls out, that’s probably good enough for them.
They’ve sent envoys to Lestall too, haven’t they?”
“Of course. But it seems it’s only a low-ranking official from the nobility and a single archbishop from the Church…”
I could understand it to some extent, but that’s just not acceptable, is it…
There’s such a thing as basic diplomatic courtesy. That way, Lestall will lose face.
Do they even understand that if Lestall turns its back on them, we, as their ally, will have no choice but to act?
“Isn’t that also part of the harassment towards the Ignat Family…? From what I hear of the damages, our house has ended up with the most military strength.”
Kai looked down with a grim expression, saying it was likely a plot by the Empire.
Apparently, the total strength of the Ignat forces is much larger.
He said the central nobles are probably making a fuss, calling them a threat.
Not only will they make them take responsibility and put them on the front lines of the next war, but they’ll also find an excuse to dismantle and take away their army.
The Marquis Ignat Family, which detests injustice, is popular with the common people, but many nobles apparently dislike them.
This time, the Emperor’s intentions are leaning that way, so if they resist poorly, they could even be branded as traitors to the country, he said.
“I see. So the burden has fallen on you in that way… I’m sorry, Shen.”
“No, it was bound to happen sooner or later.
As long as I couldn’t have a child with my sister-in-law, this role would have come to me.”
“Oh, Shen-kun, we can do it starting now, you know. Then I’ll try my best, okay?”
Hey, hey, even if you make one now, they can’t be an heir, can they?
You two are already considered dead over here, you know?
“By the way, why is the Church involved in this matter?”
“The Northern Church always shows up when it comes to mediation and such.
Though they’ve degenerated into a greedy bunch who side with whoever pays more…”
He says they are quite a troublesome existence, both in terms of military power and the faith of the populace.
Apparently, their appearance this time is to make the Church’s authority known.
“Yuri, what do you think we should do?”
“It’s a good thing for the war to end, but hearing their methods, I don’t think the ceasefire agreement will be upheld.
However, if we think of it as buying time, it’s not a bad proposition… right?”
Yuri looked at me, and I understood what she wanted to say.
It’s probably “bomb manufacturing time.”
I did ask for more since we ran out, but… honestly, it’s scary.
Just imagining something that could allow anyone to destroy a Town at will circulating in this immature world is terrifying.
If possible, I’d like to have them stored in large quantities in a place only I know and prevent any more from being made.
Well, those things could become a cornerstone of national defense, so Pops probably wouldn’t agree to that.
“That’s true. Lestall also said they have no intention of invading, so it feels like it might pass.”
To Shen-kun, whose face lit up with an “Oh,” I gravely told him, “However, there’s one problem.” He gasped, “And that is…”
“That is, I’ll get scolded if it’s found out that I went to the Empire incognito.”
“Th-that would be a bit troubling for me too. I was the one who insisted on inviting you, after all…”
Yuri and I instinctively averted our gazes from them.
When I timidly looked back, wondering if they’d be exasperated, everyone somehow seemed to accept it normally, saying, “I see.”
“In that case, how about we say that Kai was sent out for reconnaissance and heard the story?”
Ah, if we do that, I might avoid getting scolded.
But I don’t really want to lie to Pops, who trusted me.
Should I just tell Pops honestly?
But if I say I went to buy a mansion, he’d probably be thoroughly exasperated.
Well, what’s done is done, I guess. After some thought, I replied to Shen-kun, “I’ll let him know for now.”
“Thank you very much.
If I have Your Highness’s recommendation, I can set foot in Belfast with peace of mind.”
And so, our discussion ended, and we stood up from our seats, but Shen-kun let out a tragic-sounding “Eh…?”
I was about to ask what was wrong, but I understood before I even asked.
Those third parties had completely disassembled Shen-kun’s beloved car.
You guys, you can’t just go around breaking other people’s things!
“Ah, I see. The cause of the malfunction is here. The lubricating material is worn out.”
“That too, but this part isn’t good either. There’s a slight distortion in the magic circle.”
“Hmm. The base of the circuit is sloppy. There’s a lot of loss. I want to fix it… but we can’t even monitor the outcome, so we shouldn’t mess with it, right?”
“You can tell all that just by looking? You guys are amazing. Who are you?”
Eh, what’s with these guys? This is the first time you’ve seen a car, right?
I certainly thought they were amazing, but are they geniuses to this extent?
Looking closely, the owner of the Magic Tool Shop was mixed in with them too.
If a professional is working with them, they should be able to put it back together easily.
Relieved by that, I gave them a sidelong glance and said, “You guys, if you don’t cut it out, I’m leaving you behind.”
However, they weren’t the type to give in to just a look like that, and in the end, I was made to wait with “just a little more, just a little more” until it was completely reassembled.
Apparently, it was properly fixed, and Shen-kun also seemed relieved.
“Next is the Magic-Powered Car. Any objections?”
“None. The usable materials are already in here.”
“That’s right. A Magic-Powered Car is a good starting point.
And how about we make a flying car the final destination?”
“—?!”
The three of them’s eyes lit up, and they looked at each other and nodded.
Are you planning to build an airplane?
We certainly flew to get here, but… these guys are terrifyingly ambitious.
While thinking such things, I restrained them with my Maso, saying “That’s enough!”, dragged them out of the Town, and we were finally able to return to Belfast.