Chapter 112: The Tin Knight and The Land of Sea Breeze
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 112: The Tin Knight and The Land of Sea Breeze
The capital of the Lydia Empire. The Hydrangea Palace.
This palace, located about a thirty-minute carriage ride from the Imperial Palace, was a special place for a variety of reasons.
It wasn't particularly large. In fact, for a place called a ‘palace,’ it was on the smaller side.
Having been built less than fifty years ago, it wasn't a building with a long history, either.
Nor was it imbued with any special power, slathered in all sorts of magic like the magic towers of the north.
True to its name, the hydrangeas blooming in profusion throughout its gardens were breathtakingly beautiful and picturesque, but to put it another way, that was the building's only distinguishing feature.
And yet, the Hydrangea Palace was a special place.
The single person who resided here made it so.
“Tell me, did I do something to upset you?”
The master of the Hydrangea Palace.
The Empress of the Empire spoke, her eyes languidly cast downward.
It was a simple, trivial gesture, yet it exuded a charm that could make onlookers dizzy.
Considering the Empress had already borne six children, her youth and beauty were, in a sense, almost uncanny.
It was the stuff of legend among the palace staff how the Iron Blood Emperor, unable to bear the sight of officials standing dumbfounded every time they saw the Empress's face, had personally ordered her, “It interferes with official duties, so please wear a veil when moving about the palace.”
However, to a close friend, such a renowned beauty was just another tiresome face.
Opposite the Empress’s chair sat the Witch of the South, the Empire’s Crown Mage.
Glinda Goodwitch replied nonchalantly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about all of a sudden.”
“You don’t know why I’m acting like this? Truly?”
“I am not your lover, Mary. Pestering me with that tone will get you nowhere.”
“You’re the only one who scolds me like a child.”
“If you don’t like being treated like a child, then act with dignity. You manage it just fine in front of others, so why are you like this only with me?”
“Oh my, I don’t recall saying I disliked it.”
After a verbal volley, utterly lacking in the dignity expected of the most powerful figures who could sever the necks of countless nobles with a single finger, the Empress asked.
“Why did you let them go? You must know how much I struggled to get my hands on that.”
“Wasn’t it your subordinates who struggled, not you? You didn’t even show much interest until the matter escalated.”
“You have the order reversed. Even if I wasn’t very interested, I took a loss and got an earful from the Duke, so I had to gain something to offset that loss.”
“If you had used competent subordinates from the start, you wouldn’t have gotten an earful, nor would you have taken a loss, would you?”
“You should take that up with Stutenheim, who stuck his incompetent son in that position. I can’t be expected to personally manage a trivial post like a guild branch manager, can I? It’s not a key position in the palace.”
The Empress grumbled as she continued.
“Politics is like a card game. There are very few all-purpose cards that are both easy to use and powerful. There are cards that are strong but tricky to play, cards that are easy to play but weak, and cards that are both difficult to play and weak, yet numerous. You can’t win the game if you don’t deploy them in the right place at the right time. Why do you think I bother keeping that child, Maximilian, around instead of just discarding him?”
After saying that much, the Empress’s lips quivered for a moment as if her throat was tight.
The Witch of the South silently flicked her finger.
There wasn't a single servant to attend to them, nor a guard to ensure their safety, but as if such things were unnecessary, a tea set floated into the air on its own and poured tea, from which a faint steam rose, into their cups.
Watching the Empress lift her cup to wet her lips, the Witch of the South spoke.
“The decision to let them go was Algind’s. If my star pupil judged it for the best, then as her teacher, I can only trust her.”
The Empress set down her teacup with a look of disbelief.
“…That was the most ridiculous piece of wordplay I’ve heard all year.”
“Is that so? It’s a pity your life seems to be lacking in amusement.”
As she said this, the Witch of the South’s face remained utterly devoid of expression.
“Enough. Speak plainly.”
The Empress’s gaze pierced through the Witch of the South.
“What is this brilliant ‘pupil’s judgment’ of yours? What are you after?”
To the Empress’s question, the Witch of the South answered.
“—A Witch Hunt.”
*
Originally, a great variety of nations had existed in the northern and southern parts of the continent.
The reason for the past tense is that this was no longer the case.
The nations in the north had been absorbed by the Magic State Aeolia, and those in the south by the Lydia Empire.
This expansion had halted when the two superpowers came to share a border, but that didn't mean the other nations could rest easy.
While the two giants were less able to focus elsewhere due to internal consolidation and keeping each other in check, a light jab from either of these monstrously large countries was enough to plunge a smaller nation into a life-or-death crisis.
And between the eastern and western parts of the continent, it was the west that felt the greater threat.
There were many detailed reasons, but the biggest was that the eastern continent was simply too rural.
It was teeming with magic beasts, rife with harsh natural environments, and full of factions that acted like independent kingdoms despite being little more than villages or small domains.
If they had been unified under a single great power, one could simply capture or replace the leader and use the existing administrative structure. But in the east, a miscalculated invasion would mean having to create and manage that entire administrative structure from scratch.
The Kingdom of Ionia was a reasonably tempting prize, but it was so tucked away at the eastern edge that it was difficult to invade or attack.
In contrast, the western kingdoms were closer, and they were wealthy, having prospered through trade with other continents since ancient times.
If the east was a rugged forest where caterpillars, rats, hedgehogs, and foxes were scattered about, the west was a well-tended pasture where chickens and fattened pigs roamed. There was no comparison as to which was more appetizing.
The western nations had two choices: quickly bow their heads to the Empire and the Magic State to secure a subordinate position, or band together to face the external threat.
Some chose the former, but the majority chose the latter.
“—And the ones who chose the latter created what is now the Locria Federation, our current destination.”
On a trade route connecting the Empire and the Federation.
A clear voice echoed from the cargo bed of a carriage traveling along it.
As if in response to the light history lesson, Adelaide and Sophia clapped their hands.
Since the Tin Knight was in the driver's seat, the one speaking was naturally Dorothea… or not.
As the pigtail-haired girl received a round of applause, wearing an expression that said, ‘You’re overreacting, but if you insist on praising me, I suppose I can accept it,’ Dorothea spat out in disbelief.
“What are you doing?”
To Dorothea’s question, Franka Aglaia replied with a demeanor as puffed up as her frilly skirt.
“I am spreading knowledge to the ignorant. Do you have a problem with that? Delving into the source and roots of ideas is a fundamental stance for an alchemist. Sharing and improving knowledge is a duty for a mage. Not that a necromancer, who greets her own kind with suspicion before a hello, would know anything about that.”
“Anyone listening would think you’re a brilliant lecturer burning with a passion for education. And who are you to talk about greetings, you bitch who tried to assassinate me out of the blue?”
“Enough with being so prickly about something that’s over. I have no intention of getting friendly with you either, you know? I’m only cooperating because sharing a little information increases the chances of saving my children. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
“Aha, so I guess I can just treat the matter of your dead children as something that’s over and done with. You’ll have no trouble living up to the name of a witch.”
The temperature in the cargo bed dropped in real-time as their exchange of words, like ice blades slashing at each other, grew more vicious.
The Tin Knight, the usual mood-breaker, wasn't here, and Sophia was too engrossed in cross-referencing what Franka said with the books she’d brought from Thracus. That left Adelaide as the only one who could stop them.
“U-um, you two. Perhaps we should stop there. Yes. It’s true you have a bad history, but I think infighting when facing a powerful enemy will only lead to failure.”
At Adelaide’s attempt to mediate, the two witches, who had been glaring at each other, simultaneously turned to look at her.
Faced with two pairs of incredibly fierce eyes, Adelaide felt she could understand the heart of a frog before a snake. Fortunately, the two didn't hurl any more insults at each other.
Dorothea grumbled.
“Anyway, is it okay for you to just abandon that shop and follow us like this? You said it was a punishment from your teacher. Won’t she find out soon if you leave it empty?”
“I’ve already taken care of that. It should hold out for about a week, and by then, we’ll have already entered my teacher’s domain, so there’ll be nothing to find out. Besides, what would you do without me as your guide?”
“We can just use the compass.”
“Ha.”
Franka laughed.
At the blatant ridicule, a vein throbbed on Dorothea’s forehead again, but seeing Adelaide flailing about beside her, she managed to suppress her anger.
“The compass isn’t omnipotent. It’s useless if the sacred treasure is in a place the guide animal can’t physically reach. The ‘Gloves of Haider’ are paired with a navy mole. If you let it guide you, you’ll never find my teacher’s place in your lifetime.”
Adelaide tilted her head, but Dorothea seemed to have quickly understood what Franka meant.
“I see. So that’s why we’re heading to a port city.”
“Um… could I ask what that means?”
“It means the Witch of the West’s base is on an island. A mole might not be unable to swim, but while it’s one thing on flat ground, trying to follow that tiny thing on a boat without losing it would be quite an ordeal. The fact that you can’t just stop and rest whenever you want like on land is also a problem.”
“Ah, that certainly makes sense.”
Adelaide imagined chasing a mole as it paddled furiously across the sea.
It was a rather cute image, but thinking about it calmly, it was indeed a mission with a high degree of difficulty.
After nodding for a moment, she exclaimed.
“Oh, does that mean we’re going out to sea!?”
Adelaide said, startled.
Her voice must have been quite loud, because the Tin Knight in the driver’s seat responded.
It was a moment that proved the usefulness of the hole connecting the driver’s seat and the cargo bed, a modification made based on their experience in the Garden.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ expresses his anticipation, asking if it's time for a naval battle!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says he wants to fight a giant octopus or a sea dragon!]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ insists they must find a ship with a giant harpoon!]
“That’s enough nonsense, just hold the reins properly.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ argues that it’s unfair for him to always be the driver!]
“If you don’t need the mana you use to play with your sword energy, I could switch with you.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ changes his tune, saying that on second thought, the driver’s seat is much better than the cargo bed!]
Dorothea shook her head.
Adelaide spoke, looking anxious.
“Um, I’ve never been on a ship or to the sea before. Will it be okay?”
Franka replied.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve already sent people ahead to prepare a ship, and the journey itself is only about three days, so it won’t take long.”
“What about sea monsters?”
At Adelaide’s question, Franka chuckled.
“Inlanders seem to hear strange rumors and get scared for no reason, but the giant monsters people talk about aren’t that common. If they appeared that easily, trade by ship would never function properly, would it? The only real threat will be rough weather, so there will be no change of plans.”
Watching the assertive Franka, Dorothea wore a strange expression.
It was convenient in many ways that the preparations were so thorough, but what was this strange sense of déjà vu?
*
“Miss Franka, we have a problem! Our sailors have been captured by pirates! They’re demanding a ransom right now!”
“M-Miss! It’s a sea serpent! It’s appeared for the first time in decades! The fishermen are all terrified and refuse to go out to sea!”
“The weather has been unusual lately. We need to perform the ceremony to calm the weather at the sea god’s cave, but there are rumors that a giant monster has made its nest in the cave…”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ expresses his satisfaction, saying it's standard for the main quest and side quests to be in the same location!]
“Why! Why of all times, now?!”
As Franka screamed and the Tin Knight jumped for joy, Dorothea let out a deep sigh.