“Don’t tell me……a mere swing of his fist caused all this destruction……!?”
“Indeed. That wall, those clouds, that mountain——all of it was born from Silver’s fist pressure. Had he not stopped his fist, Ramza-dono would by now have been nothing more than a lump of meat.”
“Impossible, that can’t——”
A difference in power so absolute that even calling it ‘adult versus child’ would be too generous.
Zel delivers the finishing question to a Ramza who has lost all sense of up and down.
“Now then——if you still insist you ‘have not lost,’ then you too must swing your sword and cut that mountain in two. Only once you have done so can it be called a draw. Am I wrong?”
“Gh……”
Struck by airtight logic with no rebuttal possible, he could say nothing.
In front of his beloved liege Leticia, the word ‘defeat’ had been pressed upon him in letters more vivid than anything he had ever known.
Ramza glaring at the floor in frustration; Luna standing with composed, absolute authority.
The gap in their standing is apparent at a single glance, from the mere way each of them stands.
And the ‘absolute supreme being’——the Saint-sama——having demonstrated this overwhelming difference in power——
(……Oh no……. I put a hole in the castle wall……)
——was trembling faintly inside the plate armor.
She is no longer paying any attention to Ramza at all.
What fills her field of vision is the gaping hole punched clean through the castle wall; what fills her mind is the two despairing words: ‘pay it back.’
(This is the royal castle of the Martial Nation——that wall is surely made of ‘some rather nice stone’……)
A royal castle is the structure that represents a nation, the sovereign’s residence and symbol of authority.
Naturally, only the highest-quality materials are used in its construction, and renowned architects and civil engineers are deployed for its building.
(If I handed over my precious one million gold saved from that emergency quest before……no, that won’t work. Even building an ordinary house costs thirty million gold, so there’s absolutely no way one million would cover repairing the outer wall of a royal castle……)
As her entire body grows heavy as lead and her vision blurs and warps——Leticia’s beautiful voice rings out.
“——Silver-dono.”
“Y-yes!”
The Saint-sama snaps to attention with a voice that comes out half an octave too high.
The sight of her was, from any angle, an impeccably ‘accomplished small fry.’
“The ventilation has become a touch too generous——shall we move to my office?”
“Ah, yes, of……course……”
A somewhat incoherent response. A question mark forms above Leticia’s head.
“Um, is something the matter?”
“It’s just, well……I broke your castle wall, and I’m terribly sorry……”
“……What?”
“I mean, I did hold back quite a lot, or rather, from my perspective I only lightly swung my fist……but I never imagined it would come to this……I’m sorry.”
Luna honestly apologizes for having broken the outer wall, and Leticia looks on with wide eyes of astonishment.
The sight of someone who possesses absolute power beyond human comprehension, yet flustered over having broken someone’s wall——it struck her as very human, and very likeable.
“Please, think nothing of it. I am not a woman so small as to be upset over something this trivial.”
After that, they move to the office, where the two sit on sofas facing each other across a small table.
As for the attendants——Zel and Ramza stand behind their respective lieges, and green tea has been prepared on the table.
“——So, in summary: the Saint, myself, and Zel only have knowledge of the world from three hundred years ago. In order to make the Holy Kingdom a strong, sound, and prosperous nation, we came here today to learn what ‘a modern nation’ looks like.”
When Luna explains her reason for visiting the Martial Nation, Leticia nods with an “I see,” and Ramza gives a small snort.
“Hmph. A fine-sounding lecture, but what it comes down to is you came looking for allied nations. The Holy Kingdom, having declared independence on its own terms, has now incurred the displeasure of the four great powers and finds itself in a—”
“——Ram, any more of that and I’ll be angry.”
“……Forgive me.”
Reprimanded by his liege, Ramza bows reluctantly.
“I apologize once again. I will give this one a thorough talking-to later——please, accept my apologies.”
Receiving Leticia’s sincere apology, Luna replies with “please, think nothing of it.”
“Silver-dono——how does our nation look to you, from where you stand?”
“Rich greenery, full of energy, and it looks very comfortable to live in.”
“Heh, thank you.”
Leticia smiles with pleasure, but a shadow passes quickly over her beautiful face.
“However……this peaceful and tranquil daily life will be over in three days.”
“There is a war with the Magic Nation coming up, if I recall.”
“Yes. A total war with the full might of both nations mobilized——much blood will be shed.”
“Is there no way to avoid it?”
Luna poses the same question she had put to Zel earlier, and puts it again to Leticia——but she shakes her head quietly.
“We have sent special envoys many times over and searched for a path to peace. But there is nothing to be done. As long as that witch holds sway over the Magic Nation, war cannot be avoided.”
“A witch……?”
“Yes. Natasha Lindria, Sovereign of the Magic Nation of Kasorla. She is the younger sister of my ancestor seven generations removed.”
“Seven generations removed……how old would Natasha-dono be?”
“Based on records alone, she easily exceeds two hundred.”
“My, she has lived quite a long life. She must have extraordinarily strong magical power.”
Magical power is, in essence, life force, and this is directly connected to lifespan.
Of course, humans have a ‘racial limit,’ and so even an individual with a vast amount of magical power cannot live for centuries the way demons, demi-humans, and beastfolk do.
Even so, great mages who have left their names in history often exceed a hundred years of age——excluding those who die in battle——and by some accounts there have even been those who lived to see three hundred.
“……Silver-dono, would you allow me to tell a story from the past? About how the Martial Nation of Godba and the Magic Nation of Kasorla came to be——from the time when both nations were still called the Nation of Lindria.”
“Please, I would love to hear it.”
Leticia gives a nod, and begins to trace back along the river of memory.
“Approximately two hundred and fifty years ago, small settlements were scattered across the vast Lindria Plains. These eventually united into one, and the Nation of Lindria was established——built upon abundant mineral resources and fertile soil, it is said to have undergone remarkable economic development.”
Her thoughts drifting to the homeland that is no more, she continues quietly.
“As the nation was growing rapidly, twin sisters were born to the royal couple. The elder was Godba Lindria; the younger was Kasorla Lindria.”
“Godba-dono and Kasorla-dono……could it be……?”
“As you have guessed——they are the ones the Martial Nation and Magic Nation take their names from. Godba-sama was gifted in the ‘way of the blade,’ and Kasorla-sama in the ‘way of magic,’ and both achieved many feats of arms. The history books that recorded the battles of that era say: ‘In the Nation of Lindria, there are two great dragons——Godba and Kasorla.'”
“Two talented daughters full of brilliance——the first king must have been enormously proud.”
“I believe so as well. However……when Godba-sama and Kasorla-sama were past forty, the king died suddenly of a sudden epidemic. No heir was named, and the throne was left suspended in the air……”
“A succession problem——that tends to get ugly.”
In any era, in any part of the world, royal succession is prone to bitter dispute, and it is not unusual for it to turn into a conflict among blood relatives.
Luna’s murmur was, unusually for her, right on the mark.
“After a solemn state funeral was conducted, negotiations between Godba-sama and Kasorla-sama were arranged to decide the next ruler——and it was there that the painful incident known as ‘the Madness of Godba’ occurred.”
Leticia clutches her fists tight on her lap and speaks haltingly in a heavy tone.
“On that very day, in that very place of negotiation over the throne, Godba-sama stabbed Kasorla-sama to death……and afterward, took her own life at the top of the royal castle.”
“……Good heavens……”
“The Kasorla faction was incensed and denounced the Godba faction fiercely. This dispute, splitting the nation in two, never subsided, and the Nation of Lindria divided into the Martial Nation of Godba and the Magic Nation of Kasorla. My lineage, which carries Godba-sama’s blood, became the sovereigns of the Martial Nation, and Natasha-dono——Kasorla-sama’s only daughter——holds the position of Magic Nation sovereign to this day.”
“Hmm……”
As Luna falls into a pensive silence, Leticia speaks with a tone of conviction.
“I believe——no, I am certain——that this entire incident was engineered by that witch Natasha-dono.”
“May I ask your reason for that?”
“Yes. According to Godba-sama’s personal journal, which has been passed down in our family——on that day, she had been intending to yield the throne to Kasorla-sama.”
“What?”
A sound of surprise escapes Luna’s lips.
“Godba-sama was a gentle soul who loved peace, and she doted deeply on her younger sister. ‘I wish to become the power beneath the floorboards, support the benevolent rule that Kasorla will lay down, and add Lindria to the ranks of the great powers’——the night before the incident, that is what was written in Godba-sama’s journal. Furthermore, according to a public opinion survey of the time, approximately eighty percent of the population supported Godba-sama as the next ruler.”
“She herself intended to yield the throne, and the majority of the people supported Godba-dono——that is certainly strange. She had no motive to kill Kasorla-dono.”
“Precisely. Godba-sama was known for her noble and sincere character——that she would murder the beloved Kasorla-sama and then take her own life……it is unthinkable, it makes no sense. She must surely have been manipulated by someone——no, by Natasha Lindria, who was twenty years old at the time.”
“Did she have a motive for the crime?”
Leticia nods without a moment’s hesitation at Luna’s question.
“Natasha-dono was the de facto leader of the Kasorla faction, and had been arguing vigorously that ‘Mother is the rightful ruler of the next generation!’ If Godba-sama took the throne, her own path to the throne would grow distant. That is likely what drove her to it. In fact, through the Madness of Godba, she came to stand at the top of the Magic Nation. The one who profited most from this affair was none other than that witch.”
“I see——did Natasha-dono possess some kind of magic to manipulate people……?”
High-level manipulation magic does exist that can cloud a person’s mind.
Having heard as much from her old friend Shasha three hundred years ago, Luna’s first thought went in that direction.
“……I do not know. However, it is said that the witch was born with a massive amount of magical power surpassing even that of the great mage Kasorla-sama, and that from childhood she was drawn to wicked magic.”
“I see……(If Natasha-san used some kind of magic to manipulate Godba-san into murdering Kasorla-san——yes, that’s entirely plausible.)”
As Luna deepens her thinking, Leticia continues the story.
“After that, the Magic Nation under Natasha-dono’s leadership pursued a path of single-minded military buildup. Through skillful negotiation and the ability to win people’s hearts, she built connections with many foreign nations, and is said to have a particularly ‘intimate relationship’ with the Albas Empire. All of it is in service of the conquest she envisions. The first step toward that is winning the war now at hand and bringing the Martial Nation under her control.”
“Natasha Lindria——she sounds like quite a formidable person.”
As Luna builds up a wariness toward the Magic Nation, a <Transmission> comes in from Zel.
(Saint-sama, the account we have just heard is very likely to be heavily colored by Leticia-dono’s own perspective. Until we hear the Magic Nation’s side of the story, it would be wise to maintain an open mind.)
(Right, understood.)
Having taken that in earnestly, Luna watches as Leticia dips her head politely.
“This is the history of the Martial Nation of Godba and the Magic Nation of Kasorla——and the history of the Nation of Lindria, which is no more. Thank you for listening to such a long story.”
“Not at all——it was a genuinely fascinating account.”
With that exchange as their conclusion, the conversation develops in a new direction.
“Now that I think of it——Silver-dono and Zel-dono came here for an inspection visit, didn’t they?”
“Yes, we were planning to look around the area near the royal castle after this.”
“If you like, shall I show you around?”
“Would that be all right?”
“You have honoured us with a visit from the distinguished members of the legendary Saint’s party——we would be shamed as the Martial Nation if we offered any less than this level of hospitality.”
“We are grateful for your generosity.”
After that, the group leaves the castle and moves to the main street.
Leticia and Silver walk side by side at the front, with Zel and Ramza following behind their respective lieges.
“Now then, Silver-dono——where shall we begin? Is there anything you would particularly like to see?”
“Hmm……somewhere that reflects the Martial Nation’s distinctive qualities would be wonderful.”
“Our nation’s distinctive qualities——understood. Then first, let us visit Gondoo, our finest smithy.”
“A smithy——that sounds exciting.”
On the way to their destination——
“Oh, it’s Leticia-sama! Good afternoon!”
“Yes, good afternoon. ——Hey now, if you don’t watch where you’re going, you’ll trip over yourself.”
“Oh, Leticia-sama, looking as lovely as ever today.”
“Heh, Rado-ojisan always knows just what to say.”
“Leticia-sama, we got some great fish today, so I’ll bring some to the castle later!”
“Thank you, I’ll look forward to it.”
Leticia is enormously popular with her people, and those passing by——young and old alike, men and women——call out to her one after another without pause.
(She seems so beloved……. This is a type of ruler I didn’t see much of three hundred years ago.)
(The distance between ruler and people is close. It is proof of a peaceful and healthy nation. Leticia-dono is a fine sovereign.)
As Luna and Zel are thinking along these lines, they arrive at Gondoo the smithy.
“This is……a smithy, or I’m not sure what to call it.”
“Indeed, it looks rather more like a factory.”
What looms before Luna and Zel is a massive factory where a smithy and a steelworks have been combined into one.
“I have had an advance party obtain permission already. Please, come inside.”
“Excuse us.”
“Pardon the intrusion.”
The moment they enter the smithy, a deep-voiced battle cry greets them.
“Orahhh!“
Powerfully built men swing enormous hammers and shatter iron ore laid out across the floor. The powdered iron ore is mixed with a small amount of limestone, shoveled into a blast furnace to be smelted, and oxygen removed to produce ‘iron.’
The high-purity iron thus extracted is then poured into various molds——swords, armor, shields——and carried to the blacksmiths.
“——Hey, not enough heat over there! Bring more fire magestone!”
“Yes sir!”
The apprentices who receive the instruction move with quick hands to smash fire magestones, and roaring flames blaze up.
(Oh, this looks like the real thing.)
As Luna looks on at the scene in a mild daze, the bald giant who oversees Gondoo the smithy presents a straight sword to Ramza——who then presents it to his liege.
“The production of iron weapons and armor is one of our nation’s most important industries. We take pride in the fact that our quality is second to none——even when compared to that of the great power Albas Empire.”
Leticia says this and hands the Martial Nation blade to Luna.
“Hmm, this is……(From any angle it just looks like a normal sword……)”
Unable to discern the quality of a blade given her shallow knowledge of swords, the limits of what she can do is murmur as if she knows what she’s talking about.
“Zel, what do you think?”
“Hmm……quite a high-quality straight sword. The iron it’s built on is excellent, naturally, but the craftsman’s skill is also fine. (A systematized steelworks combined with high crafting skill——I must find some way to incorporate this into the Holy Kingdom.)”
After finishing the smithy visit, they are guided to a vast farming area.
“This is Gnome Farm——one of our nation’s finest large-scale farms.”
“Oh, my, this is……quite the abundant harvest.”
Greenery as far as the eye can see.
Coming at exactly the harvesting season, Gnome Farm was an impressive sight.
“The Martial Nation has limited territory, and so cannot develop agriculture on the scale of the Kingdom of Elgia. For that reason, in recent years we have been pursuing magical breeding improvements——specifically, shortening harvest periods and maximizing yields——and working to improve our food self-sufficiency.”
“I see, magical breeding improvements.”
As Luna nods with an air of genuine admiration——
“——Leticia-sama, please take these.”
The elderly woman who manages the farm held out a large basket.
Packed inside it are vegetables harvested just that morning, as many as it could possibly hold.
After Leticia says “thank you,” she holds the basket full of nature’s bounty out toward Luna.
“These are seasonal vegetables from our fields. Please, try some.”
Being offered such generous hospitality——in the normal course of things, eating on the spot would be the polite thing to do.
However, Luna, who is going to great lengths to avoid revealing her Saint identity, cannot possibly remove her helm and show her bare face.
“Ah, uh——I’m sorry. I’ll have to decline. (I’ll need to think of some way to eat in front of people……)”
She declines apologetically, and in her place Zel steps forward.
“Then I’ll take some.”
He picks up a tomato as red as a gem and bites into it there and then.
Eating it deliberately without tasting for poison first is an expression of trust in those present.
And besides, even if something were to happen, he can use <Detoxification> magic, so it would be no issue.
“Oh! ……Yes, this is a remarkable tomato. A sweetness like fruit, an aggressively high water content, and a well-placed acidity that tightens the aftertaste. Truly the gift of the sun and the earth. (Farming made efficient through magical breeding improvements……. Limited territory is a problem the Holy Kingdom shares. I must find some way to incorporate this approach.)”
“Heh, thank you very much.”
After visiting the large farm of Gnome Farm, they move to a training ground where the Martial Nation’s regular soldiers gather.
“Haaaaaaaahhhhhhhh……!“
“Zeriyaaaaaaaaahhhhhh……!“
“Dossei-iiiiiiiiiiiiih……!“
There, soldiers holding practice swords are drilling strikes against wooden training dummies.
Amid flying war cries and fighting spirit and sweat——the sage-like elderly man who presides over the training ground notices Leticia’s arrival.
“Well, well, Leticia-sama……and the one there is……surely not!?”
“Yes, Silver-dono and Zel-dono. They have come to visit the Martial Nation.”
Leticia gives a simple introduction, and the moment Luna and Zel give a small bow of acknowledgment, a great wave of agitation runs through the training ground.
“Wh-when they say Silver……the Saint’s representative!?”
“And behind them, the Great Swordsman Zel-sama is here too!?”
“Coming to visit us——what on earth is going on!?”
Against the suddenly buzzing soldiers, Leticia smiles softly.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. Please, don’t mind us at all——carry on with your practice as usual.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
They quickly salute and resume their training at a sprint.
“Now then, Silver-dono——since we are here today, I would like to show you our nation’s unique martial art: the Flow Technique.”
“The Flow Technique……is that the ‘secret art’ Ramza-dono let slip about earlier?”
“Yes. The secret of the Flow Technique is ‘Magical Body-Flow Unification.’ Channeling magical energy through everything from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes, including your sword and armor, to greatly enhance one’s base performance——ah, speak of the devil, it looks like one is about to begin.”
In the direction of Leticia’s gaze, two men holding wooden practice swords are exchanging sharp glances.
“——Are both sides ready for the Flow Technique? Then——begin!”
The moment the old judge sweeps his hand down——
“Zeriyaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh……!“
“Kiyeeeeeeeeeeeeeih……!“
——the two men who have activated the Flow Technique let out mighty battle cries and put on a breathtaking display of swordplay.
Their movements are like a performance of martial dance——fluid and bold, and above all——without waste.
Watching the soldiers’ sparring match, Leticia nods with a satisfied air.
“Given that you are both well-versed in ‘battle,’ I imagine you could see the effect of the Flow Technique.”
“Hm? Ah, yes! This is, well, how to put it……a remarkable technique! (No wait——what exactly is the ‘effect’ of the Flow Technique!?)”
While the Saint nods as if she understood——
“Hmm, compared to the movements in the strike drills, they have become like entirely different people. (The Flow Technique……most intriguing. If this were spread through the Holy Kingdom, it would lead to a significant boost in military strength.)”
——Minister of Defense Zel contemplates with a serious expression.
After that, they look around several more key locations of the Martial Nation——and by the time all the visits are complete, it is past six in the evening.
“Leticia-dono, thank you so very much for today.”
“Words cannot express our gratitude for being shown around personally.”
Luna and Zel offer their thanks politely, and——
“Not at all——please come again any time.”
——Leticia smiles warmly, and the inspection visit of the Martial Nation comes to a close.
Having said their farewells to Leticia, Luna and Zel set off on their way home to the Holy Kingdom.
<Otherworld Gate> would get them back in an instant, but they had quite a few things to talk over, and so they decided to walk for a while in the night breeze.
“We went through Godba fairly thoroughly——what did you think overall……?”
“An inspection visit with much to take away, I would say. The iron smelting and processing technique, the vast and productive farmland, the Flow Technique as a unique martial art……. It was a considerably more developed nation than I had imagined. Once we have formed an alliance with the Martial Nation, we could recruit new settlers and channel that into our nation’s industrial development——”
As Zel is sharing his impressions——
“Aaaaaahhhhhh……!?“
——from far ahead, the screams of children rose up.
“Hmm.”
“That’s……”
The two peer ahead——and there is a massive magical beast Gargoyle, chasing after small children.
The distance between them is closing by the second, and what will happen in a few moments is as clear as daylight.
“Zel, is that all right?”
“Combat action in another nation is not ideal——but it cannot be helped.”
The moment Zel nods, Luna lightly kicks off the ground.
“——Groooaaaahhhhh!“
“Somebody……help——”
Just as the Gargoyle’s sharp claws were about to gouge the head of a small boy——
“——There we go.”
Luna’s right fist drove into the magical beast’s abdomen, and a tremendous burst of sound echoed out across the area.
“……Wha……”
The children, who know well how terrifying magical beasts are, understood in their young hearts——showered from head to toe in a rain of red——just how much of a monster the armor standing before them was.
“Is everyone all right?”
Luna called out in her composed adventurer’s voice.
To be saved by the Saint’s representative——a tremendous stroke of fortune.
Given such luck, bowing one’s head and offering words of gratitude would be the natural response.
But……they are still young, and they expressed that awe in the most straightforward way possible.
“Th-that was SO COOOOL……!”
“Mister Armor, you’re unbelievably strong……!”
“That gear——you’re an adventurer, right!?”
“Are you……famous?”
“Tell us your name!”
No pretense, no calculation, nothing of the sort——purely and simply, words of admiration.
Because they are children——an attitude only children can get away with.
Receiving the guileless cheering, Luna strikes the ‘cool finishing pose’ she has been warming up for exactly this kind of moment, and presents her beloved adventurer name with pride.
“My name is Silver Glorious=El=Bloodfallenheart! Just your average ordinary adventurer!”
“S-Saint……sama……?”
While Zel stands stock-still in blank bewilderment at his mistress’s sudden performance——
“That’s SO AWESOME……!“
——the children thrust their fists into the air, their pure and innocent eyes sparkling with a brilliant light.