Then again, they’d have to produce a ton of magical power to get it hard enough. The material also gradually became more resistant to magic, requiring more magical power poured into it over time. It was a case of diminishing returns.
Somewhat like an RPG, when you level up. You’d need more experience points to get to the next level.
I never felt anything like magical resistance, though. My power freely flowed into anything without me really noticing. To be fair, I’d never filled anything up to the absolute limit. Though that did make me wonder... Would an item break if you poured too much magic into it?
“Now then, today’s meeting...”
“Excuse me, but I have something to report.” Just as I was about to end the meeting, Doge Audrey raised her hand. I wondered what she wanted.
“I thought I should let you all know. Just a few days ago, Edgar Bowman escaped from his prison camp. You all know Bowman as the man responsible for the recent Golem rampage in Roadmare.”
Wait, he seriously escaped?!
“It seems as though his escape was orchestrated from the outside. We haven’t yet found his whereabouts, so I thought you all should know in case he crossed the border.”
So wait... He didn’t just escape, someone let him out? Who did that...? Well, I guess it makes sense. Even if he’s irritating, he’s still known as a genius. He was probably saved by someone in exchange for his cooperation.
“Run search. Magical Researcher, Edgar Bowman.” A map was projected into the air, but not a single pin fell down with it.
“Search complete. No matches.” What...
“Is he dead, or... What does this mean?”
“It could be that he’s dead and his corpse isn’t recognizable. Or it could mean he’s in a place with a magical barrier. Or he’s carrying a portable magic-blocking charm around.” I couldn’t exactly voice just how bad of a feeling I had about this. It wasn’t exactly a sense of fear or anxiety... It was more the feeling that something was definitely about to go wrong.
Like my dead grandpa used to say, “There’s nothing more dangerous than a self-righteous fool.”
I couldn’t help but feel the same.
◇ ◇ ◇
Just three days after I handed over the detectors to the guild, we had a reading. It was three lesser constructs, in a port town to the northwest of Refreese. A group of Refreesian adventurers ended up taking them out.
The lesser constructs were manageable for Red adventurers. Though it’d probably be a bit of a challenge.
Still, there was a problem in our system. Even if the sensors could detect how many there were and approximately when they’d come out, there’d have to be a constant vigil until they emerged due to our tools being imprecise. It was kind of a pain for the adventurers to hang around the breach zones for so long.
On the other hand, the guild purchased the phrasium from them for a very high price. The guild then went on to sell the phrasium to merchants from a certain fledgling nation...
Not anyone could take quests to go and kill the Phrase, either. They were only given to adventurers that the guild was familiar with and trusted.
It’d be terrible if someone half-assedly accepted the mission and just bailed.
Either way, I was glad to hear that the sensors worked. I didn’t anticipate any issues.
I also delivered some of the sensors to the tribes in the Sea of Trees by using the Rauli tribe’s network. They would receive word from the other tribes via carrier bird, and then Pam would pass on the message to me through her Gate Mirror.
It’d be really bad if any of the Phrase came out in the Sea of Trees, but that would be a problem for another day.
All I could do was hope the damage would be minimal before we could respond.
That was all there was to it.
“So, what do you guys think?”
“Ohoho... So this was... What did you call it, a trolley?” I was standing in front of the leaders of the free world, explaining to them the item I had recently created. I’d spread out a railroad track across a plain in Brunhild, and set the basic hand-operated trolley atop it.
“Like I said, this thing moves along the rail if two people stand on top of it and move the handle up and down. It’s a transport device, basically.”
“I see, I see. It doesn’t seem all that complicated. But it isn’t able to carry much in the way of cargo, is it?”
“For now, you’re right. But I’m planning on replacing it with something that can move a lot of cargo, fast. This is just a proof-of-concept to show you how things can move along this rail.” If I just made a steam train immediately, people would freak out, or I would be held responsible for injuries incurred by people who didn’t know to keep off the tracks. I decided that the best thing to do was to introduce the railroad itself first. Then, people would realize that heavy things moved along it, and accidents wouldn’t be so bad if it was a simple trolley.
Cesca and the other gynoids told me that trains actually existed in the ancient world. So really it was more like bringing back a long-lost technology that was in this world to begin with, rather than introducing an alien technology. Though from what I understood, those trains were extremely noisy and powered by magic.
“Creating a route should be easy enough by flattening the land with earth magic. We should be able to easily transport ore from the mines with these rails, too.”
“Hm... That’s true.”
“But there are certain regulations I need you to stick with. Specifically, the railroad tracks need to be a certain width, no matter what the country. If we had a single railroad that went from Refreese to Roadmare, it’d be easier to exchange goods and finances. You wouldn’t want to waste time adjusting tracks and vehicles, right?” Rail width was typically measured as gauges... The most commonly used width in the world was the standard-gauge track, around one-thousand-and-thirty-five millimeters. The one used in Japan was known as the narrow-gauge, around one-thousand-and-sixty-seven millimeters wide. Bullet trains used the standard-gauge though, so that was the one I went for in this world.
My grandpa’s job was actually measuring the width of railroads. He often told me just how important it was. Heat or cold could cause the metal of the rail to expand or contract. You needed to pay attention to the most subtle of distortions in the material, or trains could derail pretty badly. He used to tell me over and over just how important his job was.
“Our country doesn’t share borders with your nations, though...” King Cloud of Lihnea raised his hand. He wasn’t wrong. Lihnea was on an isolated island, and only shared borders with Palouf to the north.
“That’s true, but a standardized global rail size will be helpful if you purchase rail carts or rails from other nations. There’s no need to make a unique width just for your rails.”
“Well, that’s fair.” I also decided that we’d lay out two tracks side by side. One for one direction, and one for the opposite. This would reduce risk of head-on collision. After I finished explaining everything, the world leaders went off to have their usual fun.
They happily went back and forth along a two-hundred meter rail, riding back and forth on the trolley. Are you children or heads of state...?
The two women present, Doge Audrey and Her Holiness the Pope, didn’t participate though.
Instead, they were carefully examining the blueprints I’d given everyone. They were already coming up with plans to lay tracks down.
Roadmare and Ramissh were right next to each other, after all. They were only separated by a large body of water. If they could build a bridge and put a railway track on it, trade would likely flourish between the two.
Funnily enough, the Beastking of Mismede and the Emperor of Refreese ended up getting too excited. They made the trolley go way too fast, which resulted in it crashing even though they tried to apply the brakes. As a result, they ended up losing control and falling out. I used Healing magic to patch them up though, so no harm was done. It was actua
lly a good hands-on exercise of what an accident could be like. I think they learned their lesson.
◇ ◇ ◇
The season would soon turn to spring. The days were getting warmer and warmer, so winter was behind us.
The warmer season also brought more travelers to Brunhild. The streets of our castle town gradually became quite busy.
There were many adventurers who came over seeking to conquer our dungeon, and merchants came along to arm those adventurers too.
I was a little bit worried at first, but it seemed like my country was finally flourishing.
“Milord.”
“Hm? What’s up, Tsubaki?” I was suddenly spoken to by a cat sitting atop a fence. It wasn’t one of my summons, though. It was an example of the Takeda clan’s ninjutsu. To be more specific, this ability allowed you to redirect the location of your voice. The real Tsubaki was likely hiding nearby.
I thought it’d be fine if she just came out and spoke to me directly, but she was a ninja, so I figured it was just her preferred kind of style.
“I’ve received some news that you may be interested in hearing. A war has broken out in Eashen.”
“Seriously? How big of a war are we talking here?”
“As you are aware there are eight feudal lords. Chosokabe, Mori, Shimazu, Oda, Hashiba, Tokugawa, Uesugi, and Date. I have heard that Chosokabe lost to an allied attack between Oda and Hashiba, and their territory is now forfeit. After that, the lord of Oda, Oda Nohbunaga, was assassinated. Then, the leader of Hashiba, Hashiba Hideyooshi, claimed Oda’s territory and became the largest force in Eashen. The Tokugawa house has formed an alliance with Date to resist him.”
Oh...? So the Oda Nohbunaga of this world was killed like the Oda Nobunaga of my world, huh...? I’m not all that surprised.
“The one who killed Nohbunaga... Was he called Akechi? Did it happen at a temple in the middle of the night?”
“...Yes, that’s correct. A man named Akechi Mitshuhide turned on him at Honnoji Temple... How do you know this?”
“Ah, just a feeling.”
Yup... Eashen wasn’t exactly a mirror of my feudal Japan, but there were some similarities indeed. I hadn’t ever heard of an alliance between Date and Tokugawa.
“So what’s up with the Hashiba army?”
“They’re forcibly controlling Mori and Shimazu’s territories at this point. The remaining independent powers are Tokugawa, Uesugi, and Date... However...”
“What is it?”
“The Hashiba army is moving eastward inland toward Eashen, but they’re building warships on the western coast. Our scouts believe they are attempting to build a naval fleet capable of conquering Yulong.”
Huh... That’s familiar... If I recalled correctly, there was a period in Japanese history where Hideyoshi attempted to conquer Korea and China... That was real dangerous for Yulong in their current weakened state, though.
“What’s happening in Yulong right now?”
“Succession disputes and bickering in their royal court. Many nobles are presenting children they claim to be the illegitimate offspring of the former Heavenly Emperor. It’s all fragmented now, similar to how Eashen was some time ago.” As I thought, it’d be bad news if Hashiba invaded Yulong. They wouldn’t be able to take all of it, but I had a feeling they’d be capable of taking a strong foothold.
But, if I was entirely honest... I didn’t really care all that much about Yulong.
Yulong had largely been left alone due to its devastated position. A lot of people were worried about the Phrase emergence that occurred there.
A large concern was that if another nation moved in and took the territories, it might suffer a similar fate if the Phrase came back. The countries around Yulong didn’t have the capabilities to repel the crystal invaders, after all.
There were other nations that weren’t interested in interfering with Yulong at all, as well. The Demon Kingdom Xenoahs, and the Kingdom of Horn, showed no signs of interest in the territory. There was also Hannock, who didn’t want anything to do with Yulong, but I couldn’t exactly rule them out either.
Roadmare had no intentions of conquest, it seemed. But, there was definitely a chance that Felsen or the Nokia Kingdom could be galvanized to move against Yulong if they saw Hashiba’s army invading as well.
In the worst case scenario, war could break out between the three, with Yulong as the battleground. It also seemed to me like Eashen was far behind many other countries in terms of national power, too.
“Is there any news out of Felsen or Nokia?”
“Not at this time, no. Felsen is bordered with large nations, like Roadmare to the west and Lestia to the south, so I doubt they’ll make any bold moves.” That made sense enough. I wondered if the Hashiba house was moving their army because they were aware of that situation... Or maybe they had some kind of goal in mind.
An island nation wouldn’t be able to take full control of a mainland territory, after all... Their sudden motion was unusual.
“What kind of man is Hideyooshi, anyway?”
“I don’t know many details. He got close to Oda after being granted feudal lord status by the Emperor. But, just after they formed an alliance, conflict broke out between them. From what I’ve been told, he’s a small man with a monkey-like face. He also carries a golden gourd. None have seen him but the people of Hashiba, however.”
Nobody’s seen him? Weird... Is he that wary about being assassinated? In Japan’s history, Hideyoshi was pretty outspoken and flashy, but I guess this world’s Hideyooshi isn’t. I heard the story in a little more detail, and I heard that he had stuck to Oda like a shadow and stayed largely out of sight before the betrayal.
I also heard a little more about the Emperor of Eashen. I heard that the Emperor didn’t have the power to reel in the individual feudal lords, but I wondered if Hideyooshi had been appointed because the Emperor recognized him or something. If he wasn’t strong, he wouldn’t have been able to become a feudal lord, after all.
“What about Ieyahsu?”
“He is busy with Date, and is trying to negotiate with Uesugi. Uesugi has military might that rivals Takeda... At least, Takeda as it used to be... Ieyahsu believes an alliance with them will help them repel Hashiba.”
Geez, what a pain... I kind of thought Ieyahsu would have unified Eashen with little resistance.
“What should I do?”
“Wait for the time being. If it looks like Hashiba is going to make a serious move on either Ieyahsu or Yulong, then update me.”
“Understood.” The cat on the fence suddenly let out a small yawn, and Tsubaki’s presence was gone.
It seemed like a lot of things had been happening lately. I thought it might be a good idea to visit the Takeda house and speak with Ieyahsu myself.
I didn’t really have any ties to anyone in his territory, but Yae’s family lived smack-bang in the middle, so it was my business.
◇ ◇ ◇
“So, what do you think?”
“Wonderful. Wonderful indeed.” Old man Naito was standing next to me. The two of us were looking at the newly-constructed clock tower.
We erected it in the castle town’s main plaza. In other countries, only the elite had clocks, so they could determine the time by the chimes they heard. But I decided to build the tower in the square for all to see, because time was important to keep.
Plus, I’d seen this very clock tower in Brunhild when I saw that future vision with my fiancees some time ago.
It was kind of like the Big Ben in London. The official name for that tower used to just be The Clock Tower, but its formal one nowadays is the Elizabeth Tower.
I had found an enormous clock in the storehouse, so I installed it atop the giant tower. The face of it was enchanted with light magic, which made it glow even in the darkness. The numbers were written in the ancient language of Partheno, but it was a similar twelve number system to the one most of the world used anyway, so it was easily read.
Even if there weren’t any chimes, people could tell the time by looking at the tower. I’d put clock faces on all four sides, after all. The only place you wouldn’t be able to tell the time from was directly beneath.
I wanted this clock tower to be a symbol of my castle town, kind of like how Big Ben was a symbol of London back on Earth.
“Oh my, what a splendid construct...”
“Oh, Olba. Hey there! Arma, too?”
“It’s been a while, Mister Tou— I mean, uh... Your Highness.”
“Touya’s just fine. It’s nice to see you.” I turned to greet Olba, the Mismede merchant, and his daughter Arma. Their foxy ears were idly twitching as they spoke.
Olba visited Brunhild often, but it was rare for me to see Arma here.
“I’ve come with a shipment of metal. Arma’s school is currently on break, so I promised her I’d show her your fine nation in person.”
“Oh, great!” Olba used my revenue based on sales of stuff like the baseball gear and my other ‘inventions’ to pay for steel and other metals. The metals were then brought to Brunhild as raw materials to make Frame Gears.
“Ah, and about the request you put in earlier...”
“Hm? Did they fall for it?”
“In Felsen, yes.”
I see... Felsen... Interesting, interesting...
Frame Gears required rare materials like orichalcum in all of their parts. Compared to the other raw materials it hardly made up the most, but there was still quite a lot of it inside a single unit. The amount of orichalcum in one Frame Gear could produce about ten longswords.
I hypothesized that the first thing the Frame Gear thieves would do was disassemble the parts they took to learn the structure. Then, they would attempt to build their own afterward.
That was where Olba came in. I boldly requested him to circulate a large amount of orichalcum on the rare metal market. But in truth, it was a plot to find out who would buy such a suspiciously vast amount of the stuff. We set up a fake company and everything.
In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 9 Page 10