This takes place just before the collapse of Old Ciel-Terra.
South of Old Ciel-Terra, a group of small nations (some larger than Ciel-Terra itself) divided into factions and fought a prolonged war for nearly a decade.
Behind both sides were the Noacurio and Gireshtal Federation, aiming for mineral and magical resources, effectively turning it into a proxy war.
At one point, the Noacurio faction had the upper hand, but amidst the approaching war within their own borders, King Elbert of Old Ciel-Terra decided to intervene after repeated requests from Gireshtal.
Standing out in this conflict were the impressive achievements of two knights: the initially modest Knight Commander Lawrence and the strategic genius Bertil Lagerbeck, adept in mobile tactics and encirclement strategies.
The war reached a stalemate, both nations exhausted, leading to an uneasy ceasefire. Ultimately, Old Ciel-Terra did not allow enemy troops to set foot on its soil, and the two Knight Commanders were hailed as “heroes of the nation.”
In that country, anyone who wielded a sword would have admired Lawrence and Bertil at least once.
“Hmm… Are you perhaps from Old Ciel-Terra?”
Wilfred chuckled, seeming tickled by the heroics.
He gave off an approachable impression, as rumored.
“I’m Wilfred Bryce. My father, Yuin, was a knight of Marquis Edfeld.”
“Yuin…? I see, then you’re from that time…”
Before Bertil could finish his sentence, a blaring car horn passed behind him.
The steam car Bertil was riding blocked one side of the two-lane Rim Bridge, prompting protest from following cars trying to avoid it.
“Oops, sorry. Can’t park a steam car here.”
“Catherine, are you busy with something? Otherwise, I’d like you to come along.”
“Well…”
Catherine, invited, glanced hesitantly at Wilfred.
Since Wilfred had invited him, she couldn’t just leave on her own.
–No, no, no! The importance of what I’m doing is far inferior to ‘Bertil Lagerbeck’s business’!
Immediately, Wilfred shook his head vigorously as if his blood vessels were about to burst.
“Well then, shall we go? Wilfred, would it be okay for me to ride to the exit of the bridge with you?”
“Is… is that really okay? With me here…”
“This steam car has a capacity of four. Is there a problem?”
Bertil opened the door of the steam car and offered a seat to Wilfred. Feeling out of place, Wilfred felt like shrinking away.
However, it would be disrespectful to refuse his kindness, and he was more eager to spend as much time as possible with the knight he admired, even if by chance in such a place.
As he peeked into the distinctive interior of polished wood and brass colors, he saw a lady with azure hair in a suit at the driver’s seat.
“Oh, Sofia too!”
“Good evening, Catherine. Tonight, I’m just a driver.”
The driver called Sofia exchanged smiles with Catherine.
“Is she a friend of the administrator?”
“I’m Sofia Gilberta Vera von Hoover. Just a humble soldier.”
“You said humble well, didn’t you, Sherry? She was spy forced to watch the former Keely family.”
Bertil’s wry smile was too dangerous, and Wilfred was shocked.
However, the three except Wilfred seemed calm.
“She’s a friend.”
Catherine whispered to Wilfred with a gentle smile.
* * *
The steam car runs across the Rim Bridge with a view of the Great Tree of Light.
Bertil was in the passenger seat, and Catherine and Wilfred were in the back seat.
In other words, sitting side by side with Catherine, whenever Wilfred’s side view reflected Catherine’s profile, he felt as if his breath was about to stop.
—However, I’ve met an amazing person…
Wilfred now knew that Catherine was once the daughter of an earl.
The Adventurer’s Guild office was not everything in Catherine’s world. It was a strange feeling of relief and disappointment.
“Hello… Yes, I picked up Catherine in a strange place… Yes. It would be helpful if you wait there. I’ll be there soon… Yes, thank you.”
Bertil spoke on a built-in communicator in the steam car.
After finishing the call and returning the communicator to its place, he sighed like steam.
“The Federation is still absurd. It can do without magic.”
“Yes, I was surprised at first, too. I thought Old Ciel-Terra was deeply connected to the Federation and that Federation goods were coming in… But after actually living in the Federation, everything was too different…”
“If you don’t have magic, you can’t operate steam products like the Federation’s large-scale steam generators. You need to be prepared to convert all geothermal energy into steam to create a city-level steam generator like the Federation does. Steam products used elsewhere are either ‘pseudo steam’ modified to operate with magic stones or small items powered by home steam generators and steam cartridges.”
The two said thoughtfully. Wilfred agreed.
The technology used in the Federation seemed more like magic to him.
The capitals of the five great powers are built on top of strong magical hotspots, which are the nodal points of many geothermal veins. Cities are built in such places.
The magical resources drawn from these geothermal veins are vast. And like many cities in the Gireshtal Federation, Saktamburg converts most of its magical resources into steam using steam generators, using steam as fuel for steam engines.
Brass can be turned into highly efficient steam-handling containers and conduit pipes with simple magical processing.
The Gireshtal Federation has developed steam control technology using brass, and machines powered by steam engines are used from the military to households.
The steam car they were riding in compressed steam generated by a generator into a steam tank and used it as fuel to drive a steam engine and gain driving force.
Although the Gireshtal Federation boasts technology on a different level from countries relying on magic, it also has weaknesses, such as the difficulty in taking these items out of the country.
Therefore, the Golem Corps, a pride of the Federation, is primarily powered by magic stone power, and only small labor golems use steam power.
However, large steam emission pipes are attached to most large golems, probably for symbolic reasons.
“Western Ayursa is promoting ‘steamification’ lately. Although the dependence on the Federation is increasing, they can’t just stubbornly hang on to the eastern side of the Glacelum mine. Fortunately, mithril can still be mined abundantly, so if steam power spreads, industrial growth will follow. My king’s family is famous for Snow Roses, so they’re familiar with that, and the consolidated agriculture plan is booming.”
“The state of the former Earldom of Keely is…”
“It’s peaceful. He seems to be having a hard time, Berger’s son. I’m not complaining, but the people are always comparing him to someone else behind his back.”
“Oh dear…”
Catherine smiled ambiguously, unsure whether it was good or bad.
Even if she was no longer the daughter of an earl, Catherine seemed concerned about her subjects.
As for Wilfred, he occasionally wondered how the newly-formed Ciel-Terra in the east… the sphere of influence of Diletta, his home in the east, was doing, but he didn’t want to know.
He didn’t want to remember that place.
Wilfred understood that he was too insignificant and powerless.
Every time he remembered the feeling of helpless darkness when his father was executed, he wanted to become stronger.
He didn’t know how much he could protect with his swordsmanship, but that was all he could do. And he could only become as strong as he could.
“By the way, I heard your son was born recently. Congratulations on that.”
“Oh, you knew? Thank you. Kaya wanted to meet you as well. If there’s a chance, I’d like you to visit, but I might not get approval to go to Western Ayursa from the Federation yet…”
― Kaya? Could that be Kaya Lanner?
With his mind still processing the information, Wilfred nearly forgot to offer his congratulations.
Kaya Runner, who had been a Royal Knight of Old Ciel-Terra, was one of the few female Royal Knights and the only female captain, somewhat of a celebrity. Wilfred hadn’t known she was married to Bertil until now.
“…Actually, I have a request from someone to introduce ‘Catherine Margaretha Keely’.”
Bertil abruptly changed the topic, causing Wilfred to once again swallow the congratulations he was about to say.
Bertil’s tone had shifted from casual conversation to something more serious.
The steam carriage was approaching the exit of Rim Bridge, heading into District Section 2-2.
Just as they arrived.
The steam carriage slid up to the entrance of a luxury hotel. In the center of the rotary, a fountain with shining golden gears served as a signpost, and under the hotel’s brilliant lights stood an elderly man waiting.
― He has an Eastern appearance… Is that the uniform of the Khenis Empire?
He gave the impression of a venerable old man, with white hair and beard. The attire he wore, fastened with a belt in front, existed in several regions in the Far East, but to Wilfred, who had trained as a samurai, it was clear that this elderly man’s attire was that of the Khenis Empire, different from a samurai garment.
He folded his loose sleeves together in front of his body and bowed to Catherine.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Dairei, tasked as Chief of the Special Countermeasures Department ‘Rose Princess of Hellrage’ under the Grand General of the Khenis Empire.”
Catherine’s expression changed as if a sword had been drawn from its sheath.
