67 – Victory Day
In the end, at Sylvia’s request, I promised to participate in the arena next week as well.
It was necessary to continue to hire underworld informants for meaningful information about Ella.
If it was someone else, there would have been a risk of deliberately hiding her information and trying to exploit her in the arena, but since I knew Sylvia’s personality, I didn’t worry about that.
She left the underworld and returned to her dormitory before curfew.
She had told her in advance that she would be late, but as she spent time in the arena, she skipped dinner and sparring with Gwynn.
From now on, I will be arriving late every Monday, so it would be better to finish this work as soon as possible or come up with other measures so that the students do not get puzzled.
As she entered the lobby with that thought in mind, she felt quite a lot of people in the lounge.
The curfew is close, so what are we doing together until this time?
She could have just gone back to her room, but she got nervous and walked to the break room.
As soon as she entered the break room, the first thing she reacted to was Titania.
“Instructor! Have you been?”
Titania confirmed that I had entered and took her teacup from her mouth and waved her goodbye.
I answered her greeting with a nod.
Aside from Elisabeth and Batar, six students were gathered in the break room.
I could tell what they were doing when they got together.
-Continued, we will inform you of the news of the system. In celebration of the upcoming 5th anniversary of victory, the Imperial Family is known to be planning a large-scale military parade and street march parade on the central road of the island….
From noble mtl dot com
“Radio?”
A square box placed in the center of the break room table.
At the center of the magic radio made with magical engineering, the students were sitting around drinking tea and chatting while listening to the radio.
Hextech stuff is pretty expensive and hard to find. I’m sure I remember there was no radio in the break room until a few days ago.
It was Schurz who answered that question.
“I brought it from my parents’ house over the weekend. I used to listen to it every day at my hometown, but it was a bit disappointing because it wasn’t here. Newspapers are good, but after all, urgent news is faster.”
“I see.”
If you are the son of an imperial chancellor, of course there must be at least one or two radios in your home.
I sat down on a suitable empty chair and got along well.
“Eat.”
Marian poured the tea right into the cup and handed it to me. She had no intention of drinking it, but since she had already prepared it, she had no reason to refuse, so she accepted the cup.
It was black tea.
“Um… thanks.”
I nodded her head and Marianne responded with a smile.
It must have been quite cumbersome for the marquise’s daughter to make tea herself, but to Marianne and the other students, it seemed like a routine.
The automatic doll golem Shabti only handles basic tasks such as cleaning, washing, and cooking according to a set schedule, but does not do such trivial tasks for you.
So, this rare appearance of a noble lady riding a car and handing out to students must be a special sight that can only be seen at the academy.
“Hmm.”
I took a sip of moderately cooled black tea.
Unlike what Charlotte cooked on the battlefield, the aroma and taste were excellent. Was it because they used good quality tea leaves, or was it just because Charlotte was not good at brewing tea? Now, it is unknown.
“Instructor. Is tea good for you?”
While I was taking a sip of tea, Marianne was looking at me with a nervous expression for some reason.
I didn’t know why, but I was just expressing my honest opinion.
“Yes. It’s delicious.”
“… Really? I’m glad then.”
Marianne smiled contentedly and went back to her seat. She said in small words, “One point… !” She muttered to herself, but she couldn’t make out what it meant.
The news was still playing on the radio.
-Also, in line with this large-scale military parade, people’s expectations are rising as news is being conveyed that the non-public project ‘Aircraft’, in which the empire’s technological power has been concentrated, will finally conduct a pilot flight. On the day of the fever ceremony, it is expected that you will be able to see with your own eyes the appearance of the airships covering the sky of the islands….
Marian said in a startling voice.
“Wow, does that finally open? Is it finally finished?”
Shurtz took over her words.
“Because the airship design itself has already been completed. After dozens of tests, it has finally entered the stabilization phase. The administrative office expects to start mass production next year.”
“Hmm… Well, I hope it goes well. So far, I’ve only heard that it exploded. Of course, such news was not published in the newspapers.”
Gwyn, who was sipping green tea instead of black tea across the street, opened her mouth curiously.
“Airship? What is that?”
Shurtz made an absurd expression.
“You don’t know airships? Um, yes… Maybe if you’ve lived in the mountains for years. To put it simply, you can think of it as a flying boat.”
“What!? How can a ship fly in the sky!?”
At Gwynn’s shocking question, Schurz raised his glasses and showed a proud smile.
“That is the greatness of empire technology that no country on the continent can match. Have you heard of the three major industries of the empire?”
“Three major industries?”
“Manufacturing, steel, shipbuilding… It is a major industry that the Empire has been pushing with its main force since the war. Based on the advanced technology of the empire, the factories mass-produce the necessary items, and with the parts made, railroads are laid across the land of the empire and airships are launched in the sky. Isn’t it great just imagining it?”
“Mmmmmm… ?”
Gwynn made a puzzled expression as if he did not understand at all. He wasn’t as much as Gwynn, but he seemed to think the same about Titania and Oznia, who were listening with him.
As the reaction was lukewarm than expected, Schurtz cleared his throat briefly and lowered his voice.
“If trains and airships travel across the entire continent, it means that they can reach the Far East in a matter of days.”
“What!? Only a few days to the east? It’s a distance that takes several months on foot… !”
“If not now, maybe someday. If not only people but all kinds of goods could be transported through trains and airships, not only the empire, but the whole continent would be much better to live than now. Then even a country devastated by war will be able to quickly recover.”
“… Huh, isn’t that a bit of an empire-centered idea?”
Then, Saladin, who had been listening quietly, suddenly brought up his words.
“The magic stones that power factories and the minerals used to build boats and lay railroads are not all self-sufficient in the Empire. Isn’t it a little bit like saying that while bringing everything you need from the colony?”
“A colony? A vassal state is absolutely nothing like a colony—”
“Yes, yes. We have friendly relations with the nearby weak countries. Well, you might say that, but from the perspective of a colony, if the empire asks, can you refuse?”
“It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. If the empire lays out the infrastructure, there will definitely be benefits for underdeveloped countries.”
“Isn’t the empire built for free? I’m going to take everything anyway.”
“Where is the freebie in international relations? Even if you say that they will build it for free, the reason why the empire should-“
The two suddenly started arguing with each other, ignoring their surroundings.
I wondered if I should interrupt the increasingly harsh tone, but Marianne stopped me by grabbing my sleeve.
“Leave me alone. It’s not like we’re fighting seriously.”
“What?”
“Sometimes he says that. On the contrary, he seems to be enjoying Schurtz as well, but that will soon be over. And Saladin doesn’t say things like that in front of Elisabeth.”
“… ….”
Looking closely, both of them are focused on the altercation, but it wasn’t really that bad.
Considering Saladin’s exchanging swear words or ignoring him like before, the way he continued his conversation while arguing like this even seemed rather friendly.
I’m sure you don’t have to worry.
It’s curfew soon. Oznia started to yawn first, as if she was starting to feel sleepy late at night, and Titania took care of Oznia and went back to her room together.
As Gwin Schurtz and Saladin continued to argue with difficult words, Gwin left the break room as if running away with an expression that he couldn’t understand at all.
As the students left one by one, I also left the break room with Marianne.
Until the end, Schurz and Saladin were still arguing. You may not know Saladin, but Schurz is a sensible character. I’ll take care of myself before the curfew.
Walking down a dark hallway, Marian suddenly opened her mouth.
“Sorry.”
“Hmm?”
“What Schurz said… If it had been done sooner, so many people would not have died in the war.”
“… ….”
It certainly is.
When I first rode the Island Tram, I thought that if this tram extended all the way to the North, the supply would have been smoother.
Trains and airships. If I had been able to use something like that during the war, unlike horses, I wouldn’t have to rest, and I wouldn’t have to go back because the road was blocked. Assuming it’s safe.
“Horsepower radio, horsepower tram, horsepower airship… Was it all made by one person? I wish he had made it a little faster. Uhm, the engineer’s name must be… Crab… Geo….”
“Georg von Braun.”
“Oh, right! It was such a name. Do you know surprisingly well?”
I can’t help but know.
Because I’m one of the few people who actually came close to killing me after earning the nickname “The Scarlet Star.”
Anyway, it’s airship….
Even if airships are really commercialized, you will never ride them again.