Chapter 214 - Chapter 213: Scientific Knowledge and Divine Intervention
Wind Month, Week 2, Wind Day.
Mika had been in Paraleira's room since morning.
Everyone else was attending class as usual.
Normally, Mika was also required to attend classes.
In fact, he had been attending them.
But he had been summoned.
Not by Paraleira.
By the Royal Palace.
Once it was discovered that Mika possessed the [Skill: Salvage] technique for extracting items from magic bags, he began to be summoned to the Royal Castle once or twice a month.
While officially forbidding salvage work as a job, they used him to the fullest extent of their convenience.
This country's methods left Mika's temples twitching involuntarily.
Occasionally, he would be summoned to the Academy, with instructions to report to a government office near the East Gate of the First Wall by noon.
To Mika, this was an incredibly tedious journey.
The distance from his home to the government office was about two kilometers if he went directly.
But going to the Academy first, then returning to go to the office, made the distance over eight kilometers.
Yet, Mika did not complain about it.
Why?
Because he disliked having the Royal Palace's messengers come directly to his home.
At home, he was naturally in off-mode.
So, he did not want to be on edge wondering when a summons might arrive.
It was similar to the feeling of disliking a phone call from work while trying to rest at home.
If that were the case, being summoned while in on-mode at the Academy, and going there himself despite the distance, was mentally easier.
Thus, today he was happily summoned, and was now heading for the Royal Castle.
The Academy allowed him to leave early immediately upon receiving a summons.
No excuses like "I need to prepare" were necessary.
Rather, he was permitted to go home as if to say, "Go quickly."
Today, the summons came right after morning classes began, so he had plenty of time.
So, he had come to check on Paraleira's research.
Mika sat in a chair, crossed his legs, and glanced through the research results written by Paraleira.
"You seem to have understood mechanics quite well."
Mika lifted his gaze from the report to look at Paraleira, who let out a long sigh.
"I can sort of understand the logic, but it's troublesome..."
Hearing Paraleira's comment, Mika gave a bitter smile.
Action and reaction, universal gravitation, kinetic energy, potential energy, and so on. Mika had taught her whatever came to mind.
Setting aside parts that were hard to see with the eyes or hard to feel intuitively, he focused on things that were easy to understand intuitively as "force must be at work."
Unless one is a true eccentric genius, one would never think that mechanics exist in all everyday phenomena and can be expressed by formulas.
However, even Mika did not remember the exact order in which he had been taught these things.
Therefore, he taught related concepts as they came to mind, whenever the moment arose.
While demonstrating.
Furthermore, Mika had also taught Paraleira chemistry.
What matter is, atoms and molecules, gases, liquids, solids, chemical changes, compounds, and so on.
Even though it had been less than half a year since he started teaching, the amount she absorbed was tremendous.
She must have a sharp mind, as expected.
"But where did you get such knowledge?"
Paraleira stared intently at Mika with serious eyes.
Avoiding that gaze, Mika muttered softly.
"...Divine revelation."
He felt dumbfounded with himself for citing the gods as the basis while teaching scientific knowledge that denied divine intervention.
But he could not tell the truth, so whether it was painful or not, he had no choice but to deceive.
And Paraleira must have understood that.
She was looking at Mika with a suspicious gaze.
"Ah, I'd better go soon. Well then, if you have any more questions, please write them down on a memo."
Saying that, Mika stood up and took the memo that was on Paraleira's desk.
This was Paraleira's "Why-Why Memo."
Whatever she thought of, or found strange, she wrote it down, and Mika would take it home to think carefully about the answer.
The memos listed a very wide range of questions, from simple ones he could answer immediately to ones that made him groan.
Once, for some reason, it had written "I'm hungry," so he explained the mechanism of feeling hunger.
While nodding in admiration, she listened to the explanation with a very bored expression.
Mika left Paraleira's room as if fleeing, heading for the Second Wall.
As if fleeing, or rather, he really had fled.
There was still plenty of time until noon.
As he was thinking about having a leisurely lunch somewhere,
"Oh my, Mika-kun. What are you doing at this hour?"
He was addressed by Ozendorwa as he passed through the gate of the Second Wall.
"Huh? Hello, Ozendorwa-san. Aren't you rare to see, Ozendorwa-san?"
He had met him outside during the test for the "Orichalcum" rare copper-type metal, but basically, Ozendorwa was someone who stayed at the guard post.
Rather, he had thought Ozendorwa lived at the guard post.
"I am just patrolling normally. Once or twice a week, I patrol the area under my charge like this."
The Fifth Knights Order's charge was roughly Districts 1 to 4, and Districts 7 to 8.
There were several other knight orders guarding the capital, but the remaining Districts 5 to 6, and District 1 were guarded by separate knight orders.
He thought it was a very unbalanced division, but apparently, the Fifth Knights Order was special.
The Fifth Knights Order had ten thousand knights.
But there were no other knight orders of such a scale.
Normally, the maximum was around three thousand.
Some were as few as two thousand, composed of two or three battalions.
"Why is only the Fifth Knights Order so large?"
He had asked such a question before.
Then,
"It seems they were on bad terms."
"Huh?"
That was the answer he received.
It was a story from a long time ago. It seemed that previously, each knight order guarded two districts.
In other words, four knight orders guarded Districts 1 to 8.
But incidents spanning districts occurred, causing them to pass the buck to each other, or conversely, to exclude each other.
(............I've heard a similar story before.)
He thought such a thing.
Whether it was pride or rivalry, he didn't know, but incidents spanning boundaries seemed to be troublesome in any world.
It wasn't necessarily unique to investigative agencies or police forces, but why couldn't they cooperate?
For that reason, the arrest rate stagnated, and as the capital's population increased, public order deteriorated.
So, they decided to make one knight order to prevent such trouble, consolidating the knight orders guarding the capital into one.
Of the four knight orders, three managed to merge somehow.
However, there was apparently one knight order that simply could not blend in.
Four knight orders, four commanders.
If they were to become one, there would be only one position for commander.
One knight order strongly opposed this, and the king at the time was at a complete loss.
While he could have used strong authority, the opposing commander was stubborn, but as a knight, he was honest and excellent.
The king and prime minister at the time, thinking that dealing too harshly might create subtle resentments in various directions, decided to make that knight order independent.
Thus, the story went that the Fifth Knights Order, formed by the merger of three knight orders, and a knight order of normal size, were tasked with guarding the Second District of the capital.
(They solved it not by creating an agency with jurisdiction spanning districts, but by merging them. ...Well, they didn't merge completely.)
So, it seemed the Fifth Knights Order, which handled six districts, and a knight order handling two districts, were separated.
They were not on bad terms now, but they were just left in that state.
Incidentally, the Third District was also maintained by these two knight orders, but actually, this was apparently an overreach of authority.
Or rather, the Third District was not included in the order from His Majesty.
The area inside the Second Wall was the jurisdiction of the knight order entrusted with the capital's public order.
Still, if someone did not watch the Third District, it was obvious that public order would deteriorate.
Therefore, it seemed that successive commanders had strived to maintain public order based on their own judgment.
Mika looked up at Ozendorwa.
"Thank you for your hard work. The area you cover is large, and the number of people you command is also large; it must be difficult."
"Not really. The ones actually commanding the front lines are the individual battalion commanders. I am just a palanquin."
Well, that was modesty.
He thought there was no one in the knight order who could match this person.
He possessed strength enough to stand above ten thousand people.
That was why everyone followed him.
Besides, surprisingly, he kept a close eye on things.
He would show up for Mika and others' practice sessions amidst his busy schedule, and he was very caring.
"Besides, if we are to carry something, wouldn't a lighter palanquin be better? If the palanquin is light, those carrying it can move freely."
Ozendorwa made such a joke, but a knight behind him, who seemed to have heard it, shook his head and hand side-to-side as if saying, "No, no..."
Yeah, I think so too.
"So, what about you, Mika-kun? Skipping work?"
"If only that were the case. It's a summons from the one place I can't skip."
"Oh... I see. You, Mika-kun, must be working hard."
Ozendorwa knew that Mika was being summoned to the Royal Castle for salvage work.
He did not seem to know the specific details, but he had heard about the medal Mika received.
Apparently, he had an acquaintance in the Ministry of Military Affairs, and that was where he got the information.
After standing and talking for a while, Mika had an early lunch in the Second District, stopped by his home to say hello, and then headed for the government office.
"Haaah..."
Mika drank the now completely cold tea and asked the maid for a refill.
Then, he looked at the newly placed magic bag.
This was the guest room of the Royal Castle.
It was not the ridiculously large room he was first assigned, but about half that size.
Even so, it was still spacious.
Inside the room were two maids.
And five knights.
About six officials were waiting.
He had already performed six salvages today alone.
Since he had done many, the time required for each had shortened somewhat.
But, as expected, his concentration was fading.
Especially the replacement of mana was a delicate task, so it was mentally exhausting.
He wanted to try automation, but if he failed, it would be lost, so he couldn't even try.
He had thought about having the owner of the magic bag shop register the mana and buy a large quantity of bags to aim for automation, but he couldn't bring himself to practice while throwing away a million rats.
However, now that he held such a large sum of money, he was seriously considering whether he should practice even if it meant that.
Taking a sip of the refilled tea, Mika reached out to the magic bag.
Recently, magic bags often contained expensive items like money, jewels, and ornaments.
He was not told whose items they were or where they were obtained, so he was not sure, but he thought they were likely related to the Church.
Items illegally accumulated by dozens of Popes, Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops.
Normally, once put in a magic bag, no one could take them out.
But if Mika was there, such assets could be effectively utilized.
He thought he had already extracted about a hundred magic bags intended to store such assets.
He had been made to do so much that he didn't want to count them one by one, so he didn't know the exact number.
And, as expected, there was no talk of a reward.
"...How many more are there?"
Even though he thought it was useless, Mika asked the official.
But the officials did not open their mouths at all, just looking at Mika.
It was as if they were looking at Mika as nothing more than a tool or something.
Well, he knew that was how commoners were treated, but it was still irritating.
(............It's a nasty thought, but if I join the Leventein family, will it get a little better?)
Although angry, if he married Cleiria and joined the Leventein family, he might be treated as a human.
Nothing about Mika would change.
Just changing his name, and surely the treatment would change by heaven and earth.
(If you are not a Heike, you are not a man.)
He did not desire glory or advancement, but in this country, even capable people were usually worn out and used up unless they were connected to a noble family.
The current treatment of Mika showed clearly what the center of this country thought.
They seemed to genuinely think that giving him one medal was an honor and that he should be grateful.
Well, since it was a feudal state that had lasted fifteen hundred years, perhaps that was unavoidable.
Mika let out a quiet sigh and sent mana into the magic bag he had picked up.
Then, he noticed immediately.
(Not this again.)
He had already interfered with many magic bags and noticed there were roughly two types of internal structures.
One was the old type.
The same system as the magic bag Zureept had held, and the magic bag he first salvaged.
There were slight differences, but basically, they were almost unchanged.
And the other type.
The one that first appeared during the salvage work done at the Royal Castle.
He had done many salvages before that, but this type had never appeared.
Among the items appearing at the Royal Castle, the ratio was about one in ten to twenty.
The number was quite small.
(Well, since what I do doesn't change, it's fine.)
However, he was curious why the internal structure was different.
(...This was civilian conversion of military technology, wasn't it?)
Could it change so drastically?
(Does it change between the past and present?)
With technological innovation, the structure could change completely.
But...
(It doesn't feel like one is new and the other is old.)
In a way, both had new things and old things.
It was a matter of the bag's appearance.
(In that case, is it a difference in the manufacturer?)
Then, he suddenly thought of something.
(Small differences are due to domestic manufacturers or version differences. Then what about this big difference?)
Difference in manufacturing country?
(A country that possesses the technology to manufacture magic bags. I thought it was something available everywhere since it circulated normally in the Kingdom of Ektrem, but maybe not?)
There were four nations on the continent.
The Kingdom of Ektrem, the Gronoir Empire, the Trade Union, and the Seven Duchies Federation.
The ones he was always salvaging were likely domestic.
And the other type was manufactured by the Empire, the Union, or the Federation?
(Could it be from another continent? Or perhaps, even domestically, there is a factory using a single different technology?)
Thinking about it here would not lead to the correct answer anytime soon.
But...
(There is also the possibility that it was seized from a spy from another country who infiltrated the nation.)
He had obtained information about the Gronoir Empire's spies by salvaging from magic bags.
It would serve as material to bolster the "military affairs" reason for receiving the medal.
(Ugh... I don't like this.)
Mika struggled to keep his head from drooping.
What he didn't like was that people who touched important information without knowing anything usually died in the early stages.
In the standard patterns of movies.
They were killed without knowing why, and simply killed off as if saying, "Ah, this is a trope."
Such a role.
Mika grimaced but held it back.
(Well, never mind. Let's finish quickly.)
And he wanted to go home soon.
Thinking such things, Mika diligently performed the salvage work.
"I'm home..."
It was now Wind Month, and the sun was setting very early.
It was already pitch dark outside.
When Mika returned home, his left shoulder flashed!
"Whoa!? That scared me!"
Fee was on his left shoulder without him noticing.
"Huh? Did Fee, you, ride on me this whole time?"
When Mika asked that, Fee briefly intensified its light.
"Welcome back, Mika-kun. Thank you for your hard work at your job."
"Welcome back, Mika-sama."
Hearing Mika's voice, Kistil appeared from the dining kitchen.
Nerisfeene seemed to be grilling some meat, so her hands were full.
"Oh, Fee-chan is welcome back too. You were with Mika-kun, weren't you?"
When Kistil said that, Fee intensified its light again.
Mika looked back and forth between Kistil and Fee.
"Huh? Since when? Since morning?"
"Fee-chan was at home this morning."
It seemed that when he stopped by home to tell them he was summoned to the castle, Fee had attached itself to him.
"Ah... sticking to the castle so much might not be good."
Mika scratched his head irritably.
If they found out, it might not just be a matter of getting scolded.
"Did you behave quietly?"
When Mika asked that, Fee did not give any particular response.
Probably, it had been wandering around inside the castle.
"Really, please don't get caught. I beg you."
When Mika said that, Fee briefly intensified its light once more.