Chapter 249
“The level is off over there! Lift it straight!”
“How is it now?”
“Good! Now I am combining the upper part!”
In the city center of the Esteban Dukedom, under the direction of the head of the Magic Tool Development Department, the space movement device was gradually taking shape.
Perhaps the unique structure caught their eyes. People on the street, regardless of age or gender, stopped in their tracks.
“Everyone, watch your hands!”
With the department head’s warning, the two Mages slowly lowered their hands. Then, the upper part of the device floating in the air slowly descended and joined the two pillars.
Since they used a special adhesive made from magic stones, it would never fall apart.
“Combining the magic stones!”
High-purity magic stones obtained from Monsters in the labyrinth filled the empty slots one by one.
Soon, as the final magic stone found its place, the device began to operate.
The magic stones emitted a soft light, creating a translucent shimmer.
“Then, Magic Tower master, we leave it to you.”
The final, essential step in installing the space movement device was none other than casting protection magic.
So that no one could destroy the device with malicious intent, or that it wouldn’t be damaged by a natural calamity.
Snap-.
As Franz snapped his fingers, a crisp sound rang out. The extending mana wrapped around the device, forming a transparent protective shield.
It was the moment the space movement device finally revealed itself to the world for the first time.
“It’s complete!”
“Waah-!”
The members of the Magic Tool Development Department let out cheers.
To have shared in the great first step that would remain in this world forever was an unparalleled honor for them.
Franz, too, did not hide his emotions and smiled at that moment.
“Franz, congratulations.”
Yuna smiled brightly as if it were her own accomplishment.
It was then. Someone suddenly appeared in front of Franz.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord. I am the representative of the Merchant Alliance, Baron Te-re-han.”
He took off the hat he was wearing and bowed politely.
A reasonably luxurious outfit, an affable tone, and behavior that was polite without being excessive. He seemed like a noble, yet not quite like one.
['The Merchant Alliance…']
He had heard of such a thing existing at some point, though he had let it go in one ear and out the other because he wasn’t particularly interested.
But why would someone like him approach to speak?
To get on the Lord’s good side as the representative of the alliance? Or perhaps he wanted to supply goods to the ducal residence?
Well, he was right in front of him, so he just had to ask.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. But what is your business?”
“First, I would like to apologize for not visiting you sooner. I had urgent business in another Territory, so I was away for a while.”
“Please do not worry too much about it. I, too, have not paid much attention to the Territory.”
In truth, most matters regarding the Esteban Dukedom had been left to the Vassals. Letters would come to the Magic Tower when there were major issues, but even that was very rare.
Of course, it was only a temporary measure, and he had no intention of continuing this situation forever. Once the foundation for resolving Labyrinths and Gates was established in each country, he planned to pay proper attention to the Territory as well.
“Thank you for understanding. I have one question; may I ask it?”
“Yes, please speak.”
“I am curious as to what this object in front of my eyes is.”
“A space movement device, or to put it more simply, a door. If you pass through that door, you will arrive straight at the Imperial Capital.”
The destination for the space movement devices to be installed throughout the empire was exactly one place: the Imperial Capital. To go to a desired destination, one would first head to the Imperial Capital, and then use the device there again.
“Are you saying it leads straight to the Imperial Capital as soon as you pass through that door…?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“H-how much is the toll?”
“His Majesty the emperor said he would set it at a level that would not be a burden even for a commoner. Of course, if you are transporting goods, it will cost a little more than that.”
“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
Perhaps because he had the profession of a merchant, he seemed to have a great many thoughts.
Afterward, as he left with a polite bow, Yuna suddenly poked her head in.
“Franz, so what are you doing from now on?”
“I have to go to another Territory and install the device. I need to install two more today so there won’t be any disruptions to the plan.”
“You’re busy…”
Yuna pouted her lips. It seemed she had some sort of complaint.
He could tell what that complaint was without even having to hear it. She wanted to spend time together.
“When this work is done, come to Ester with Yuri-ah and your mother. Let’s have a meal.”
“Really?”
“Would I lie?”
Yuna shook her head vigorously from side to side. The complaint-filled expression she had been wearing just a moment ago had vanished without a trace.
Afterward, Franz inspected the space movement device one last time. Since many people would be using it in the future, he had to be careful. If a problem occurred, many people could lose their lives.
“Then I’ll get going first. Get back safely.”
“Yeah, see you later.”
Ending his short farewell with Yuna, Franz snapped his fingers.
For about four days after that, Franz traveled all over the empire installing space movement devices.
Since the entire process was done with magic, it wasn’t particularly difficult. The truly hard work was all handled by the personnel of the Magic Tool Development Department anyway.
During that time, he naturally met many people: Not only the Iron-Blooded Duke in charge of the western border, but also the Golden Duke, who was said to have amassed the most wealth.
Among them, of course, was the Grand Duke of the North from the Ducal House of Duke Phrygia, Arian’s family home.
“So this is the space movement device I’ve only heard about. From the perspective of someone far away from the Imperial Capital, it is truly a welcome sight.”
“I am just grateful that you think so.”
“It’s not just lip service; it really is true. The lives of the Territory’s people will probably improve overall.”
The most notable point was, of course, that logistics and transportation costs would be greatly reduced. Current logistics had countless things to worry about, such as bandit attacks and natural calamities.
The emperor’s conclusion was that as a result, market prices would be lower, slightly improving the lives of the citizens.
In the case of middlemen, there would be many things to worry about in various ways, but that would be something they would have to gradually adapt to.
“Come to think of it, how is Arian doing these days?”
“She is doing reasonably well.”
For a moment, Franz recalled the fight between Arian and Yusti-ah, but he answered, trying hard to suppress the memory. There was no need to create anxiety by saying unnecessary things.
['Come to think of it, there isn’t much time left…']
It was something akin to an engagement, a promise to marry if neither had a suitable partner after one year. The one year of that promise was not far off.
If things continued as they were and he married Arian, the person right in front of him would become his father-in-law…
As expected, it was still hard to imagine: The Grand Duke of the North calling him son-in-law, or Arian welcoming him home when he got off work.
“Come to think of it, our second child’s wedding is not far off. If it is alright with you, could you grace us with your presence?”
“It would certainly be an honor to be invited to such an event. If you give me a wedding invitation, I will gladly attend.”
“Good. When the time comes, I will send the invitation to the Magic Tower.”
He burst into hearty laughter.
Franz, who was next to him, also burst into laughter, but inwardly, he couldn’t bring himself to laugh.
They were Yuna, Yusti-ah, Hera, and Arian. The four women were flickering in his mind.
It was during that time.
“Magic Tower master! The installation is finished!”
It seemed it was about time to leave the Duke Phrygia Dukedom.
“Then I will be on my way.”
“Yes, I hope to see you next time with slightly happier news.”
Good news…
“Yes, I’m sure that will be the case.”
Franz gave an equally meaningful answer to the meaningful question.
* * *
About a week after the space movement devices were installed in each region, the empire had truly welcomed a new era.
Not only did changes occur in the transportation industry, but since people could easily travel to other regions, major changes also occurred in the tourism industry.
Vitality returned to relatively poor Territories, and the number of people starving decreased due to cheap food ingredients.
In the midst of all that, if one were to name the biggest change Franz experienced…
“Franz, I’m here.”
“I’m here too.”
“We met on the way, so the three of us came together!”
He ended up frequently meeting Yusti-ah, Hera, and Yuna, who had each been in different regions.
They were visiting at least once every three days, and at most, daily, so it was honestly to the point of being worrisome. Yuna aside, Yusti-ah and Hera had work they needed to do.
So he had asked them about it once.
“I’m doing my work well, so don’t worry.”
“It’s the same for me. There’s no need to worry.”
So he just decided not to think about it. There was no reason to worry when they themselves said they were fine.
Of course, there was another point of concern besides that.
Wasn’t the Magic Tower ultimately a place of work? Even if outsiders were free to enter and exit, if visits for personal matters became frequent, people were bound to talk.
However, that too ended up being nothing but a groundless fear.
Yuna helped with physical labor, Hera with knowledge about Spirit Arts, and Yusti-ah with research on divine power. All three of them were providing various kinds of help to the Mages.
He hadn’t expected them to go that far, so he was surprised but also relieved on the other hand. At the very least, he didn’t have to tell them not to visit.
“But where did Arian go? By now she should be running over in a flurry…”
It was the moment Yusti-ah tilted her head and expressed her doubt.
Suddenly, the door opened and Arian came in.
“Magic Tower master, a gate has appeared. I think you need to go right now.”
“All right, I’ll go right away.”
Franz immediately stood up and left the Magic Tower Lord’s Office.
The three, who had come all the way to the Magic Tower to meet Franz, just stared blankly at his retreating back.
“When will he be back this time?”
“I suspect it will take a few hours.”
“Then let’s just chat for a bit in the meantime.”
Including Arian, who later returned to the Magic Tower Lord’s Office, the four of them began to converse in the Magic Tower Lord’s Office without Franz.
The start was about trivial daily life, finding a delicious restaurant, or some noble starting a romance.
But at some point, the topic of Franz began to come up, and soon Franz himself became the subject of the conversation.
It was during that time.
“Actually, I told him I liked him a while ago.”
Yusti-ah added fuel to the fire.