Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 24

Chapter 24
  On the other hand, the Knight King’s party, having been invited, was welcomed into the core city of Winzard with a simple procedure. Guided by the guards, they walked down the main street, gazing at the cityscape that had undergone extreme development since the former lord took the Rare Human Nina under his protection.
  
  It was just before dusk, when everyone was actively moving around preparing food and such, and the market district, as seen through the pseudo-eyeballs from the height of the Clawsolas, was bustling with people.
  
  『It’s definitely more prosperous than our royal capital, Asia…』
  『Ugh, I told you about that before, right?』
  
  Ignoring Revia’s somewhat frustrated groan, Claude turned his gaze forward to see a castle that was disproportionately small compared to the size of the city.
  
  『The only thing our capital has going for it is the size of the castle…』
  
  『Do you think it’s ostentatious, Claude? That’s just like you.』
  『But Onii-sama, it’s the country’s castle, so it needs to have dignity.』
  
  Eleia, unusually disagreeing with Lloyd’s opinion, said that the size of the castle symbolizes the nation’s power. But seeing that the Clawsolas workshop attached to the small castle was more impressive, Claude felt admiration for Lord Nina’s practicality and strength.
  
  『Did she demolish part of the castle to build it? …That’s an option too.』
  『Hmph, Claude-sama, you weren’t listening to me.』
  
  『No, I think it’s good to prioritize substance over appearance.』
  
  Thinking it was worth considering, Claude looked at the black smoke billowing from the workshop’s chimney. He recalled that his own country’s workshop also had a chimney, with a steam engine installed to power processing machinery and the like.
  
  ‘Well, it’s like Earth’s thermal power plants, using the principles of steam engines to drive turbines…’
  
  While thinking that it was surprisingly practical, they passed through the street and arrived at the stableyard a short time later.
  
  There, a young woman who seemed to be around Claude’s age, with glossy dark brown hair and a voluptuous figure, stood waiting for the Lizel delegation, accompanied by several knights and two Clawsolas units.
  
  As Claude opened the chest armor of the Clawsolas he had been piloting and descended to the ground using the lifting wire, the woman approached quietly.
  
  “Nice to meet you, young Knight King… I am Margrave Nina Valer of the Zephyrus Domain.”
  
  The lady in the dress, who had a somewhat strong-willed impression that Claude couldn’t discern from the Clawsolas’ pseudo-eyeballs, extended her hand.
  
  ‘… I guess it’ll be alright.’
  
  Dismissing his wariness in an instant, Claude grasped her pale hand without hesitation and exchanged a Western-style greeting.
  
  “How was the ride in the Clawsolas I designed?”
  “Not bad, but I’m not sure about sharing senses.”
  
  “Well, with the current technology, the transmission of control and sensations are inseparable… By the way, I’d like you to show me that thing. Don’t think I’m materialistic, I’ve been waiting for it.”
  
  Nodding at her words, which were spoken in a cute, pleading manner, Claude turned his gaze to Raizes, who had been standing beside him.
  
  “Well then, Cavalry Captain Aldo.”
  
  “Yes! Bring the wagon loaded with the fragments forward!”
  “”Understood!””
  
  The voices of the soldiers acting as drivers echoed back, and the wagon, which had moved to the side of the stableyard, slowly approached and stopped in front of them.
  
  “This is the composition of the Spirit Gate… Spirit Stone.”
  
  “Is that what it’s called?”
  “Yes, I named it.”
  
  So, it’s not the official name… Claude thought, but he asked what he needed to confirm.
  
  “What exactly is this?”
  “I’ll explain the details later. Let’s take care of the Clawsolas inspection first.”
  
  “Ah, what should we do with the Clawsolas we brought for the general inspection?”
  “Leave them here. The technicians will rewrite the mage registration and move them.”
  
  Nina said this casually and started walking towards the workshop with her escort, so Claude left Aldo and Dino in charge of the area and followed after Lloyd, Raizes, and the others, who were switching to second-generation giant knights.
  
  For convenience, the stableyard and workshop were located close to each other, so it didn’t take long to enter the workshop, which was several times larger than Lizel’s. However, there were fewer Clawsolas than Claude expected.
  
  ‘Hey, Claude… I feel like the number of Clawsolas is about the same as in Lizel.’
  ‘There must be a reason.’
  
  Claude gave a short reply to Revia, who had whispered to him, but Nina, who was walking ahead of them, seemed to have heard and explained.
  
  “Most of them have been deployed to the three western territories that border the “Hour of Ruin” dominion. We have quite a few in total, but I won’t tell you the exact number.”
  
  “At that point, we can’t compete, Knight King Claude.”
  “That’s true…”
  
  Claude nodded at Lloyd’s unintentional words and became more wary, thinking that she would be troublesome as an enemy, but Nina smoothly denied his thoughts.
  
  “That’s not true. The Clawsolas on the front lines can’t be moved from a national defense perspective, and producing more in my own territory would antagonize the Imperial Faction, so it’s difficult to increase the numbers any further.”
  
  Nina and the knights around her stopped, speaking in a slightly self-deprecating tone, and looked at the black-silver Clawsolas fixed at the back of the workshop.
  
  “This is one of the units I’m handing over to you, my beloved Belphegor.”
  
  The giant knight she pointed out had asymmetrical arms. Its left arm was a robust, beast-like claw, while its right arm was a gauntlet with a long arm shield.
  
  The Clawsolas looked more menacing than cute. Its body lines were slender, and its armor was thin except for the vital parts.
  
  Instead, it seemed to have instantaneous movement speed and powerful left arm strength. In other words, Claude had been presented with a state-of-the-art Clawsolas that seemed extremely difficult to handle.