Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 103

Chapter 103: A Traditional Culture of the Knight Kingdom
  “Mila, it seems like there’s a small winding device built into the left upper arm.”
  “The left forearm has a connection lock for the artificial muscle control and a burst mechanism, Mia.”
  
  The twins, with their long, pointed ears characteristic of their race twitching, had been unceremoniously touching the new left Strong Arm as if it were a toy. Suddenly, they stopped moving and commented on the hidden gimmick they had discovered within the intricate mechanism.
  
  “”In other words, the forearm flies!””
  
  “I don’t quite understand what you mean. The usefulness of this armament is unknown…”
  “For some reason, I can’t suppress the overflowing romance!!”
  
  The excited petite elf sisters caused the maintenance soldiers to break into smiles. Despite the fact that the two, being long-lived, were undoubtedly older, the soldiers wore smiles like those directed at their own children.
  
  Nina, with a proud look, joined the group and, as usual, began to explain things with a cheerful air, even though no one had asked.
  
  “It’s based on the wire anchor we adopted for the second-generation Clawsolas, but I’ve improved it so that the forearm can be launched. Thanks to the double-barreled reel built into the upper arm and the thin, strong wire made of pure mithril, the effective range is eighty meters.”
  
  Furthermore, thanks to the generous use of magic silver, it seems that even after launch, it’s possible to control the fingers through a form of mental communication via magic.
  
  In short, it’s a specialized armament for Belphegor that doesn’t need to worry about production costs, so with her interests in mind, they’ve invested a large amount in its development.
  
  It could be said to be a custom-made product, manufactured by making full use of Margrave Zephyrus’s position.
  
  “If you think about it calmly, it’s a pretty amazing misuse of public funds, isn’t it?”
  “The baked goods that Revia occasionally extorts are actually paid for with national funds, too.”
  
  “Wha, it’s not from Claude’s salary!?”
  “You’re practically unpaid, Knight King…”
  
  In the Knight Kingdom, which doesn’t have a parliamentary political system, a portion of the taxes collected from various regions is sent directly to the Weissbell Royal Family. However, it’s an important fund used for national administration and famine relief, so it can’t be used lightly.
  
  Probably because she’s hesitant to use public funds for her own benefit, even within the scope of her authority, she’s been making do with the necessary expenses that the financial bureaucrats under Blaze regularly give her.
  
  “I, I didn’t know… I’ll treat you to sweets at “Honeycomb” when we get back.”
  “I don’t mind. It’s not like I’m struggling with food, clothing, or shelter. Frugality and hard work are a warrior’s virtues.”
  
  It’s clear that he lives a more luxurious life than the average citizen, just without the personal funds he can use freely.
  
  Kotono and others might give him strange looks again… but it’s a blessing that he can earn his place by wielding his blade and brushing off the sparks that fall on him.
  
  Even in ancient Japan, before the samurai became involved in politics, they should have been shining their untarnished blades on the battlefield, serving their clan, their retainers, and the nobles who recognized their worth.
  
  ‘Even though it’s a parallel world’s Western Europe, it was fortunate that I washed up in a Knight Kingdom with similar values.’
  
  Indulging in a bit of sentimentality, I watched the maintenance soldiers, including the twin elves who had been at odds with each other until just a moment ago, become energized under Lady White Fox’s lead. Then, I headed towards Fine, who was in charge of setting up the tents and the cooking area.
  
  However, the Knight Commander’s adopted daughter was not in the central part of the camp. Instead, a shallow, bowl-shaped depression had been created in an area where most of the camp preparations were complete.
  
  “What is this?”
  “Is it the earth attribute magic “Cave-in”? It’s amazing that it’s so precise, but…”
  
  “You’re naive, Revia. It’s not just digging, it’s transforming the surface layer into clay.”
  “Hmm, you can’t tell that from the outside.”
  
  Smiling at my slightly puffed-up childhood friend, the flaxen-haired maiden, who for some reason was accompanied by Eliza, the “Witch of Lightning Strikes,” and several other female mages, returned and moved slowly to my side.
  
  I noticed Zephyrus’s guest bowing her head slightly behind her, a slightly troubled look on her face. I was about to ask for an explanation when I received an unexpected answer.
  
  “An open-air bath…?”
  “Yes, it’s a traditional culture of our country that was popularized by the Third Knight King, Shugen-sama.”
  
  She said it in a nonchalant manner, but it seemed that the reaction to the march, where they could only wipe their bodies with wet cloths, was strong. Apparently, she had forcefully involved Eliza, who had a way to boil a large amount of hot water in a short time.
  
  As there was no reason to stop them, I decided to observe their skills. Just then, my red-haired partner, whose arm I was holding, was dragged away.
  
  “Eh, I have to do it too!?”
  “Of course, I won’t allow a free bath.”
  
  Despite the firm declaration, Revia, who was enthusiastic about the bath, spread her arms wide and, as requested, created a huge fireball in the approximately three-meter radius depression, effectively firing the natural “bath cauldron” formed by earth magic.
  
  Once the young lady of the Lumias family, a prestigious magic lineage, had finished her task with her abundant magical power, the mages who had been sighing in admiration came to their senses and threw a deep-sea-colored magic stone into the depression.
  
  “”The source of life, here…””
  
  Through “Create Water,” a magic spell that any water mage can learn, the hydrogen and magic power condensed and sealed within the special medium reacted, transforming into clear, beautiful water that gushed out.
  
  Finally, Eliza, the best lightning mage in the empire, cleared the area and created a hemispherical magic barrier. While occasionally flashing pale blue lightning, she remained motionless for several minutes, maintaining the spell.
  
  “Is she… periodically reversing the polarity of the electrodes at the boundary surface?”
  
  “Yes, it’s a magic spell that recreates something called a “microwave oven” that Nina-sama taught me. If the construction was faster and the range was longer, I could trap a target within the barrier and cause a steam explosion.”
  
  While I was shuddering at the words of the person who casually declared such a terrifying thing, steam began to rise. When the electromagnetic barrier was released, the remaining mages covered the area with the tent materials they had brought, making sure that the changing room and the bathtub were not visible from the outside.
  
  It would be unrefined to linger at the edge of the open-air bath forever, so after calling out to Revia and Fine, I quickly left the area alone.