Chapter 50

The Reinga River, which flows south out of Lake Baden, eventually makes a great curve toward the east, carrying its waters toward the Royal Capital. Perhaps because we were so close to Dresden, the highways lining the river and the vast farmlands stretching out on both sides were teeming with more people than I had ever seen before.

“I can see the city walls!”

At the sailor’s shout, I looked far into the distance. Beyond a grove of trees, a massive stone wall stretched out across the horizon.

So that’s Dresden.

From a distance, it looked about 1.5 times larger than the walls of Bremen. But even then, I was still underestimating the true scale of the capital.

Initially, I had mistakenly assumed that Dresden was contained entirely within those visible walls. However, as the ship drew closer, I realized that over the course of its long history, the people’s living space had overflowed, spilling far beyond the fortifications. The roofs of houses extended in every direction like waves, reaching well past the ring of stone that encircled the city center.

Within the walls lie the Royal Palace, government facilities, and manor districts—home exclusively to the nobility and the wealthiest merchants. In other words, the area inside the walls is the high-end residential district, while the outside is the “low town.”

Our primary mission as part of the Royal Capital Guard will be maintaining public order in these outer districts. The inner city is the jurisdiction of the Royal Guard.

Here, let me briefly touch upon the organization of the Kingdom of Saxens’ Royal Capital Guard.

The smallest unit in the guard is called a squad, consisting of five members led by a commander known as a corporal. Five to ten squads form a platoon, led by a platoon leader. This is the position Clara-sama is slated to fill. There are also sergeants, who command two or three squads.

Come to think of it, Yoshioka’s “first”—I mean, the woman of his memories, Petra-san—was a sergeant.

Several platoons join to form a company of about 300 men, and several companies form a battalion of roughly 3,000. The Royal Capital Guard is divided into four districts (North, South, East, and West), with two or three companies assigned to each, totaling 3,128 personnel. The entire force is overseen by the Battalion Commander, Viscount Kalburg, the Chief of the Royal Capital Guard.

The headquarters of the Royal Capital Guard was located just inside the South Gate of the city walls. It was quite far from the city center.

While Clara-sama went to pay her respects and report her arrival to Chief Kalburg, we waited at the entrance of the headquarters, keeping watch over Blitz and our luggage. Eventually, Clara-sama returned, accompanied by two young people. One was a female knight with chestnut hair in a bob cut, still looking somewhat innocent, along with her attendant.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone. Let me introduce them. This is Emma Petersen. She is the second daughter of Baron Petersen and has been assigned as a knight apprentice to serve as my assistant. Emma, these are my attendants.”

A “knight apprentice” refers to a knight before their official investiture. Apparently, they spend about a year serving a senior knight, handling various chores while learning the duties and etiquette of knighthood. It seems Chief Kalburg personally asked Clara-sama to look after Emma.

“I am Emma Petersen. I look forward to working with you. And this is my attendant, Hans.”

She was likely acting intentionally haughty so as not to be looked down upon by us. Emma offered her greeting without even a hint of a smile. It was actually quite cute, like a child trying their hardest to act like a grown-up. On the other hand, her attendant, Hans, was a timid-looking boy of only fifteen. His parents were reportedly servants for the Petersen family.

“Our assignment is the South District. The barracks are also in the South District, so we shall head there now.”

Once we reached the barracks, we could finally settle in. I felt a bit exhausted; perhaps the tension of being in an unfamiliar place was getting to me. I wanted to move quickly and finally take a breath.

However, once we arrived…

“Wh-what is the meaning of this?!”

When I started the bike’s engine, Emma’s face contorted, and she glared at me as if she were looking at something loathsome.

“This is called an ‘autobike.’ It’s a machine that runs on ‘burning water,’” I explained.

“Is it… a product of the forbidden arts!?”

Whoa, hey now—don’t go putting your hand on the hilt of your sword.

“Wait, Emma. It is not such a thing,” Clara-sama interjected.

See? Even Clara-sama says so.

“B-but, no matter how I look at it, this appears to be a golem created through some sinister hex! I am a Nordic believer of the Elder Faction. I find the ideologies of the Enlightenment Faction utterly intolerable!”

Great, another troublesome girl has entered the fray. In the state religion, Nordicism, there’s a conflict between the “Elder Faction,” which tries to uphold ancient teachings, and the “Enlightenment Faction,” which advocates for the development of magical technology. The Elders view magic as a privilege exclusive to nobles and priests, arguing that widespread application would disrupt the national order. Meanwhile, the Enlightenment folk claim that popularizing magic-based tech is the shortest path to increasing national power.

As far as my business interests go, I’d prefer the Enlightenment Faction to win out, but Emma seems to be a hardline Elder.

“Know this, commoner! To desire the power of magic from your lowly position is a wretched thing. Magic is a sacred power permitted only to those chosen by birth!”

What a textbook example of elitism! In a way, for nobles like her, the Elder Faction is right. To maintain their vested interests, it’s much more convenient to keep magic as their private club. However, now that the economy has developed and the concept of the “nation-state” has solidified, you can’t win international competitions with nobles alone. Tech that common soldiers can use—like those magic-guided cannons—is the key to victory.

In that sense, the Enlightenment Faction is correct. Honestly, I don’t care which way it swings. I’ll just enjoy myself within whatever situation I’m given. If the Enlightenment Faction takes the lead, I’ll make magic items using scientific principles; if the Elders stay on top, I’ll just climb the ranks using my own magic. Even if I only have paralysis magic for now. Though, the Enlightenment route sounds like more fun.

“You… are you a follower of the Enlightenment Faction?”

If I had to pick, I guess so? Thinking that, I answered without much forethought.

“Well… but I’m Jodo Shu—” (Pure Land Buddhism)

“I challenge you to a duel!”

Wait, what!? I looked around in shock. Hey, Yoshioka, Fiene—don’t look away now! I’m not asking you to be my seconds, so stop ignoring me.

“Emma! That is enough!”

Clara-sama is on my side after all. Thank goodness.

“Where do you think you are!? Do not lose your composure and challenge someone to a duel in front of the Headquarters gate. If a duel is to be held, a knight determines the time, place, and method with dignity!”

Uh… wait. You aren’t stopping it?

“M-my apologies. You… Hinoharu, was it? Choose first. White or red?”

Not that thing again. Give me a break.

“Before that, there seems to be a misunderstanding…”

“A misunderstanding? If you have an excuse, out with it.”

“I am not of the Enlightenment Faction. In fact, I’m not even a Nordic believer.”

“You… you are a HERETIC!!”

Ah. Apparently, freedom of religion isn’t a thing in this world. If you aren’t Nordic, you’re fair game for condemnation.

“Clara-sama, you have been deceived! To take advantage of your kindness and attempt to bewitch you is an unpardonable outrage! I will not allow it!”

Emma suddenly drew her sword and lunged at me. So, I didn’t really have a choice, right? I fired a Paralyze Ball right into Emma’s midsection. It was strictly self-defense.

…Okay, full disclosure: I was a little ticked off by the brat’s attitude, so the Paralyze Ball might have been a tiny bit larger than usual. Was that immature of me?

“My apologies, Clara-sama. It happened so suddenly.”

“It is fine. I thought it might be good for Emma to experience a bit of hardship.”

So she predicted this and intentionally didn’t stop it. Cold. Still, as long as she’s unconscious, Emma is just a cute girl. She’s pretty, well-endowed, and has a great figure. I bet she’s popular with the guys. I’d love to get along with her if possible, but our first meeting was a total disaster. I just hope she doesn’t hold a grudge, though that’s probably too much to ask.

We loaded the unconscious Emma onto the trailer and made our way to the South District barracks.