Chapter 100 - 35: [Exile and Exile]

Chapter 100: Chapter 35: [Exile and Exile]

Golden autumn leaves tumbled in the wind along the streets of the Empire, fluttering up and down like butterflies. Translucent, thin flakes of frost clung to the yellowing tips of grass blades, resembling a coating of rock sugar.

Some of the town’s vendors had already bundled up in thick, cotton-padded clothes, but the farmhands who toiled in the fields still wore short shirts. Autumn was the harvest season for northern wheat in the Ederic Empire. Golden waves of wheat began at the town’s edge, rippling wave after wave in the wind, surging toward the horizon.

The Empire boasted vast expanses of arable land, making the scale of the harvest almost unbelievably massive. Farmers with some savings might hire skilled Mages to use area-of-effect Magic to assist in harvesting large-scale fields. However, Mages capable of precisely controlling their power, outputting the appropriate magnitude of Magic without damaging the crops, were rare in the Empire’s small towns—and quite expensive.

Typically, farmers still opted for the local Foundries, renting harvester vehicles crafted by high-level Casting Technicians. Four broad, horizontal wheat-cutting Wheels were fixed to the chassis. As the vehicle’s own wheels turned, gears transmitted power to spin the bladed Wheels. Such contraptions required four or five horses to pull.

These machines were originally razor-wheel chariots used by the Ancient Eudric Empire against the light-armored desert infantry of the Ancient Supar Empire. However, these chariots were only suited for solid, open plains and performed poorly on soft desert terrain. After disarmament, these obsolete war machines were phased out in droves, only to find a new purpose in the farmlands.

The Ederic Empire never literally beat its swords into plowshares, but perhaps tools had no inherent superiority or inferiority—they simply needed the right place. A terrible sword might make an excellent plow.

The stark black silhouettes of the Imperial Foundry’s towering chimneys stood against the distant horizon. Amidst the charred buildings, the faint, distant sounds of clashing metal echoed—CLINK CLANK CLINK CLANK—like a bell counting down to something.

Rumbling like a land-based battleship, a Dwarven steam-powered iron rover hauled a hill-sized pile of ore toward the Imperial Foundry. Its continuous tracks left deep ruts in the solid plains soil.

By the edge of the fields, a few hot-tempered Dwarves were arguing with over a dozen farmers. The farmers refused to let the steam rover pass through the wheat fields, as it would crush a large amount of unharvested wheat.

A bearded Dwarf swearing under his breath jumped down from the rover. Wearing a greasy black leather jacket and carrying a complex set of tools on his back, he grabbed his fellow Dwarves by their beards and dragged them back onto the vehicle. He apologized profusely to the farmers, muttering something about allies and treaties.

"What a grand sight," Samael said.

"What’s grand?" Talia asked.

"The Ederic Empire’s Imperial Foundry." Samael gazed at the silhouette of the chimneys on the horizon. "It’s practically an industrial level of productivity, yet it’s entirely dedicated to the military."

"It’s not just the military. When Hains III ascended the throne, he ordered the Imperial Foundry to mass-produce high-quality farming tools during the harvest festival. These, along with carefully selected, premium seeds, were distributed for free to tenant farmers who didn’t own land. Furthermore, the woodlands belonging to nobles whose estates had been confiscated the night before his coronation were temporarily opened up for a land reclamation decree. Any land cleared within three days would belong to the previously landless pioneers who reclaimed it," Talia explained. "It was known as ’Hains III’s Gift.’ This initiative caused the Empire’s available farmland to experience another explosive growth, reducing the number of tenant farmers and rioting bandits."

"How do you know everything?" Samael tilted his helmet to look at Talia.

"I read it in the history books at the Rondolan United Library," Talia explained. "It houses the integrated knowledge of multiple Northern Demon Monarchs and wandering Exile Tribes. I spent many years there when I was a child."

"Loving to read is a good habit." Samael nodded. "It sounds like this Hains III is quite remarkable. Such measures would drastically increase productivity, enough to support the military while ensuring the people’s livelihood... and the cost was incredibly low, relying almost entirely on the enthusiasm of the tenant farmers."

"He might be the wisest Monarch the Empire has seen since the Emperor of the Founding Country—although the Empire still suffers from the corruption accumulated over centuries by the old-guard military nobles," Talia replied. "However, the land reclamation decree also severely damaged the woodlands, leading to frequent rot-dust storms in many border regions. In turn, this indirectly caused the Empire’s relationship with the Elves to deteriorate drastically."

The two strolled along the edge of the wheat fields, gazing at the silhouette of the Imperial Foundry on the horizon. With a heavy RUMBLE, the Dwarven iron rover bypassed the farmland, taking a detour toward the Foundry.

Their carriage had dropped them off at this new location, but they were slightly too late. The receptionist at the relay station informed them that the next carriage heading to their following destination wouldn’t arrive until the next day.

Though uneasy, the two had no choice but to rest in the town for the time being.

"Valak mentioned that the Empire’s border recently seemed to be garrisoned with Imperial Guards equipped with Blood Steel Weapons." Talia hesitated. "Perhaps the Blood Steel Weapons come from these Foundries."

"I’m curious about where they got their technology." Samael stared at the silhouette on the horizon. "Blood steel smelting techniques don’t seem like something they could develop on their own."

"Legend has it that over thirty years ago, when Hains III was young and training in the military, he stumbled upon Divine Era Ruins near the edge of a frontline battlefield. After he returned to the Imperial Capital, Bloody Imperial Guards equipped with Blood Steel Weapons began to appear, and Blood Steel Swords started being awarded to decorated officers in the army," Talia explained. "Nowadays, most powerful technologies and precious resources come from Divine Era Ruins, which is also why the Demon Race uses Divine Era Ancient Coins as a unified currency."