The Kingdom of Banseim.
It was the largest nation on the continent, situated right in the center.
Having inherited the capital of the Centras Kingdom — the very kingdom that had once unified the continent — it waged war against the fractured states and built the prosperity it enjoyed today.
It was a great power that had risen to reign as the new royal house after the Banseim family defeated Agrissa of the Centras Kingdom.
Our party had now returned to this Kingdom of Banseim, but we had already decided to avoid Central, the capital.
It was inconvenient, but we were set on bypassing Central and heading west, toward the Kingdom of Fonbeau.
Or so the plan went. The thing about Banseim was that it was enormous.
Unlike traveling along well-maintained highways, we often had to push through paths that barely qualified as roads, which made the journey grueling. We were now making our way toward one of our stops, a small village.
Having climbed down from the Porter, we exchanged materials from Monsters we had defeated along the way for a night's lodging at the home of a village notable.
A magistrate had apparently been posted here, but the man took us for adventurers and — after we handed over some coin — allowed us to stay for one night.
Evening.
While village children watched the Porter from a distance, I stretched my back.
"More comfortable than riding in a cart, sure, but sitting around all day is still tough."
At the notable's house, we parked part of the Porter in the yard, and Monica began performing maintenance on it. She was running checks on various parts and had Clara help move the wheels and the like.
The notable's daughter came out to the yard to let us know that our rooms were ready. A brown-haired girl with a plain, unassuming air, she stared at the Porter with mild surprise.
"So the iron carriage that doesn't need horses really does exist. I thought that traveling merchant was pulling our leg."
Using golem magic in Aramsass to haul cargo, the Porter had been spreading far and wide.
Perhaps because of that, people here in Banseim were reasonably familiar with the device.
Aria greeted the girl with a warm smile.
"Ours are custom-made. They might have a lot of them in Aramsass, though."
The girl reacted to the name Aramsass.
"Oh, that's right! I heard that in Aramsass, there are a lot of human-shaped dolls moving about, and lots of iron carriages that don't need horses running around. A traveling merchant uncle told me about it as a rumor, but it's true, isn't it?"
Aramsass was an academic city. I had stopped by there once to gather companions, and that was where I met Miranda, Shannon, and Damian.
Aria looked a little pleased.
"How is Lyle doing? ...Oh, right. Are there any other strange rumors? I just got back to Banseim, you know."
The girl thought for a moment.
"The Crown Prince got married in Central. But there are a lot of weird rumors about it too, and honestly, I can't tell which are true. After all, Ceres, who got married... supposedly has a lot of men attending to her. The next queen would never be allowed to do that, and her fiancé was supposed to be that princess from Fonbeau, so what in the world is going on is completely confusing."
That did sound like something Ceres would do.
Maybe the surrounding people thought such a ridiculous rumor couldn't possibly be true because it was so absurd. I handed the girl several large copper coins.
"Anything else?"
The girl received the coins and counted them, then tried to recall something. Indeed, I was reminded of the great power of money.
"...Oh! It's Baim! They officially declared war on Baim. They said the village isn't going to conscript soldiers, but the bailiff still told everyone to be prepared."
When Aria heard that, she nodded slightly.
"I wonder if they're handling it only on the eastern side. It must be a lot of trouble just to bring people over from the opposite side."
Banseim was divided into east, west, south, and north with Central at its center, and each sector handled its own wars. When a local lord requested reinforcements, if it was the south, they came from the southern sector. When attacking the east, troops were sent from the eastern sector.
I asked the girl.
"How many are they planning to deploy?"
"The adults say they don't know exactly, but since Baim is a powerful enemy, they'll probably send hundreds of thousands. The western side has bad relations with Fonbeau, so I think that's why they're being told to prepare."
I listened to that, then thanked the girl.
"Yeah, thanks. We'd like to earn our share from the war too, but... with that many troops, there's no room for us. Guess we'll have to pass."
When I looked over at Aria, she shrugged and nodded in agreement.
"Right. There's no point joining in with those numbers. Slow and steady wins the race."
The two of us smoothly lied our way through it and laughed it off on the spot.
—Adele and the others had been visiting the territory of a lord they knew.
He was a baronet with a modest domain, but they'd had dealings with his family before, so they couldn't help but stop by.
When Adele and her group arrived, the baronet lord warmly welcomed both Adele and Maxim. A baronet who held a town and governed the surrounding villages could field up to two hundred soldiers at maximum.
It wasn't a large force, but because they were trustworthy, Adele had made this her first stop upon entering Banseim.
The lord's manor. In the receiving room, Adele asked the lord:
"What's the current situation in Banseim?"
The lord shook his head.
"It feels like it's getting worse by the day. The war has consumed enormous amounts of food, and many of the fields have been devastated—it's like a rampage with no end in sight. If anyone tries to resist, Central's regular army moves in, along with House Walt. It's a nightmare."
House Walt.
In Banseim, that name meant the strongest. They had saved Banseim from crisis time and again, and with each generation, they had grown even more powerful.
"...Have you heard the rumors about Lyle Walt, the eldest son of House Walt in Baim, making his move?"
The lord nodded.
"I've heard about the incident at Redant Fortress. But beyond that, whether the rest is truth or lies... they say he charmed the Four-Nation Alliance and even the Queen of Kartafus. Truly a brother and sister, aren't they."
Maxim, who had been standing behind Adele, clenched his jaw. The information wasn't exactly wrong, but it felt laced with malice.
Adele corrected the rumors, feeling a headache coming on.
"From the outside, I can see why you'd think that. But the facts are different. I actually met Lyle in person. He's been building power in Baim with the goal of defeating Ceres. The rumors about him charming women... th-that's not quite right—it's more that things turned out that way on their own, or that he managed on his own merit. Either way, he doesn't pose the same danger as Ceres."
The lord looked not at Adele but at Maxim. And he was watching Adele with a slightly worried expression.
Maxim spoke.
"There is no need for concern. My lady has not been seduced by anyone. If Lyle had resorted to such despicable methods, I would have struck him down myself."
Maxim was a famous knight. The lord believed his words and continued the conversation.
"Very well. I'll trust you. So then, how would you assess our chances of victory, Lady Adele?"
The other party was a lord as well. And Adele knew all too well that lords of baronet-level estates were the most difficult to deal with.
They were wealthier than knight baron houses in terms of scale. But they weren't as large as baron houses either. Still, they possessed considerable strength and occupied a very awkward position.
It was precisely because of this precarious standing that many of them were skilled at navigating the world. And so Adele said:
"It's by the skin of our teeth. A situation where we might just barely win. We've already secured the cooperation of the Four-Nation Alliance and Cartafus. In Baim, the Trace family has stepped in as backers alongside merchant houses of the same faction."
The lord nodded.
"The Trace family of Baim, you say? They're a well-known outfit. A merchant house that most lords on the eastern side would be familiar with. Is that so — they've become your backers."
Adele thought to herself.
*...I'm not lying.*
Indeed, she wasn't lying. In Baim, the Trace family had been torn apart, and it was the faction that had been expelled — one of the two splintered halves — that was providing support.
Depending on how you heard it, it could sound as though Baim's famous merchant house had become their backer, which was practically the same as saying Baim itself was cooperating. If the other party had known more about the internal situation within Baim, his reaction might have been slightly different.
"Baronet, I would like to borrow your strength. Lyle... Lord Lyle intends to repay the lords who have cooperated with him."
The other party heard this and crossed his arms. Whether to keep turning a blind eye to Ceres's outrageous acts, or to lend his support to Lyle.
The lord spoke.
"...Guarantee the security of my territory. And prepare proper compensation."
Adele felt a slight sense of puzzlement.
"The Knight Baron will also assist us in persuading the various lords going forward. Is the compensation that enormous? I would think this is an opportunity to expand your territory?"
The lord shook his head.
"You don't understand how lords feel, Adele. Sure, expanding your domain is important. But there are plenty of people who don't see it that way. The bigger the domain, the greater the responsibility. Most of those who sit on the fence are content with the way things are. That's why they won't move."
Adele nodded in understanding.
"Besides, being ordered to relocate your domain is a hassle. I'd much rather have cash, to be honest. Oh, and I'll want proof that my house cooperated with Lyle Walt as well."
While this was going on, Maxim addressed the lord.
"I'd like to ask one thing?"
"What is it?"
"Please tell us why you decided to trust us. It will affect our activities going forward."
Even as the discussion was progressing smoothly, Maxim had been bothered by that question. The other party was trusting their judgment far too much, he felt, even if they were acquaintances.
The lord spoke.
"...Leaving Ceres alone like this won't lead to anything good. But there's nothing I can do with my own power. If this were Cartaphus, or an envoy from the alliance of four nations, I wouldn't be able to lend a hand. Same goes for Baim. Well, actually, all sorts of rumors have been spreading within Banseim lately."
Adele remembered and pressed the lord on it.
"The incident in Darion and Aramsass? Or the Griffon extermination in Central?"
The lord said.
"All of it. Within Banseim, when word of Lyle Walt's exploits spread through Baim, expectations soared."
Adele, realizing the other party had held a certain amount of information from the very start, felt a little as though she'd been toyed with.
However, the lord continued.
"I'll handle the persuasion of the neighboring lords myself. What they'll demand is territorial guarantees, and compensation. There may be some who want different things, but how will you handle that?"
Adele straightened in her seat and answered the lord.
I've received a certain degree of authority on my end. I'll handle it. Also, among the lords of baron rank or higher — which ones would be willing to cooperate?
The lord crossed his arms. He sat in silence, looking down, and after a while gazed up at the ceiling.
"Is it difficult?"
The lord spoke.
"Not long ago, an order came down from Central requiring all lords of baron rank or above to send hostages. Not just heirs — the lords' wives, fiancées… anyone they could get their hands on. There are even stories of them taking mistresses along. The whole thing is in such chaos that I really can't say who would and wouldn't cooperate."
Adele realized that Ceres's actions had made things considerably more troublesome.
After departing from the village, we headed toward our next destination in the Porter.
There was somewhere I wanted to reach before the end of the day, and to make better time I'd taken over driving the Porter from Clara.
Monica, Clara, and Aria were all lying down resting, and Shannon was perched on my lap.
"…You're kind of heavy, you know?"
When I said that, Mireia spoke from inside the Jewel.
"Lyle, aren't you being cold to Shannon? Be gentler."
She scolded me, but I looked down at Shannon sitting on my lap and said it once more.
"You're heavy."
Shannon turned around, stuck out her tongue, and said:
"There's nowhere else to sit, so I'm making do here!"
That's what she came back with. In the cargo bed, not only Clara and Aria were lying there — Monica was too, so space had gotten pretty tight.
Mireia sounded wistful.
"Lyle… the Lyle who used to be so honest… what happened to you…?"
The Seventh Generation laughed.
"Might it be Aunt's fault? Well, she does carry plenty of burdens of her own."
Gunfire could be heard from inside the Jewel, then it fell silent. Since that was perfectly normal, I paid it no mind. Shannon sat on my lap, gazing ahead.
The scenery stretched out before us, but what Shannon was looking at was a book Monica had prepared. It had words written in it — a picture book for children.
"Can you see this?"
Shannon looked delighted.
"I can see it. But there's only this one and two others, so I get bored of them. Clara taught me lots of things too, though."
The specially made picture books were in full color and very easy to understand. Shannon learning to read was important for all of us.
When Porter clambered over a slightly large rock and the ride jostled, I steadied Shannon's body.
"Handle it properly!"
Seeing Shannon huff with indignation, I pinched her cheek and made her tear up.
"It's actually pretty hard, you know. Don't expect me to pull off what Clara can."
Clara may not stand out among the group in her support role, but when it came to that very support, she was exceptional. Operating Porter, providing magical assistance.
Her wealth of knowledge was vast, and she was reliable in all sorts of ways. Shannon then returned her gaze to the picture book and spoke.
"Why don't you tell her that to her face? You forget things right away, Lyle. You know, that's the old saying — 'don't feed the fish you've already caught.'"
"Where'd you hear a thing like that? Fine, I'll tell her soon enough. More importantly, why'd you come over here? I thought you'd follow Miranda."
Shannon closed the picture book and turned toward me.
"To keep an eye on you, of course — make sure you don't get mixed up in some weird activity somewhere else. You should be grateful that this adorable Shannon is here as your chaperone — Ow! I said ow!"
I ground my fist into her, and seeing Shannon wince, I laughed. She then looked at me with tears welling in her eyes.
"...You need to smile more. Lately, you've been putting on a fake smile way too often."
With that, she opened the picture book again and went back to studying. Being told I'd been faking my smiles a lot, I wanted to push back — but honestly, it did feel like I had been lately. Maybe I'd been making people walk on eggshells around me.
"You're right. Maybe you are."
As I gazed out at the unchanging scenery, I held Shannon so she wouldn't slump off my knee.