In fact, Leopoldus was never foolish.
Quite the opposite. His intellect was exceptionally sharp.
As the one with the highest nobility in Arkenia, it was only natural.
However, why did he make such a mistake?
Why did he commit the blunder of introducing a steam locomotive to Arkenia?
This stemmed from a misunderstanding that had accumulated over the past year.
[ Seras. Did you figure out what they are using coal for?]
At first, he wasn’t careless.
He had Seras probe Millenia’s intentions; this was standard practice.
He even verified whether it was true or not.
[They say it’s for boiling water, Your Majesty.]
[…Just boiling water? Not molten iron or anything?]
[Yes. I have received confirmation that they are using it only for boiling water, nothing else.]
[Who did you hear this from?]
[From a Marquis-level foreign minister, an orc lord named Grukshar.]
[How did our holy relic, the Sword of Truth, react?]
[No reaction. It was not a lie.]
[Hmm…]
‘So, the holy relic didn’t react. Are they truly just using it for fuel?’
His meticulousness caused him to misunderstand.
The holy relic, a divine weapon imbued with miracles, was Arkenia’s safeguard.
Its failure to react when coal use was revealed led him to believe that the situation was harmless.
He couldn’t help but assume, without a doubt, that “they’re just using coal to boil water.”
A revolution that could happen simply by boiling water?
As a medieval man, he couldn’t have foreseen that.
[…Yeah, if the uncivilized monsters are doing that, it makes sense.
The only impressive one is Teonar, the rest must be fools who can’t even make firewood.]
The deep-rooted disdain for other races sealed the misunderstanding.
Even if the people could read and had learned about nitrogen fixation for better harvests, or even if they used high-grade explosive magic for mining, in the end, they were just creatures.
He saw them as nothing more.
He thought,
‘No. That dragon might not be all that impressive either.’
‘Right, those reptiles probably didn’t even realize their own extinction while they were fooling around.’
‘Teonar was just another foolish creature.’
In the end, he even began to disregard Teonar.
The misunderstanding about coal, his human-centric worldview, and the imbalanced trade relations all combined into a careless overconfidence.
And this carelessness led…
…to the King of Millenia placing the locomotive right at the doorstep of the King of Arkenia without realizing it.
[Hmm. You want to lay down tracks connecting both nations for smoother trade?]
This was the diplomatic letter that Lucia sent to Seras directly.
Teonar had written it in elegant runic script, essentially requesting, “Let’s lay down a rail.”
‘I suppose it’s just a request to slightly cross the boundaries of the Great Forest.
It would be inconvenient to move carriages through the forest, so they want to use the tram instead.’
‘Yeah, there’s no way they can actually lay down a track connecting two countries. They don’t have the resources or workforce.’
‘And besides, the construction would take several years. If it seems suspicious, we can always destroy it later.’
Leopoldus casually granted permission.
He misjudged the length of the track and assumed it would only be a tram.
He miscalculated how long construction would take. His arrogance turned into bitter regret.
‘Could that iron thing really cross the continent? From Millenia to Arkenia? That’s impossible!! This is outright invasion…’
[We wish to construct a rail that spans both nations for smoother trade. As it’s only for logistical transport, we await a positive response.]
…Teonar!!!
You tricked me!!!!
Rage boiled up within him.
With such a transportation method, it would be easy to transport not just supplies but also troops.
It was like Millenia’s weapons were now at Arkenia’s throat.
He was so angry that he could barely breathe.
‘I’ll send the mage army immediately to destroy it…’
Wait.
‘…Hold on, destroying it would be a bad move. That might be exactly what they want.’
He couldn’t act rashly.
This was something he had granted permission for.
Destroying the tracks now?
That would be the same as severing relations.
Arkenia, reliant on Millenia for food, couldn’t make that choice.
The worst-case scenario would be war, and he couldn’t afford that.
In the end, he only had one option left.
“I will bring Wiz to the palace.”
‘I’ll handle this personally.’
The King, exposed to the steam locomotive, went straight to meet the Bishop.
* * *
Wiz scanned her surroundings.
What she saw were the grand royal palace and, though outwardly magnificent, statues that appeared to be in disrepair.
“Hmm.”
‘Looks like the dwarves made these. They clearly didn’t want to but were forced to do it.’
Wiz, acknowledged as the greatest blacksmith by dwarves, could easily see through the hidden intent.
The dwarf who placed chains around their neck and legs was pretending to be affectionate, but Wiz could see the hatred in their eyes.
They tried to keep their pride intact, convincing themselves that no human could break them.
For a moment, Wiz thought of her subordinates.
‘Our people must have lived like this too. How pitiful.’
The sight of the royal palace was shocking, but it wasn’t enough to faze her.
It wasn’t a sight one would understand unless they were a craftsman.
She opened her mouth slowly, still confused by the situation.
“It seems the statues of the dragon palace weren’t so bad.
What’s so impressive about these?”
“Just… I feel sorry for the ones who made them.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I don’t know.”
‘This is like Aurelia, working too hard. They’re not human.’
While the conversation didn’t exactly form a meaningful exchange, she realized something important.
One year ago, Seras had seen a monster named Aurelia.
Now, Wiz and Aurelia seemed fundamentally similar.
Though she didn’t yet know exactly how, she knew she had to be cautious.
[…I’m informing all the knights. If this monster acts out, we’ll stop it, even at the cost of our lives.]
[Understood, Commander.]
The knights scattered throughout the palace were preparing for battle.
It seemed that even they were overwhelmed by Wiz’s presence, but thankfully, no battle was necessary.
[ Seras, take her to my office, not the audience room. There’s no need for guards.]
“…Your Majesty?”
[ Seras, you’re included. I’ll have a private audience with her. Wait outside.]
The King of Arkenia, Leopoldus, declared a private meeting.
The knights were terrified.
To face a monster without any guards was unheard of.
It seemed insane at first.
The King of a nation standing alone before a monster.
As a loyal subject, one had to stop him.
“Understood.”
‘Leopold, do you trust her?’
As his childhood friend, not a subject, no one tried to stop him.
Their trust in each other was that strong.
As a result, only Wiz entered the office.
Creak.
“Whew…
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
I am Leopoldus, the third King of Arkenia.”
“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.
I’m Wiz, the Minister of Industry of Millenia.”
Wiz sat in front of him naturally, showing no hesitation despite being in front of a monarch.
She was showing how relaxed she was about the situation.
[Combat power converted – 1,429,921]
“Wiz, huh…”
‘As a swordmaster and grand sorceress, I’m around 300,000.
So, this person is… a real monster.’
Leopoldus, on the other hand, had no such confidence.
One of the holy relics he wore displayed an estimated figure of his opponent’s strength.
The number reflected a terrifying level of power.
His hand trembled slightly as he poured wine.
“Let me offer this first.
The wine that Arkenia is proud of…”
“Oh, sorry.
I don’t drink anything but beer.”
“Ah.
That’s fine.
Would you like to drink some, though?”
“Not really?”
“Alright.
I’ll have some then.”
Despite the awkward exchange, he drank the wine in one gulp.
The alcohol calmed his nerves somewhat, and the conversation finally began.
“Can you explain what that monstrous thing is?”
A smile.
“As I mentioned, it’s a steam locomotive.”
“…Explain in more detail.
Depending on the situation, we are considering halting trade with Millenia.”
“But you allowed it, didn’t you?”
“What I allowed was the installation of tracks and the entry of carriages.
I never said that such a metal beast could trespass our land.”
“A carriage or that thing both are used to transport goods, right?
Is there a reason why a metal carriage wouldn’t be allowed?”
“…”
‘How insolent. Truly a monster.’
The tone of disregard for diplomatic etiquette was unmistakable.
The lack of explanation only reinforced the insolence.
“How long has this track been in place?
I’ve never heard of such a large-scale construction project taking place within our borders.”
“Well, the levelling, the ties, and track installation were done with magic by the master.
The rest, the rest we did ourselves, just adjusting the track bed and so on. It didn’t take long.”
“…What are you even talking about?
Explain in a way I can understand.”
“People from the civil service wouldn’t get it.
Things like civil engineering, architecture, materials, mechanical engineering…
It’s harder to learn than runes.”
“Tch.
Fine, I understand.”
‘So, in the end, it was all Teonar’s work.’
The conversation continued, but it seemed meaningless.
At a glance, it seemed like nothing had been achieved.
‘However…’
A glance.
‘Even at this stage, they’re not attacking. It seems they have no intention of capturing the King.’
Leopoldus had already concluded a sufficient result
Wiz, far stronger than him, had not attempted to kill him.
Just confirming this was enough for him.
The things he had been tightly holding under the table, such as teleportation scrolls and various holy relics, fell to the floor.
These were his lifelines, things he kept close for his own safety.
“Let me ask you one thing.
If I board this steam locomotive, will it take me straight to the Great Forest of Millias?”
“Yes, it will.”
“Alright, then…”
And he said,
“Can I visit Millenia now?
I need to have a serious discussion with Teonar about national affairs.”
‘I’ll negotiate with him directly.’
He decided to head to the monster’s lair the Great Forest of Millias.
* * *
“Wh-what is all of this… Seras!! What happened?!”
“I-I don’t know!! I’m sure it was just a year ago…”
“Things have changed quite a lot, haven’t they? Millenia.”
What they were facing was the miracle of the industrial revolution.