Steel and Mana

Chapter 283 – Display of Power

My meeting with Chairman Alvor happened around noon the day after they arrived. I was accompanying him, checking the materials they had brought over as payment for my help. Their caravan was placed in their own little area within Avalon, letting them unload their cargo and put it on display for me. In turn, I prepared something similar for them that would surprise them. It was Sasha's idea, and she giggled when mentioning it; it was her version of a shock-and-awe scenario.

“I’d like you to accompany me.” I said candidly, seeing the confusion in his eyes as he explained what they had brought for me and what else they could procure for us in the future, assuring me that this was only the first caravan coming to my city. If I can uphold my end of the bargain, that is.

“To where?” he asked, following me, unable to get to the last carriage loaded with the barrels they brought over. I knew it was filled with oil, but that could wait. I know he knows I had already been informed of his products; this was nothing but a formality. I wanted to downplay my interest in their oil as much as possible.

“You will see.” I smiled mysteriously because my wives had already prepared everything.

First, I took him and a handful of his subordinates out of the city, boarding a train with one cart prepared explicitly for this occasion. I knew they had been thinking about it since yesterday, and I was not going to let them suffer from overthinking it. I let them climb up to it, touch the metal frames, the windows, the cushioned seats, everything they wanted. I even let Alvor check out the engine, showing him where the conductor works, steering my steel beast.

When it began moving, I couldn’t help but chuckle, watching all of them hang out of the windows, trying to see how they move for themselves, like a bunch of children. In the end, I pulled on Alvor, making him realize he was embarrassing himself. Not that I cared; I found it gratifying. It was akin to having an accolade for my invention. I appreciated catching people enjoying it.

“I take you like it?” I smiled at him, and he didn’t refute, nodding his head.

“I already see how this one invention would revolutionize the League. But…”

“But?”

“I guess this one is not for sale.” He shrugged, making me flash a grin at him.

“At the moment, you couldn’t afford it. But I am not saying it isn’t.” Of course, he had already snapped his head at attention, and I saw from the corner of my eyes that multiple other heads also pulled back into the cart, listening to us. “At the moment, I can’t sell you the know-how on how to build one. Mirian Ishillia, the rightful empress of Ishillia, has a deal with me about that. The moment this rebellion is over and the empire is stabilized, we will spread it all around the country.”

“I see… So… after that is done…?”

“A deal is a deal, and then, we can expand. Of course, manufacturing these machines is not cheap, not even for us.” I said, telling a white lie, “Especially because there are components that require a slight understanding of… magic.”

“I already guessed….” Alvor muttered, shaking his head. “We are not Ishillia or the Geth Empire. Everyone on the continent knows that these two have the most mages, the richest powers with vast access to magic. It is not the norm.”

“I heard.” I nodded my head, but in fact, I didn’t. This was a bit of new news to me, so I was letting him continue, blabbering a little. It was mainly what I wanted because the information he was willing to share was something that I didn't need to buy.

“I… I heard, and please excuse my possible rudeness, Sovereign Leon…”

“Go ahead.”

“I heard that your esteemed wives are also capable of casting magic?”

“That is correct.” I nodded, not explaining more than I needed.

“Then you may be more used to magic than you think. I am going to tell you openly, Sovereign Leon. The Atuvian League has only two magic-capable people.”

“Only two?” I blinked my eyes, letting my surprise show. That… that is for the whole country? Huh… I had two right at the start. Was I always this lucky?

“Yes.” He nodded solemnly. Why do you think the Kingdom of Scorc was able to resist Ishillia in the past? Because a wizarding king has appeared amongst their ranks. Then, they even fought back, reclaiming their lost capital. A single mage can turn the fate of a country.”

“As far as I remember, your League supported them?” I smiled, seeing him gently bite his lips. “Don’t worry; I am not friends with the current Ishillia, and I wasn’t a friend back then either.”

“I wouldn’t say we helped them. We just stopped interfering and took some lucrative deals for profit. A nation at war is always willing to pay more than those who are not. Having people who can use the power of the Gods is a boon to any country. But having bloodlines, preserving their magic, and having access to wizards, sorcerers, witches, whatever each country calls them, is not a luxury everyone can afford. Our two are… old. I don’t even know if they even live as neither the Goldlight nor the Quickfeet Guild is the ones who could call them their own.”

I knew he was explaining this to me so I could understand that giving them magical needs to solve their problems would be like giving a man a colander to gather water in while his house is burning down. But to me, it was fascinating. I never really thought that magic was THAT rare. Maybe because even without sensing it, I could still work with it... He was right; my perspective was based on what I experienced here and in Ishillia as a whole. I knew not about other lands of this continent. I wonder… How would my inventions fare in different regions? Or… how far developed those lands whose kings and queens have no access to magic at all?

“Sovereign.” Alvor continued, seeing my pondering expression, “You told me about solutions last time. Your tools... The ones that could help us get through these hard times. If they are…”

“They don't require magic.” I raised a hand, and I heard him let out a long breath of relief. “Chairman Alvor, you seem to know a lot about our world.”

“I traveled to a lot of places, Sovereign.” He nodded, feeling relieved. As he began thinking, his eyes grew distant for a moment, “I once crossed it from sea to sea. I am already nearing my fiftieth year, and I have been on the road since I was born. My family was traveling merchants. I served the Goldlight Guild my whole life… and it was and is a good life.”

“I’d like you to have dinner with me.” I said with a friendly smile. "I’d also like to hear about the countries you have visited.”

“Most certainly! Ah?” He stumbled as the train began slowing down. “Are we… stopping?”

“Yes. We arrived at my factory district. It is built a bit further away from the city, so the noise doesn’t pollute the everyday life of my citizens.” I chuckled and knew it was time for another round of surprises and shocks.

Getting off the train, Merlin was already here, waiting for us with eight tractors built and ready for transportation. I let him guide our guests, show them how they worked and operated, and explain the differences between the four with wheels and the four with tracks. He also described the multitude of accessories that we would be giving them, be it tools for turning the earth over, plows for future winters, or carts to carry the goods, logs, or whatever they wanted to put on them.

When they heard how it worked, using wood or coal to burn, and that everything was mechanical within it, I saw the gears turning in their heads. We didn’t need to explain it much; it was already evident to them how one such machine could count as multiple serfs working the fields. They understood their values at once.

“You have been magnanimous so far, Sovereign Leon. Can I be blunt one last time?” Alvor walked up to me after driving one of the tractors for a few minutes, trying out its controls and testing its capabilities.

“Always. I prefer it over flowery talks.”

“Aren’t you afraid we will dismantle your machines and learn how to build them for ourselves?”

“Go ahead.”

“…” The shock on his face was priceless. Amusing. It took all my will to hold back my laughter and keep talking in a normal, calm voice.

“I am not giving you secrets that I am guarding with two hands. I am giving you tools. Use them, and if you can remake them just as well, go ahead. It won’t affect me. If you manage it, it means you will have more resources that I can trade for. It is a win-win scenario for me.”

“I…” He stuttered, clearly not expecting something like this. He was a merchant; this was… not how they would do business.

“Same with the trains. I am not expecting it to be a treasure of my Avalon forever. It is a tool. What use do I have for it if I can’t utilize it to its full potential? We veered off topic on the train ride, my friend, but I will tell you now. One day, my trains will be traveling all around the continent. That is why, if you build the tracks for it, connecting it to my country… my trains can journey to your home and speed up the exchange between us.”

“…!”

I didn’t think someone’s expression could turn even more flabbergasted, but it did happen. I watched as Alvor opened his mouth multiple times, trying to say something, but he was unable to find the correct words. In the end, he muttered something that finally broke me and made me laugh.

“This is so stupid…”

“Ahahahaha!”

“I am so sorry, Sovereign Leon! I mean…!” He stiffened, catching himself, “You… you are essentially giving away knowledge that could be worth gold, no, it could be worth of whole countries!”

“I have what I need.” I replied amidst my laughter. “I am satisfied. The desire to always want more, without limits, without feeling the satisfaction of what you have, will only lead to ruin and an unhappy life in the end. I like stopping and enjoying the moment, the fruits of my achievements. If sometimes I don’t give, there won’t be anything left to take.”

“What if others decide to take it by force?” He asked, almost by reflex.

“They can try.” I smiled, showing a bit of teeth, “As I said… I am not giving away things that I would guard with two hands.”

Just as if on cue, our last surprise for the day arrived. It was Yuri, walking over, piloting the Princess. The shaking of the earth as it approached us, its sheer size and menacing look even when painted pink, everything was akin to witnessing a metal avatar of a God walking on earth. Alvor almost fell to his knees, his face pale, his companions nearly screaming out, pointing at the approaching monster until it stopped close to us. She was equipped with a spear and two cannons on her shoulders, shining in the summer sun's light. As its head turned to look straight at us, Alvor's leg finally gave out as he fell to his knees, looking up at it with primal fear in his eyes.

“If anyone tries to take something by force…” Yuri said, her voice booming out, reverberating as a deep, low rumble from the mech’s headpiece. “They will first have to walk over us. Ishillia tried and failed... Monsters tried and failed... and we are prepared for new challengers.”