5. The Kingdom of Prussia’s Technological World is Number One! (Vote at the beginning of the month~)
The unexpected situation immediately prompted me to signal Kephir to hold off on her questions. After all, the news that the fairy servant had rushed to report to Adele certainly didn’t sound like a trivial matter; now was not the time to inquire about “fairies.”
As I glanced at Adele, I noticed something seemed off about her. The Kingdom of Prussia, inhabited by fairies, was right next to the territory of the Austro-Hungarian tribe, composed broadly of “beastmen.” The animosity between the two nations was hardly news; I had previously experienced the reasons behind it firsthand.
The majority of the conflict stemmed from the beastmen’s large and menacing appearances, which, when paired with their unexpected warmth and simplicity, caused various panic and misunderstandings among the delicate and graceful fairy maidens. Over time, this had evolved into a conflict that was difficult to reconcile and explain.
However, conflicts didn’t seem to be anything new, yet Adele’s reaction this time… was somewhat peculiar.
The little fairy girl immediately changed her expression: “What? I’ll go right away!”
She lifted her foot to leave but then remembered I was still there, turning back to look at me with a somewhat troubled expression.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t involve myself in matters that had nothing to do with me, risking strange and dangerous scripts. However, this time, Kephir and I had come in search of fairies, and merely enjoying ourselves as if on a honeymoon was proving fruitless without any leads.
“Can we go see too? Adele.”
“…Well, if you don’t mind that this might be rather boring for you humans, then come along.”
Adele hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed to my request. Meanwhile, the script that appeared in my mind made me realize: my adventure just now was not in vain.
【Recent conflicts exist between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian tribe.】
The fact that the script actively mentioned the current state of relations between the two nations indicated that there was indeed some “big news” brewing between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian tribe.
After that, Adele led us through various checkpoints, undergoing numerous inspections, until we finally entered a bustling area deeper within the Kingdom of Prussia. Adele only opened the door after glancing at a high-tech lock that required “pupil verification.”
“Here we are, it’s a bit noisy and chaotic, so let’s bear with it for a moment.”
With Adéle’s words, which had suddenly become quite serious, the cacophony in the room instantly engulfed us, making both me and Clefair aware of the kind of place Adéle had brought us to after a series of tedious checks.
“Agent Team, this is Headquarters 13. Our Wind Spirit, Eagle Eye, has detected that beastmen are approaching your vicinity. Please expedite the setup of the listening devices.”
“Agent Three, this is Headquarters 14. The beastmen are about to appear; you must conceal yourselves immediately!”
“Headquarters 15, hand over to the main console. Please report to Lord Mel. The listening devices at the target location have been successfully hidden.”
…
A group of elf girls in black military uniforms were busily attending to the crystal balls in front of them. What they were saying was far from mere “noise”; rather, it was all crucial information!
The chaotic workstations and documents, combined with the tense atmosphere, immediately reminded me of the term “corporate slave” from my previous life, though the situation here was clearly much more advanced than that.
Almost all the elves were connected to a central, enormous magic stone in the middle of the room, which even had the ceiling hollowed out to accommodate it. Various magical energies flowed like electric currents, inputting and receiving between the central magic stone and the connected crystal balls, as if this was not just a magic stone taller than a house, but the main unit of a server!
“Eh…”
Clefair tugged at me and whispered, “I’ve heard that the Kingdom of Prussia is primarily focused on technology, but I can still feel the presence of magic here. No, it should be said that the magical energy is so overwhelming that it’s hard to sense…”
“Clefair?”
“Euglid, the place she brought us to might just be the intelligence department of the Kingdom of Prussia.”
The “intelligence department” of the Kingdom of Prussia was something even I, a former notorious villain who had fled everywhere, was well aware of: it was a particularly mysterious and dangerous organization, the very foundation that allowed the Kingdom of Prussia to become a formidable power on the continent despite its small territory and limited population.
After all, no one wanted to encounter an opponent that was practically omniscient, knowing what you were doing at all times.
“Exactly~”
In response to Clefair, Adéle put on a proud expression. “This is a corner of the strength of our Kingdom of Prussia. That said, Euglid, I’m not worried about you, but Clefair, you’ll have to sign a confidentiality agreement with me. Everything you see from now on must not be disclosed, or I’ll have to go find trouble with your Great Yng Empire!”
“Tch… You clearly didn’t plan to bring any extra women along from the start… What a hassle.”
Keep your voice down when you’re mumbling! Clefair and I both heard that. Normally, it was one thing, but in work mode, Adéle immediately exuded a sharpness that was completely at odds with her petite frame. She didn’t complain about the elves who ignored her; instead, she approached one of them and asked.
“I’m here. Report to me, what does ‘the beastmen are coming again’ mean?”
It didn’t sound like a typical conflict between two nations; after all, Adéle had just used the word “again,” indicating that the neighboring Austro-Hungarian tribe had likely been causing trouble for some time before we arrived.
Just as I was pondering this, a military-clad elf girl suddenly approached me.
“Let me explain, ah, by the way, my name is Nina. Can I have lunch with you later?”
“No.”
Before I could even respond, Clefair had already pulled me to her side. Besides, wasn’t this the elf spy I had saved in the Great Yng Empire? I’ve already said I’m a married man; can you not be so… ambitious?
The elf girl shot a dissatisfied glance at Clefair but ultimately spoke to us honestly.
“Actually, those ugly beastmen have recently come up with some disgusting ideas and started spreading rumors about our Kingdom of Prussia, claiming that we’ve seduced their Austro-Hungarian beastmen to work for us!”
“That’s just reckless slander! Who would want to trade with such disgusting monsters? And those brainless creatures are just using it as an excuse; it’s truly revolting… It would be better if they just disappeared…”
I shook my head, rationality telling us not to overthink why these elves had such a peculiar mindset. If we followed the elves’ line of thought, then…
“Then it must be a misunderstanding, perhaps there are issues within the Austro-Hungarian tribe itself.”
—
“We thought the same at first! But the Emperor is probably too afraid of the beastmen, and has been emphasizing that we should investigate quietly without making a fuss. Sigh… This isn’t the first time that group of monsters has shouted like this; I really wish they would just shut their foul mouths!”
“Eh?”
Adéle afraid? How could that be? Adéle is maintaining her position and rule based on the clear misunderstanding between the beastmen and the elves!
Unless… Adéle really…
Hiss…
I blinked and looked at Adéle, who was chatting with other elves. At the same time, I squeezed Kephiel’s hand. As the saying goes, those involved are confused while bystanders see clearly. The elves were too focused to notice, but as outsiders with no stakes in this, Kephiel and I could understand immediately.
“Ogier, could it be that she…”
“Shh.”
It’s better not to speak of such things for now; we didn’t come to the Kingdom of Prulus to disrupt Adéle’s rule.
Moreover, this might also be an opportunity… for Adéle to be willing to “speak up.”
—
Last month’s lottery results are right here; everyone remember to check, and the winners can come to the group to claim their prizes.
Seriously, why isn’t anyone coming? Have you all just stopped looking after a month?
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