Chapter 194

“Wow!”

The child let out an exclamation. It wasn’t just a polite, obligatory reaction. They seemed genuinely amazed, pressing their face close to observe the changes in the beetle.

A mere lump of metal, when touched by a craftsman’s hand, can become a pickaxe to till the earth or an axe to chop wood. It’s the moment when an ugly hunk of metal transforms into a useful tool.

What seemed like scrap metal to us, worth only a few coins, began to change into something refined under the right hands. Its golden body turned black, shedding its old, shabby appearance.

Its legs began to move as if it were alive. Wings emerged and spread wide.

When it opened its eyes, mechanical irises were revealed. Those lifeless eyes scanned us all before buzzing and taking off into the air.

“This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like this!”

[How’s that? I’ve completely overhauled it from top to bottom. You can’t even call this a beetle anymore. From now on, call it Beetle XD.]

“Um… other than the color change, does it really look any different?”

The Princess cautiously asked, only to be scolded.

[This is why I shouldn’t bother with those who lack discernment! You there, what do you think? Does it look the same to you?]

And then the spotlight turned to me. Hmm, as someone who’s not a mage, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what’s changed, but I decided to pick the most positive words I could.

“It seems more agile than before, and it looks stronger too. It’s not just the outer appearance that’s changed. It feels more refined somehow.”

[Exactly! Its output is much stronger now! And with the ability to freely change speed, its mobility has improved too. With this thing, you can even pull a carriage now.]

Absurdly, that was true. Compared to a bug, it’s large, but compared to a carriage, it’s ridiculously small. Yet, it could produce power comparable to a horse. Truly astonishing.

Even though I’m not well-versed in magic, I’ve picked up a thing or two here and there. I knew how difficult this must have been. Even Parnell might not have been able to achieve this.

[And I’ve added the ability to absorb the magical power of the sun to replenish its energy! It’s not hard. Just stacking a few magic circles does the trick.]

“That’s really incredible! I’m impressed. Magic is so fascinating.”

Wagging her tail, Roka praised the dragon for the first time. The child seemed genuinely amazed, their eyes wide with wonder.

Maybe they’re interested in magic? Later, when everything’s over, I should take them to the Magic Tower. There’s a lot to see there.

Thinking that, I suddenly remembered. The main tower of the Magic Tower is located in the magical city of Orphiel, which is now under the Death God’s domain.

Will we ever get to visit there? I can only hope that day will come someday.

[Alright, alright. Let’s take it for a test run. Just tell me where you want to scout!]

Praise makes even dragons eager. The dragon, in a good mood, volunteered for tasks without being asked.

The beetle slammed into the door, breaking it with a crunch. It flew far beyond, leaving the torn door behind. A chilly breeze seeped through the gap.

“It really is strong. Sturdy too.”

Even Lady Kisea had to admit it. The door, though made of wood, was quite thick, and the beetle just tore through it and ran off. It was definitely strong and sturdy.

[Let’s see. We’ve entered the city, so let me project the view for you.]

Soon, an open landscape appeared before us in the form of an illusion. It was as if we were seeing through the eyes of a large hawk flying through the sky. As we passed by densely packed houses, we couldn’t help but be shocked.

“What’s that…? A pigsty?”

“Even pigs wouldn’t survive there.”

Roka was shocked, and the Princess agreed. Even to her eyes, which had seen many battlefields, that place looked uninhabitable.

“Not pigs… even soldiers wouldn’t be housed there. The Imperial Army, no matter how poor, at least provides tents.”

Did someone like Lady Kisea embezzle funds during construction? It was an absurd thought, but it was the most plausible reason I could come up with.

‘It looks like a house made of mud…’

Most houses are made of wood. For sturdier construction, bricks or stone are used, but wood is the most common. It’s not the cheapest, but it’s easy to obtain and process, and it has good insulation. It’s cost-effective.

But in these plains, wood isn’t easy to come by. Thinking about it, I haven’t seen many trees on the way here. Even in the footage the beetle showed, there were no noticeable trees.

This is a flatland, so mountains are rare, and even if there are, they’re low and small. Those mountains are bare due to excessive logging.

A bit further up is the Kalkanmir Mountain Range, but that’s a typical snowy mountain with even fewer trees. Instead, there’s an abundance of stone, but quarrying there would be a nightmare.

‘So they hardened mud to make bricks and then built roofs on top.’

It might be a life hack, but the durability of these buildings looked seriously low. No joke, some houses were leaning to one side.

Some houses had additional supports or braces to prevent collapse. The people coming out of those houses were all thin and listless.

“The inside might be cleaner than it looks?”

Even Roka, who said this, fell silent after seeing the people’s faces. They all looked terrible. To the point where they looked worse than Roka when I first met her.

Lady Kisea’s eyes widened too. She seemed too shocked to speak.

“What is that? Are people really living there now? Isn’t it scary? It looks like it’ll collapse if it rains.”

“Are all the people in the Eastern Plains living in places like that?”

Even so, this is the capital of a nation, a core area. Mud houses that are no better than caves are too much. I don’t know if it’s fortunate, but as the beetle moved further, better houses started to appear.

Stone houses, resembling palaces, came into view. But that’s only in comparison to the earlier houses. They were all crude and lacked any elegance.

“The cabin you always summon is better than that. If you just use stone, there’s no insulation, so it must be cold.”

“That place earlier must have been a slum.”

The Princess sighed deeply.

“It’s not the time to pity them. The Capital has slums too, and they’re large. Seeing this, my heart isn’t at ease.”

Even at her lowest, she received minimal treatment. She left the Imperial Palace on her own and nearly froze to death, but before that, she was incomparable to those people.

“Now I understand why the merchants I met before said cotton clothes sell for a high price. Everyone’s wearing leather clothes. Even those wearing cotton, the quality doesn’t look great.”

It seems even here, there’s a divide between the rich and the poor. But the problem is, even the rich here don’t seem to live well compared to the outside.

The clothes of the people the beetle showed were clean, but the quality was no better than what rural women knit. The clothes of the wealthiest here were comparable to those in the countryside, not even the cities of the Empire.

Sighs and lamentations filled the air. Lady Kisea clenched her fist. Though not her kin, seeing beastfolk living like this clearly didn’t sit well with her.

Roka clicked her tongue. The child’s life was tough, but these people had it worse. Their faces were devoid of hope, filled only with resignation. In the capital of a nation, it was hard to find anyone smiling.

“It’s none of our business.”

Lady Kisea, with her fist clenched, tried to change the subject.

“More importantly, let’s find that Beast Liberation War Victory Museum first. That’s our destination, right? If your parents aren’t there, there’s no need to go…”

[Alright.]

Azahadaka responded and adjusted the beetle’s direction. Using the map drawn by the merchants based on rumors, we roughly located where the museum might be.

Soon, we found a conspicuously grand building. The building itself seemed to be a statement, large and imposing, incomparable to ordinary houses.

-Beast Liberation War Victory Museum.

Written in blood-red letters, large enough to be seen from afar. We definitely hadn’t found the wrong building. As the beetle approached, smaller letters became visible.

-Strengthen unity with the spirit of the beastfolk!


-Follow the path of self-reliance, the path of the beastfolk, the path to independence!

[Is that a statue?]

Azahadaka asked, looking at a massive golden statue that looked more expensive than the entire building.

[Looks like it’s made of pure gold. Is that woman Epirna, the one you’ve been talking about? Why do humans make such things to elevate themselves? A golden statue doesn’t make you stronger.]

Authority and prestige. Statues are made to gain such things.

The dragon probably wouldn’t understand. Honestly, I don’t fully get it either. Maybe it’s not solid gold but just gold-plated?

Even if it’s just gold-plated, given its size, stripping it down would yield a considerable amount of money. Enough to buy wood from the Empire without any shortage.

There’s so much that money could do, even if not for wood. Surely, they didn’t just make a statue. I wanted to believe that.