If the Fourth World is running smoothly, the Third World has a slightly different vibe.
Not that it’s drastically different or anything. Strictly speaking, nothing much changed about the Third World itself.
Recently, the capital started cracking down on illegal immigrants, deporting them back to their home countries via train.
And guess what? The citizens of the capital are all for it.
All it took was one simple statement:
“If we let too many foreigners in, there won’t be enough food to last until harvest season.”
So now, whenever someone spots a foreigner, they grab them and haul them straight to the train station.
From there, the police load them onto the train.
Sometimes people d*e in the process.
Either they fight back trying to escape and get beaten to d*ath, or they try jumping off the moving train and don’t survive the fall.
When these incidents happen outside the city limits, it’s usually the folks from Brightshin Slums who clean up the bodies.
We can’t just leave them there – once monsters get a taste for human flesh, they’ll start attacking people more frequently.
Since it’s dirty work, I end up hearing about it often, being around poor people and all.
But in my area, things like this hardly ever happen.
The Royal Academy and its surroundings are guarded by soldiers instead of regular police, and the neighborhood where I live gets frequent patrols.
Any suspicious individuals get hauled away immediately.
Despite all this, the country is somehow managing to welcome spring as usual.
It’s a pretty mild climate here – instead of snow, it rains even in winter. By springtime, crops are already growing and ready for harvest.
I know this because Maurice and Beatrice live in a rural area. While self-sufficient villages haven’t been affected much, merchants coming to buy food keep Beatrice updated on the latest news.
It’s hilarious how Beatrice has become so competent that Maurice’s parents treat her better than their own son!
Anyway…
As food production picks up, you can see things gradually improving. We’re recovering from the shock of that whole escapade involving the destruction of mechanical knight devices.
The external attachment tools that spread from the capital have been particularly helpful.
Yeah, Daegon’s technology.
It wasn’t entirely new – just tweaking existing tech made it easy to implement quickly.
Then came the revelation that it could work with any magical creature, not just humans. This led to a whole new energy industry alongside monster hunting.
Now hunters who used to go after monsters for meat or materials are also harvesting their life force.
People are adapting rather than returning to their old ways. It’s fascinating how they’re adjusting to the current situation.
Who knows where this will lead?
The Mechanical Knight School destroyed during the riots is being rebuilt, but it’ll take at least a year or two before it reopens.
By then, everything will have changed.
To summarize:
The social upheaval still lingers, but a new era is dawning.
Meanwhile, the Harvesting System is spreading through society.
In Brightshin, the people I gave knowledge to have been developing machines based on what I taught them. Once Daegon-style machinery became popular, companies and even the royal family started recruiting them.
Some military weapons have already switched from outdated power sources to vitality-based systems, especially in places like Atlan Fortress City where monster attacks are common.
And those three Brightshin natives working at the research facility? Let’s just say they’re basically being kidnapped under the guise of employment, working overtime while complaining about their massive salaries they never get to spend.
Oh, and one more change…
“Ugh… I’m so depressed…”
Victoria Bet is slumped over my desk, looking utterly defeated.
Yesterday, exactly 15 days after school resumed…
After class ended, Victoria suddenly approached me.
“Hey, we need to talk.”
I remember how the entire classroom went silent at that moment. Then she dragged me to a quiet corner of the Royal Academy grounds and poured out all her feelings.
How scared she was of me, how surprised she was when I left without saying goodbye in Maurice’s hometown, how hurt she felt when I disappeared without warning, and how she feared I might not really consider her a friend.
She admitted she was approaching me because she was afraid of losing everyone again.
Then she started crying uncontrollably, so I teased her for being silly.
That only made her hug me tightly and cry even harder, soaking my clothes. After calming her down with some pats on the back, she finally ran off to her dormitory with a bright red face.
Today, she’s reverted to her old behavior from last year.
“Humans are such…”
Polaris is smirking beside us, poking Victoria’s cheek.
“Told you it was pointless to make such a fuss.”
“Shut up!”
She waves her arm lazily.
Incidentally, it’s afternoon now.
Last year, this would’ve been around the time students were heading home (except on weekends), but since we’ve moved up a grade, we have more classes. Two days a week, lessons continue into the evening.
This means it’s currently break time.
The classroom is almost empty. Only the loners, actual slackers, and students like Victoria who don’t fit in anywhere remain.
Most students have gone to the empty rooms located in the wings of the building, which forms a “D” shape around the central classrooms.
If student numbers tripled, these spaces would become additional classrooms, but for now, students use them as personal study areas.
Canna used to claim one of these rooms, but due to recent changes in the hierarchy, she no longer uses it. Surprisingly, she says it’s more convenient this way.
Apparently, tradition dictates that high-ranking individuals should occupy the largest rooms at the ends of the wings.
Breaking this unwritten rule leads to unnecessary conflicts and power struggles, so someone needs to manage these arrangements.
Canna sees her loss as liberation.
Of course, when someone gains freedom, someone else takes their place.
There’s an official system for determining room assignments among international students, considering national rankings and individual status within those nations.
Even Princess Aurora isn’t involved in this – she and her brother Sorindiges stay in a separate building reserved for royalty. After all, in a nation with strong royal authority, nobles and royals aren’t equals.
You’d think the remaining traces of certain ancient corporations that underestimated the king’s power and fell would have learned their lesson.
Still, everyone seems to be having quite the eventful school life.
Some people disappear suddenly, either through mistakes or pure bad luck.
Take that prince from a small kingdom who lost his title overnight after attempting to expel mechanical devices. His country faced severe backlash, leading to a rebellion that required foreign military intervention.
The conflict escalated when another nation sent troops to oppose them. In the end, the royal family was defeated, and he lost his princely status.
Surprisingly, he didn’t become a commoner. Another country recognized him as nobility.
At first, I didn’t understand why, but apparently it’s a strategic move. Absorbing him provides justification for future territorial claims: “This region belonged to So-and-so’s family, who now serves me, therefore it’s mine.”
In the past, he would’ve likely been sold off somewhere.
Interestingly, regardless of gender, individuals with valuable assets and strength but lacking proper lineage can be used as merger materials.
Anyway, he’s currently traveling around trying to find the best bidder for his services.
That’s the most entertaining news right now.
What’s amusing isn’t just watching him wander around…
It’s thinking about the revolution that occurred in his homeland.
How much bl**d must’ve been spilled?
If we had harvesters there, how much life force could we have collected?
It would’ve been… heartwarming.
I regret not acting sooner. During the corporate-induced panic, countless lives were lost…
No, stop. Don’t be greedy. Calm down.
Think about it…
By doing nothing, we’ve allowed harvesters to slowly integrate into society.
Daegon’s and the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign’s technologies are spreading.
Even if it seems foolish, let’s continue this passive approach. After all, preparations for collecting warmth in the Fourth World are progressing steadily…
“Bell, something good happen?”
Suddenly, Victoria asked me. Did my expression look happy?
I couldn’t tell. I touched my face.
“Is it obvious?”
“Yeah, super obvious. What’s up?”
“I just feel warmer lately, so I’m in a good mood.”
Victoria nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, it’s spring, so things will warm up gradually.”
“I wish it would stay cold though…”
Polaris grumbled beside me. That bear-like girl loves the cold. She looks like a cute cub but can tear a person apart.
I witnessed it last autumn.
Here in the Third World, spring is slowly arriving in my city…
[End]
