Brunnen World’s Fair (3)
Inside was a plain cloak fastened with a brooch.
“At one of the booths of the Speculum Craftsmen’s Union, they were selling a cloak that reduced attention. It was called a ‘concealment cloak.’ It was a limited edition from a small company that focused on developing disguise tools, and it could even hide the light of the ether for a short period of time. It’s a shame that the function disappears after the ether reaction.”
The price was so unrealistic for a disposable item that it didn’t seem like something that someone like a private investigator would actually use.
There were only two sets available, but Clayo bought them all, so they sold out immediately.
Clayo put on the cloak himself in front of the kids.
First, I wrapped the cloth around it and then picked up the fixed brooch and activated it. This made the already plain clothes even more inconspicuous.
Arthur clapped his hands.
“Oh, that’s strange. Even though it’s right in front of my nose, I can’t see it right away, as if I’m looking at it from the corner of my eye. Then what are you going to use it for?”
“First, I’m going to give one set to Isiel.”
Isiel, who was drinking tea, turned his head towards Clayo as if he was curious.
“To me? Why?”
“I heard that Brunnen has a more rigid culture than Albion and has few female knights. If you go down to a rural area like Iens, you’ll stand out even more.”
Isiel nodded as if he had something to say, as he went out to the exhibition hall with Arthur, looked around the city, and bought some snacks.
“… That makes sense. This place is definitely a foreign country. The customs seem quite different from Albion. Regardless of gender, there were unnecessary, meaningless stares from people, making it difficult to tell if they were hostile or not. Was there such a difference?”
When she came to the exhibition, Isiel was wearing her usual dark gray school uniform. The only difference between the summer and winter uniforms was the material, but the color and design were almost the same.
The people of Brunnen were looking at Isiel not only because she was wearing a sword and trousers, but Cleo was not oblivious enough to mention it.
Her beautiful red hair like a blooming summer rose and her vivid green eyes like emeralds alone are enough to catch your eye, but with her hair cut short and her neck exposed, you can’t help but focus your attention.
Fran, who had already put a bookmark in it, sat down nearby.
“In places like the castle of Izens, even the women working in the vineyards wear veils to cover their heads, and they all wear skirts even while doing hard work. Your observation, Asher, is correct.”
“Right? And Fran, you take these too.”
“What.”
“Before we set out, I asked if you could accompany me since your face is known to Ince. I thought it would be safer if you could help me with some tools.”
Cleo opened the boxes one by one and took out various items.
At the Speculum booth, there was a hat that blurred the impression of a person, a dye potion made from discolorable quartz that was only found in Isberg that changed both eye and hair color, and there was even a neutralizer that canceled the effects of the dye potion.
Arthur, who was opening the box with Shina, stuck out his tongue and said.
“So Ray, how much did you spend today?”
The ‘promise’ was a useless force.
The exact number appeared before Clayo’s eyes again.
To be exact, it was 61,420 brunnen thaler, which in Albion’s currency was equivalent to 32,178 dinars.
The compensation money Melchior gave after the Lamore incident was completely blown away.
The law is that you should quickly spend and get rid of money that is unlucky.
“Arthur, you don’t have to know. Why don’t you give me some extra money if you know?”
“Hey~.”
The guide for this trip was conscious of Fran and Isiel, so he made a joke out of it.
So the topic passed by quickly.
Arthur chattered as they each took their own share of the luggage and started to pack.
As usual, Clayo followed along with the rhythm, somewhat unenthusiastically.
“Anyway, I came here under the pretext of something, but I guess you can learn quite a bit at the expo.”
“Really? For example?”
“The economy of this city, what the people of the monarchy think of their leader, what industries the monarchy seeks to promote, and how that will affect the future.”
Cleo glanced over to where Fran was sitting and winked, not knowing what Arthur meant.
Rumors spread among the nobles that the Third Prince of Albion was seeing strange visions, but what he saw in them was probably unknown.
I couldn’t continue the conversation without talking about future memories.
Arthur gave a smile that seemed to say, ‘Okay,’ and concluded.
“It seems that Brunnen’s military is not very keen on another generation of peace and prosperity.”
Fran, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, showed a look of surprise.
“I saw the Brunnen exhibits in the Technician’s Hall. They were war machines that could only be thought of as being intended to wage war within a few years. It felt like I was looking into the process of how catastrophe was planned. It was very new.”
Arthur’s future memories contained the circumstances surrounding the time when Brunnen invaded, but he did not seem to know the circumstances under which it happened.
This is the first time I’ve seen that process.
Of course, Arthur of the 8th class was not in a position to go to an exhibition with peace of mind.
As the mood became tense, Arthur quickly returned to his usual light-hearted tone.
“Thanks to you, Ray and Fran, I’ve been able to broaden my horizons! Then I’ll go for a run before going to bed. I skipped my training yesterday, so I’m a little tired.”
“Let’s go together, Arthur.”
“good!”
The person who threw the bomb quickly ran away, leading Isiel.
Only Fran and Clayo remained in the living room.
Clayo, who was embarrassed, tried to lighten the mood.
“Arthur, you may seem like a simpleton, but you actually have some thoughts.”
Clayo’s awkward social behavior was met with an extremely cold reception.
“That’s it. I’m not even that kind of person. Stop talking like a father who can’t sell his arms. Even though you’re the same age as me, there are times when you act like a middle-aged parent bragging about your youngest child. Why do you act so disgustingly like that?”
First of all, although their physical ages were the same, he thought it was too much, but he felt embarrassed because it seemed that Clayo had figured out that he thought of Arthur as his youngest brother or nephew.
“Don’t tell Arthur that, he’ll tease me again if he hears that. Fran, how was your day?”
It was a simple question, but Fran frowned as if she had been stabbed by something sharp.
Why does the stone I throw without thinking keep landing in strange places?
Fran just stared outside the balcony.
Not knowing English, Clayo also ended up looking outside like Fran.
Even though it was late at night, the entrance to the exhibition hall across the river was lit up with colorful electric lights, providing a spectacle for people who stayed late into the night.
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The light reflected off the rippling waters of the Brek River, making it look like fireworks were going off on the surface of the water.
The electric lights, whose output had been increased by the magic stone, alternated between turquoise, pink, and beige. The sight was enchanting, as if a cluster of stars from the universe had been laid out on the ground.
Clio thoughtfully poured two glasses of gin and placed them in front of each of them.
This was also a new product purchased at the exhibition hall, a refreshing liquor distilled with orange peel and cinnamon.
Fran, who had gulped down the strong drink in one gulp, finally cried after a long time.
“I realized that the cries for the murder of gods and kings and the abolition of capital could not continue in the face of the fantastical kaleidoscope of technological advancements.”
Clayo also understood what Fran was trying to say.
Among the increasing number of visitors in the afternoon, there were many workers who had taken time off from their vacation to come see the sights. You could tell this from their clothing and speech.
The experience of riding an electric-charged carriage and using an ether-powered magic tool that allows even the average person to experience ether [enhancement] for a few seconds has even made the mortals who have no interest in such cutting-edge luxuries enthusiastic.
It was a vision and promise of a future that would be better than the present.
“We are creatures of flesh and blood, creatures who need bread and wine. This continent has grown too early and too prosperous to be able to feed the flames of revolution any longer. The Carolingians… have turned the opportunity they have seized into a cult of personality.”
Strong absurdity breeds strong opposition.
Economic hardship increases the likelihood of uprising.
The ruling class is replaced, demanding the emergence of a new system.
The world was too rich to accommodate such requirements.
The spark that had bloomed in Carolingia had cooled before it could spread across the continent, only to bring about tyranny and purges.
‘It seems like the creator god here is trying to skip the proletarian revolution and go straight to a welfare state.’
Still.
“However, we cannot demand individual sacrifices for the sake of ideology and duty as if it were a given. It is enough that someone guards the flame of revolution so that it does not die out completely.”
Fran sees herself as the keeper of the flame, even if she cannot command popular support or demand the devotion of others.
Even if keeping the flame alive is not something to be praised, do it with all your heart.
Feeling it was inappropriate to say anything in front of him, Cleo simply poured himself another glass of gin.
Even though it was quite a strong drink, Fran didn’t know how to refuse tonight.
***
The next day, around afternoon.
About halfway through the national pavilions at the Brunnen World’s Fair, a well-dressed young man stands.
He was tall but had thin limbs that he moved around diligently. He stopped in front of the Serika Kingdom exhibition hall, and as if he had found something, his face lit up and he shouted.
“It’s here!”
They were so happy and excited that they cheered without even noticing what other people thought.
The tall piles of bamboo sticks, the steam seeping out between them, the clerks in their silk robes decorated with knots, the white porcelain teapots and tea utensils they carry on trays!
Surprisingly, this time the illustrations in the guide were quite accurate.
‘The clerks’ clothing is similar to that of the late Ming Dynasty, but their appearance gives off a feeling somewhere between Central Asia and Russia?’
I’m finally starting to get the hang of it.
The faces of the people of the various nations that stretch between the extreme west and the extreme east of the continent of Dernier were all ethnic characteristics blurred by generations of mixed blood.
‘Even if I saw a foreign student in Albion, if he was wearing a suit, I wouldn’t have known he was from a completely different country.’
My appreciation of the racial makeup of this world ended there.
The moment I saw the menu, everything else became irrelevant.
The clerk who showed them to their seats asked Clayo what he wanted to order.
Perhaps because it was the international pavilion of the expo, the clerk spoke Carolingian fluently.
“【What would you like to order?】”
And the moment he heard that response, as if a button had been pressed, Clayo’s seal was released.
“【Please give me everything on the menu. I’ll have jasmine and oolong tea.】”
It was a clear runaway.
.
.
.
When he came to, there was a pile of steamers and plates in front of Kleio.
Luckily, Dione liked it.
“Oh my, how pretty! How can the flavor be so complex and rich? And so pretty! The tender shrimp flesh is visible under the thin shell, like a jewel! And this one is like a marigold!”
Hargau, with pink ripe shrimp visible within the translucent rice skin.
Shao Mai, which looks like a marigold, is made with shrimp and pork in a bright yellow crust and topped with crab roe.
Char siu bao, steamed with a rich filling of sweet-simmered meat.
Dione’s fork moved quickly between the steamers containing various dim sum.
I was worried that the recipes and spices that were not easily accessible in Albion would not suit my taste, but my worries were unfounded.
Lady Dione’s tolerance for gastronomy was very wide.
Of course, there were plates that even Dione pushed away, saying they didn’t suit his taste.
It was a jellyfish salad marinated in black vinegar, and a radish cake called Luo Bo Gao, which was made by cutting radish and Chinese ham into squares and frying them until crispy.
Cleo said with satisfaction, as he brought the bowl forward without Dione touching it and emptied it all the way to the bottom.
“I think dim sum is the sum of civilization.”
Dione answered, having eaten the last piece of the fried pu-fei-guen, which was made with white fish in a chewy tofu skin.
“Well, I agree. But where did you learn to eat all this and use chopsticks?”
The one who spent his previous life in the country of iron chopsticks once again brought up the excuse he uses when he is at a loss for an answer.
“I learned it from a book.”
