126. Magistia Kingdom 1
Magistia Kingdom. Once, a great power that led the world through magic. Now, it lives in quiet retreat, hiding from the guilt of past events.
The territory it once held has mostly vanished, swallowed by the Great Tree Sea. Today, only the old cities of Magiwesuto barely escape being consumed by the sea of trees.
"That's Magiwesuto," Ida said.
"...Senior, this place doesn't feel like a fantasy town at all," Kotone said.
"Whoa, high-rise... well, not exactly, but look at all those buildings," Makoto said.
"It's kind of ruining the fantasy world vibe..." Masaki said.
Yeah, Magiwesuto looked just like a city on Earth, with buildings stacked tightly together.
"I don't really know what a 'building' is, but in the Demon Kingdom, those box-shaped structures are everywhere. Apparently, they're efficient to make and durable," Ida said. Then,
"Let's land near that open area on the outskirts for now. We've already sent word—customs should be no problem."
Shiro guided the ship down, touching down near what looked like a plaza, and everyone disembarked, heading toward the city gate.
The city itself was surrounded by tall walls, just like other towns in this world. And like the elven village, it was shielded by a strong barrier.
"...This barrier's strong. The amount of magic packed into it feels significant," Shiro said.
At the gate, Sophia presented her identification and explained their mission. No issues arose—they passed through smoothly. The guards seemed solid, but not overly strict. The soldiers stationed there said they were rarely visited, so they were usually bored.
Shiro was struck by how advanced magical industry had become as he walked through the town.
Aida, watching his reaction, explained.
“Old Magiwesuto used to be a hub of magitech industry. Thanks to—or maybe because of—the eccentric defense ideology of its former lord, the wards were incredibly strong. That’s why the city survived the great magical outburst. Though, admittedly, the surrounding areas were completely destroyed, so food shortages were a real problem… Still, it’s a miracle we didn’t end up swallowed by the Great Forest.”
“Population was always low, and it still is,” Sophia added. “So they had to find efficient solutions. That’s probably how they ended up with a place like this.”
“Is this the Demon Kingdom’s castle?”
Shiro and the others were led to the fortress for an audience with the Demon King, and the building’s appearance stunned them.
“Looks… like an egg,” Makoto muttered.
The structure was shaped like an elongated egg, fully glass-walled. It resembled a London skyscraper—rounded, slightly plump, and bulbous—but somehow stretched and slimmed down.
“…This is impressive,” Shiro said, genuinely awed. “The design’s one thing, but the walls are made of glass. That kind of construction technology? That’s remarkable.”
The audience chamber sat at the very top of the building.
“Welcome, Master and esteemed guests, to the Magistia Kingdom. I am King Philis Magistia.”
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Shiro Kamikawa.”
“Sophia, it’s been ages,” Philis said.
“Yeah, you haven’t changed a bit, Philis,” Sophia replied.
“Are you two acquainted?” Shiro asked.
“We are,” Philis said. “It’s been decades since we last met. Back then, I was a wanderer. We were once part of the same adventuring party.”
“Huh, so that’s how it is,” Shiro said, already halfway lost in thought about just how long ago “back then” actually was—until he noticed Philis staring at him, and snapped his wandering focus back into place.
“Philis. You know this as well. It’s about time we opened up properly, established formal ties. No one’s blaming the Demon Kingdom anymore,” Sophia said.
“Yes, I know—but this one’s tricky. Still, I’ve seen the letter. The Federation idea? Brilliant. And the magic-ship routes? If that’s truly possible, I can’t see any reason to oppose it. Please let me join. If it works, it might just solve Magiwesuto’s geographical isolation.”
Magiwesuto lay far west of the other nations. Worse, the path to it was blocked in large part by the Great Tree Sea, meaning the only direct routes were either north through the Dragonfolk Kingdom along the sea’s edge, or south through the Dwarf Kingdom.
“I’ve seen the city,” Shiro said. “This level of industrial and scientific advancement—sharing that technology with other nations could really push the world forward.”
“Hmm. Maybe. Some might argue it’s only possible because of the city’s size. Still, I’m open to sharing technology. We can’t make everything here. So, welcoming imports of goods and food we can’t produce ourselves would be a welcome addition.”
“By the way, Lady Philis, do you happen to know about the Slime’s unique properties? I’m Steven, heir to the border lordship of Amandelle in the northern reaches of the Hainzworth Kingdom.”
“Slime? Ah, that organic resource. Yes, I know. We use it to craft various products in our country. Still, for some reason, Slime is scarce around here. So we can’t really put it to much use.”
“Is that so! Well, actually, after hearing about Slime from Master Shiro, I’ve been thinking of utilizing it in my own domain. But I don’t know how. Master Shiro did give me some advice, but I was hoping we could develop it together with the Demon Kingdom. My territory has an abundance of Slime,” Steven said.
“Hm, that’s interesting. Joint development might be a good idea. When the Federation is established, let’s set up a Slime technology exchange and a joint development team. I’ll look forward to working with you,” Philis smiled, agreeing to the partnership.
Later, thanks to the joint development between Sotohaim and Magiwesuto, Slime Magi-Chemical Industry would flourish, producing a wide range of materials and products that contributed to global progress—ultimately helping the Demon Kingdom re-engage with other nations. But that’s another story.
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