132. Other Countries

The remaining countries managed to proceed without any major incidents.

——Dragonfolk Kingdom: Dragonia Kingdom ——

The Dragonfolk Kingdom lies beyond the northern mountains of the Magic Great Forest Sea, further north still.

The Dragonfolk Kingdom joined the Federation thanks to Amelia’s persuasion. Originally, Amelia had longstanding ties with the Dragonfolk, and could even transform into a human. Moreover, the Dragonfolk venerate dragons.

Thus, when Amelia asked the Dragonfolk Kingdom to join the Federation, they basically agreed without hesitation.

Of course, there were benefits for the Dragonfolk Kingdom too. First, food trade—exporting seafood from the northern seas and importing food from other nations.

Previously, the mountain roads were treacherous, making food distribution nearly impossible. This was the single biggest advantage for the Dragonfolk Kingdom.

Another benefit was collaboration with Skydrake and Earthdrake transport. Mail would be shipped via magical vessels, then delivered to the final destination by Skydrakes.

Also, Earthdrakes, stronger than horses and used as draft animals, could now transport goods reliably. In the past, if a Skydrake or Earthdrake fell ill or died, there was nothing to be done. But now, goods could be shipped all the way to the Dragonfolk Kingdom via magical vessels.

“Ah. So it’s an emergency vehicle for Skydrakes and Earthdrakes. Wait—no, actually, the emergency system should be usable by all races, shouldn’t it?”

“Yes, indeed. Lord Shiro, that’s a brilliant system. Please, do implement it,” said Emilia.

Later, the healing clinics of the Temple Network would collaborate to build the emergency network—but that’s another story.

——Dwarf Kingdom: Metelior Kingdom ——

The Dwarf Kingdom, Metelior Kingdom, is a small nation west of the Hainzworth Kingdom, nestled in a mountainous region. A land rich in high-altitude terrain, it produces countless weapons and armor.

The Dwarf Kingdom was, in a way, straightforward. Just show them ore, magical ore, mithril, and orichalcum—once they saw it, joining the Federation was agreed to without hesitation.

Then, when Shiro presented a single magical sword, they wouldn’t stop pestering him about how it was made, refusing to let him out of their sight.

Eventually, Shiro had to demonstrate the entire crafting process and promise to guide them in the future.

In exchange, the Dwarf Kingdom agreed to export weapons and armor while importing food, using the magical ship routes as the main channel.

——Commercial Union City-State, Feliorinzes——

When Shiro proposed offering special cargo transport via magical ships and handing over control of distribution to the Federation, they agreed instantly.

“Can we standardize the cargo containers to the size of a box carriage?” Shiro suggested. “That way, loading and transport would be much more efficient.”

The existing griffon and wyvern transport routes were also agreed to operate in collaboration with magical ships.

From then on, trade and logistics across this world would experience a dramatic leap forward in efficiency and convenience.

As for Feliorinzes, Shestia insisted on eating seafood, leading to a series of restaurant tours—but that’s a story for another time.

Incidentally, in this world, restaurants had somehow become widespread. A stable logistics system, high civilization, and a peaceful global climate had nurtured an entertainment culture.

——Beastman Kingdom: Vystyle——

“Awesome! So many cute girl-ears!”

Makoto and Masaki shouted in excitement. They were practically sprinting toward the scene. Even Masaki, usually reserved, was clearly thrilled.

“Hey, calm down, both of you,” Mizuki said.

“……Huh! Sorry. Me of all people, getting carried away like that…” Masaki regained his composure.

“…Masaki, you like beastfolk, huh?” Miradia gave him a sharp look.

“Eh?! N-No, not really! I mean, as a typical Japanese high school boy, I guess I can’t help but react when I actually see someone with animal ears… you know?” He stammered.

“…Yeah, I get it,” Kotone said, practically vibrating with excitement. She loved fluff.

“Huh. Can’t be helped, I guess. We never actually see them back in our world,” Mizuki sighed.

“But they’re not exactly rare in the capital or in Cambria, are they?” Shiro said.

“True, but… they weren’t *everywhere* like this, were they? And so many beautiful girls… like that…” Masaki said.

“…Well, I guess… yeah. Fair enough for a high schooler. Anyway, keep it together and act like professionals,” Shiro said, giving them both a firm look.

The Beastfolk Kingdom lay southward, slightly east of the continent, when viewed from other nations. That’s why they’d had little contact before. But this time, agreeing to join meant setting up extra trade routes—something they’d happily accepted.

The Beastfolk Kingdom was a rich southern agricultural nation, producing unique specialties not found elsewhere: rice culture, coffee, spices, dozens of kinds—so many that it was hard to count. Previously, Pheliorins had managed to keep the trade flowing somehow. Now, whether it was Pheliorins or Vistyle, the dream of magical airship routes was finally becoming real.

Shiro and the others managed to get hold of miso, soy sauce, and rice. And since Mizuki was an excellent cook, they got to enjoy proper Japanese cuisine.

"Wow, Mizuki, you're such a great cook! Teach me next time!" Kotone said to Mizuki.

"Sure, sure. Gotta keep Shiro's stomach happy, right?" Mizuki replied.

Kotone flushed instantly,

"…Eh? No, that’s not it… I just… wanted to eat it myself…" her voice dropped to a whisper.

Hearing their exchange, Shiro said,

"Huh, so Kotone’s cooking? Sounds nice. I like cooking too—how about you teach me along with her?"

"Wait! You cook, Senior?" Kotone blinked.

"Huh? Yeah, living alone, you know. Eating out or frozen meals all the time isn’t good for health," Shiro said, muttering under his breath—though that was more a thought from Earth.

"...Then maybe… if I try harder… I could cook something Senior would eat?" Kotone murmured quietly.

"Then I’ll do it too," Shestia said. "I’ll make Haynesworth’s cuisine."

"Awesome! So we’ll all share our home countries’ dishes and specialties!" Everyone cheered, the conversation lighting up.

◇

"Wait—mock battle? With the Beast King?"

"Yeah, Her Majesty the Beast King Jina herself wishes to spar with the Apostle."

The messenger soldier said to Shiro.

Shiro couldn’t refuse. He had no choice but to accept.

—Ah, just like fantasy stories always go, the Beast King’s a real power-worshiping, battle-hungry type, Shiro sighed inwardly.

"Lord Shiro, please go all out. No holding back!" the Beast King Jina said.

"...Understood. Then, I shall."

They stood ten meters apart, facing each other. "Begin!" was called.

The moment the fight started, Jina lunged at Shiro with a straight punch—so fast it defied reason. She covered the ten meters in an instant.

Shiro twisted his body effortlessly to dodge it. Then he reached out, aiming to drive his hand into her back—but Jina spun away, putting distance between them.

She immediately went for a spinning kick, but Shiro leapt backward without hesitation.

Jina didn’t miss her opening. She raised a hand, fired—then the blast struck Shiro full in the chest.

“!” He caught it with both hands and flung it upward.

“Energy blast?”

He deflected the second shot with ease, then activated his Energy Mantle. Three energy blasts fired in rapid succession toward Jina.

Jina, stunned, tried to dodge—but that left her open.

Shiro moved at super-speed, closing in from behind. He slammed a handblade to the side of her neck.

“…I’m done,” Jina said.

“Not bad, Apostle-sama. You were taken down easy. I’m no slouch even among beastfolk—ranked fifth in the kingdom, I am. And you’re actually able to use energy blasts? Is that really—”

“Yeah. Energy blasts. That’s what they call it here, huh?”

“Right. A skill passed down only to masters of certain martial arts. Beastfolk can’t use magic well, so this is our countermeasure.”

“Ah. So that’s how it is. By the way, ‘qigong’—no, that’s actually ‘energy force,’ originally. It’s not just random. It’s got a proper system, just like magic.”

“Huh. So it does?” Jina said.

Shiro then explained the theory of energy arts to her, earning her gratitude.

For years, energy arts had lagged behind magic in theoretical development, dismissed as inferior. But now, they’d rise to equal footing—and become a crucial step toward divine magic.

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