Volume 4 Chapter 24 The Factory
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Understood. Then hand that warship to my master, Emperor Michael VIII,” the sycophant repeated.
So this fool was a vassal of the Michea Empire’s Emperor. This was going to be a headache.
But there was one advantage: I could understand the Celt language he was using. Another opening lay in the pride he held for his rank — visible in the way his lips curled after he spoke. A gap I could exploit.
”Excuse me, may I?” I raised my hand, acting deliberately foolish.
”What? You have terms?” the sycophant asked.
He seems to understand my Celt too — it’s close to the Schweilitz tongue.
”If you are too greedy, you will lose everything,” I said, my voice calm, ending with a small smile.
I had been pushing him deliberately, and predictably, his face twisted in anger.
”You—say that again if you dare!” he snarled.
An emotional outburst — exactly what I needed. My words had reached the future Duke of Norman, his retainers, and the Town Guards stationed here.
”Do you think you can demand anything just because you have a Red Flame Ball?” I asked. (A powerful fire weapon.)1
I cast out the bait.
”Hmph, you know of the Red Flame Ball?” The sycophant grinned. “Then this will be quick. You understand what that means.”
He had taken the hook. Now I just needed to reel him in.
”What are you trying to say?” I asked.
”You fool, that means we have strong ties to The Boltechino!” he spat. “Never heard of them? They are a huge Eastern power that even the Empire of Rus and the Turkic Empire fear. They could turn Schweilitz to ash in an instant!”
”Turn my country to ash?” I feigned shock. “You’re saying The Boltechino would attack Schweilitz? Why would they do that?”
To be fair, some on the Sicilian side had noticed the trap and tried to warn this arrogant man, but they were too late.
”I am a diplomat of the Michea Empire!” he roared. “I’m telling you, with one word from me the strongest army of The Boltechino will wipe your pathetic country off the map. Are you stupid? Just hand over the ship!”
I had caught a fox in wolf’s clothing. Now it was time to invoke the tiger’s name as a threat.2
”Those words just now.” I let the silence hang. “That is a threat against the Kingdom of Schweilitz. I cannot ignore it.”
I stood up quietly and stepped onto the stairs leading to the stage where the idiot diplomat and the Norman party were.
”What are you doing? This is my Viscount’s Palace!” Ruggiero shouted. “I won’t allow you to do as you please!”
The young man — still with wet ears — shouted, half-rising from a chair decorated with cheap, flashy ornaments, as if it were a throne.
”Good grief.” I let my voice carry. “Is this Principality, which hasn’t even finished declaring its founding, really trying to declare war on Schweilitz?”
I roared at the young man playing lord.
It was, of course, a bluff. No fool in Schweilitz would start a war over something like this. But it worked — young Norman I’s eyes went wide and he could not find a word to say. Seeing that, even the Town Guards hesitated, unsure of what to do.
When I stood on the stage, the diplomat finally realized he was in trouble and tried to flee. But a flabby man in his forties can’t outrun me, even in this teenage body.
The Town Guards of the Viscount’s Palace tried to stop me, but too late. I grabbed the scruff of the neck of Sidonius Apollinaris — the diplomat from the Nicaea Empire — and snuffed out his consciousness at the same time.
Looking down from the stage, I saw Pole standing open-mouthed in shock, the Deck crew foreman watching with keen expectation, and the Captain looking thoroughly exhausted. But beside him, the Captain’s childhood friend — Norman I’s father, Riccardo Norman — was laughing. I wanted to befriend this old man.
Just as I thought that, Town Guards surrounded me.
”You sure about this?” The big man crossed his arms. “I don’t care what happens to your country.”
It was a lie, but my single word froze them in place. As I tried to move forward with the unconscious fool still limp in my grip, the largest of Norman I’s retainers pushed through the Town Guards and stepped forward.
”You let a kid like this fool you?” the big man growled at the Town Guards.
He’s bigger and more threatening than Hans-niisan.
”Well, it’s a fact that this so-called diplomat threatened Schweilitz,” I replied.
”Don’t know nothin’ about that.” He looked around. “Did anyone hear such a thing?”
This was troublesome. This man was worse than my brother — he intended to pretend the whole thing had never happened, and if things went badly, he might even kill all four of us.
”You sure?” I held his gaze. “If we don’t come back, there’ll be war.”
”Don’t worry. The ship will get back.” His smile was cold. “But you four — the moment you leave this Palace, Charle’s leftovers will kill you all. As corpses, that is.”
A former pirate, sure enough — a real villain. Then force was the only option. I wished Kenze were here; he would have been a great help.
I stretched out the index finger of my right hand — still holding the fool’s scruff — touched his skin, and gave him back a little Mana. There’s nothing heavier than an unconscious body. With some awareness back, he got lighter.
He was still dazed, but when I pulled, he stood on his own. I grabbed his belt with my left hand, used him as a shield, and ran toward the big former pirate.
”You’re crazy,” the big man muttered.
After a few steps, the big man moved sideways, using his height to try and grab me.
*SLAP!*
I used Mana to knock his hand away; as he staggered back, I touched his belly with my left hand and blasted Mana hard. A *BOOM* and the big body flew two meters.
I had used too much force. It might have damaged his insides. A skilled Medical Mage could probably save him, though.
The Town Guards froze in shock.
I hurried down the stairs, but the drunk diplomat tripped over his own feet, slipped from my hand, and fell to the floor.
Tch. I turned to find that the Town Guards had recovered and were now chasing me. I jumped the last five steps, spun around, and launched a massive Fireball at them from below.
A few of them should have severe burns. I looked ahead. The Captain had taken the old man; Pole and the foreman grabbed the diplomat’s arms and ran.
”I’m a hostage! Don’t hurt me!” Riccardo shouted in old Celt.
The Captain’s childhood friend shouted in old Celt. But it sounded really fake.
Is he helping us escape?
I took the rear, falling back while using Fireballs to hold off the chasing Town Guards.
Past the great hall, we came to a large open space with a staircase. We raced down the stairs.
The Town Guards at the bottom looked confused, unsure of what was happening. Now was my chance.
Past the open space, we reached a roundabout where carriages were waiting. The Captain jumped onto the first one, kicked the coachman off.
”Get in!” the Captain shouted.
He shouted, but getting the diplomat in took time. The Town Guards from the hall gathered their friends and came out to the roundabout.
”See ya,” the Captain called.
The Captain bid farewell to the old man who had been playing hostage, then whipped the horses into motion. I had to keep the Town Guards at bay, so I shaped the largest Fireball I had ever made — somehow, my Mana had grown enough to form a sphere four meters across, nearly burning myself in the process.
Wait — I sensed something above me.
*BOOM.*
Something fell between the carriage and me.
I was badly shaken. It was Norman I’s retainer — larger than the one I had blasted earlier. He landed on one knee, rose like something out of a nightmare, and fixed me with a murderous glare.
”You’re pretty tough,” the big man said.
”Thanks,” I replied.
In that brief moment, the carriage pulled out of the roundabout without me. I had been left behind.
”Great. Just me, caught, getting tortured alone.”
I muttered to myself, but the situation didn’t change.
Was there any way out? The Town Guards were closing in from behind in force. Perhaps it was time to give up.
But I had one question.
”Hey, are you a Mage?” I asked.
A decent Mage could use Mana to blast someone away. The only way to survive that blast is to block with your own Mana. I’d done it once at Bizan Magic School when the Principal’s daughter attacked me.
Otherwise, the hit I gave him should have broken a few bones, hurt a few organs.
”Yeah.” He cracked his neck. “What about it?”
The big man answered.
”That’s cheating,” I muttered. “A body like that and being a Mage.”
”Shut it.” He glared. “What’s with your monster-level Mana?”
Was it really that much? More importantly, I turned to see the Town Guards pouring in behind me.
”Break!” I screamed.
I made the biggest Fireball I could, screamed, and ran at them. The Town Guards scattered left and right. A few got terrible burns, but I’d rather not get tortured. I ran back into the building I’d just left.
”Protect the lord! He’s after the lord!” a guard shouted.
The lord? Norman I? Behind me, the big man shouted, but I’m not that stupid. I ran into the open space with no Town Guards, then behind the stairs I’d come down.
There should be a way to the back of the Palace from here. And sure enough — a long hallway. Lit by candles.
Behind me, I heard many Town Guards, but ahead on the path, I saw no soldiers.
Running around the ship with the women every day paid off. I wasn’t out of breath.
But damn — a dead end lay ahead. I turned left before reaching it, only to find darkness.
I heard the Town Guards. Couldn’t go back. Running, I saw light leaking from a gap on the right — was that a sliding door?
I found a handle. Grabbed it, pulled hard — and it was outside. A small courtyard, walled in by the building and an arcade, with plants arranged neatly.
Where could I go? Was there any way out?
No time to think. I started east — then the south wall spun around, and a woman in a Samue (a simple work robe) came out. A hidden door like a ninja house?
I ran toward her. A few meters away, she noticed and tried to run.
She was too slow.
The moment I grabbed her hand, she tried to drain my Mana.
’Are you a Mage?’
I asked through telepathy, hugged her, covered her mouth, drained half her Mana, and dragged her to the hidden wall. No telepathy back from her — she didn’t have enough Mana for mind-reading. From the sliding door I’d come through, I heard the Town Guards’ footsteps and voices.
On the wall, I saw a single thin plank. Pushing it up, down, left, right, it slid right — and the wall turned me inside.
Dark inside. The woman struggled, so I drained her until she was unconscious.
From below, I heard a woman’s laugh. Waiting for my eyes to adjust — I seemed to be on a landing. Stairs went down. I left the woman and went to the bottom. A wooden door with light leaking through a gap.
Peeking in — women in the same Samue, smiling and talking while working. Spinning thread?
Looking through another gap — four women sat in a circle, turning spindles. Nothing strange; I’d seen it in Strock Village. But the material wasn’t wool or linen. Something else. Couldn’t see the whole room, but it was two meters high, four meters deep; width unknown.
Poor things. Forced to spin thread in a basement like this.
Through all the gaps, I only saw three women. And a sliding door on the far wall.
The hidden door upstairs could open any moment with Town Guards. I decided to cross this room.
Breathe. Picture dodging obstacles and reaching the door.
Alright.
I slid the door open — and at the same time, the far door opened too.
Town Guards — and on the far wall, which I had not noticed before, stood shelves lined with basketball-sized spheres and a massive one-meter-wide orb. Wait — was this a Red Flame Ball factory?
This was very bad.
I ran back up the stairs, kicked the hidden door open when it wouldn’t slide, and burst into the courtyard. Right in front of me — the big Mage. The moment I recognized him, I blacked out.
When I woke, I was in candlelight, chained by my wrists and ankles to a stone table, spread-eagle and completely naked.
My left cheek was swollen and throbbing — had they hit me while I was unconscious?
If only I had surrendered quietly, I would not be in this mess. Though I had at least glimpsed the Red Flame Ball factory.
If I were Norman I, I’d have killed me already. Sooner or later, I’m dead.
And this naked, spread-eagle position brought back terrible memories from the Linto Field Hospital.
I really don’t want some sadist like Sonya Major to come and torture me to death.
But no one came. Eventually, the candles went out.
I could not even roll over. No one came.
The points where my body pressed against the hard stone went numb first, then painful, then numb again until I felt nothing at all. Cold seeped into me, and to my shame, the smell of my own waste filled the room.
I lost track of how much time had passed.
”This way?” Kai called.
A familiar voice. Several footsteps.
”Still alive,” Kai said.
”Damn, what a mess,” Bebel muttered.
”Gonna cut the chains,” Pole added.
My eyes wouldn’t open. Kai, Sergeant Bebel, and Pole.
”Sorry. Questioning the diplomat took time,” Pamela said.
Pamela too.
Looks like I was saved.
—
Summary:
Earnest successfully manipulates the arrogant diplomat and triggers a chaotic confrontation at the Viscount’s Palace. He infiltrates a secret basement factory producing Red Flame Balls but is captured by a powerful Mage. After suffering through a traumatic and brutal imprisonment, he is rescued by his companions.
—
Trivia:
The protagonist’s ability to understand Celt language is revealed as a crucial plot device.
Earnest possesses a hidden and significant trauma related to the Linto Field Hospital.
The Red Flame Ball factory is discovered in the basement of the Viscount’s Palace.
The antagonist retainer is revealed to be a Mage who can block magical kinetic energy.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Michael – The Emperor of the Nicaea Empire (also known as the Micae or Michea Empire) who seeks the restoration of the East Room Empire.
• Celt – In his twenties, this former tenant farmer and 303rd Unit militia leader is now a pragmatic, calculating Deputy Commander of the Town Guards—equivalent to a sergeant or officer—overseeing Strock Village’s fortifications. Dressed in simple work clothes, he quietly admires Teressa-san’s skill and serves as the village’s trusted gossip source, having earned his land with reward money. Once a sandal-maker and translator of Bours’s jargon, he maintains a careful working relationship with Larry while balancing political interests, embodying calm kindness beneath his disciplined exterior.
• Schweilitz – The kingdom to which the protagonist is forced to return boasts towering academy spires and a full military arsenal—Royal Army troops and elite officers. Its ruler holds a captive the protagonist fears will be executed.
• Norman – A family name of the local rulers on the Island of Sicilia. A young man who serves as the lord of the Viscount’s Palace. He is an aspiring founder of a Principality and holds authority over the Town Guards.
• Boltechino – An entity that departed from Rus, this explorer traveled to discover a continent that became the birthplace of shipping trade.
• Rus – A neighboring power deeply involved in regional politics and mediation, best known for annexing the Kingdom of Larland.
• Ruggiero – The son of Riccardo and heir to the Norman family.
• Viscount – A noble of the Rus who insisted on bringing reinforcements to the defense of the city.
• Principal – The mother of Line and the administrative head of the institution. She exercises authoritative control over research assignments and seeks to trade Larry for Ilse Klein due to interpersonal conflicts in her laboratories. The mother of Sabrina and Rhein who intervenes during Rhein’s violent corridor assault to break up the confrontation.
• Sidonius – A diplomat from the Nicaea Empire. He acts as a sycophant for the Michea Empire and carries an arrogant, entitled attitude.
• Riccardo – An old man who is the father of Norman I and a childhood friend of the Captain. An older man who is a childhood friend of the Captain. The father of the first Norman, who instituted a dictatorship to make the Celt Kingdom pirates’ consensus-based system understood by other groups.
• Pole – An orphaned Celt Kingdom soldier and tough-acting mast house scout, this deck crewman knows the island’s language and terrain intimately. Earnest’s associate, he once saved the protagonist. Though initially hostile after a friend’s murder, he grew to respect them after a talk about his past and Palermo aunt. He now serves as a rescue guide and seeks freedom for his first love.
• Hans – Rugged, 2m, 100kg Obernbach ruffian and Kessler heir, this harsh Strock Village Head has a build larger than the giant retainer. A charismatic leader with poor emotional control, he protects the narrator’s family. He clashed with Niko but deeply cares for subordinates, is a new father to twin girls, and acts as a devoted older brother figure who aggressively grabs Larry upon his return.
• Charle – A faction captain whose flagship and crew were involved in the conflict. A mercenary captain whose ship was targeted. An individual associated with a group of remnants.
• Kenze – A stoic, brown-skinned Amazoness with short hair, a niqab, and slave attire, she is a combat-capable companion to Earnest and Larry. A former major offender and Takshurgan agent entrusted to the Fourth Sage, she rejects slave treatment. As Larry’s loyal, teasing guard and commander, she uses blinding speed to shield her daughter Zaboo and allies Pamela, Marie, Thomas, and Teressa.
• Mana – A non-commissioned officer and liaison who previously had their mana drained by Larry.
• Mage – Elf mage and shut-in engineer who stands watch and manages the ship’s boilers.
• Bizan – The Viscount of the Bizan family is the lord of a territory encompassing a capital city and a popular local fabric shop. Defining his noble identity and relationships with his subjects, he owns and resides in a unique castle built within the Danube River.
• Samue – A mysterious woman who wore traditional work clothing and is currently missing.
• Al – Alberto (Al), a massive red‑haired man recently wed to Mary, lives near the Dish Basin. He’s a companion of Hans, helping intimidate and rally elders as a villager and leader.
• Ho – Ho is the family name of Oliver, a 17-year-old deck crew member and comrade of the protagonist. As a member of the military unit that defended Garao Village, the young man was ultimately murdered during a night watch, slaughtered alongside Marx-san.
• Major – A commanding military officer with a sadistic inclination toward interrogation. She orchestrates the sessions and utilizes Telepathy to coordinate with her subordinates.
• Sonya – Sonya is a petite, sharp-eared elf orphan and former Schuberitz Major who commanded a Magic Armored Golems Division. Feared as a youthful, serious pilot with a sadistic personality, she faced the protagonist in a duel trial. She handles Larry’s combat via telepathic mana, guards Maria, trains Louise, and is tied to rumors about the protagonist’s behavior.
• Kai – A 20-year-old Dwarf girl and bottom-tier Engine Department recruit, she has a distinctive physique, appearing as an ash-covered, square-jawed young man with superhuman strength. Though her mana is unstable, she knows Mana Pentamers. She accompanies Earnest’s party, makes dramatic apologies, is easily lured by tuna cheek meat, and often carries or teases the protagonist.
• Bebel – Magic Armored Division Sergeant Major Hagen is a rigid Staff Sergeant, Artillery/Torpedo Petty Officer, and Larland War veteran. Part of a rescue party, this strict officer is difficult to manage but highly combat-capable, utilizing aggressive, unconventional tactics. He previously cared for Larry during sedation and currently leads a group of five subordinates to the training grounds.
• Pamela – A character capable of Heal magic who helped organize and execute the rescue team. A healer who treats the protagonist’s wounds and exhibits a flirtatious personality. A member of the group who assists in the interrogation and rescue efforts.
• Pam – An escort to the protagonist who is observant and loyal.
• Earnest – Reincarnated as a young militia soldier with massive Mana, a 40-year-old professor hides a compassionate core behind a dry, cynical guise. A magic-tech expert with lethal combat skills, this protagonist ruthlessly leads a unit of slaves and war orphans. His pragmatic outlook shapes complex relationships, now tested during a tense diplomatic incident at a Viscount’s Palace.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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