Chapter 208

Today, as soon as class ended, I came right back to the dorm.

Victoria was busy.

It’s been nearly three weeks since that day.

The weather’s gotten pretty cold.

I don’t feel it much myself, but the students coming to the Royal Academy have definitely started wearing thicker clothes.

There’s also this other kind of cold that’s confusing things.

You know, summer and winter both feel equally chilly.

Aside from that, everything at the Royal Academy is going fine… well, except for classes themselves, which are normal, but something *has* changed.

It’s the dormitory.

See, nobles usually commute from villas outside the school. Only the less wealthy ones or commoners like Victoria live in the dorms, so most rooms were empty.

But suddenly, a bunch of noble kids moved into the dorms.

They didn’t care about grade levels—they just moved in en masse.

So now, instead of an empty place, there’s chaos. To be precise, everyone’s carving out their own territory, and fights keep breaking out over it.

Like in the main building, people group up based on factions, claim seats, and some even hassle others who wander into their space.

And they’re complaining too—about how the dorms are too small, or there aren’t enough staff helping them. Like, typical stuff.

Anyway, even Victoria had to switch rooms.

Because, you know, the Royal Academy operates like a class-based society—if someone above tells you to do something, you gotta follow orders.

Now, if you wanna avoid all this, the only way is to cozy up to someone higher up. But the truly rich nobles still commute from their fancy homes.

That said, even their entourages have changed.

Their vehicles now come with extra guards wearing gloves, and more security personnel are tagging along.

The folks who pushed everyone into the dorms probably figured it’d be harder to protect them outside.

After all, if anything happens at the Royal Academy, the nearby military base will rush in immediately.

Which kinda shows how unstable the country’s situation has gotten.

If you’re not super powerful, living in the dorms is safer. So ironically, the dorms themselves have become dangerous. Funny, huh?

Anyway, I thought society was gonna ditch mechanical devices altogether.

Turns out, they’re not being completely rejected.

When Victoria visited the Mechanical Knight School, I saw through her eyes—it’s clear they’re not shutting down anytime soon.

If they did, the Mechanical Knight School would have to close too, right?

But nope. Instead, they’re expanding the place with new buildings under construction. They seem to be mass-producing mechanical knights.

From what I overheard between Victoria and her teacher, they’re trying to dismantle all products tied to the three big companies and restart the industry from scratch.

They plan to destroy every product related to those companies and intentionally change the standards so nothing’s compatible anymore.

In short, they want to nationalize the whole thing.

It’s true—mechanical devices are just too ingrained in society to get rid of overnight.

Especially in transportation. The railways connecting this country to others? Those can’t easily be replaced.

Once I realized that, a lot of things became clearer. It’s not about getting rid of mechanical devices; it’s about replacing the companies behind them. There’s simply too much already produced using those machines.

The nation’s working hard.

First, they’ve focused media attention on creating hatred toward the three companies, portraying them as foreign entities and encouraging people to use locally-made products instead.

Of course, the number of people who hate mechanical devices keeps growing. Especially in smaller towns where old harvesters still operate.

Even in tiny villages, newspapers manage to reach them.

Articles claiming these evil corporations hid killer machines designed to murder people? That kind of sensationalism easily shuts off rational thinking.

And once the atmosphere takes hold in a small town, reversing it is practically impossible.

While the kingdom tries to suppress this hysteria, it’s unclear if they can control it nationwide.

Here’s another interesting twist.

This info comes from Aurora’s perspective.

Apparently, not just our country, but many nations around the world are simultaneously moving to completely erase those three companies.

At first, I thought maybe their tech expertise would save them, and some countries might still welcome them. But no, the crackdown is intense.

Countries involved are even considering labeling them as public enemies.

At first, I didn’t understand why.

But Aurora asked Sorindiges about it and got an answer.

Apparently, discovering a blade capable of assassinating kings and nobles anytime is basically what happened.

Just like the mechanical devices controlling royal airships, these machines had infiltrated the very heart of nations—and were found to potentially betray them at any moment.

This goes back to before the technology transfer.

Reputation was damaged.

It’s like inviting a murderer into your safest territory—a move that would drive any territorial creature insane.

The upper class values their lives above all else. And beyond that, their honor.

Things like family pride, dignity, etc.

All that got stabbed.

It’s almost like a full-blown tantrum now. Despite their power, those three companies never held much international influence.

Maybe I was relying too much on faded memories. I thought that if a global company pulled out of one kingdom, the kingdom would suffer losses.

But if we’re in an era dominated by kingdoms, my assumptions were flawed.

They’ve obliterated the places where that global company could even set foot. If any nation dares to welcome them, they’ll face total annihilation.

Here in Bern City, authorities are arresting, investigating, and putting people connected to those companies on trial.

In more aggressive kingdoms, executions are practically guaranteed.

Thinking about all this makes me feel like the warmth being wasted on the ground is such a pity.

If I could, I’d turn other royal families into harvesters too.

But let’s take it slow.

Anyway…

A lot of good things are happening for me personally.

Times of great upheaval create opportunities for those at the bottom to rise. Especially if you’ve got special skills or abilities.

Among the harvesters in Bern City, many skilled workers, after being investigated by the state, have been recruited into national laboratories instead of punished.

Basically, a bunch of leashed geniuses have popped up.

Though their future may look bleak, these harvesters seem content with their current situation.

Some even see it as a chance to exact revenge on the three companies that ruined their livelihoods.

However, all of them have relocated to cities near the capital.

Why? Because Bern City has become far too dangerous.

Actually, it’s not just Bern City anymore. In almost every city, outsiders are thoroughly scrutinized, and if ties to the three companies are discovered, mob violence becomes the norm.

Officially, the government discourages this and tries to enforce order.

The problem is, sometimes the enforcers turn a blind eye—or worse, leak information.

As a result, society’s in chaos, and witch hunts are rampant.

And among all this, certain faces stand out.

None other than the harvesters.

Thanks to strong imagery of leading victims in Bern City, plus favorable portrayals on state-run broadcasts as heroes resisting evil corporations, the harvesters’ image has improved significantly.

Former residents of Bern City now appear on TV interviews recounting their experiences during the chaos.

Seems like Aurora’s efforts to manage the harvester’s reputation are paying off, turning them into trusted talents.

Thus, harvesters from Brightshin have been summoned everywhere.

As the saying goes, “Crisis brings opportunity.” People whose faces alone inspire trust are always in demand.

Especially in jobs involving relocation or movement.

Isn’t it a huge advantage when you arrive somewhere and are greeted with hospitality instead of suspicion?

Harvesters are finding proper jobs and escaping poverty.

Which means they’re spreading far and wide.

And having lots of kids, probably.

Hehe.

Prosper well, everyone.

The more they spread, the easier it is for me to stay warm.

While observing the harvesters, time flew by.

Came in during the afternoon, and now it’s evening already.

I watch the twilight through the harvesters’ perspective.

The capital has changed a lot too.

When evening falls, white smoke rises from various places into the sky.

Looking down, you can see buildings scarred by the giant thornbush Maleficent unleashed.

Three weeks isn’t enough to clean up all the damage.

It’s not just minor scratches on random buildings—many structures were crushed, walls severely damaged, and some are teetering on the brink of collapse.

Further down, it’s quite dark because the streetlights powered by magic broke during the incident and haven’t been repaired yet. Only a few scattered lamps and torches light the surroundings.

Consequently, fewer people walk the streets, and traffic has decreased significantly too.

Cars powered by magic have mostly disappeared, replaced by animal-drawn carriages.

Honestly, it feels like civilization is regressing.

But there are plenty of skilled technicians, and the kingdom’s working hard to fix things, so it should be resolved soon, right?

Right?

---