[FMMIKA] Chapter 255: Technology Advancement (I)

"What the heck is happening?"

"Cement... but not like Roman limestone cement, it's composite cement... um, and there's also asphalt and slag. Over there, you can see steam engines... I bet Charles Babbage would be thrilled, right?"

"No, no, that's not the point here."

"Just yesterday, this place was a beautiful, untouched natural landscape, a poor countryside."

"Why the heck did it suddenly change into this style from the last century after we woke up?! It's like the economic bubble era—although I've never actually experienced it. But what the heck is going on?!"

The one raising these questions was obviously Fujimaru Ritsuka. The location was outside a construction site.

More precisely, it was outside a bustling and joyful construction site.

This place was originally a small village where Chaldea's group sought shelter when on the way to Orleans.

They'd walk when it was daytime, rest when they were tired, and sleep when it was dark. Following a good kid's schedule, Ritsuka's group reluctantly lay down in the lodging to sleep.

Maybe it was because they were all cute, seemingly harmless girls, the villagers agreed to let them stay after taking some money, even though there were only thatched houses with drafts. But in this situation, they couldn't really complain too much.

'Let's get this resolved as soon as possible, and then we can return to Chaldea.'

With this thought in mind, Ritsuka drifted into dreamland. Then, they were rudely awakened by noisy noises.

"So noisy! You lot are disturbing the peace; I'm calling the cops, you bastard, do you know—the hell?!"

It was a construction-like noise.

Ritsuka had experienced similar situations back in Japan.

She wasn't the kind to tolerate it, covering her head and continuing to sleep through the lack of oxygen and the soundproofing of her blanket. She was the type to confront and, if needed, get into a heated argument with the neighbors under the pretext of disturbing the peace.

If the local police and neighborhood committee couldn't handle it, she'd go find yakuza or delinquents—well, that last part was a bit risky, so for her safety's sake, she refrained. She wasn't the kind of foolish woman who'd be easily abducted and sold to the red-light district.

But things were different now.

The current Ritsuka was the just and heroic hero, the world's number one Master with three mighty Servants by her side. So, whether it was an elderly lady, a young girl, a home with seventeen hungry children, or a mother in the late stages of cancer, anyone who obstructed her, disturbed her sleep, would all face their doom!

However, upon arriving at the scene, Ritsuka saw something that left her utterly shocked.

"Ahaha, sorry, sorry, young lady. We're not intentional." A man with a hard hat and safety vest replied to Ritsuka.

If this were placed in the 21st century, it wouldn't be that surprising. But the sight of these things in Middle Ages France, instead of making her angry and wanting to throw a fit, made all her annoyance vanish in an instant.

There was a procession of massive steamrollers, excavators, concrete mixers, asphalt mixers, and more, along with a large number of construction workers building a wide, eight-lane road. Not far from this construction site, there were many steam-powered machines laying down tracks.

All the work had been mechanized with steam engines, making it much more efficient than relying on human labor.

Especially the operators and the workers with their workwear.

They were high-spirited and hardworking; the way they handled the machines looked incredibly proficient, leaving no doubt that they weren't newcomers to this kind of work.

"Steamrollers, huh? That steam-punk vibe really brings back some memories..." Da Vinci sighed. "Speaking of which, our world during that era had a similar aesthetic—giant airships, massive steam battleships, and colossal land cruisers. Everyone was cheerful, thinking the future would be all about steam boilers and differential engines."

"It's not really the time for reminiscing now, is it?!" Ritsuka exclaimed with frustration. "Why would something like this appear in 15th-century France?! It doesn't make sense, Da Vinci!"

"In fact, it's not too hard to understand, you know. This kind of thing, which might seem like cutting-edge technology, is pretty much common knowledge in the world of magecraft. Back in those days, the study of steam engines was taken quite seriously in the world of magecraft." Answering Ritsuka's question was none other than Romani.

"Indeed."

"Hmm..."

"By the way, the mage in the palace loved to tinker with these things."

"I remember some sharp-minded mage making a fortune by spreading steam technology to the outside world."

"England seemed to adopt an industrial revolution measure, and there were traces of mage involvement..."

"Mage? I thought it was witches."

Besides Ritsuka, other Servants were also joyfully discussing this matter. Everyone was chatting away, delighting in revealing the hidden secrets of magecraft.

"What the hell? It's like I'm the only one who doesn't understand all this." This made Ritsuka feel a bit frustrated.

It was an unavoidable situation.

Despite being humanity's savior, she was the embodiment of chaos and greed, a terrifying existence capable of tearing apart Demon God Pillars with her own hands, Ritsuka was a layman after all.

A layman to magecraft.

Lacking the necessary knowledge.

Just an ordinary girl picked up off the streets to fill in the numbers.

Dramatically, this ordinary girl bore the heavy burden of saving humanity. But when it came to magecraft and everything in the world of magecraft, her understanding remained overwhelmingly lacking.

Even though she'd been frantically cramming in the basic knowledge and essential information, she couldn't keep up with obscure facts like the rate and efficiency of steam engine popularity in the world of magecraft. It was just a situation that couldn't be helped.

'I'll definitely have to work harder from now on.'

Ritsuka silently resolved herself.

'To become a capable mage—no, not enough, I have to become a grand—no, still not enough—a Magician? Or become a god? Hmm...'

Ritsuka had initially resolved to work hard, but her thoughts wandered off.

'Anyway, it is how it is.' Not long after, Ritsuka lost interest.

"Since all of this is actually normal, let's just leave it be. Beat up these guys disturbing my sleep, then go back to bed... ahh~ so sleepy... um? What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Having said that, Ritsuka noticed the odd looks everyone was giving her.

"Ritsuka-chan."

Da Vinci was still doing the explaining.

"We've never said this is a normal situation. Using steam engine technology extensively in the world of magecraft and using it extensively in the regular world are two completely different concepts."