I suggested going to see Butnashso's new mode of transportation.
Jacob immediately responded,
"A new land transport? Perfect timing—we're actually taking it to the port."
"That's great! How did you know about it?!"
"I'm a merchant. Gathering information is basic."
"Nicely done!"
Not only would I get to see it, I'd even get to ride it—this was perfect. I chose a merchant really was the right decision. Information was everything.
"Mr. Karen looks really happy," Grace remarked.
"Yeah," Alice agreed naturally.
"...Hmph!"
"...Hmph!"
The two of them were still arguing. After exchanging glares, they both turned their heads away in annoyance.
I decided, once again, that I wasn't going to get involved.
Then I remembered something important—I needed a device to measure the age of magic cores. So I turned to Jacob.
"Oh right, Jacob. Do you know about a device that can determine the age of magic cores?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know where I can buy one?"
"A major merchant guild should have it."
"Then I'll go buy one up."
I handed my pocket watch to Grace and headed off to the large merchant guild Jacob had recommended. I'd acquired quite a number of magic cores with unknown ages, and some of them were definitely over a thousand years old, so I needed a way to sort them.
After that, we followed Jacob—who was still keeping the name of the transport a secret—through the streets.
Along the way, I finally realized what the smoke I had seen yesterday morning really was.
Steam.
Columns of steam were rising from several identical buildings. And then I spotted something decisive—utility poles.
So this was a steam-powered electrical plant.
I was instantly shocked by how advanced this country was. I stopped Jacob in my tracks.
"Jacob, has this country already discovered electricity?!"
"Yeah. They figured it out a few years ago while developing new transportation."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I thought those streetlights were magic tools!"
"It was in the newspapers."
Jacob answered casually, as if it were common knowledge. I had no words. I never read newspapers.
Still, something didn't add up.
"If it's been a few years, why don't other cities have electricity?"
"Because this country focuses almost entirely on transportation. They don't care much about urban development. And right now, steam power is the only method they have."
This country was practically obsessed with transportation. No wonder the city looked so gray and lifeless. Still, that just made me even more curious about the design and features of their vehicles.
But something in Jacob's wording felt off.
"Right now, huh…? Sounds like other countries have discovered electricity too."
"That's right. If we kept heading east, we'd reach Asrangari. It's a nation of knowledge—the top academy in the world, Fenlust School, is located there. They've already developed multiple methods of generating electricity, including hydropower and wind power."
I remembered that place. It was the scholars from that academy who discovered non-chant magic.
That country really was impressive. Had they even figured out solar power by now?
"I see. But you said "if we kept heading east." Does that mean we can't going to Asrangari anymore?"
We were supposed to be heading there, so Jacob's wording confused me. He quickly explained.
"Butnashso and Aslangari discovered electricity around the same time. Since then, they've been arguing over who discovered it first. Their relationship has turned hostile, so we can't sail directly to Asrangari anymore. We'll have to go to Dilibrash first, then head there."
I see. Honestly, they should both stop arguing—I discovered electricity the moment I was born.
"...Ugh, this is too confusing. My head hurts."
"I don't get it either."
"...Hmph!"
"...Hmph!"
There were too many proper nouns in our conversation, so Alice couldn't follow, and apparently neither could Grace. Was it really that hard to understand? It was just a change in travel order.
And of course, those two still hadn't made up. They exchanged another glare and turned away again.
I really didn't want to deal with them. They'd make up eventually.
What concerned me more was the environment. I didn't want Lina and Lani breathing polluted air.
"Jacob, steam power doesn't pollute the environment, right?"
"It doesn't. That's just steam from boiling water—there's no pollution."
So they used steam from boiling water to spin generators. That would require a lot of water, but that wasn't an issue—you could just replenish it with water magic.
And the fire needed to keep it boiling was probably maintained with fire magic, meaning no fuel was required.
"As long as there's no pollution, that's fine. Let's go."
We continued toward the transportation hub. Then, suddenly, something clicked in my mind—the water cycle.
A massive amount of steam rises, gathers in the sky, forms dense clouds… and then it rains endlessly.
I looked up and noticed the steam drifting in the direction of Kenli.
At that moment, everything made sense.
(No wonder it keeps raining! I thought it was just the rainy season.)
With one mystery solved, I felt a little more at ease.