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This day.

I did something that could be seen as either instigating or discouraging.

Maybe that’s why a rather strange atmosphere lingered in the classroom.

Many had expressions that suggested they had made some grave mistake, but didn’t know what it was.

However, no incident occurred afterward.

Because in the classroom I was in, there were both Aurora and Tiana.

Aurora is the princess of this country, and Tiana is a princess from a foreign land. Specifically, she’s the princess of the most powerful country among them.

I wonder if it’s really true that she left her country without breaking even a single curse, but that curse is extremely rare. While she’s prepared for ordinary attacks, what she’s dealing with is not exactly an ordinary attack.

If Tiana weren’t a princess, it’s said it would have been a fatal curse that would have killed her instantly.

Fortunately, being a princess meant she could suppress the curse to some extent.

And currently, in Tiana’s country, Moldovia, her father and king, James Amphibia, is working hard to gain power.

After confirming that Tiana was doing better during the harvesting season, James went straight back to Moldovia.

According to the letter he sent, he’s digging into families that can cast powerful curses to find the one that cursed Tiana.

That implies he’s looking to purge them.

In the meantime, it should be safer to be in a different location.

There’s a problem brewing within this small society, with strife about to break out between foreigners and natives.

Yet, the top two people still don’t seem willing to fight.

So, a decisive war hasn’t happened yet.

However, resolving this clash won’t be that simple, right?

Now, regardless of the facts, it’s turning into a matter of pride, isn’t it?

To put it differently, it’s a matter of honor.

In noble society, there’s nothing more important than that.

So sometimes, people die to protect their family’s honor.

If honor is trampled in a similar status, it’s catastrophic. Of course, Tiana and Aurora aren’t completely on equal footing.

Tiana is one of the two highest-ranked foreign families in this country, while Aurora is the youngest princess, neither the eldest son nor daughter.

In that sense, both are kind of in an awkward position.

When something actually goes wrong, it means it’s tough to fully control the situation. Tiana has to negotiate with other royals, and in front of Aurora stands Solindiges.

Hmm.

Well, if Aurora wants something, it feels like Solindiges would do anything for her!

But still, it’s not 100%. It means Solindiges might declare war, and Aurora might try to stop it.

From what I gather, in that case, if a fight breaks out, warmth won’t come from below. If Aurora declares war, and Solindiges tries to stop it, maybe a 50-50 chance?

It would’ve been great if Solindiges were in the harvesting season…

If he were in the harvesting season, at least up until this year, any incidents that occurred would be his responsibility. In other words, it means if someone dies, warmth could be gained.

Sigh. Hoping for the impossible is pointless.

Should I also lean towards stopping?

This year, I’d be forcing the fight to a halt while stacking up the anger.

So when next year comes, and Solindiges graduates while Aurora rises to the top, I could be aiming for that point.

If something goes boom then, I’d probably gain a lot of warmth?

Hmm. Yes.

For now, let’s keep an eye on things while trying to prevent fights.

It won’t be very different from the character I’ve been acting as, and having tried to stop things for a year, no one would suspect me if it all blows up, right?

So, the incident that instigated the fight? You could say I was actually just trying to stop it.

No, I was trying to stop the fight.

I should seize the opportunity to make sure people know that.

Then it’ll remain as the truth.

Tomorrow, I’ll go around telling people to hold on. This way, I’ll become a peacemaker instead of a troublemaker.

Anyway. I need to rest today.

Bell’s already back home.

Today was a day when classes ended in the afternoon instead of the evening, so I returned home and got everything done. And now it’s already evening.

I sit in a chair by the window, looking outside through the glass.

It seems like the sunrise is taking a bit longer lately, showing some sunset hues.

Since it’s not a country with drastically different seasons, the weather is only slightly warmer, but it’s gradually becoming more comfortable.

The harsh winter is gone, and life is returning to the country.

Yet, it hasn’t fully reverted to the old ways.

First of all, food.

In this world, meat isn’t sourced from raising particular livestock. They don’t completely forgo ranching, but most meat comes from hunting monsters.

Moreover, every few years, there’s a massive migration of monsters, causing meat and hides to pile up in the city.

Surprisingly, because of that, meat is a fairly inexpensive ingredient in this world.

When the transportation network completely broke down, prices skyrocketed, but once that network was somewhat restored, prices quickly fell again.

Ironically, grain and vegetable prices soared to the heavens.

However, with spring arriving, spring vegetables started appearing in stores. Naturally, that brought vegetable prices down a bit.

So, has the price of food returned to normal?

Nope.

Meat prices have started to rise again.

As machines that convert lifeforce into magical power have spread, monsters have shifted from being a food source to a fuel source.

Naturally, meat is dwindling, and food prices are soaring.

To compensate for the high-calorie meat shortage, demand for grain has increased, leading to a vicious cycle of rising prices again.

I get paid enough to survive, so I’m fine, but it’s a serious blow to the poor.

Life that used to allow even the most impoverished to have a piece of meat daily is now no longer viable.

Although the royal family is still distributing supplies, not everyone can benefit from that.

Especially foreigners face stricter limitations.

To sum it up, compared to the time when all mechanical devices had practically halted, things have returned to normalcy. But life has become tougher.

Now.

The most crucial point for me is that the Daegon-type Mechanical Devices have spread widely.

Villages that were secretly using old power sources are switching to alternatives if available.

Moreover, since they only need minor modifications to existing power devices, switching isn’t too burdensome.

People have started to extract lifeforce for use. Paradoxically, this has raised the value of individuals.

Yes.

Surprisingly so.

In the past, a single person could operate a wind-up machine to work as much as they wanted. But machines that use lifeforce can’t be operated for long.

Whether using people or monsters, it means more frequent replacements than before.

What once only required one person is now a job for five or six.

Some even tried to push themselves, only to be drained of their lifeforce and die, and there have been cases where cheap labor led to deaths from lifeforce depletion.

If someone dies in an accident, it’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped, but machines that suck lifeforce are seen by everyone as murder.

The owner becomes the murderer. It doesn’t mean these folks suddenly collapse and die; it’s incredibly painful and exhausting. So, useless accidents are not something anyone is unaware of.

Murderers aren’t just avoided; they become targets where anyone can throw stones.

Above all, when someone is killed, there’s an unspoken rule that their belongings and wealth get distributed.

That’s how it is in small towns. So the value of individuals has increased. If people aren’t cautious, they could easily die. Machines are now operated by groups of people. The need for labor has therefore raised their value.

However. The situation is a bit different in large cities.

Now even children can sell their lifeforce to earn money. Of course, they need training to operate machines, but children learn quickly. Plus, they’re cheaper to employ compared to adults.

Provided they eat well, their lifeforce replenishes quickly.

Job opportunities are increasing, and children regardless of gender are starting to enter the workforce.

People’s lives are being valued, treated like batteries with CPUs attached.

But with more workers, more people are earning money. The market for buying and selling has become lively, sparking economic activity.

Overall, things seem to be getting better.

According to Daegon’s memory, using those old-fashioned machines leads to various side effects when one gets older.

But here, it should be alright.

Why, you ask?

Because children are working and earning money regardless of gender. Plus, this world has no separate entertainment.

So what will they do?

Children make children. The concept of adolescence hasn’t been invented yet in this world. Therefore, if they can earn money and work, they are considered adults.

Although they are treated as children, it means they are not merely children to be protected, but rather subjects of contempt due to their inexperience.

Moreover, for older adults, children become a target of jealousy.

They recover quickly at a young age and take away jobs.

The anger of those who get pushed out in competition is palpable.

If you put it all together, what do you get?

A rapid generational turnover.

People start working young, have children, and when they reach a certain age, they’re discarded.

If Daegon’s memory serves correctly, this might be acceptable. Because aged workers will have gotten their lifeforce drained, leaving them in a sorry state.

This structure will soon become established.

Capitalists will just have to gather children, educate them, and create a system to push them out.

Then the system will run itself. If they grow up and start rebelling, they can just cut them off.

They can just bring in children who don’t yet know anything and assign work to them.

In a few decades, a magnificent new world is coming into view.

Of course, how things unfold in the world is uncertain, so events could erupt, suddenly changing the direction of technology.

Currently, in Bern City, there are harvesting machines emerging that are isolating themselves and developing the technology of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign.

Either way, technology will progress.

Conversely, we might even create more powerful technologies by blending them.

It seems this is going to be one gigantic experimental ground. I believe I’ll be able to watch just how far I can go with the technology I’ve acquired.

The advancement of technology allows many people to thrive.

Consequently, there will be more warmth.

And someday, if technological development surpasses its limits, it could lead us to another world.

Hehe.

I won’t have to wait for someone to call me from below the surface; I’ll be able to venture into more worlds and gather warmth.