Stepping into the most complete castle in the Kingdom of Alvan, or perhaps the most complete castle in the world.
　How much money did they spend to build it?
　How many good people and workforce does it take to make it possible?
　It's scary just thinking about it.

'It gets more and more amazing when you look at it up close,'
'Yeah, I've never seen anything like this before, and I never will.

This castle has an aesthetic feel to it.
　What it is aiming for is functionality, and beauty and elegance should have taken a back seat.
　And yet, the ultimate in functional beauty shines through on its own, and even though it prioritizes functionality, there is a sense of care in many places.
　.........Any ambitious aristocrat would have his heart broken if he were shown such a thing, as he would be reminded of the difference in rank.

Or do you want to get this at all costs?
　Dia's face shines with curiosity.

Hey, Lug, you see that?
Oh, there's a hint of magic in the air. Magic tools, you've made a practical use of them.

The moment I walked through the gate, I felt like I was being watched.
　It's a sensing type of ward that can be found in the royal castle.
　It's more crude than that one, but it's accurate enough to cheat if I'm so inclined.
　But the fact that they created a tool that can be installed and used with magical power is amazing.
　If it's the personal work of someone who has such skills, there's no need to be so vigilant.
　But if the research has progressed to the point where anyone can make it, it's a marvel.

At any rate, magic can only be used repeatedly for each attribute, and it can only be given by God. The only exceptions are me and Dia, which changes the whole situation.
　The fact that you can make tools means that you can use magic power to perform your desired function.
　My interest is piqued.

While I was thinking about this, I arrived in the castle and was greeted by a servant.
　He is a tall, graceful, middle-aged man.
　I look at him and get upset. I've never seen his face before, but I know him.
　........What in the world does he mean by that?
　I thought it would be a garden or parlor to be led to, but surprisingly, it was an indoor training area on the grounds.
　It's a scale appropriate for a castle and is incredibly large.
　There, over two hundred swordsmen were fighting each other with swords.
　The servant man opens his mouth.

How's that?　The elite of our Romalung are. Isn't it a magnificent thing?

I was taken aback at the castle, and it's the same here.
　All of the two hundred people have magical powers and are well-trained.
　There are rare occasions when an ordinary person is born with magical powers, but usually both parents must have magical powers.
　And in general, it's difficult for magical people to have children.
　Hence, there are two hundred magic power holders who should be rare, but there are two hundred of them here alone.

Touahade has twenty of them, including all the magic power holders of the main and branch families. That's including old men, women and even children.
　But the two hundred strong men gathered here alone were too different in size.
　What kind of magic trick is this?
　........No, I don't need to think about it. That's what the Romalungs would do.
　In order to preserve the superior blood, they forcefully gather the best people from one side to the other to form a child.

Even though no one can call themselves a Romalung except for the particularly superior ones, there will still be a thoroughbred mixed with Romalung and superior blood that cannot call themselves a Romalung.
　So that's them.
　But as far as I know, the Romalungs would have restricted children to those Romalungs who couldn't call themselves Romalungs.
　As far as I can tell, they've stopped that system. And that was a generation or two ago, and he hasn't shown that he has done so.
　Why on earth would they do that?

I'm still curious.

'You're using a nice sword,'
'Your eyes are high. The Romalungs call it the steel sword.

The weapons used in this world are usually swords made of low-purity iron due to the immaturity of the iron-making process.
　However, what is used here is not high-purity iron, but steel made by adding carbon to iron to make it stronger.
　This is two steps ahead of the world's standards. Even when it is made into a sword, it is not simply cast, but is forged by artisans.
　This would be possible because of the talent gathered from all over the world.
　Two hundred magicians, just visible, use a weapon that is two steps ahead of the world standard.
　It can't be the strongest.

''There's one more thing I'd like you to see, Holy Knight-sama. That group over there is non-magical.''
Is that a bowgun they have?
Yes, you're well informed.

They were conducting shooting drills.
　That's the kind of thing that sends a chill down your spine.

First of all, it was one size larger than a standard bowgun.
　And the mechanism was complex.
　Two bowguns are stacked on top of each other to enable continuous shooting, and a foot pedal is attached.
　Not only that, it used a pulley to pull the strings.
　In my day, it's called a compound bowgun, an evolution of the bowgun that can shoot arrows beyond its own muscular strength.

When you see it, you're stamping on the pedal with your foot and pulling the arrow as hard as you can, including your back muscles. That way, it takes a lot more force than pulling by hand.
　In addition, everyone here has tremendously well-developed muscles.
　These muscle idiots are red-faced and can use all of their strength, including their legs, and even borrow the power of the pulley to just barely hold on to the arrow.

''How much reckless tension is that?

In the first place, it's strange that you can make a string of such tension in this era.
　Two hundred people lined up in two rows.
　The target is a steel armor fifty meters away.
　An ordinary magician, if his body was strengthened with magic power, its hardness would exceed even iron.
　However, compared to steel, it's about the same.
　I see, is that what those targets are for?

"You'll see some interesting things.

The servant laughs.

'Shoot!'

At the same time as the words were spoken, the first line fired simultaneously.
　A hundred short arrows unique to bowguns were spat out, and the steel armor, which was as hard as the magician's, was full of holes.
　In other words, it proved that a magician who seemed invincible could kill even a non-magical person.

'I've been shown something interesting. Is this the dawn of an era in which ordinary soldiers can kill magicians?

I was sincerely surprised.
　The overwhelming strength of a magician lies in their defense.
　The arrows, swords, and stones of ordinary soldiers won't do much damage as long as they are covered in magic power.
　That's why it is said that they are invincible on the battlefield and only magicians can kill them.
　Hence, he was the main character of the battlefield. They would not be killed, and they would continue to kill.

However, that premise has fallen apart.
　No matter how powerful and fast they were, they would die easily when they died. If that happened, he would go from being an invincible pawn to just a useful one.
　It would be difficult to duck if a hundred people were shot at simultaneously in a single line like they are now.
　This is the end of the age of the magicians.

Of course, if you're talking about a general magic power holder with super first-class magic power, you can withstand it.
　Nevertheless, the majority of magic power holders would lose their value and authority.

........I knew that such a time would come one day. I thought that was due to the invention of gunpowder and guns.
　I didn't expect to reach it with such force.
　I take a deep breath.
　It's time to end the farce.
　I change my tone to one that is deliberately directed at my superiors.

'What on earth was your intention in showing me this, Duke Romalung?　Do you mean to tell me that you want me to cooperate with Touahade in a war?

Showing overwhelming power to make them see that there's no use in defying them is a regular way to bring them into the fold.

''Haha, you've been found out. This is embarrassing. How long have you been able to see through it?

The Duke of Romalung, disguised as a servant, laughs.

'From the beginning. I'm a professional. I can at least see through an amateur disguise. Last time, Master Nevan tried to trick me, and now you're next?'
I was so confident. You're an amateur in your own right.

He runs his hands over his face and peels off the skin. It's an elaborate mask. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't have noticed it.
　In fact, Tart and Dea's eyes widened.

'To answer your question. I showed this to you, my son-in-law, to show you that the era of nobility is over while you're at it. The nobles have privileges and are able to stay flustered because of their overwhelming strength. Even incompetent lords can stand above their people when I protect you.

That's correct.
　Even if you are just an incompetent with magical power, the management of the territory is stable.
　At any rate, they are too strong. The peasants will never win even if they revolt. At best, they would flee by night.
　In addition, they feel sheltered by their strength. If a demon or something else appears, they have no choice but to hang on to their magic power holders. That's why the magician seems like a god. I'm willing to put up with any kind of dissatisfaction.

''I suppose. If you can kill them easily, that will be turned upside down. A time when having magic power or not is not everything, and having magic power is just one advantage.''

If the magicians were easily killed, and demons and other things could be dealt with by ordinary people, the gods would become mere mortals.
　The dissatisfaction I've been enduring will explode, and there will be riots in the territories ruled by incompetent nobles.
　It's the same in my world.

The collapse of the aristocracy system began when the knights were no longer overwhelming.
　Professionally educated, riding horses and wearing expensive equipment, knights were the strongest.
　However, advances in weaponry made armor meaningless, and being trained in the martial arts no longer made one outstandingly useful on the battlefield. The moment war became just a number and the knight became a single pawn, respect, admiration, and faith vanished and the knight fell to a mere man.

The same thing is about to happen.
　In other words, it's a time when you can't rule a territory just by having magical powers.
　Incompetence will be weeded out and replaced by ordinary people who don't have magic power.

''Isn't it interesting, isn't it, that one by one, talented people who were neglected for simply not having magical powers will rise up with ambition. ...Pushing us, the old rulers, out of the way. Or they may try to create a nation of only non-magical people to eliminate us.
'It's not funny. The Kingdom of Arvan is stable now. At the very least, I can't welcome it.
It's so unlike you to say something so stupid.

It is typical of the Duke of Romalung that he can say this generalization is dumb.
　He looks far ahead.

''........You must be thinking like this. I was able to make a weapon that could kill a magician with the Romalung. So it might be made outside of the Romalung, and even if it isn't, it will certainly be made eventually. If that's the case, the Alvan Kingdom should respond to that change sooner than anywhere else. As it is now, if soldiers from other countries equipped with a large number of weapons capable of killing magicians suddenly attack one day, it will be the end...
'Correct. That's not all, though.
'I can imagine another one, too. Still, it is the overwhelming presence that cannot be killed that deserves to reign. Yes, like you. The Duke of Romalung would not be killed by this bowgun.
And so do you. 'Yes, your answer is perfect. No one in my household has ever been able to see things the same way I do. You're good, after all.

A short arrow that exceeds the speed of sound flies in from behind.
　He doesn't even turn around to look at it, but stops it with his fingers between them.
　The Duke of Romalung claps.

''I think. This change is sifting through the nobles who are lounging around just because they have magical powers. The ones who survive here are the real ones. The real ones are the ones worthy of leading this country. So, you've passed. I want you. It was rude of me to try to see if I was worthy of being my daughter's son-in-law. I have this apology ready for you.
'About that, I have no intention of being son-in-law to Master Nevan.

A mere Touahade would not be allowed to say that.
　But a holy knight would be allowed to say it.

'Yes, I know. But I thought I was worthy of a son-in-law. So I'm going to do it. You see, I wouldn't do anything you wouldn't like. Rest assured, that's all I have to do. Nevin's waiting for you. You can go.

And then a real servant shows up, not him, but a real servant.
　He says he tested me, but in a way this may be his own sincerity.
　He reveals his own hand, shares his own thoughts, and then brings them in.
　........For a little while, I thought it would be interesting to be the head of the Romalung and rule the land. With this much power, I could do anything.

But I'm Touahade. And I like Dear and Tart and the others.
　So I can't be a rogue Toahrde. I'm only a rogue Touahade.
　Let's take a quick detour to see Nevaan.
　She's got her own agenda.
　I won't be distracted.