Ch.49Come to Amurtart.

“Thank you for visiting Amurtat. I am Titania from Blumen Elphium.”

“Whoa!! She’s really an elf?!”

“This is my first time seeing a real elf..! I was right to come here!”

From March of the 7th year of Amurtat, “tourists” began to gather in earnest.

As advertised, those who temporarily stayed in Amurtat as families, houses, or individuals were all wealthy people. Just by looking at their attire, one could tell they had no concerns about making a living.

“This is a small token of our appreciation for all of you. These are elven accessories that can be worn as either bracelets or necklaces due to their flexibility. In our language, they’re called ‘Ketemunya,’ which means ‘binding thing’ in the common tongue.”

And as advertised, the elven accessories were given to them as both a service and a token—a symbolic badge showing they had visited Amurtat.

“Binding thing?”

“Yes. It’s like an armband worn by elves who live apart from each other. This Ketemunya’s color represents Blumen Elphium. Ketemunyas made in other Elphiums have different colors.”

“Hmm~! How informative!”

Travel always includes such TMI.

After Titania’s explanation, dozens of tourists began showing off by wearing the Ketemunyas around their necks and wrists.

“Those who have finished putting on your Ketemunyas, please board the carriages.”

“Where is this carriage going?”

“This carriage is headed to the Steelyard, the pride of our Amurtat.”

“Oh! The Steelyard! I’ve been wanting to see it!”

Upon hearing they were heading to the Steelyard, the male tourists in particular boarded the carriages with gleaming eyes.

Indeed, men everywhere can’t resist seeing things being made, even in another world.

“Ah… the Steelyard must be where blacksmiths work… my skin will be ruined.”

“Don’t worry, madam. The pathways in the Steelyard are surrounded by mesh fabric. After multiple verifications, I can assure you that your delicate skin won’t be damaged.”

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes, indeed.”

And it wasn’t a bad place for women either.

After all, watching muscular men work while sweating has always been a privilege of wealthy women.

Once all tourists had boarded the carriages, the coachmen drove their horses through the streets of Amurtat toward the Steelyard.

*

“Wow… so this is the Steelyard… truly worthy of its name.”

“The black and white contrast isn’t bad at all.”

As soon as they disembarked from the carriages at the Steelyard, visitors began uttering exclamations of admiration.

The massive chimneys spewing acrid smoke and the pathways below surrounded by pure white mesh created such a dramatic contrast that it gave the illusion of white snow piled beneath a black forest.

“Now, tourists, please enter this way.”

The guide led the tourists into the pathway and provided them with special drinks to help them withstand the heat of the Steelyard.

“Huh?! This isn’t water? It has a strange taste… Is it spoiled?”

“Not at all. This is ‘Water of Life’ bestowed by our lord of Amurtat who took pity on the sweating blacksmiths.”

“Water of Life?”

“Yes. It’s made by mixing sugar and salt with water in specific proportions.”

The Water of Life was essentially oral rehydration solution.

Surprisingly, water was used extensively in the Steelyard for cooling and for cooling heated metals. Due to the nature of industrial water, its quality was lower than drinking water, and the environment was often unsanitary, making it an ideal breeding ground for waterborne diseases.

That’s why Tiberius created an oral rehydration solution that could be easily made as long as the ingredients were available. It was good for quick rehydration and highly effective against severe diarrhea, the most prominent symptom of waterborne diseases.

Unaware of these circumstances, the wealthy tourists were busy rolling their tongues around, experiencing the unfamiliar sensation of the Water of Life for the first time.

“Water of Life…”

Since it was common knowledge in this world that rulers could exert mystical powers, people didn’t question the grandiose name.

It would be laughable if faith weren’t directed toward immortal beings who could see invisible ghosts and demons with their own eyes, pull massive materials out of thin air, and protect their people through contracts with earth cores.

“Now, this is where iron is made.”

The guide showed them the towering blast furnaces.

The tourists couldn’t help but gape in amazement at the strange scenery created by chimneys spewing smoke as if making clouds and the red-hot molten iron flowing beneath them.

“I vaguely learned about the ironmaking process, but seeing something so organized… and massive is a first for me…”

“No wonder their steel is famous. If they perform this process every day, even the most ignorant person could become a skilled ironworker…”

Being wealthy often means being completely detached from the labor of the common people.

For those who didn’t know how iron was made, seeing iron sand—mere impurities mixed with sand—transform into molten iron must have been a very impressive sight.

Afterward, they witnessed with their own eyes how the Steelyard blacksmiths turned molten iron into ingots and what they made with those ingots, as well as how much hard labor and time it took to create a single steel ingot.

By the time they left the Steelyard, the Water of Life in their hands had long since dried up.

“Now, we will head to Pale Harbor.”

And to cool down their heated excitement, the tourists moved to Pale Harbor.

*

“Oh…. all the houses are white? Is that why it’s called Pale Harbor?”

“No. During herring spawning season, the sea turns white with herring milt. That’s where the name Pale Harbor comes from.”

“I see… so this color represents milt?”

“You could say that. It’s considered a symbol of fertility.”

“Fertility…”

Upon arriving at Pale Harbor, the tourists began exploring various parts of the harbor while watching fishing boats coming in from the horizon.

They were shown how the scales and innards were removed from the fish brought by the fishing boats, how the fish were pickled in brine, and how they were loaded onto carriages headed for Amurtat city.

“Our Amurtat earns considerable revenue from seafood exports. Our main buyer is Fahrenheit, where fish are scarce. Besides pickled or smoked fish, we also sell live fish through special processes at high prices.”

“Oh, I see…”

“Now then, you must all be hungry after all this traveling. We’ve specially prepared a fish lunch for you, so I’ll guide you to the restaurant.”

The restaurant recommended by the guide offered three menu items: steamed fish, raw fish, and fried fish.

The most highly rated was the fried fish, as it was made with freshly caught fish without any fishy smell, and its crispy texture stimulated the appetite.

In contrast, the least popular was the raw fish, as many tourists were unfamiliar with its mushy texture and condiments like soy sauce.

But even that could remain as a unique memory from their travels, so most tourists enjoyed their meal and completed their tour of Pale Harbor.

“Finally, you will move to Amurtat City, where you can relax in public baths and enjoy the finest inns and luxurious dinners we’ve prepared for you.”

And the last stop was, naturally, Amurtat City—the heart of Amurtat.

*

“The roads are neatly paved… There are many people, and I like how vibrant it is.”

The tourists who set foot in Amurtat City began enjoying the scenery of this northern city they were seeing for the first time.

The most notable features were the neatly paved roads, the aqueduct connected to the public baths, and the mounted police patrolling—all positive elements for wealthy people concerned about their safety and appearance.

“Welcome to Amurtat City. Please enjoy Amurtat’s night scenery to your heart’s content.”

And from this point on, the wealthy visitors’ wallets began to open freely.

From all sorts of accessories to expensive Amurtat steel swords, the tourists emptied their wallets thoroughly. With satisfied smiles, they carried their purchases, washed away their fatigue in the public baths, and then happily fell asleep on the soft beds of the luxury inns prepared for them.

On this day, the money spent by 60 tourists equaled the earnings of 600 construction workers.

And while they slept, carriages carrying far more tourists were racing roughly toward the western forest.