Chapter 423: The View from the Clock Tower

There was a time when I thought about playing with the five of us. The lack of planning became immediately apparent.

“Then, Isidore doesn’t know much about the capital, huh?”

“Yeah. When I went out, I was always with Axel and Carol-sama.”

“Hmm, Nero…?”

Nero’s eyebrows furrowed. He looked genuinely apologetic. Nero wasn’t at fault; I was the one who hadn’t asked for prior research. Still, I didn’t expect Isidore to be unaware. After all, he’s been staying with the Mulan Marquis family longer than us.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t gather information about the capital’s sightseeing spots.”

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t ask you to do that. Should I ask one of the knights? There are a few knights from the Mulan Marquis family here.”

I opened the carriage window and called out to a knight. This was the same knight who had guided us to the magic tools workshop. When I asked, it seemed like he knew the capital quite well. Could it be that the Mulan Marquis anticipated this situation? He seemed shrewd, so he probably did.

“There’s a big clock tower? Let’s go there first. We might be able to see some big gears.”

“I’ve been there! The big bell is at the top!”

Isidore spread his arms wide, looking excited. This looks promising. On the way, I observed the city through the curtains. The streets were bustling with people, a lively atmosphere. Perhaps the traffic had been lighter during the monster incidents, but now, there was no sign of that anymore.

After some time on the carriage, we saw a tall rectangular building through the front window leading to the driver’s seat. On the wall, there was a large clock. This is amazing. It seemed like Nero noticed my gaze.

“We can see it now. Even from this distance, you can tell how big it is.”

“It’s incredible. It looks like it’s about five stories tall.”

“To think they could make such a big clock.”

Christopher and Gile looked stunned by the sight. After all, clocks aren’t something you come across often, so seeing one towering in the middle of the city would certainly leave an impression.

The clock tower seemed to be a popular tourist spot. Many people were looking up at the clock from below. Maybe it was also a rare sight for them.

“It looks like we can go inside. Since we’re here, let’s take a look.”

“Ah, Julius, I think there’s an entrance fee.”

“I’ll pay for it. Honestly, I have plenty of money, so it’s not a problem.”

Well, it’s not like I have many things to spend it on. I can’t openly buy materials for magic potions, and there’s nothing in particular I need. If I were like Cain-niisan and collecting swords, I’d probably be spending money too.

I wonder how Cain-niisan is doing. Where does he get the money to buy swords from? I have regular income from the rights to the blueprints for magic tools. Alex-niisan has profits from the trading company. Rosalia is already making money from magic tools. Hmm, it’s a mystery.

“Is it alright? Then, I won’t hold back. I’ve been wanting to go inside. Last time I was here, I only looked at it from the outside.”

“That’s how you knew the bell in the clock tower was so big.”

“You can tell the size from here, too.”

Isidore pointed up. Sure enough, we could see the massive bell hanging from the ceiling. It was truly huge. I wondered if it actually rings. Curious, I asked one of the knights from the Mulan Marquis family, and apparently, it only rings on special occasions. For example, when someone from the Mulan family gets married or during emergencies. I hope it doesn’t ring for an emergency.

Inside the clock tower, there was a large open space with big gears. Seeing the giant gears moving in a regular pattern was something you don’t see every day. Everyone watched it with shining eyes.

Boys really like this kind of thing, don’t they? I do too.

I carefully ascended the narrow staircase. Surprisingly, there was no handrail. This is scary. Isidore and Christopher were sticking to the wall, moving like geckos.

That position, isn’t it hard to walk? On the contrary, it seems dangerous. I wonder if they’re okay.

We reached the top floor of the clock tower. According to the guide who showed us around, as Christopher had said, it seems to be about the height of five floors. From the top, there were no other buildings of similar height around the clock tower. The view of the distant forest was clear.

“Hmm? What’s that? Smoke?”

“What’s wrong, Izidor?”

“Look, Julius! There’s black smoke rising in that direction!”

When I looked in the direction Isidore was pointing, I could see black smoke rising from deep within the forest. A fire, perhaps? Could the forest be burning? That would be bad. I activated my “Exploration” skill to its full power, focusing it in that direction so I could explore at long range.

Immediately, information flooded my mind. It seemed like humans and monsters were fighting.

“It looks like the Eastern Baron’s army is fighting monsters.”

“You can tell that? How?”

Everyone’s attention shifted toward me. Oops. I said it out loud. Well, it’s done now. With this group, I guess it’s okay to talk about it. I explained that I could use the “Exploration” skill. Isidore seemed disappointed.

“I see. It’s a skill, huh. Well, I can’t learn that.”

“It would have been nice if there was exploration magic, right? Haha…”

I laughed it off for now. While I don’t have magic, I believe I can still learn the skill if I put in the effort. Rosalia proved that skills can be learned through training, and Fabienne is also acquiring skills in what she’s good at. Ultimately, it’s a matter of motivation and perseverance.

“Julius-sama, what’s the situation of the battle?”

“Hmm, for now, it seems like the Eastern Baron’s army has the upper hand. The one they’re fighting seems to be a Big Ape leader. It looks like they’re using magic. I think the black smoke is from fire magic. It seems the army’s mages are desperately trying to put out the fire.”

Fighting while also having to extinguish fires. It looks like the Eastern Baron’s army will have to allocate a significant number of troops to deal with that. If that happens, they might face a shortage of manpower.

But if they concentrate their forces on the monsters, the fire will spread. Could that monster have used magic with that in mind?

“Hey, is everything really okay?”

Isidore is sharp. It seems like he’s come to the same conclusion I did. We’re both magic users, so we know that the way magic is used can greatly impact the outcome of a battle.

Isidore seemed to have sensed the urgency in the situation. The other three were also looking at me with concern. Well, I can’t help it.

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