Steel and Mana
Chapter 437 – Heaven

Walking through the already busy streets, Arthur was escorting Seltana with his hands clasped behind his back. He led her through the main avenue at a pace just brisk enough to suggest he had a plan to take her somewhere but slow enough to let her observe the people and the buildings and not feel rushed at all.

They didn’t need to talk at all, and Arthur was okay with letting her take in everything at her own pace. What struck Seltana the most was the symmetry of everything. Instead of just guessing it by looking down the streets, now, walking them reinforced her initial thoughts: each street met another at perfect angles. More than that, each district flowed naturally into the next as if it were the manifestation of a singular vision… and well, it was. Unlike her home, which was built wherever there was space for expansion… Wherever the new building’s owner decided to erect it, Avalon was the complete opposite.

“Are you thinking that it is weird?” Arthur asked casually, “It isn’t organic enough for your eyes, is it?”

“A bit, but I do agree that it is… advantageous in a way. I’m simply silent because… I am studying,” she replied, matching Arthur’s tone perfectly, “I chalk it up to the difference between our cultures.”

“Maybe,” Arthur grinned, “You see, my Father likes symmetry... A lot. Whenever we expanded the city, it had to be done always in a way that kept it preserved.”

“It does make it look clean,” She glanced at him, the corner of her mouth rising into a half-smile. “But it also makes it easier for invaders to move through the streets.”

“Oh, if intruders get this far, then there is a big issue already!” he chuckled, shaking his head.

Explaining no more, Seltana didn’t push what he meant by it. She knew she would get no answer, so she just kept following him. Their path took them past rows of shops, cafes with outdoor seating, and a public park where children were playing and yelling at each other loudly. Following the noise, she noted that one group had toys that she mistook for strange metal animals… until one of them moved.

“Krel's mechs,” Arthur explained, catching her look, fixed on the painted, colorful toys, moving on their own while the kids yelled out strange words, like ‘special beam attack’ and such. “They are toys, really. But even then, they are not cheap! If you want one, you could buy one, I think... However, more than that, the issue is that there is a super long waiting list to get a proper model.”

“What are… Khm. Never mind.” With a quick flinch, she caught herself from saying or asking anything weird. Instead, she closed her mouth, shaking her head, returning to her previous calmness. “Is that where we’re going? To see… toys?” she questioned after thinking it through, furrowing her brows.

“Not just any toys.” Arthur stopped before a wide storefront that was adorned with decorative gears, copper piping, and a sign reading Krel’s Toy Emporium. Looking in through the somewhat opaque glass, Seltana could already see a dozen or so curious contraptions, brightly painted toy soldiers, and elaborate miniature landscapes, making her heart skip a beat. “Lancelot told me about your little exercise. I thought this place would be right up your alley. Come, it will be fun!”

Seltana raised a single eyebrow but said nothing. Following Arthur, who pushed open the door, a chime sounded above them, and warm air, mixed with the scent of oil, brass, and sawdust, washed over her, making her stop for a moment before entering completely.

Inside, it was... even if she would never admit it, her personal heaven. The walls had shelves, one after the other, filled with model sets: figures of monsters, squads of armored soldiers, the same ones who escorted Lancelot, tiny buildings, and strange machine-like things that she couldn’t name. Then, there were the tables that were covered in massive dioramas of the cities and battlefields in mid-conflict, where the same war machines from the shelves and hordes of monsters were frozen in an eternal battle.

“This is... all for children?” she asked slowly, gulping, because this felt like more of a general’s battle room than anything else. Toys?! No way… These were a master strategist's valued assets, not toys!

“Yes, and for anyone who still remembers what it is to be a child,” answered a cheerful voice from behind the counter. Looking at the source, a thin-looking man emerged, wiping grease from his hands with an already-stained rag. Examining him, Seltana could see that his apron was scorched and patched, his hair sticking outwards like a wild nest, and his eyes were surrounded by soot in the form of goggles. “Welcome, Lord Arthur; if you told me you were coming, I would have prepared something…” He muttered, hurriedly trying to make some semblance of order on his messy counter.

“Exactly why I did not,” Arthur chuckled, coming up to him, “Krel, this is Seltana from Khulman. Princess Seltana, he is Krel, our most eccentric toymaker.”

“I am… not that eccentric…” Krel muttered, blushing, bowing towards Seltana.

“Yeah, sure, sure.” Arthur waved a hand, rolling his eyes, “Can you show her your ongoing campaign? I think she would like it.”

“Oh, of course!” He nodded, leading the two back into his personal workshop in the back.

As the centerpiece of the whole place, there it was, a six-meter-wide table designed like a battlefield, standing there in all of its glory. One half showed a ruined city, the other a plain separated by a river and multiple bridges, each scattered with tiny soldiers and siege engines, the type Seltana had never seen before. There were some massive figures, things she could only identify as war machines, towering over the regular troops on both sides, including some models of the same airship she rode to come here.

“The details…” Seltana leaned forward, observing the terrain and the figures, amazed by the painter's handiwork. Then, her eyes finally moved to the positioning of forces and the balance of power of the two sides. It was... a stalemate. “Who determines the outcome?”

“The players and a bit of luck do,” Krel said, rubbing his hands, explaining with visible enthusiasm. “Of course, this is played with dice, the players’ own tactics, and an official rulebook. It was designed by me and my associate from Atuvia! His name is Orin, and this is our current main game. He is busy, so we can only play when he visits... So... this particular one has been going on for six months now, I think. The game itself is called Sovereign’s Battlefield.”

“He wrote the system for the game himself,” Arthur added, whispering, watching as Krel brought over a thick, multiple-hundred-page-long, hard-covered book, handing it over to Seltana.

“Every unit has certain stats. It includes movement, armor, range, and morale. Then there are secondary boosts and the hero units..." He stopped, knowing that explaining would take him hours, "Um... Want to try a round?”

"...” Of course, she hesitated at first, but the glint in her eye betrayed her curiosity. Flipping through the book, she found something very similar to what she had come up with back home… but this was even more detailed. “Yes…” she whispered finally, “I’d like that.”

Standing next to her, Arthur gave her a knowing smile but wisely said nothing, letting it all play out by itself. Literally. Then, just an hour later, on a different, smaller table, Seltana had maneuvered her miniature forces to an overwhelming flanking position, and Krel whistled appreciatively.

“That’s the best opening I’ve seen in weeks.”

“She’s being polite,” Arthur muttered, resting his chin on his hand, watching the battle from the sides, analyzing. “And she is not used to using artillery yet; that’s why you haven’t lost outright.”

“Ah…” Seltana allowed herself the faintest smile, reaching for the book, flipping to its index, and looking up the word artillery. “You are right… I am not.”

“And you are not used to this either...” Krel announced, pushing one of his airship models forward, right behind Seltana’s figures, and placing a new, mechanical monster down. “This is called an airdrop, and the cargo was the Lion, a hero unit. Which is also my best seller!” He smiled proudly, “It is from my smallest range of figures, a fully mobile variant!” He continued, winding it up and placing it down, watching as it began walking forward on the table, “Took me a year to perfect the walk cycle… It was a bit of a nightmare, to be honest…”

Seltana was silent, utterly transfixed at the miniature, not even mad that she was being defeated right now. She just watched the way the toy’s legs moved, how the weight shifted from one side to the other... No… Krel wasn’t getting it… No wonder Arthur called him eccentric! It wasn’t just a toy. It was engineering on the highest possible level she had ever seen!

“How many of these are in use?” she asked, her eyes darting back and forth, thinking of hundreds of things.

“Well, that’s the issue with Krel,” Arthur shrugged, making the toymaker blush, “Not many. They’re tricky to build, and it takes Krel a while to get each one right.”

“What about apprentices?” Seltana asked, making Arthur look at Krel, who began scratching his cheeks before answering.

“I had some, but most of them are working in the factory now, where we build most of my bigger toys, exporting them. Actual helpers… Here, in my shop... um…”

“Not everyone can have the patience he has.” Arthur finished for him, chuckling.

“Your shop really sells machines like this?” she asked, still watching it walk.

“Of course!” Krel nodded, not understanding why he wouldn’t sell them. Kids loved them… "The main factory produces the popular and less complex ones in bulk."

“Who designed it?” Seltana suddenly asked, and it was clear she didn’t mean the toy. The rules in the book, the figure, the details… it wasn’t just Krel’s idea. It was too… precise for that. There had to be something to draw inspiration from.

“The originals? My Father.” Arthur grinned, “You’ll see.”

“…” Seltana gave him a look, sensing something behind his words. “...So it’s not just a toy.”

“No,” Krel answered before Arthur could, “It is a collectible, too!”

Feeling she wouldn’t learn more, she didn’t press on, letting Krel continue the tour of his shop after their short little game. Of course, what Krel introduced her to next were all connected to things she had expected: fold-out battlefield maps, airship kits, and even a collectible card game that could be played against each other, having its own strategy with trap and magic cards... For Seltana’s inner strategist, this place was indeed heaven.

And yet, when they left, she didn’t say much.

“So?” Arthur asked, hands behind his head, waiting a few minutes before beginning to speak, leading her towards a nearby restaurant. “Thoughts?”

“Hm?” She glanced up at him, her expression a bit lost. “Sorry, I was… thinking.”

“Hehe, I can see that! Tell you what… Sleep on it, and then tomorrow, we can come again, and I’ll buy you a starter kit of your choosing. Sounds fun?”

“You would?” She asked, visibly surprised, “Why?”

“So that someone finally beats my little brother in this damned game!”

...

....

.....

At the same time, in a different part of the city, Lancelot didn’t know what to expect when Jila practically dragged him by the wrist toward the entrance of the biggest bathhouse in Avalon. Her face was lit up like a child on her birthday, her eyes wide as two black holes as she took in the sheer scale of the marble-and-gold bathhouse. She never saw anything at this scale…

"This place looks like a temple!" she gasped, then turned to him with an unmasked, impish grin. "A temple where people get naked together. I love it already!"

“We are not naked in there,” Lancelot choked, trying to retain his sanity, "Please don't say that too loudly…"

“Back home, we have sporting events, you know.” Jila just laughed while she leaned closer. "The men do it naked. Just so you know, when we sparred back home, we should have also done it without clothes…"

“I don’t believe you,” Lancelot grunted, but then again… only for the second part. “Anyway, we are getting you a swimsuit. You are not getting in naked, or your sisters will probably come after me…”

“As you wish, hubby~! But make it a sexy one!”

Inside, the bathhouse had a modest shop attached to the side—well, modest by Avalonian standards, meaning it had more than a dozen different variants of this year's collection right on sale. Stepping in, Jila marched straight up to one of the mannequins, one that was wearing what could only be described as a bold red string-held bikini, one that left little to the imagination, really.

"This one," she said with zero hesitation.

“No…” Lancelot answered, rubbing his temple. "That’s not... You can’t... It’s basically just straps. Damn it… Is that Mom’s design? I could swear she wore something like that… Why did Dorian make it public?!"

"Mom Yuri made this? Cool! That's exactly why I want this, then." She stated, her voice deathly serious, before grinning again. "Help me pick something for you, too! I bet they have shorts that show off those muscles you’ve been hiding, along with a perfect bulge!"

Minutes later, Lancelot was still protesting under his breath... but to no avail. Carrying their selections, they walked down the tiled corridor toward the mixed bath section. The dome overhead cleanly let in golden sunlight, making the water inside the pool sparkle, compelling Jila to sigh in awe.

“Ooooh! This looks deep! A new challenge!” She yelled when she saw it, disappearing into one of the nearby booths. She changed in a flash and emerged in her chosen swimsuit with zero shame, wearing it with pride. "Well?" she asked, twisting her bottom, hands on her hips, looking at Lancelot.

“…” On the other hand, suddenly, Lancelot felt that he wasn’t really minding the situation. Her enthusiasm and straightforwardness… were so familiar that they made him feel… connected. "You’re... ready."

"You're welcome." She winked at him, "Now... Let’s see if I can conquer the waves, too!"

He didn’t get the chance to respond. Jila just sprinted ahead, bolting for the edge of the pool, and cannonballed in with a splash that startled half the other swimmers around her…

“UM!” Moments later, while Lancelot kept watching her disappear underwater, thinking something was up, her head finally bobbed up with a startled gasp, "HEY! UH... I THINK—ACK—YEAH—I CAN'T SWIM. IT IS NOT AS EASY AS I THOUGHTHGHTNBGH!" She added, going underwater again.

"Gods—" Lancelot tossed his towel aside and dove in with a muffled curse, arms cutting through the water in a sudden, somewhat panicking hurry. He reached her in seconds, wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her back above the surface. "Don’t thrash! Just lean back; I’ve got you."

“Thanks, hubby!” Jila, sputtering, and half-laughing clung to him, coughing up some water. "Well, you didn’t have to grab my waist so tight, but I won’t complain."

“You were drowning, idiot!” He scowled, "You scared everyone!"

"You mean I scared you," she snuggled closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Come on, teach me. I tried mimicking the dogs, but my legs were not reaching, and I sank like a rock, ahahaha!"

“You…” He grunted, shaking his head, but if they were already here, it was better than just leaving.

What followed was an hour of utter chaos, but, seeing it was the son of the Sovereign… nobody complained about the noise Jila was making. On the other hand, she was a natural athlete, and it showed. Once she stopped trying to swim like she was punching the water, she could stay afloat without Lancelot having to hold her. But… Her energy made following his instructions a challenge. She flailed, splashed, shouted at the water, and occasionally sank herself by accident… or at least pretended to. That was what Lancelot was gathering when he had to pull her up a fourth time.

"Oops! I’m drowning again! Save me, my brave knight!"

"You are literally standing. We swam to the shallower part of the pool an hour ago… I can see your feet touching the bottom."

"But I feel like I’m drowning. That counts, right?" She tried again with no shame whatsoever.

Then… Despite himself, Lancelot laughed out and continued to laugh. A lot. When they finally took a break, lounging at the pool’s edge beneath a shade, Jila leaned her head on his shoulder.

"You’re fun, you know that?" She whispered.

"You almost gave me a heart attack. Multiple times. I don't know if we have the same understanding of fun."

"But you saved me every time. That’s pretty romantic! You know, I like to read too, just not the types of books Seltana or the others are obsessing over. I read fables about princes and princesses... I always wanted to be the one who goes and fights to free the princess!"

“Huh?” He looked down at her. "You’re doing this on purpose… Am I the princess now?"

"Obviously."

“Yet I was the one pulling you above the water and keeping you breathing?”

“Okay… I can be a princess here and there!” she giggled, sticking her tongue out. “It wasn’t bad being saved…” Muttering, they sat in silence for a moment, and then Jila turned to face him, water trailing down her cheeks from her hair. "You know, back home, girls don’t get to do stuff like this. We don’t get to act stupid, or loud, or... free. The only thing I was allowed to do was to train because it is an honorable thing to do... They couldn’t say no to that. Even if they wouldn’t let a woman in the army... It still felt good, doing something I shouldn’t…"

“I see…” Lancelot nodded slowly, reaching out and patting her head. “Here, it's different. My Father tried to make a place where everyone can be who they want to be if they put in the effort."

"Even sexy warrior princesses?"

“You know what?” He gave her a slanted look with a smirk. "Even those."

“Cool!” She giggled and slid back into the water, floating now with a grace she hadn’t had an hour ago, showing she was no longer in danger of drowning. "Wanna race? To the deep end and back? If you win, you can kiss me!”

“Why do I feel a trap coming?” Lancelot asked, slipping after her, seeing as she had already begun swimming, “What if you win?!”

“I can kiss you!” She yelled back, already doing her best to win.