Under the rosy clouds of an early spring evening, carriages departing from the city finally converged at the entrance to the estate outside the city. When the "knights" in all manner of armor appeared, the reporters who had come for tonight's news excitedly ignited their cameras' magnesium lights, making white flashes flicker again and again at the estate entrance.
Shade had originally worried that his golden armor might be too gaudy, but when he entered the estate arm in arm with Dorothy, he realized he had overthought it.
This was no longer the Old Era when knights roamed freely. The invention of firearms had rendered cold weapons and armor obsolete. Thus, swords and armor, once symbols of knightly spirit, had become decorations and even objects of display in this age.
Armor that ought to have been neat and cold had been painted in fashionable colors, while garish feather ornaments covered the helmets. When Shade and Dorothy entered the banquet hall together, he even saw a young man at the right side of the banquet hall entrance showing off his swordsmanship to a group of Young Girls.
The man's armor had been painted dark gold, with an emblem of a crossed sword and pistol painted on his chest and back. The slender tubular sword in his hand—or rather, the rear end of the sword hilt connected to a thin pipe—was linked to a steam bladder in the corner.
Whenever he swung that "sword," scorching steam sprayed from the dense little holes in its blade, drawing gasps from the onlookers.
Shade felt that compared to competing in the equestrian competition, the man was better suited to performing in a circus.
"Although I've seen similar scenes in Leisha's memory, this is still my first time attending one in person."
Dorothy was quite interested