Chapter 0.2
As time passed, people grew increasingly intelligent and ambitious. As the population expanded, a single tower was no longer sufficient. Meteorite fragmentsâthe remnants of the meteors that once devastated the landâwere scattered everywhere. Studying the tower, people devised their own blueprints and constructed another meteorite tower. This time, it was a clock tower with a beautiful red roof.
The clock tower was successfully built. At precisely 12 oâclock, its bell tolled like those in old cathedrals, marking the southern region as a new settlement for humanity. Seeing the clock tower, people grew greedy. As the population exploded, they desired more land. Thus, they immediately proceeded with constructing the next structure.
In the north, a colossal manual metronome monument was erected. It was designed by an eccentric scholar as strict and meticulous as the structureâs exterior suggested. The scholar, who had a poor relationship with the clock towerâs owner, claimed that the clock towerâs timekeeping was inaccurate and insisted that his metronome was the only instrument capable of maintaining a perfect rhythm.
To the west, an automaton mansion powered by winding mechanisms was constructed. It functioned like a museum, displaying hundreds of automatons, ranging from dolls that sang when wound up to those that danced. At the very center of the mansion, there was a small door, similar to a cuckoo clock, and when the hour struck, a doll would emerge to greet passersby.
The mansionâs owner was a wealthy collector, gathering not only automatons but also jewelry, clothing, watches, and books. He was an exceptionally sharp-minded individual who, out of mere amusement, built a mansion that mimicked the central tower. Furthermore, he dismissed the central railway as a dull and uninspired structure. Despite his arrogant words, many people migrated westward, making it the wealthiest of the four regions.
Unlike the other regions, which had accumulated some degree of history, the buildings in the east were relatively new.
With three meteorite-based structures already established, these regions were more than capable of accommodating the current population. As a result, no one felt the need to construct additional winding-mechanism buildings.
Moreover, the eastern region had become a refuge for second-class citizensâthose who had failed to adapt to the central and other regional societies. No matter how powerful one was, no one was willing to gamble on building a city in an area that was evidently difficult to develop.
That was why, when the central engineers suddenly arrived and hastily erected a structure in the eastern plains, people were shocked. Without any prior warning, a massive opera house stood tall in the east. When the people asked the engineers who the buildingâs owner was, even they did not know who had hired them.
Atop the completed structure, a massive music box continuously turned throughout the day. With the construction of the grand opera house, the once desolate eastern region gradually transformed into habitable land.
Perhaps because the builder of the eastern region acted on impulse, the eccentric (or founder) responsible for its reconstruction seemed entirely uninterested in politics or urban governance. Even as more people settled in the now-clean land, this figure never appeared, leaving the city’s ruling position vacant. As a result, the eastern region inevitably faced less oppression from those in power compared to other cities. People began calling it the Free City.
To be free was to be chaotic, and to be chaotic meant an abundance of opportunities. People from various social classes flocked to the east, seeking their chance. Thanks to this, the Music Box City rapidly expanded, and in less than fifteen years, its economic scale surpassed that of Clock Tower City. This, in turn, alarmed the rulers of the other cities.
In the three cities built before the eastâincluding Centralâthe owners of the meteorite buildings wielded power akin to that of kings. Though their methods of governance varied according to their personal inclinations, the fundamental rule remained the same: the one who owned the building possessed the most wealth and authority. They ruled as the supreme class, exploiting those beneath them. Thus, the exodus of their citizens became a dire issue.
A dwindling resident population led to economic decline. No matter how harshly the city rulers outlawed escape and imposed severe punishments, the number of people fleeing eastward steadily increased each year. Eventually, the rulers convened an emergency meeting to address the crisis.
Yet, as if mocking them, the enigmatic ruler of Music Box City never attended a single meeting. Since no one even knew their identity, it was impossible to threaten them into participating.
The only recourse left to the attending rulers was to curse the opera houseâs owner and spread warnings about the dangers of the eastern city. They called it a city of criminals, a city of gambling, a city of drugs, a city of indulgence, a city of stark wealth disparity, a city plagued by disease. Mixing a few truths with rumors, they spread these stories widely.
Despite this, people continued heading east. The mere fact that there was no oppressive ruler enforcing arbitrary social hierarchies was enough to make them dream of a better life. In the east, anyone with money could gain power, and anyone with talent could rise to the upper echelons of the city. For those who were intelligent and gifted, it was a risk worth taking.
Perhaps aware of this, or maybe having planned it all along, the ruler of the east finally appeared at a city summit one day. The other city rulers, tense and wary, could only listen as the eastâs ruler spoke briefly.
ă Anyone who enters the eastern territory becomes an eastern citizen. From then on, their actions are the eastâs responsibility to judge, and outsiders have no right to interfere. I will go to war if necessary to protect my citizens. My people should recognize and appreciate my efforts and live virtuously. If they commit evil deeds, I will unleash the beast I raise and have them killed. ă
It was said that the ruler of Music Box City, whom no one had seen until then, was an elderly man with white hair.
The other city rulers were, of course, furious at his words. However, by then, all the young and talented individuals had already long since been lured away by the east. New materials, advanced technologies, and innovative productsânone could be obtained without the cooperation of Music Box City. Left with no alternative, they were forced to accept the terms of the eastâs ruler.
Frustrated, the city rulers appealed to Central, the revered sanctuary of humanityâs restoration. Central had long mediated conflicts between cities, holding a monopoly on all knowledge related to the survival of mankind, as well as the entirety of past technological advancements. Because of this, the cities could not afford to be at odds with Central and hoped it would punish the eastern region.
However, whether due to some hidden negotiation or a separate agreement, Central offered them no response. This caused the rulers to lose faith in Central, and each city resolved to handle matters on its own.
Shortly after, a shocking announcement spread across all the cities.
The desertâs supply of meteorites had been completely depleted.
