Chapter 757 - Third Story: Exploring the White Island's Largest Demon Realm ④
The work of digging dry moats and piling up earthworks continued all night. It's a feat only Wilson-san could pull off. No matter how much it's the mid-level Clump Sand, it's not something you can do for hours almost continuously at night. It's because he's a Revenant, and an ultra-high-level mage at that. During the process, we remade Eleanor-sama's bowl for movement twice. We only took breaks at those times. There were no monster attacks in particular, and Erikson-sama, who continued to burn blue-white all night, either burned out or stopped glowing at all and withdrew into his stone. After this, we just have to go back and sleep, so it's an early release from duty. He illuminated the surroundings that much. Actually, my Light might not have been necessary. Well, I'm doing it as practice for simultaneous activation of magic, so I have to do it. The Wetlands Priestess also knows that, so except during breaks, she was activating Dark with my left hand and guarding us with the mist. As a result, both my arms became sore, so I cast Heal during the break. Fortunately, Germana seemed to have some skill and massaged my arms. Thanks to that, it became much easier.
After two breaks, the third work period ended and the sun rose, and dawn broke. We stopped the work itself and ascended into the sky.
Looking from above, something like the foundation of a pentagonal position has been made. A dry moat circles the area around the peak, and earthworks are piled up inside the moat. A pentagon is rare, but it's a simple field position like the ones I've seen often. Even though it's the peak, it's gentle, so it's not like large rocks are jagged. Like the surrounding slopes, short grass is growing, and rocks or stones are peeking out here and there. The relatively flat area in front of the peak is quite wide, and the vertices of the pentagon are shaved flat. If we feel like it, we can build a stone main tower in the center and turrets at each of the vertices. The size, from what I saw from above, is about the size of Nakanohara Town. Currently, there are no stone materials, so there's nothing, but if the church gets serious, a group of buildings of the same scale and an outer wall should be built.
The fact that the vertices of the pentagon are rounded must be for turrets. The two places on the sides of the pentagon that are enclosed in squares must be entrances. However, they look like entrances, but they are separated from the central part by the dry moat and are completely isolated. They seem to be mere decoys. That means for humans to enter and exit, they have to invade from the sky in a bowl. Or Teleport.
"We are finished for now. Let's return and rest."
"Are we leaving it?"
After spending all night making it, what will we do if monsters occupy it?
"At that time, we will crush them with all our might."
I see. This planned fortress site itself is a decoy.
After returning to the fortress and taking a bath, I was allowed to rest after eating breakfast. I slept just like that until noon.
The lunch place is the strategy meeting place as it is.
Apparently, there are no monsters around the fortress construction site at the moment.
"Price. Can I ask you until evening?"
"I don't mind. Then, I'll ask the Henry Party for support."
"Leave it to us. Jeanne, I'll be counting on you."
"Eh? Support for Price-sama? Is it?"
"Yes. Support while combined with the Priestess. Priestess, I'll be counting on you too."
"Okay. So, what is Price-sama going to do?"
I wonder if I should learn from this easygoingness.
I wondered what he was going to do, and it seems he's going to protect the position with a barrier. When we arrived at the scene, the two of them started making a huge barrier in the central part that had been shaved flat. To be precise, Erikson-sama is combined with Henry-sama, so it's three people. However, in appearance, it's Henry-sama. It's rare to see a warrior holding a staff and drawing a barrier.
After all, the magic circle is huge. During that time, the two of them are defenseless. So, we are on guard in the sky above the two. The guard is Eleanor-sama, Will, and Bonnie, who have Sight applied. Wilson-san is providing basic defense by stretching a huge Wind Barrier between the two and the bowl, and I'm on guard while keeping Sense Living active. And the combined Priestess released Dark from my left palm and deployed mist on the west side where the Demon Lord's cave is. Germana, at first glance, is just observing, but as one of the Five Great Elements, she must have considerable detection ability. She was asked by Eleanor-sama to be on guard.
When we could no longer maintain the magic we were keeping active, we took a break. Since work is apparently off at night, we took one break, and the afternoon ended with two work periods. It's a joint work by the former church top and the current number two. A huge ultra-high-level anti-magic barrier had been completed in the central flat area. It's to keep monsters out. It's the kind that's also built into Great Churches and the like. Well, it doesn't work on B-rank or higher, but it should give an unpleasant feeling, so as long as no high-ranking Demon Race members class who intentionally try to invade come, it should be fine.
"Now, let's do the finishing touches and go home. Eleanor, if you would."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Price-sama said, and Will and Bonnie opened one of the several barrels they brought, which contained mortar. Even I can tell it's not just mortar.
"What is this?"
"This is mortar mixed with Magic Stone powder. If we finish with this, it will be sufficiently reinforced and won't be easily destroyed."
When I asked Eleanor-sama, an answer that was as expected in a sense came back.
But it's quite elaborate.
"Is this, by any chance, the construction method used when building a Great Church?"
"That is correct. If we build our human base using anti-magic stone materials made by dwarves on top of the magic circle reinforced with this, we will be able to obtain strength like never before. If the Demon Lord is resurrected in this Demon Realm cave, the Demon Lord should target this place first. Probably even before the resurrection. That is the aim."
Are these people aiming for a direct confrontation with the Demon Lord?
"It was apparently a proposal from Erikson-sama. Erikson-sama, who heard about the current situation, apparently made a proposal to the Grand Archbishop through Price. Since we had already informed the Grand Archbishop about the anti-magic stone materials through Price from our country, he apparently gave his approval immediately. He said it's a suitable place to test the anti-magic stone materials made by dwarves."
Does that mean the church will pay?
"This time it's Medioland. It's just an experiment. If this goes well, they apparently intend to recommend it to the entire White Island and solicit donations from various nations to buy in bulk."
"Um, are they going to buy from Sertoria?"
"That will be the case. Let me tell you, we won't make a killing off the church. It's just the shipping cost. Shop No. 7 has arranged to do it at a fair price."
When did such a talk get settled? It must have been discussed when Mary was there.
Eleanor-sama makes a hole in the bottom of the bowl. When Will opens the lid of the barrel and tilts it, gray mortar comes out with a glug. When the bowl is moved and the mortar is dripped into the trench dug for the barrier, Bonnie extends it from behind with a huge spatula. She's quite skillful. Could it be that she practiced?
When I asked the two of them, they apparently practiced with the Royal Capital Paratroop Jaegers as a measure for the Sertorian Demon Lord's cave. They apparently researched quite a bit, including the speed of moving the bowl, the size of the barrel and the condition of the lid, and the shape of the spatula.
"Eventually, we will do it in our country. This is also an experiment for that, and the Grand Archbishop has truly given us a good opportunity."
In the future, this method will probably become the template. If we can prevent attacks even from Demon Race executives, a base can be built in the center of the Demon Realm. They're devising various things.
At night, we prepared for monster attacks. Even for the Demon Race, not only low-ranking ones but also executive-class ones might come out, and some Wyverns should still remain.
As a monitoring team, Medioland bowl users took turns monitoring the sky above the planned fortress construction site, and the Henry Party waited as an execution unit so they could sortie at any time and rush there at ultra-high speed.
But they didn't come.
If they don't come, they don't come. We sortied after the sun rose. Since the barrier in the central part was completed, we next went to draw magic circles to reinforce the central barrier at the five vertices. The drawers were Erikson-sama and Price-sama. Since guarding becomes difficult if they split into two places, they draw as a pair. Both being top-ranking priests, they are skillful. They drew all five during the morning. In the afternoon, they reinforced them with Magic Stone-infused mortar and completed them.
At first glance, it looks like nothing is there, but even if the Demon Lord is resurrected, the monsters that make up the main force of the Demon Lord's army won't be able to enter.
"Now the foundation is made. The real thing begins from here," Eleanor-sama said after the barrier was completed. I thought it was impossible, but when we came the next morning, a mountain of stone materials was piled up. Moreover, stone materials of various sizes and shapes were piled up neatly as if they had been piled up with Clump Stone.
"Could it be... Beatrix?"
The only ones who can do this are the Goddess, the Demon Lord, the Vice-Demon Lord, Gnome, the Earth Dragon, and Beatrix, who is Gnome's apprentice. After that, barely the dwarves.
Wait? Thinking about it, has Beatrix already acquired power beyond human limits?
"That is correct. She does good work. As expected of the owner of Shop No. 7, who is a purveyor to the Sertorian Royal Family and the Regnentes Royal Family."
No, it's strange to praise her with that title. Just because she's the shop owner doesn't mean she can do it.
"Were these stone materials sent with that Translate spell directly from Gnome-sama?"
It was Erikson-sama. Even a thousand years ago, they probably couldn't do it.
"What a magnificent magic. Splendid!"
He flew toward the stone materials while glowing brightly. Come to think of it, I might not have told Erikson-sama in detail.
"There isn't a single scratch!"
He was raising his voice while stroking the stone materials with his fingertips.
That's incredible. When Marcelo-san did it, the fortress turned into just a pile of rubble. I'm sure the Behemoth sent to the Ice Island is also doing well.
"Erikson-sama. There isn't a single scratch because these are anti-magic stone materials made by dwarves. They are not just any stone materials."
"Anti-magic stone materials?"
"Yes. They are a masterpiece of the dwarves."
"I-I see. I thought for a moment that humans could be sent in the same way... If that were possible, the royal palace of a country that started a war could be immediately suppressed by various nations."
"Gnome could do it. But Gnome apparently didn't teach that much. If humans were sent in a group, for example, they would die from the influence of mana. It's not just humans. The same goes for Revenants. Apparently, only monsters of B-rank or higher can withstand it."
"Is it because it cannot be used on living humans?"
"There's that, but it's to prevent misuse."
That's right. I know because I heard from Beatrix, but once humans have excessive power, they immediately use it for war. According to Gnome, he doesn't mind at all if humans are killing each other, but helping one side excessively is a bit different. For example, if he felt like it, he could even send a large amount of gunpowder in a state where the fuse is lit to the Engrio Royal Palace. Even if it's not gunpowder, if he sends earth and sand every day, he can paralyze the functions with just that. However, Gnome said he wouldn't allow such usage. In fact, it was declared that if Beatrix used it for war, especially for attack, Gnome would make it so she could never use it again, and at the same time, he would retaliate against the side that used it with the same measure. I don't know if Gnome can use gunpowder, but if Gnome gets serious, he can easily destroy one or two royal palaces built by humans.
"I see. As expected of Gnome-sama. I was the shallow one."
"No, it's because you saw it for the first time. And Erikson-sama, you primarily thought of suppressing the country that started the war. If it were a king of some country, they would first think of occupying other countries. It's because you are thinking of peace first."
"My apologies, Eleanor-dono. For making you worry."
Eleanor-sama just smiled silently.
Probably, even if it's usage for preventing war, it would be a problem. Although, I heard that when Erikson-sama was alive, priests were also war leaders. It can't be helped that his ideas are more radical than those of modern times, which are absolutely against war.
Regarding the mountain of delivered stone materials, Eleanor-sama and Wilson-san took the lead, and along with the magic soldiers who can use Clump Stone, they piled them up while sticking them together with mortar. This time it seems it's only for reinforcing the earthworks, and they won't build a main tower or turrets. However, since the earthworks become the outer wall, it should be more than enough. Since there's altitude, transportation by ships that fly in the sky is impossible, but movement in units of a dozen or so people is possible using medium-sized bowls or conventional large-scale magic circles. Moving the soldiers from the fortress at the foot is easy. If the soldiers operate while hiding their presence, it will be sufficient as a base for both decoy and monitoring.
According to what I heard, they intend to make the same thing on the other peak in the future. After that, they plan to proceed with the suppression of the cave where the Demon Lord will be resurrected. Probably, they are ultimately aiming for the complete blockade of the cave that they are trying to do in Sertoria. By the time the fortress or enclosure for the blockade is completed, I'm sure this base will also become a fine fortress with a main tower.