Side: Mako
After surveying the Br, mountain range with Yamato and the others, we concluded that a tunnel was impossible. Instead, we discovered that the mountain range between the main road and Olden Island was the narrowest.
The main road already runs straight north from Emosion to the Esmeralda Baronetcy, so using it was a given.
However, even if we cut through the mountains, using the narrowest part of the range might lead to a convoluted road network. Conversely, connecting them along the shortest distance could require a wider area of excavation. Therefore, this discovery was quite convenient.
Upon reporting these findings, we received approval from Emperor Reinhardt. Today, we’ve arrived at the Br, mountain range to divide it, with our Tree-made Multi-functional Beast Carriage connected to an airship.
“Alright, Mako.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s begin,” Yamato said.
We immediately performed the Dual Heart Fusion Technique, generating the Sacred Sword Blau Solaris and the Sacred Wing Agatholamp.
While not on the same scale as Kobaldia, this would still cover a considerable area. Moreover, since we couldn’t just blow everything away, the control required would be even more demanding than last time.
If we literally created sheer cliff faces, problems would arise, so precise control is essential.
Monsters and thieves might be less inclined to attack, but this wouldn’t deter flying monsters or those that burrow underground. In such cases, it might even cut off their escape routes.
“Blau Solaris, Agatholamp. Let’s proceed as planned.”
“Understood.”
“This is our first attempt, so please, Masters, help with the control,” Agatholamp said.
“Of course,” Blau Solaris replied.
This is likely Blau Solaris and Agatholamp’s first time using a Mythical-class术式 for land reclamation.
It’s not something one would normally consider, so it’s understandable.
I’ve never heard of such a thing even on Earth.
There’s a tale of Asuka’s Sacred Sword Caladbolg simultaneously slicing through three mountain peaks, but that wasn’t for land reclamation or construction.
The Mythical-class术式 Tuatha Dé Danann, which we’ll be using, is classified as a strategic-class术式. I believe it’s estimated to have an explosive yield of at least 1 gigaton of TNT. So, we must carefully control its power and range to avoid excessive environmental destruction. If we’re not careful, we might end up connecting to the Nadal Sea instead of just creating a new lake.
The saving grace is that, despite being Mythical-class, it’s Engraving Magic (Martial Art), so it won’t cause damage outside its designated area.
“Well then, Your Majesty, I apologize, but please.”
“Understood.”
Blau Solaris and Agatholamp’s greatest Mythical-class strategic-type wide-area interference target system术式, Tuatha Dé Danann, is sealed to prevent its reckless use.
If it were readily available, it could likely annihilate even Flowt, the largest city on the Philia Continent, along with the Tree Magic structures, which would cause immense anxiety and suspicion among the populace. It wouldn’t be impossible for them to move against me and Yamato to eliminate us.
Concerned about this, Blau Solaris and Agatholamp advised Emperor Reinhardt. They then sealed the术式 themselves, using the Celestial Emperor’s Family’s magic as the key, making it unusable under normal circumstances.
Emperor Reinhardt is accompanying us to break that seal.
I don’t know how they determine the Celestial Emperor’s Family’s magic, but since Blau Solaris and Agatholamp say it’s fine, it must be.
“Is this correct?”
“The seal is broken.”
“Thank you, Celestial Emperor.”
The seal has been successfully broken.
Nothing seems outwardly different, but since they say it’s done, Tuatha Dé Danann is now available.
Let’s reconfirm the terrain and then use Tuatha Dé Danann.
“Agatholamp, this is likely your first time seeing the actual terrain. How is it?”
“No problem. The scan is complete.”
“How about you, Blau Solaris?”
“No issues here. However, I cannot perform fine adjustments. That will be left to Agatholamp.”
“You’ve mentioned that before. Agatholamp, being originally a Multi-Attribute Specialization Type Spirit Hexa Dipper, inherited its multi-core. Therefore, its processing capacity is superior to yours,” Yamato said.
“Indeed.”
Both Blau Solaris and Agatholamp are Engraving Divine Artifacts, so neither is inherently superior. However, in terms of processing capacity, Agatholamp is as Yamato stated.
This is not due to the Engraving Divine Artifacts’ performance but rather the characteristics of the original Engraving Tools they were based on.
The Holy Grail Chalice, another Engraving Divine Artifact with a multi-core like Agatholamp, was also created by a user like myself, a Multi-Attribute Specialization Type.
However, neither Agatholamp nor Chalice are combat-oriented, meaning they are not weapons. Their pure offensive power is inferior to Blau Solaris and the Sacred Sword Excalibur, who are their counterparts.
Thus, Blau Solaris and Agatholamp, as well as Excalibur and Chalice, can be differentiated by their offensive power and processing capabilities.
“Alright, final preparations. Where’s the map?”
“Here you go.”
“Thanks, Mana.”
Yamato received the map from Mana and proceeded with the final confirmation. The markings on the map indicate the areas we will be excavating.
The distance is less than three kilometers east to west.
We plan to level the area into a wide valley. We will leave a gap of about 500 meters north to south.
However, this alone would only create sheer cliffs, making landslides more likely. Therefore, we will first create gentle slopes on the mountainside and then commission the Hunter’s Guild and Trader’s Guild to plant trees on the Br, mountain range using Tree Magic.
In a few years, it should become a forest, making landslides less likely and improving road safety.
At the same time, it will become a habitat for monsters, so it won’t be entirely safe.
“This is quite a difficult task.”
“Hmm.”
“I know it’s tough, but it’s also good practice for us, and you’ll find it easier to use once you get accustomed to it.”
“Even Maha Jarg and Dian Keht cannot be used casually. It’s not just about the materials, but also about environmental destruction.”
“Even with our current abilities, we alter the terrain just by fighting normally.”
“And if we were to use our powers as well, it could cause even more problems.”
Indeed.
Especially at the Kobaldia Ruins, a miscalculation connected the Orca Bay and Lake Sabel.
As a result, Lake Sabel disappeared, and the enlarged Orca Bay was renamed Barena Bay.
Fortunately, Kobaldia had to be completely destroyed, and developing the ruins where many demons lived was emotionally difficult, so it turned out for the best.
Furthermore, even when using Engraving Divine Artifacts for hunting, their excessive attack power often reduced the value of the materials.
Therefore, we want to gain control over the power of Engraving Divine Artifacts as soon as possible, but for that, we must actively use them.
This requires facing high-ranking monsters. On land, unless we encounter Demise Species, Engraving Divine Artifacts won’t be generated. So, the quickest way to do so is to venture into the deeper levels of labyrinths.
While we don’t intend to generate them unnecessarily, Engraving Divine Artifacts have their own will, and we would like to increase their generation frequency if possible, and also use them for hunting, as they are weapons.
Well, Blau Solaris is also a drinker, so we generate it every few days.
“If it’s a little excessive, recovery should be possible. In some cases, we can even create new villages or towns.”
“That’s a possibility, but once Yuri graduates, we also plan to build a new village in the Fraydlancia Baronetcy. Won’t that leave us short-handed?”
As Yamato says, there is indeed such a plan.
We’re planning to establish a post town at the intersection of the roads leading to Feel, Prada, and Emosion.
With our mounted beasts, we can reach any of those towns in a day, but on foot, it sometimes requires camping along the way. The usual route between Emosion and Feel involves stopping overnight in Prada.
However, Prada has now flourished as a port town, bustling with hunters and traders almost constantly.
This has led to a shortage of inns, and many hunters are choosing to camp at the port or in the established campsites on the outskirts.
Although the Crafter’s Guild is building inns upon receiving requests, there are many other necessary facilities, so it will be quite some time before the situation is resolved.
Therefore, the plan is to create a post town at the road intersection to reduce the flow of people towards Prada. However, due to labor shortages and the fact that Lord Yuri is a student at the General Academy, progress has been slow.
Still, the target audience is hunters and traders traveling between Emosion and Feel, and the number of such individuals isn’t excessively large. The plan also includes adjacent farms and ranches.
“I am aware of that. Indeed, we will be short-handed, but we intend to compensate for this by dismantling the abandoned bridgehead cities and relocating their residents.”
Ah, the dismantling of the abandoned bridgehead cities had also begun.
Many bridgehead cities became irreparable after being bombarded by battleships from Solemne.
Consequently, they were abandoned and slated for demolition. However, there were thousands of residents in each city who didn’t want to leave their homes and were still living there.
Demolishing them would take time and money, and considering the residents’ feelings, it was overlooked. But these bridgehead cities became havens for thieves and former Solemne soldiers, contributing to the deterioration of public order in the Libertà region.
It’s common to hear stories of residents being coerced into becoming sex slaves or traders visiting for business being murdered for their supplies. In the worst cases, fleeing former Solemne soldiers enslaved the entire population and did as they pleased.
Such extreme situations could no longer be ignored, and all bridgehead cities except for the Bridge Principality were ordered to be dismantled, with residents mandated to vacate.
Of course, they could take their possessions and were offered relocation compensation, but many residents still resisted.
However, given the severity of the issue, the demolition and forced evacuation are proceeding, starting with the bridgehead city closest to Solemne.
The neighboring bridgehead cities have been asked to accept the residents. However, since there are also developing towns and villages, it’s possible for them to relocate there if they wish. Emperor Reinhardt is considering utilizing the former residents of these bridgehead cities.
“I think that’s a valid option, but won’t there be emotional issues?”
“Not entirely. Only the elderly are being stubborn; the vast majority are the young. The reason the young stayed was because they couldn’t abandon their obstinate relatives. I’ve heard that, in truth, they wanted to move to another bridgehead city or a pioneer settlement much sooner.”
Ah, so the stubborn ones were the elderly.
There are many such stories on Earth too, but the residents weren’t solely to blame.
There were reasons like having to abandon their ancestral villages due to dam construction.
However, in this case, in addition to the worsening public safety, they themselves have suffered significant damage. I don’t understand why they are so vehemently opposed.
“The reason for their stubbornness seems to have been to demand an increase in their relocation compensation and provision of housing and living arrangements at their new destination. Of course, all their demands were rejected. The relocation fee remains the same, and they were essentially thrown out with their belongings.”
I expected some deep-seated reason, but to have such a purely materialistic justification fills me with dismay.
Their families wanted to leave the bridgehead city quickly, but to hold them back for such reasons, causing significant psychological and physical harm, is truly a depraved act for a human.
Perhaps even their families have abandoned them?
Not that it’s my concern.
It’s said that not all who were stubborn were so avaricious, but it’s undeniable that there were many such elderly individuals.
The term “gerontocracy” seems fitting.
Perhaps because there were so many such people, the officials responsible can proceed with the work without harboring significant guilt. Within a few years, all bridgehead cities except the capital of the Bridge Principality will be dismantled.
There’s the issue of what to do with the former residents, but as His Majesty mentioned, sending them to pioneer settlements is an option, which should help alleviate the labor shortage.
Yes, the development of the Fraydlancia Baronetcy can be said to begin with the division of this Br, mountain range. We might be able to deploy personnel there quickly.
Although Yamato will officially receive his feoffment a little later, it seems likely that some form of development can be achieved by then.
Of the two small islands connected to Olden Island, the larger one is planned for the construction of the General Academy, and the smaller one is also intended to become a town.
If we can secure the necessary manpower, development is likely to proceed faster than anticipated, which will make our movements easier.
It will be challenging, but let’s do our best.
