Three days have passed since I married Lydia and Ludia.
I continued my usual visits to Feel, Memoria, Float, and Deseo, and today I decided to check on Prada Village.
The land reclamation at the bottom of the lake is finished, and they are now in the process of building docks and piers. Thanks to magic, the work is proceeding at an incredible pace.
What’s more, the stones cut from the rocky mountain north of Float are about twenty meters square. They are surprisingly large, and with a bit of processing, simply placing them in position completes the dock. It’s a rather crude method.
However, they are properly embedded and fixed at the lakebed, so despite appearing crude, the finish is actually quite meticulous.
On Earth, such large stone materials don’t exist due to transportation limitations. But on Helios Orb, spatial storage magic exists and is also manufactured as magical tools.
Furthermore, even for transportation, if several people use telekinetic magic in conjunction, it can be moved in a relatively short time, albeit with significant mana consumption. This is commonly used when constructing large structures.
Apparently, for this construction, Mina used her telekinetic magic to place the stone materials, making it an unbelievably easy job.
“It’s already starting to look like a port in just over a month.”
“We’ve only just finished securing the stone materials for the pier, so it will be a while yet before it truly becomes a port.”
Because of the work at the lakebed, it’s actually considered slightly delayed compared to the norm.
Still, I believe it’s incredibly fast compared to Earth.
Honestly, I already knew that construction would be fast, given the Esmeralda Baronetcy and the Union House.
“It’s amazing just to see it taking shape. Speaking of which, when will the barrier to prevent monster incursions be prepared?”
Mako also expresses surprise at the speed of construction, which is faster than on Earth, and simultaneously asks about the monster intrusion prevention barrier.
That’s something I’m also concerned about.
“We are currently waiting for my brother’s approval. Once permission is granted, we plan to proceed immediately.”
“I believe it’s called Ritual Magic, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Ritual Magic has a significant impact, and its unauthorized use would only lead to problems. Therefore, it cannot be used without the approval of the King or the Grand Master.”
I wasn’t aware of that.
Ritual Magic is a type of Guild Magic and is used by multiple people.
While things like barriers against the undead or small insects repelled during camping can be used without special permission, a monster intrusion prevention barrier that covers an entire town cannot be used without authorization.
If it could be used freely, bandits or spies could set up their own bases in mountains or forests at will, so this situation is understandable.
The authority to grant permission lies with the monarch or the Grand Master. However, since a monster intrusion prevention barrier concerns the entire country, the Grand Master may not always be available to handle it.
Therefore, the Head Master is authorized to act as a proxy for the Grand Master in granting approval. This is why a Head Master is always stationed in the capital of each country. Even the new nations in the direction of Valentia and Libertà have already appointed new Head Masters.
“So, that means we’ll be using Ritual Magic within a few days.”
“Yes. Furthermore, once the barrier is in place, we can conduct underwater work safely, which will allow us to reduce the number of guards.”
The spherical barrier created by Ritual Magic, which is called Protect Fielding, affects not only the ground but also underground and underwater.
Therefore, it is well within the range of the port construction site and can even prevent An from entering. However, there are reasons why it hasn’t been used until now.
One is the scale of Prada Village, one is the catalyst, the Magic Stone, and the third is the cost.
Protect Fielding has a scope that can comfortably cover even Float, the largest city on the Philia Continent, with room for expansion.
For this reason, large cities and towns are protected by Protect Fielding, but small towns and villages are not. The reason is that the effective range of Protect Fielding is at least ten kilometers in diameter. While one might think that a larger area includes smaller ones, for a small village, it would be too extensive for hunting and, depending on the location, expansion might not be feasible. Therefore, it is said to be meaningless to use Protect Fielding unless it’s a town of a certain size. Additionally, small villages can sometimes be taken over by thieves or spies from other countries, which is another reason it cannot be used.
The second and third points are similar issues.
The Magic Stone must be from at least a P-rank Monster, and the higher the rank, the better. However, the Magic Stones of such high-ranking monsters were typically traded for Divine Gold Coins. Now, the price has dropped to a few platinum coins, and while we can procure them ourselves, it is usually a difficult task. Furthermore, compensation is also required for those who perform the Ritual Magic, which in the case of Protect Fielding are Orders and Priests. Since I heard that the Grand Order’s Master and Grand Priests Master are coming, it is confirmed that Divine Gold Coins will be spent. Additionally, there are application fees to the Royal Family, so the inability to raise the funds could be a significant reason for small towns and villages. It seems that installments are possible, not just lump-sum payments.
“I was wondering why Prada Village didn’t have a barrier, but now I understand.”
“Indeed, last summer, Retisencia used a natural barrier deep in the forest as their hideout. If Prada Village had a barrier, it would have been a prime target.”
To avoid such situations, the Order’s Guild always dispatches personnel, but it’s not an absolute guarantee. Last summer, with so many An evolved from Demon Crystals lurking around, they couldn’t even send adequate replacements, let alone reinforcements.
“A natural barrier? I heard that while they are stronger in terms of strength, they are more easily broken because they have multiple origin points?”
“So I’ve heard. Those origin points are created by chance, and moving them or altering them can either render the effect useless or cause them to cease serving as origin points over time.”
Protect Fielding is based on natural barriers. Natural barriers sometimes possess enough strength to repel even Catastrophe Species. However, they cannot maintain the barrier without multiple origin points and often shrink or vanish. Monsters also find them an eyesore and frequently destroy them. In contrast, Protect Fielding can prevent Catastrophe Species from entering, and its origin point is solely the catalyst Magic Stone, which expands spherically around it. This makes it less likely to be destroyed by monsters. Although it cannot be moved once installed, its strength is sufficient to prevent An from entering. Under normal circumstances, the catalyst Magic Stone will not be destroyed, and as is obvious, the destruction of a Magic Stone is a grave offense, with the entire family being sentenced to death regardless of the reason.
However, there is a cause for concern in the case of Feel and Prada Village. Protect Fielding cannot prevent the entry of Catastrophe Species, and it is believed that the Orc King and Orc Queen, which are Catastrophe Species, inhabit multiple areas in Mylight. While they have not descended to lower levels yet, the possibility remains, so not only the Order’s Guild but also the Hunter’s Guild are constantly on alert, and investigations are being conducted. We have also conducted investigations and defeated them several times, but with each expedition, we defeat more, so it’s truly impossible to estimate how many there are. Because of this, among other reasons, nearly half of Feel’s Orders have evolved into High Orders as a result of power leveling under the guise of combat training, and the Order’s Master, Iris, has reached level 60.
Thus, two days later, Grand Order’s Master Rex and Grand Priests Master Idea arrived at Prada Village to perform the Ritual Magic, Protect Fielding. It is natural to have Facers for protection, but why are there so many Priests?
“Once the port is completed, the Priests’ Guild will also be necessary, so this visit also serves as a preliminary inspection.”
Idea-sama explained this, and it is indeed true. Moreover, not only the Priests’ Guild but also other guilds, especially the Trader’s Guild, are essential.
“Idea-sama, may I have a moment?”
“Yes, what is it?”
“The Village Chief has come to pay his respects.”
“Understood.”
The Village Chief has also come. Well, given the major development of Prada Village, it’s only natural.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Grand Priests Master. I am Razra, the Village Chief of Prada Village.”
“Thank you for your courtesy. I am Idea Lipset, Grand Priests Master. I look forward to working with you today.”
Village Chief Razra appears quite nervous, but it’s understandable since ordinary residents of Prada Village wouldn’t have any opportunity to speak with a Grand Priests Master.
“Village Chief Razra, have you prepared a location to place the barrier stone?”
“Yes. We have built a simple shrine in the center of the village. We have also secured enough land to build a magistrate’s residence in the future.”
Prada Village is governed by Village Chief Razra as the magistrate. However, once the port is completed, there will be a significant increase in people coming and going, and the village will likely grow into a town. While villages are traditionally governed by their chiefs, towns are typically overseen by nobles. The noble appointed as magistrate will be a baron, so granting baronial rank to Razra would be the most straightforward approach. However, even a baron is a legitimate noble, and I’ve heard that their numbers cannot be easily increased. Although I, who became a noble so easily, shouldn’t say this, simply governing a village is not considered sufficient achievement. Village Chief Razra understands this as well, which is why he has prepared a shrine to house the barrier stone on the site designated for the future magistrate’s residence.
Incidentally, Feel’s barrier stone was housed in a royal villa, but when Feel became part of the Esmeralda Baronetcy, that villa was relocated. The Esmeralda Baronetcy Residence was built on its former site.
“Thank you. Then, let us proceed immediately.”
“Please.”
Guided by Village Chief Razra, we moved to the shrine where the barrier stone would be placed. As expected of a site for a future magistrate’s residence, a considerable area has been secured. It’s not exactly urban planning, but it appears several houses were relocated.
“Then, let us begin. Grand Order’s Master, are you ready?”
“Yes. This is my first time, so I am a little nervous.”
“It’s not something one does often.”
Come to think of it, Rex-san has only recently been appointed Grand Order’s Master, so this will be his first time using Protect Fielding. While simple Ritual Magic is one thing, I’m looking forward to witnessing a large-scale Ritual Magic that requires the approval of the King or Grand Master for the first time.
“Now, Grand Order’s Master.”
After Idea-sama confirmed the Magic Stone placed in the shrine, she addressed Rex-san.
“Yes. ‘Person, Guard, Firm, Barrier’.”
“‘Holy, Protect, Law, Divine’.”
“‘Flow, Flourish, Land, Village’.”
“‘Wave, Hard, Person, Divine’.”
Oh, they are placing their hands on the Magic Stone and alternately chanting what sound like incantations. It looks quite cool.
“„Protect Fielding“”
Once the incantations were complete, Rex-san and Idea-sama simultaneously chanted the spell name. At that moment, mana spread out from the Magic Stone in a spherical shape, and a barrier was deployed not only over Prada Village but also over the Nadal Sea and Veil Lake. Due to the location, the effective range is the minimum of ten kilometers in diameter. The area includes not only the construction site but also a part of the forest.
“It’s finished. Good work, Grand Order’s Master.”
“Thank you, Idea-sama.”
Rex-san and Idea-sama congratulate each other on the successful completion of Protect Fielding. I saw it for the first time, and it was more straightforward than I expected. The chanting of incantations definitely gave it a ceremonial feel.
“Village Chief Razra, this should make work a bit easier, but please don’t overexert yourselves.”
“Thank you.”
In villages and towns without barriers, not just Prada Village, those registered as Hunters or dispatched Orders would maintain a night watch and guard against monsters during nighttime. However, with Prada Village now enclosed by a barrier, the constant vigilance against monsters is no longer necessary. The port construction site is also securely within the barrier, so the need to guard against monsters during construction has decreased, and work will likely proceed more smoothly. On that note, Mana and I are preparing for a banquet today. Money keeps accumulating without any particular use for it, so after considerable thought on how to give back, we’ve focused on worker welfare and the development of Prada Village. The development of Prada Village is essentially the development of the Esmeralda Baronetcy, so the majority of it is funded by Yuri’s public funds. We were also told to save for when we are granted territory, but that’s a separate matter. In my case, I’ve also invested in the development of MARS, but I’ve been using materials hunted myself, so I haven’t spent that much. Speaking of MARS, it has also been decided that a comprehensive school will be built in Memoria, so I need to make it usable as soon as possible. Tomorrow is a day off, so I’ll put my effort into thinking about it then.
