Chapter 38

The new Golden Dawn Village was built on the banks of a great river, a location chosen by Reifan.

The area where the battle with the dragon took place was to be turned into a granary.

The rocky land was to be converted into farmland, and there must have been a reason for it. If Reifan decided, it would be fine to leave it to him. I’ll just ask for the reason later.

For now, it was decided that a wheat field would be created, and shelters were to be scattered throughout it.

These were thick stone huts that could store a few days' worth of food. If not for a dragon, they would be a place to hide.

The village was about an hour away, so if anything abnormal happened, adventurers would rush over.

“Phew, thanks, Akindo.”

“No, no, I’m thrilled to be doing such a big deal after a long time.”

Akindo, who led a caravan of hundreds, was one of the merchants who had been coming in and out of the village since its early days. Compared to other merchants, he was an excellent merchant with a long-term perspective, not swayed by short-term profits.

What he brought was a large amount of volcanic ash and lime.

“But, what are you going to do with these? Well, if I get paid, I’m a lowly merchant who would put my soul on the scales, so I’ll do the transaction with all my heart.”

“Ah, it’s not that rare. We need it to make special stones.”

“Volcanic ash and lime... to make stones?”

“Yeah, mix in alchemically made reagents, fine gravel, and water, and it turns into a thick liquid. When it hardens, it becomes as hard as a seamless rock.”

“That’s amazing! But, how strong is it, really? Is it as strong as actual stone?”

“No, rather, it’s as hard as rock. Look, I made a shelter as a test over there, so feel free to try it out.”

“Is that okay?”

“It’s made for strength testing, so it’s already been hammered a lot. It’s fine now.”

“I see.”

Akindo asked his guards to attack the shelter with weapons and magic.

“This is... much stronger than I imagined.”

“Right? But, the problem is that we need a large amount of volcanic ash and lime.”

“Still, you need more, right? What are you going to make?”

“The largest fortress city in the world.”

“...Wow.”

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“Not really. So, can I continue to do business with you in the future?”

“Yeah. In exchange, keep this as secret as possible until it’s completed, and gather as much as you can before the price goes up.”

“Of course. What about after the city is completed?”

“Yeah, I’ll consult with Professor Javial, but I plan to make it public along with the recipe for the reagents. It might be stopped by the border lord, though.”

“Most likely, it will be.”

“Then, won’t it be good for you, Akindo?”

“No, no. If this construction method spreads to ordinary houses, I’ll be in a great position with the materials I’ve secured early, but the consumption by the nobility alone will be enough to make a fortune.”

“Then it’s good. Anyway, we need a lot, so I’m counting on you.”

“Leave it to me. Volcanic ash is an endless nuisance from the volcano, so I can bring as much as you need.”

In Kail’s fortress construction plan, the completion was scheduled for 20 years later. But that wasn’t interesting, so he flipped through Professor Javial’s books, created a new whisper of the emblem, and finally arrived at the special technique called “Alchemical Hardened Rock.”

This Alchemical Hardened Rock, as explained earlier, is initially a thick liquid but hardens over time to the hardness of bedrock. Moreover, it is almost pure white and has a very high-class appearance. Reifan investigated and found that it was stronger than the capital’s city walls after repeated experiments.

Reifan is really excellent. Although she often appears absent-minded, she is so capable that the pioneer village wouldn’t function without her. As the head of the production guild, she is also knowledgeable about economics and has contributed comprehensively to the village’s development. Most of my vague ideas wouldn’t have been realized without her cooperation.

This time, she discovered that if metal bars were embedded in the massive walls, the strength would increase significantly. If this construction method spreads, the defense capabilities of the Maukaria Kingdom will likely improve by three levels.

In parallel, they are also investigating whether a massive bridge can be built across the great river. With this “reinforced alchemical hardened rock” technology, it might be possible to build the dream bridge of mankind. Currently, the construction of the fortress city is proceeding on the assumption that the bridge will be completed.

Unlike traditional wall construction, which involves transporting large cut stones from distant quarries by horse-drawn carriages, this method is much cheaper and the construction period is incomparably shorter. While the cost of obtaining and transporting volcanic ash is somewhat high, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Volcanic ash is an endless nuisance in certain areas and is cheap. Most of the expenses are for transportation.

What makes Alchemical Hardened Rock excellent is that it can be shaped into any form by creating a wooden frame to pour it into. There’s no need for skilled workers to fit the rocks together like a puzzle.

The craftsmen who came to permanently live in Golden Dawn Village are being taught everything from the production method to the application of the reagents, except for the alchemical reagents. So, the number of Alchemical Hardened Rock specialists will likely increase soon. It’s exciting.

Convenient things made with Alchemical Hardened Rock include warehouses and wood drying rooms. The warehouses are sturdy and can be easily built on a large scale, which is appreciated by the residents.

The wood drying room, which looks like a warehouse, is filled with wood. It is smoked with a vaporizing smoke created by alchemy, reducing the drying time from several months to about a week.

Thanks to Alchemical Hardened Rock and wood, Golden Dawn Village... no, Golden Dawn Fortress City, developed at an incredible pace.

◆

“Um... such a grand church... is it really okay?”

“Of course it is!”

“Hey, Jitaro. Why are you answering?”

“Oh, sorry, I just...”

“Well, it’s fine. As you can see, this city is planned to be super huge. So, a church of this size is necessary.”

“W... Will I be able to serve here?”

“Just do your best.”

“I’ll help too!”

“Thank you, Jitaro.”

“Hooooo!”

No, stop with the meaningless shouting. And, Azur is a priest... I don’t think she’s thinking about marriage or anything. I’m not sure, though.

“Craft brother!”

“Hey, Ed.”

The rambunctious wolf boy Ed came energetically.

“Teach me magic!”

“What about your studies?”

“Well...”

“Recently, Ed and the others have been studying quite hard.”

“Really?”

“Right?! Right?!”

“Compared to before, though.”

“Aww...”

“Hmm. Okay, let’s do a little bit once a week.”

“Yay!”

“Craft, is that okay?”

“Yeah, I was planning to teach you anyway.”

“Well, if that’s the case...”

“Let’s do it between the afternoon and dinner. Bring everyone, okay?”

“Got it! Brother!”

It’s good to be energetic.

Maybe I should let them drink mana potions and do some ultra-spartan training.

At this time, I was thinking of this method as a prank, but I didn’t realize the connection. I didn’t know what would happen to the villagers who regularly used stamina potions...