Chapter 7

The story ended up being about men only.

I apologize for its dullness.

"Money doesn't decrease..."

Leaving Valtrude in Mainz, Yuto returned to his home in the capital, Sejour. A gathering of congratulatory and farewell parties—essentially, a banquet—could not proceed without the guest of honor.

However, Yuto had a mountain of work to do. Besides, he had a commitment he couldn't break. Valtrude could be picked up later with the spell *Instant Teleportation* when the timing was right.

To begin with, it was questionable how the dwarf's liver was holding up after getting drunk at noon and then attending another banquet. There was no way Yuto, still a minor, could keep up with it.

At the moment, he was lying on his bed in his room, checking the spoils of war obtained from the giant. In this world, parchment is common, but what Yuto was looking at was white paper made from plant materials. He held a ballpoint pen, brought from Earth, in his mouth in a rather rude manner, with a serious expression on his face.

The paper was made using the spell *Manufacture*, which creates items from raw materials, with the excuse that it was for personal use.

He realized he could use the spell *Item Repair* to refill the ink, which is why he could use the ballpoint pen freely.

While it had no effect on magical items, he also used it to keep his high school uniform clean. For Yuto, it was an essential and convenient spell.

"Sure enough. The giant's treasure turned out to be more than what I left in Mainz."

He confirmed the calculation results several times, but the conclusion remained the same.

The giant's village contained not only gold coins but also jewelry and (to Yuto and his companions) not particularly powerful but enchanted weapons.

In Bluewars, the property of monsters generally belongs to those who defeat them.

While not all of it was converted to cash, and some compensation for the damage caused by the giants was necessary, it was clear that there would be a profit.

"Well, you can't have too much money. Let's invest it all."

With that, Yuto, who had shaken off his guilt, threw away the sheet of paper with the treasure calculations and got up—only to find a bald, bearded creature suddenly standing right in front of him.

"That's right. Hoarding money is a fool's game."

"Ah, old man!"

Yuto screamed and retreated from the bed. The fact that he was unconsciously pressing his heart suggested that he was shocked to the point of feeling his life was in danger.

"Hehehehe. What a reaction!"

"I can tolerate illegal entry, but I expect you to behave normally."

"Boy! You dare to talk about normal behavior to me!"

Yuto instinctively covered his ears at the loud voice. He could have taken out a *Silence* scroll if he wanted to, but the fact that he didn't might indicate that he was quite cornered.

The old man in front of him was smiling as if he found the situation amusing. It was almost surprising that he wasn't pointing a finger.

"I wish you would be a bit more aware of your social status, Great Sage Vainamainen."

"Who cares about such things!"

And then, he laughed heartily again, as if something was funny.

Yuto, realizing there was no point in arguing, scratched his head and fell back onto the bed.

This special bed, called a Hyubard bed, was a magical item that could provide sufficient rest in half the usual sleep time, which could have made a fortune if mass-produced on Earth.

However, it did not have the function to relieve Yuto's stress.

Still...

No one who didn't know the reality would believe that this childlike old man was the most famous and revered Great Sage Vainamainen in Bluewars.

The Great Sage Vainamainen was one of the adventurers known as the "Pathfinders," who had conquered the hundred-story dungeon that was said to be impossible to clear, and had traveled alone to the heavenly realm to obtain wisdom. He was said to be in seclusion in the Eight-Ringed Tower, which existed somewhere in a deep mountain or secluded valley.

He had developed numerous spells and was often sought for advice by the royal family, but he was also known for listening to the words of the powerless people despite turning down their requests.

"The reality is, he's just a damn old man."

"That doesn't matter. Hurry up and start today's lesson."

With a playful gesture, the Great Sage pulled Yuto out of bed like a child.

Despite his age, the Great Sage, who had been an adventurer in his youth, was far from the image of a withered old man. His thick, gnarled fingers were strong, and his physical strength might even surpass that of Yuto, who had been on the soccer team.

The magic sword at his waist was one that Yuto couldn't even wield with both hands.

"Well, I came back for this, so I'll do it..."

Picking up his school bag from the side of the bed, Yuto moved to the living room, which was empty. Vainamainen followed him calmly but with a dignified air.

Yuto's rapid growth into one of the most renowned magicians in Bluewars was not due to the teachings of the Great Sage Vainamainen.

No.

The student was the Great Sage Vainamainen. What Yuto was teaching was history—specifically, world history from Earth.

"Where did we leave off last time?"

Sitting in a chair in the living room, Yuto asked his older student in a lazy manner.

"It was about the Renaissance. We talked about how backward regions hustled to catch up with advanced regions."

"That sounds like you're saying it with some malice."

However, it was not entirely incorrect.

"Oh, right. The three major inventions of the Renaissance."

Pointing to a term emphasized in bold, the Great Sage asked a question.

"I understand the compass. It's essential for navigation, right? It's important for venturing out from a small area. As for movable type, I haven't seen it, but the idea of producing books without handwriting is revolutionary."

Surprisingly, Vainamainen had already mastered reading and writing Japanese, even though Yuto had never taught him.

Perhaps due to the effects of the world transfer, Yuto, who had learned to read and write the common language of Bluewars without effort, felt a bit guilty.

Especially towards Valtrude, who couldn't read or write.

"But I don't understand gunpowder. Sure, it's convenient, but can it really change the world?"

In this world, the formula for gunpowder was known, though it was not widely used. It had not been effectively utilized.

"In my homeland—Earth—there is no magic. So, the explosive power of gunpowder is like magic, and it can be used as a weapon."

It was so obvious to Yuto that he hadn't properly explained it.

"Weapons like cannons and muskets—using gunpowder to fire projectiles from a metal tube."

"Hmm."

Was he still not convinced? Vainamainen crossed his arms and thought about it.

Neither of them was looking at the world history textbook. Yuto had brought his school bag, but he hadn't even taken out the reference materials.

Since he wasn't preparing for university exams, there was no need to memorize dates. It was more like an extension of his hobbies.

"Muskets allow foot soldiers—peasants—to kill knights. Just by pulling the trigger."

Mimicking the action of firing a matchlock, Yuto continued his explanation.

"Firing hundreds of muskets can intimidate even if they don't hit. And compared to bows, the training is much easier."

"What?!"

With a thud, the Great Sage slammed his fist on the table made of the finest ebony and leaned in close to Yuto.

"Get closer, old man!"

"Then, kings would be unnecessary!"

"Huh? What?"

Yuto's eardrums vibrated from Vainamainen's shout. More than that, he was frozen for a few seconds, unable to understand the old man's intent.

"You're jumping ahead too much!"

The connection between muskets and the decline of royal power.

Yuto, who had bridged the centuries-long gap, pushed back against the intimidating face of the Great Sage with his hands and raised his voice.

The lesson proceeded as if a grandfather and grandson were playfully teasing each other.

"Oh, by the way."

At the end of the day's world history lecture, Vainamainen said, as if he had just remembered.

With a genuinely good smile.

In proportion to that, Yuto's alert level rose.

"There's a good spell that can help with city building."

"Recommended by the Great Sage, huh?"

While Yuto thought it wasn't a good idea to develop using spells—methods only he could use—curiosity got the better of him.

He almost leaned forward to grab the scroll but stopped himself at the last moment.

"Probably some crazy spell, right?"

"Rude brat."

The Great Sage stuck his hand into his gray robe and fumbled around, pulling out a rolled-up parchment—a spell scroll.

"Ah, this is it."

He spread it out on the ebony table.

"*Island Uplift*. A spell that makes an island suddenly appear in the sea."

"We have plenty of land!"

Despite his words, Yuto, driven by his curiosity as a magician, eagerly read through the contents of the scroll.

One of the uses of a spell scroll is to learn the spell.

By carefully reading and memorizing it, the spell is transferred from the scroll to the magician's memory.

To use the spell, the magician must then transfer it from memory to a spellbook, but there is a limit to the number of spells that can be transferred in a day.

Selecting which spells to transfer is one of the important senses of a magician.

However, that alone is not enough.

Another use of the scroll is to activate the spell directly from the scroll itself.

The spell is cast at minimum power, and the scroll is used up after one use.

Additionally, creating a scroll requires considerable effort, so while it increases the repertoire, it also has significant drawbacks.

But this spell...

"Hey, old man. Isn't this what you'd call a demi-god level spell?"

"A spell to raise an island is not something a novice can handle."

"I'm still a novice too!"

The request was rejected without discussion.

"You're no fun. If that's the case, you probably lack ambition too!"

"Really, it's none of your business!"

"Speaking of which, I was asked to modify Falv's land."

He threw another parchment on the table.

"Give me this one from the start."

Yuto snatched it up and read the document seriously.

It was a city design plan.

While the land leveling and zoning were necessary, they were within Yuto's capabilities. However, urban planning was beyond his expertise.

That's why he had turned to the Great Sage Vainamainen.

"Isn't this quite different from what I asked for?"

Yuto had intended to use the fortress as part of the city walls and to lay out the city in a grid pattern.

In the plan Vainamainen provided, the fortress was at the center of the city.

From there, the city was roughly divided into four sections—cultural, administrative, commercial, and residential—arranged in concentric circles.

While it was a rough outline, it included more detailed plans, such as the development of water supply and drainage systems using the Lady River that flowed nearby.

That was fine, but...

"Hey, old man. There are no city walls in this plan?"

"No need, no need. It's foolish to limit the city's growth with such things."

"But we need them. Every decent-sized city I've seen since coming here has had walls."

"Meaning, they didn't exist in your homeland."

"True, but..."

Yuto thought of the historical dramas he had seen on TV.

(There should be at least a moat. But it would be around the castle.)

The lack of walls was true.

"City walls are needed because humans fight each other. There's no such possibility in that area."

"That's true, but there are goblins..."

"Those can be handled with the *Evil Repulsion Barrier*!"

Instead of physical walls, the spell would create a barrier. It was a blind spot.

The *Evil Repulsion Barrier* could prevent goblins from entering, though it wouldn't stop their arrows. With Yuto and Alcia around, they would notice any approaching goblins, and the residents could take refuge in the fortress.

It was, upon reflection, a very reasonable solution.

"But, to surround the entire city with the *Evil Repulsion Barrier*... How much effort do you think that would take?"

"Can't you do it?"

"I can... but..."

He could. It was beyond the capabilities of an average magician, and Yuto himself couldn't cast it, but his companions could.

"In that case, a lot of silver will be needed..."

To use the *Evil Repulsion Barrier*, silver powder had to be used to draw lines. For an entire city, it would be a significant amount.

"Tomorrow, I'll go to Harenturm."

Harenturm had its own set of problems.

Pirate ships had sunk, blocking the entrance to the port, and the recent storm had damaged the port facilities.

With these surface-level issues in mind, Yuto decided to expedite his plans.

While it was not part of the original schedule, his adventures had often not gone as planned. This was part of Yuto's daily life.

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