Chapter 331
Adam moaned involuntarily beneath the pressure of the burden on his shoulders.
"Hello, are you alright?"
"I'm, I'm good."
"Don't strain yourself. It's not like you're only here for a day or two!"
"I'm truly fine!"
"You're quite energetic for your age. Keep it up!"
Feeling a surge of annoyance at the playful tap on his back, Adam couldn't help but laugh. He realized it wasn't harassment; it was just a friendly pat that missed his back completely.
Dwarfs and creatures made of rock.
Just a few years back, these imaginative beings were simply characters in fairy tales. Yet here they were, bustling around right before his eyes. Not because he was an adventurer, but just as a construction worker.
He had heard a lot about the changes in the country, but to Adam, reality felt like life had just become a bit simpler.
He had been too occupied trying to earn a living.
But this construction site was showcasing sights he had never witnessed before. It made him grateful that he had come.
For example...
"Hey, what are you doing over there? Squad 13! Are you just going to stand there?!"
"I, I'm coming! I'm coming!"
It seemed like he had lost track of time while lost in his thoughts.
Adam tore his gaze away from the rock creature he had been observing under the scolding of another dwarf overseer and got back to work.
While the winter labor was indeed demanding, the sheer novelty of the site made him glance around from time to time.
The overseers didn't harshly reprimand him for this, as most of the workers were behaving similarly to Adam.
At the northwestern border of the McLain Kingdom,
the Teresa Gorge, known as a junction leading to the Esperanza Duke Territory in the north and the northeastern part of the Empire, along with the eastern end of the Hunter's Way.
Upon entering the kingdom through the gorge, numerous individuals were involved in constructing a fortress.
Dozens of dwarfs were coordinating the workers, and there were at least three to four thousand laborers toiling under the sun all around. Additionally, dozens of five-meter-tall rock creatures were moving through, carrying enormous rocks or stacks of logs.
All their movements harmonized flawlessly like intricate clockwork, functioning without any waste.
"Hey, Squad 13! Speed up a bit!"
"Squad 7, slow down! Are you really checking the quality of the wood?!"
Among the overseeing dwarfs, there was one notably 'plump' dwarf. Every time he pointed at something, the various actions would relax and then tighten up, restoring their efficiency.
Small trade caravans passing through the gorge to enter the kingdom occasionally paused to witness the astonishing spectacle.
"What kind of construction is happening in the middle of winter?"
"It seems like they're building a fortress."
"Here?"
"Are they actually going to impose taxes when we pass through?"
"Come on, that's unlikely."
The merchants' discussions began with thoughts of profit but quickly turned into complaints about their rulers due to worries about their finances.
"These poor kingdom residents really have it tough."
"True? They're compelled to work during winter, when they should be taking care of themselves."
"I've heard rumors about tyrants, but it seems they truly are going too far."
Nevertheless, in stark contrast to their grievances, the majority of the laborers transporting wood, stones, and soil had bright smiles despite the sweat beading on their foreheads.
"At least the pay is good, so it's worth it."
"Thanks to the king, we have work even in the middle of winter."
"Exactly. Plus, there are plenty of interesting sights to see."
"Agreed!"
"Oh, look! They're doing it again! Watch!"
"Wow!"
As the laborers moving stones took a break and chatted, their eyes turned towards the ongoing construction of the fortress walls.
There, individuals clad in loose, baggy robes that seemed out of place on a construction site were working diligently.
"Earth Wall!"
As the brown-clothed mages, their faces tense with focus, shouted like a cry,
the ground in front of them began to shake as if an earthquake had hit, then rose up into a massive earthen wall that stood over five meters tall.
Before the thick, stirred-up dust could settle, the red-clothed mages followed up with their own chants.
"Now, solidify it!"
"Fire!"
"Fire Ring!"
As their incantations concluded, the earthen wall was engulfed in intense flames.
After the fiery blaze calmed down somewhat, the green-clothed mages spoke.
"That's enough. Fire and earth mages, retreat! Now, cool it!"
"Ice!"
"Ice Fog!"
As the fiery earthen wall began to solidify completely,
the rapid construction of the support structure for the fortress walls—originally a task that would take the longest time—was completed in an instant, creating a breathtaking scene.
"I never thought I would witness mages on a construction site in my lifetime. I thought they were all secluded in towers."
"Seriously. Additionally, I didn't expect them to work this diligently."
"It's all because of those individuals over there."
The spot Adam pointed to was where the brown-clothed mages bearing distinct patterns of peculiar dolls had gathered.
With their gestures, dozens of massive rock creatures moved in every direction, transporting supplies and erecting the fortress walls.
The sight of a dozen mages swiftly raising a giant wall was indeed impressive, but the rock creatures they controlled were notable for handling the most crucial tasks required around the site rather than just displaying flashy performances.
These perilous tasks, which usually resulted in the most injuries or fatalities on a construction site, were entirely carried out by the rock creatures.
Furthermore,
"Welcome, Master."
"Yes. Everything going well today?"
"Yes, no issues."
The moment the robust, intimidating middle-aged mage joined them,
"Rise!"
Vwoooooooom.
Grroooooooowwwwl.
Boom! Crash!
In an instant, over thirty rock creatures emerged from nothingness on the ground beneath them, each one significantly larger than the existing rock creatures.
"Whoa!"
"That's incredible!"
"One person is doing that...?"
"Could that possibly be the Archmage?"
"Oh! I heard rumors about that."
"Apparently, the greatest mage in the kingdom!"
The performance of the specialized rock creature mage surpassed that of dozens of other mages.
Moreover,
"Apologies for being late!"
At that moment, a young woman with azure hair dashed in rubbing her eyes.
Kugugugugug.
Boom! Crash! Boom! Crash!
Around twenty rock creatures, slightly smaller than the previous ones, emerged from the ground.
"...What?"
"...Did I see that correctly?"
It must be a rock creature master's ability. What can a young woman achieve?
Had the onlookers heard that, they might have been astonished. Yet, the reality felt surreal nonetheless.
The smaller rock creatures moved much more fluidly than the earlier ones, weaving in and out among the workers and aiding them and the existing rock creatures with their tasks.
Though small and seemingly fragile, their movements were incredibly precise, eliciting an involuntary gasp from Clayton, who was observing.
"Now she handles those rock creatures better than I do."
"Well, it seems they have distinct qualities. To move like that, twenty is the limit."
"Haha, that alone isn't impressive enough. It's a difference in talent."
At only fifty years of age, Clayton, who had reached the rank of an archmage and belonged to the younger generation among the superhumans, openly praised his young pupil.
And for Clayton, it was completely justified.
His young apprentice possessed talents that surpassed merely attaining the status of an archmage before reaching twenty.
The seemingly uncomplicated scene was not a mere stroke of luck.
To make rock creatures move like actual people was a task that demanded great skill—surpassing even the bounds of magical prowess. For an experienced mage like him, controlling more than one or two rock creatures was a challenging feat.
When he directed a large number of rock creatures, he would predetermine their behaviors based on magical principles, simply infusing magic power afterward.
When overseeing dozens of them, he had only succeeded in having them follow basic commands, hence he had always believed that was the limit the circumstances could allow.
Yet this young pupil was managing a full twenty rock creatures as if they were individuals.
Despite having awakened a higher form of affinity with Earth and feeling completely aligned with the land around, it still seemed unbelievable.
'Controlling twenty at once is akin to multitasking.'
It was a concentration and control ability that could not go unnoticed.
Moreover, he knew that the apparently small and feeble appearance of the rock creatures was a result of Viktor's intentional adjustments.
'It's merely carrying out the directive from His Majesty to conceal their expertise.'
Yet, because of that fact, the rock creatures exhibited even more intricate movements, showcasing the superior talents hidden due to the order to mask.
'Where did such a child come from?'
It was truly astounding.
Additionally, Viktor himself was also an aura user.
Siblings born to enslaved parents were now both nearing superhuman status at a tender age of around twenty.
'Those appearances... Could they possess the lineage of legendary dragons? Hehehe.'
Such a whimsical thought involuntarily crossed his mind.
Nonetheless, amid all this, Clayton remained vigilant, observing the surroundings on behalf of his focused disciple.
He was wary of anyone who might be observing this remarkable scene unfold.
Listening to the murmurs from the 'murmurs of the wind' he had gathered from all around, he felt reassured that the laborers were indeed occupied elsewhere.
"But what do those other mages have to do with things? Why are they putting in so much effort?"
"It's a competition, can't you see?"
"Ah, is that so? Who can outdo the other?"
"Exactly."
"...It seems a bit peculiar."
The workers' eyes were solely fixed on the 'mages' as their words reverberated, although the reality they spoke of deviated from the truth.
And the reason for that disparity lay solely with Clayton himself.
- Clear the ground thoroughly and refill. The more boundaries are encountered, the quicker growth happens; research lies beyond boundaries.
All this stemmed from the teachings he had disseminated throughout the Mages' Guild.
In reality, the students of the Golem School had shown significant growth compared to their colleagues from the other four mage towers.
Because since the days of the McLain region, they had endured burdensome working schedules imposed by Logan and their master.
Initially, there were many grievances, but those outcomes had spoken for themselves, motivating the disciples to push themselves further without prodding.
As a result, mages from the royal mage battalion, which belonged to the royal family, had begun to flock to construction sites.
Now, the McLain Royal Mage Battalion had absorbed not only all the mages who previously frequented the five great towers but even the stalwarts themselves.
Those remaining in the five great towers of Grange were only the elder, stubborn mages who found it challenging to adapt to evolving thoughts, meaning most of the younger mages had joined in the fortress construction.
'I might finish sooner than I expected.'
Amid the challenge of channeling their magical abilities towards a demanding project, an involuntary grin appeared on Clayton's face.
Meanwhile, neighboring countries along the border with McLain would inevitably perceive these developments as a foreboding threat.
Just as the initial fortress construction in the northern regions was commencing,
a formal letter of protest from the Empire's royal family was delivered to McLain Castle.