Chapter 130: Preparations for Acceptance
“Persuading the citizens is complete. Although, as expected, there weren’t many who were that reluctant, you know.”
“This is all thanks to His Majesty Royce and Prince Rui-denka for their kind assistance,” the Prime Minister said, bowing his head to me.
“In that case, we’ll have to get started on various things on our end too. Around when are the preparations scheduled to be finished?”
“Let’s see… We’ll hurry as much as possible, but we’d like a week. We believe we undoubtedly have that much time.”
According to past data, it apparently took at least ten months for a Boss to spawn.
Although it was a newly excavated area at the time, they say it should be safe for at least close to half a year.
“Well then, we’ll prepare accordingly on our end. We need to gather Magic Stones.”
“Magic Stones, you say? If size doesn’t matter, we can provide a large quantity.”
Then, when I opened a huge box in the warehouse I was guided to, it was packed to the brim with Low-Grade Magic Stones.
“If this size is usable, we have several thousand tons. Please feel free to use them.”
“Wha- Several thousand tons… That’s a huge help. With this, we can significantly reduce Magical Power consumption.”
Saying that, I started popping huge containers into my Storage Magic one after another.
“Ah, with this magic, carrying things is easy, so I can take out anything with a diameter of fifty meters or less, you see.”
“S-Such convenient magic… Then, we will prepare a list immediately! Takagi-kun!”
“Y-Yes! Then I will proceed to the meeting with all the ministers.”
She gave a bow and quickly departed.
After that, I consulted with the Prime Minister and decided on the direction to dig.
Since I didn’t know which direction to dig to get away from the town, I had them prepare a compass, and we discussed transportation methods after exiting.
Transporting thirty thousand people by myself would be tough, as expected.
However, that worry was unnecessary.
They said that if I could bring out vehicles, moving everyone would be easy.
In that case, all that’s left is to dig the hole, but before that, I need to absorb the Magic Stones.
As expected, Low-Grade Magic Stones of this size can’t possibly activate a large Magic Circle.
The Magic Tool for the hot-air balloon probably won’t work either.
So, although it’s quite inefficient, I’ll convert them into my Magical Power first and then use it for digging.
No matter how low-grade they are, with this much quantity, it should cover a good amount.
As for Sclerosis, there won’t be a problem if I stop before my total Magical Power roughly doubles.
Even if symptoms appear, there’s a cure, so I just need to stop absorbing and hunt some Bloody Bears.
And so, I started rapidly absorbing the contents of the containers.
“Rui!? Any more than that is, as expected…”
“Eh? No, I’m still completely fine. They’re Low-Grade Magic Stones, after all. It’s okay, I’m properly using Maso to measure while I do it.”
I told the worried Yuri-san that there was no problem, and empty containers kept piling up, but I continued absorbing, as it was still far from reaching my total Magical Power capacity.
Finally, when I reached a point where I thought, “This should be about enough,” I stopped.
“Are you really, truly okay?”
“Yeah. Well, in the worst-case scenario, I have Light Magic, and I can just stop absorbing during subjugations, right?”
“I’ve needed Magical Power lately, so this is a godsend,” I smiled at her.
“That may be so, but… please manage yourself properly, okay?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to make you worry either, so if I feel anything, I’ll tell you and deal with it immediately.”
She still looked a little uneasy, but she seemed convinced, so I started preparing for digging again.
First, I prepared the vehicle I made when I dug the tunnel.
The Magic Circle’s size is just under three meters.
This is a passage we’ll only use once.
It only needs to be wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, so I made it a bit smaller.
And then there’s the Slime Jelly, indispensable for digging.
I bought a ridiculous amount of this too.
I loaded it onto the vehicle, and preparations were complete.
“Rui, are we going to go up diagonally like this?”
“No, if we do that, backfilling it will be a pain. I’m thinking we’ll go up with a hot-air balloon once we’re a certain distance away. It seems their vehicles can fly normally too.”
I had Yuri-san conserve her Magical Power for now, and I did everything as we advanced.
Then, after proceeding for about two kilometers, I stopped.
“If we go up from here, we surely won’t be found.”
Ordinary citizens can’t go outside the town. Because of that, there’s basically no one outside.
And, most likely, this place should connect to the inside of a forest.
I took out a map, and Yuri-san and I nodded to each other. This time, to go up, I made a hot-air balloon and attached a Magic Circle to its upper part.
This time, I created a large-scale, twenty-meter Magic Circle, and asked Yuri-san to take on the role of sending Magical Power to the balloon.
The faster the ascent, the better, so for the balloon’s power, besides the new type, I added four old-type ones.
“The faster we go, the more Magical Power we can save, so please do your best,” I gave Yuri-san the order, and we started.
We were ascending at a considerable speed, but we just weren’t breaking through the ground.
Well, I guess it’s to be expected.
There’s the distance of the hole to the Abyss plus about twenty Floors.
While thinking about such things, I desperately sent Magical Power to the two Magic Circles while applying Slime Jelly with Mana Manipulation.
“Not yet…?”
“Is the Slime Jelly stock okay?”
“I wonder. I bought so much, so I want to believe there’s still some left, but…”
So, I checked the Slime Jelly stock.
But, the Slime Jelly I’d gone all over the place to buy up to the limit was almost all gone.
The next large box would be the last.
I had gathered far more than for the tunnel, but… As expected, since the hole is bigger, it’s consuming a lot.
“Oh, it’s already less than ten percent…”
“Mana Essence rises upwards, so I don’t think it’ll be a problem, but if we have to stop midway, we’d want to seal it just in case, right?”
“That’s true. Well, we can still go a bit further, so let’s go until the very last moment.”
And so, as we went up a little more, and a little more, the moment I thought the soil quality had changed, we broke out from underground and were bathed in strong light.
“Whoa, we broke through!”
“Yes! We did it!”
And so, filled with a sense of accomplishment, we ascended into the sky.
While we were at it, I checked the distance to Oldam, and it was just right.
Just as calculated, we were in the middle of the forest, and if we continued to ascend, we should be able to move without being noticed.
Honestly, I feel bad for Lestall, but if we were to share responsibility for this problem, it would likely become a source of conflict. And since these people were originally from Belfast’s side, I’ll handle this discreetly.
Although, Pops’s instruction was “Keep it absolutely secret,” so I didn’t have a choice in the matter to begin with.
“Viscount Oldam, my apologies,” I said, clapping my hands together in a prayer. After that, I reported to the Prime Minister and returned to Belfast once.
Just in case, I bought additional Slime Jelly, and informed the country that securing the escape route was complete.
“Th-That’s too fast… Shouldn’t we prepare the reception at the village first?”
“No, with their technology, it should be fine. They said food, clothing, and shelter wouldn’t be an issue. Isn’t our role more along the lines of security and such?”
“But it’s thirty thousand people. Can we handle even just the security without any preparation?”
“…The areas are already sectioned off, and it seems there are quite a few of Ignat’s subordinates among the immigrating Imperial citizens. It’ll probably be fine. Surely… probably.”
Pops stared intently at my face with an anxious expression.
I quickly averted my gaze.
“H-Hey, I got dragged into this situation too, you know!?”
“I know. It’s a big problem, but I also understand it’s a great achievement.”
“That’s precisely why you need to be cautious,” Pops said, patting my shoulder.
“Yeah. They said they wanted a week for preparations, so in the meantime, we’ll also do as much preparation as we can.”
At that moment, I remembered something important I hadn’t heard about.
“Hey, speaking of which, did you hear about the circumstances behind the church’s establishment?”
“Hm? What are you talking about? They don’t know anything about it. As you predicted, it must have been something the first generation created later.”
Ah, I see. So that’s how it is.
Does that mean… it’s a book written by the first generation?
No wonder it was like elementary school ethics.
“Huh, does that mean perhaps…”
“Yes. The possibility that the Northern Church isn’t lying has emerged. Well, either way, we’re incompatible with them. Our response won’t change.”
But the church’s teachings are a mess, aren’t they?
Hmm. Whichever scenario I consider, it’s incredibly troublesome…
“Let’s leave that for now. How are things with Fastall? Can you go already?”
“Yes. The necessary work has been completed. From here on, I leave it to His Majesty and the Marquis.”
Pops made a briefly bitter face, then said, “Understood. I’m counting on you,” and sent Gramps off.
“Well then, Prince-denka, could you guide us to the village?”
Duke Fastall, knowing that the preparation time was short, seemed eager to head to the location as soon as possible and urged us to move.
“Yeah. What about the luggage?”
“It’s gathered downstairs. We’d like to request transport for about fifty people; can we do it in one trip?”
“With the current output, I think we can… maybe.”
There are a total of eight of Mizuki’s masterpiece Magic Tools.
As long as we can ascend with the hot-air balloon, we can initially gain speed by gliding, so we can probably fly.
Thinking that, I created a large-scale hot-air balloon with Maso and took off.
I flew much higher than usual and spread my wings as wide as possible, and it was so stable I felt like I could easily carry even more people.
It seems that as long as I maintain a certain speed, the weight capacity is quite generous.
And so, I somehow managed to deliver them, briefly introduced everyone, and then guided them to the mansion.
“Is this truly a village that has just begun its development…?”
the old man exclaimed, astonished by the village’s progress the moment he spoke.
“Yeah. Everyone, including me, worked hard, you see.”
“It’s as if it’s reached a level that would take decades…”
No, no, decades is an exaggeration.
I was about to retort that he must mean a few years, but considering the levees and roads, I held my tongue, thinking it might not be entirely wrong.
“More importantly, how’s the space? Will the area south of here be enough?”
Fortunately, this mansion is situated a bit to the north. The southern side has the most open space.
However, I’m not sure how it will be when considering the ratio of people.
“For thirty thousand, there shouldn’t be a problem. For now, at least.
In the meantime, if it becomes necessary, we’ll have to develop it further.”
I can’t decide yet, as I don’t know how they will interact with our people.
It would be easiest if no barriers were needed, but if they can’t have children, the need to separate them will often arise.
In that case, he says we’ll probably have to increase their designated area.
“It’s a great help having you here, Ojii-chan. I’ll leave that area to you.”
“Yes. Leave it to me. Actually, my heart is quite excited.”
he said, his expression softening.
It seems he’s feeling uplifted by the situation of personally taking command of this important matter, carrying on the wishes of the first founder.
As for me, I’m very grateful if he’s happy to do it, so I replied with a smile, “That’s good to hear.”
“However, we don’t have much time. I’d like to get started right away, if that’s alright?”
He stood up, asking to be introduced to the craftsmen in charge of zoning.
I nodded, and as soon as I put him in touch with the Imperial craftsmen, Ojii-chan immediately made a request.
“Mhm. I want you to give instructions to my soldiers and have them build it with utmost urgency.”
“I see. However, to enclose this distance in a week is…”
“I know I’m asking for the impossible.
You just need to instruct the soldiers on the series of construction methods and supervise them.
As for the work speed, I’ll have them give it their all, no matter what.”
Duke Fastall said, looking at his soldiers. The face of the kind old man was gone.
The soldiers, realizing they’d come to a terrible place, closed their eyes and gritted their teeth.
These were the soldiers who had come to our aid during the Leben incident.
I wanted to offer them a lifeline, but for this, they just have to persevere.
I watched the conversation unfold, thinking I’d help out if I had time.
“Haa… If that’s the case, we should probably get started right away.”
“Mhm. It helps that you’re quick on the uptake.”
“Your Highness, is it alright to use the materials from here?”
“Yeah. Use all of it. If we run out, I’ll buy more.”
Once I told them that, they started moving immediately, already setting up stakes and marking lines with string.
There’s no point in me staying here any longer.
“What should we do…?” I said, turning my gaze to Yuri.
“The people from Tokyo are arriving in a week, right? What’s the situation with the Empire’s side?”
“Ah, since I promised to accept them too, I guess I should go check on them and make plans.”
I said I’d leave it to them, but there are probably supplies and such that I need to prepare.
I should also bring the Magic Tool of Regeneration, just in case, and let them use it if they’ve already started treatment.
Ignat knows about the Tokyo matter, so that shouldn’t be a problem…
“Before that, I need to talk to Rose-tachi.”
“What about?”
“I was thinking of asking them if they’d become Hunters and take up trading.”
The people in this town are mostly those who can’t go outside.
“At the very least, we need people to connect us with the outside for trade-related matters, right?” I asked her.
“Ah, it’s dangerous for the people from Tokyo to go out carelessly, and the Imperial citizens can’t go out either, can they?
So, you’ll talk to them first, and then head to the Empire?”
“That’s right. Though, regarding the Empire, if they haven’t moved from their base camp, I won’t go near.”
When I said we’re outsiders over there, Yuri nodded, and our course of action was decided.
I immediately headed to the saltworks, gathered everyone, and talked to them.
“So, for those reasons, I’d like to ask you all to take up trading, if possible.”
“I see. So you want us to handle everything up to selling the salt we make?”
“No, you can leave the salt production to others. In fact, I’d like you to share the work with those who don’t have jobs.
Trading is a job that only you guys can do right now.”
Most of the people coming from the Empire probably won’t be able to find work.
So there’s no need for you to take on multiple jobs.
“You say only we can do it, but we’ve never done it before, and we can’t even fight, you know?”
I explained to a troubled-looking Rose.
First, I explained the fundamental issue: the Imperial citizens who will be coming cannot leave the town.
Then, I talked about the plan if they accepted.
First, they’ll undergo training to become capable of fighting, and initially, they’ll have escorts.
I’ll only entrust it to them fully after confirming they can handle everything themselves.
“I’ll assign Knights who can also teach them the trading business as escorts,” I added.
“All of us?”
“No, I’d like as many adults as possible to do it, but for the children, just enough to act as attendants will be fine.
Because they’ll inevitably be looked down upon…”
“As many as possible? It’s not compulsory?”
“No, you guys aren’t slaves anymore. You have the right to choose your work unless it’s an emergency.
If you want to continue with salt production, I’ll find others for this.”
When I replied, she asked to discuss it, and the adults gathered to talk amongst themselves.
“Ah, could you excuse just this one? She’s like a mother to the brats.”
“Excuse her…? If you don’t want to, you can really refuse, you know.
I’m not going to be mean if you refuse, okay?”
“No, I’m anxious, but it’s not like I hate the idea.
It’s only us who can do it, right? Then we’ll do it.”
Looking around, Rose and several other former miners nodded.
“That’s a relief. Well then, I want you to gain fighting strength by hunting monsters from the sky again, but before that…”
I continued, explaining the future plans.
Naturally, I won’t do something like sending them outside immediately.
First, they’ll repeatedly hunt Bloody Bears while learning Maso and Enhancement Magic.
After that, they’ll undergo light combat training, and if I have them equip the Abyss Magic Tool set, they should be able to go outside without worry.
Naturally, it will take a considerable amount of time.
However, the only really difficult part is learning Enhancement Magic.
If we allocate about three months for learning that, and about two months for hunting from the sky and training, it should work out.
Until then, I just need to do the shopping and such myself.
“Will three months be enough?”
“Yeah, since they’ll be concentrating solely on learning it as their job, it’ll probably be even faster.”
Hiroki said it took him a year, but he probably wasn’t doing it continuously every day like a job.
I imagine it was more like he did it reluctantly when he was told to.
Come to think of it, she also nodded and said, “That’s true. If one concentrates on a single thing, even if they’re not good at it, it might take about that long.” So my guess doesn’t seem to be off.
They were hesitant, saying things like, “Isn’t that something you learn in your spare time from work?” and “We’d actually be troubled if you told us not to work,” but I told them that their first job is to become capable enough to manage outside.
I also told them not to worry, as they would be paid a regular salary.
And so, the discussion was settled, and it was decided that they would start learning Enhancement Magic from today.
All that’s left is to go see the Empire, and then I can probably relax until it’s time to call the people from Tokyo, I thought, letting out a breath.