Volume 21 Chapter 1 Fortress Of The Mine
It was a bright afternoon, three months after the defeat of the Lamia.
Since then, Al had been traveling between various locations, including the research tower, but he spent most of his time at the mine. His primary work involved subduing roaming Barbarians and magic beasts while setting up secure areas to store materials and park carts.
Now, he had constructed a stone wall—3 meters (10 feet) tall and 3 meters (10 feet) thick—enclosing a 40-meter (130-foot) square space, along with a gatehouse on the north side.
Today, he was testing an entry mechanism for when no one was around to open the gate from the inside.
A magic tool installed atop the wall was programmed to activate the 'Carrier' spell when given a specific password. This spell triggered a disk to push out a rope ladder and drop it down.
The challenge was getting the disk's angle right—without manual adjustments, the rope ladder wouldn't fall correctly. After several attempts, Al finally got it working smoothly, testing it over and over to be sure.
"Sir Alfred—!"
Just as he was about to try again, he heard someone calling from the distance.
Looking up, he saw Neville, the retainer.
Al raised the altitude of his 'Floating Eye' and focused on the road leading to the riverside base.
A group of cargo carts was approaching, loaded with supplies for the roadwork crew. At the front, shouting, was Neville.
It looked like the road repairs were finally complete.
"Clear the road!"
Al quickly spoke the password.
Above the gate, the magic tool activated, and the rope ladder dropped. He climbed up with ease, reaching the top just as Neville arrived at the gate.
"Thanks for your hard work—just a moment—"
From the second floor of the gatehouse, Al waved before grabbing the crank handle. Slowly, the drawbridge that guarded the entrance began to rise.
"Thank you, Sir Alfred."
Once the drawbridge was fully up, the carts rolled into the enclosed area. Workers began climbing down, looking around in awe at the stone walls.
In the last cart, Al's older brother Jasper stepped down. After scanning the surroundings, he walked straight toward Al, who was descending the stairs by the gate.
"Alfred, I heard from the road crew, but... you really built something massive."
The gatehouse was indeed an impressive structure, seamlessly integrated with the wall.
The first floor had a corridor with a drawbridge mechanism and a small guardroom. The second floor housed the crank for raising the drawbridge and a passage leading to the top of the walls, though it lacked proper living spaces.
The third and fourth floors, however, contained several large rooms. Since the walls were 3 meters (10 feet) thick, there was plenty of interior space—enough to create more rooms with partitions in the future.
"Yeah. At first, I just planned to enclose the area with a simple 2-meter (6.5-foot) high wall using leftover stone from the Lamia ruins. But once I started using 'Soften Stone,' I realized how much easier it was without the staff. Before I knew it, I got carried away. I figured, why not add a proper gate? A watchtower? A parapet for defense? And, well... it just grew from there."
Jasper let out a low whistle.
"Seriously, this is basically a fortress. You did all this alone? Just how far can you go...?"
Al shook his head.
"It's all practice for my magic. I did manage to make the drawbridge using 'Soften Metal,' but I still need money for the interior and furniture. The only thing I did was ask a carpenter—who was working on the riverside base—to make some doors for the rooms on the third and fourth floors. Other than that, the floors are just bare stone."
Jasper crouched down and ran his hand across the ground.
"Even if it's bare, it's ridiculously smooth. You can almost see your reflection."
Al grinned.
His proficiency with 'Soften Stone' had improved significantly. Early on, the spell left the stone fragile—easy to crack with a hammer. But over time, he had refined his technique, compressing the material until it resembled polished marble.
At first, shaping the stone required manually stretching it with his hands, wooden boards, or metal rods, like working with clay. Now, he could mold it just by picturing the shape in his mind.
While they talked, Al demonstrated the rope ladder mechanism again, explaining how it worked with a magic-activated password. Jasper was fascinated and tried it several times himself.
Afterward, Jasper scratched his head.
"By the way, it's kind of late to ask, but... is it okay that one of the rooms on the fourth floor is already furnished?"
"What do you mean? Do I need permission? Of course, it's fine. I built this place. I should be able to use at least one room. Honestly, I'm wondering if I can even afford to finish the rest of the rooms. I want to pay for the doors I ordered, but I have a lot of other expenses. Would it be okay if I paid later?"
Jasper looked a little guilty. As a magistrate, he might have been receiving a stipend, but their family wasn't wealthy to begin with. Al, on the other hand, probably had more money at this point.
"No worries. This time, it's on me."
Jasper didn't look entirely convinced but nodded.
Al continued, "Here, take this."
He pulled out a ring of keys and handed them over.
Jasper raised an eyebrow.
"Keys?"
"Yeah. The guards need access to the rooftop, so people will be walking through the hallways a lot. I put locks on the rooms to keep them private."
Jasper nodded in understanding.
"That makes sense. Alright, I'll hold onto them."
"And take this too."
Al handed over two small, square trays, each about 12 centimeters (5 inches) wide.
Jasper examined them curiously.
"What are these?"
"They're linked mailboxes. You can use them with the 'Send Mailbox' spell."
Jasper frowned, unfamiliar with the spell. Al took a moment to explain how it worked.
Managing the mining site, Channing Village, and the riverside base was now their responsibility. To aid communication, they had a newly crafted magic tool.
Jasper inspected the small tray in his hands.
"So, with this, we can quickly request help from the capital or Marlow's town if something happens?"
Al shook his head.
"No, sorry, that's not possible."
The magic tools he could create were limited—they could only replicate the magic circuits of existing tools or activate spells he had already mastered. Even then, tools that activated spells directly were only as proficient as a beginner caster.
It was the same challenge he faced when designing the rope ladder mechanism at the gatehouse.
For the Send Mailbox spell, the range was capped at 15 kilometers (9 miles)—the equivalent of traveling 5 kilometers per hour (3 mph) for three hours. That wasn't nearly enough to reach Marlow's town.
Jasper frowned.
"So, you're saying a letter can go from the mining site to the riverside base? How does that compare to a horse?"
Al crossed his arms in thought.
"On a sunny day, a horse might be faster. But at night or in bad weather, it's safer to send it this way. If people are staying at the mining site long-term, it'll be useful for regular communication."
Jasper nodded, visibly impressed.
"You managed to find a magic tool like this? It must've been expensive."
Al grinned.
"I didn't find it—I made it."
"Huh?"
Jasper's eyes widened, his gaze snapping to Al's face.
Actually, back in Lester, Lara's shop was still selling magic tools, albeit in small quantities. The profits covered the costs of rare materials like mage ink. Since crafting took time, and he had no intention of turning it into a full-time business, Al had kept this skill largely under wraps.
"The materials for this—along with the rope ladder mechanism—came from that stock. No new costs."
He smirked.
"It takes a lot to make more, though. I'll only produce two. And, of course, this stays secret."
"Got it."
Jasper tucked the tray into his pocket before pulling out a heavy pouch.
"By the way, this is from Big Brother Gustave. Your reward for the escort mission."
Al accepted it with little ceremony. The weight told him it contained around a hundred gold coins.
"Serena and Lord Dylan must've been generous," he muttered.
"Well, you did your job. But honestly, you've been getting a lot without giving much back—wait. Hold on."
Jasper's expression shifted.
"Alfred. Don't tell me..."
Al scratched his cheek.
"Ah... yeah. I'm heading out for a bit. Should be gone about a month."
Images flickered through his mind—ancient ruins he had glimpsed while flying toward the Messina Kingdom's border, hidden among the streets of Orion.
If he flew straight from Channing Village, he could reach them in about a day.
The plan was simple. First, explore the ruins. Then, visit the cities in Messina that he hadn't been able to with the escort team. He was searching for spellbooks, unknown magic tools—anything that could expand his abilities.
He had been waiting for the right moment, holding off until the iron mine situation settled.
Now, things were in order. The riverside base had several completed buildings, security was in place, and the knight squad had already dealt with the nearby Barbarians and magic beasts.
The cart had just arrived safely from the riverside base.
It was time.
Still, a small part of him hesitated.
The gatehouse, the magic tools—maybe he had overcompensated for not being around to help at home.
And now, with big brother Gustave back in the capital, his departure meant only one male sibling would be left in Channing Village.
Jasper.
How would he take it?
But his older brother simply exhaled, folding his arms.
"I see. I had a feeling you'd take off again sooner or later."
Then, with a confident nod, he continued.
"We've got Lucy and Mary here, plus Myron and Neville. And we have new retinues, too. We'll manage. Just be careful, Alfred."
Al felt his shoulders relax. Jasper wasn't trying to stop him.
"Are we having a feast in the village tonight?"
Jasper added.
Al grinned.
"Yeah. Thanks."
For a moment, the weight of the upcoming journey lifted.
Tonight, he would enjoy the feast. Tomorrow, he would set off.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)