Chapter 180 (1/2)
Territory Pioneering 2
I’m not exactly sure how many days have passed since I arrived here. I know it hasn’t been more than twenty days and if I had to guess, I’d say it’s been a little under two weeks. I’ve been so focused on how my territory has been developing that I’ve actually lost track of the days.
Part of the reason for this is Christina.
“Oi~! Look over here at what I made!”
The loligon was happily bouncing up and down next to a brand new structure.
We were standing in a large city square that hadn’t existed at all just days ago. There was a large fountain with a massive statue of a dragon shooting water from its mouth located in the centre of the square.
Even though this is my town, I had been primarily focusing on paving the roads and doing other menial work while the loligon had been busy constructing these ornate statues and opulent manors fit for only the richest of the nobility.
I hadn’t even noticed this new dragon statue until she pointed it out.
“Whoa, that’s amazing….”
“Right!? It’s beyond amazing! I wouldn’t hold it against you if you wanted to praise me more.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m going to admit defeat.”
“Fufufu~, then I’ll just have to make more amazing things until you do.”
“We’ll see about that!”
I can’t deny that the loligon’s attention to detail has surprised me. When we fought previously, her magic was focused on widespread destruction, but her construction magic can produce statues and buildings with many finer details that I’d never be able to reproduce.
Working beside her for just a few days has shown me that I’m nowhere near competing with her when it comes to construction magic. But, her being here is still a good thing. Seeing her constructions evokes the competitive spirit in me and gives me a goal to aim for.
“Oi, Tanaka-san, we’ve finished up the interior on this building.”
“Thanks for your hard work.”
Whenever Christina and I finished the large-scale construction on the buildings, we’d hand them off to Gonzalez and his men to finish up the interiors by attaching doors, windows, moving in furniture, or anything else they can think of.
Working together as a team like this feels so rewarding.
I can honestly say this is the most fulfilled I have felt since coming to this world.
“What should we work on next?”
“There’s a large tower that Christina-san built. You’ll probably need to grab some of the men working in the west to help out.”
“On it!”
“Oh, and are your men continuing to produce the bath additive?”
“They’re handling that in Tricklis.”
“In Tricklis?”
“Yeah, those we left in the city are producing it to sell and for use here. Considering the abundance of raw resources here, I’d guess that we’ll have more than we can ever hope to use. I hope you’re keeping your expectations high. We’re already working on negotiating contracts with surrounding cities and even some other countries. We wanted to negotiate the prices while we have a monopoly.”
“Ah, I see. That will be a big help, thank you.”
“The only real issue I see is the final step in the production process. I don’t think any mage but you is capable of adding the necessary mana. If it’s just mana potions, our mages should be able to handle it, but they don’t have enough mana to be able to charge all of the powder.”
Ah, that’s right. The additive will have an affect on its own when it’s added to the baths and it’s easier to add mana to a liquid solution rather than the powder. To be honest, it tastes horrible in liquid form and I don’t see it having any practical use in its current state. We could potentially sell it in town as a sort of souvenir. It could be like a gag gift of this world.
“….”
I instantly thought of Nannuzzi-san gagging after trying the mana potion I made previously.
According to Gonzalez, when the pessari grass in tablet form is added to a mana solution, it acts as an moderately powerful mana potion. Even after hearing this, I can understand why Nannuzzi-san failed me. The taste would’ve been enough on its own to fail me no matter how effective it may be.
It’s only natural. If I were to cook a meal with exquisite presentation and cost me almost nothing to produce, it wouldn’t matter if it ended up tasting disgusting. No one would buy it. I guess the main difference between these scenarios is that the mana potion would be used in life or death situations.
I can’t imagine anyone would choose death over drinking an acrid potion.
Which is why it may work as a souvenir. It can be a joke for the most part and this may make up the majority of our sales at the start, but once people discover how effective they are, I’m sure everyone will try to discover the source.
“Is something wrong?”
“Ah, no, it’s nothing.”
“Then I’ll be heading out, all right?”
“Of course, thank you for your efforts.”
Gonzalez and his men quickly gathered everything they needed and took off in the direction of the tower.
The men of the Twilight Company led by Gonzalez each looked excited by the work ahead of them. As he ran off, Gonzalez had a broad smile that was somehow different than his usual smile. His broad back looked reliable as he ran off into the distance.
It’s nice.
It reminded me of an art class in elementary school.
There was a big kid in class that taught me how to cut styrofoam with a heated wire.
“Oi, over here, look at this wall I made! Do you think you can break it?”
“Are you doubting the power of my fireball?”
“Who knows? But if you’re confident in your fireball, fufu, then you should be able to destroy it!”
“Fine, I’ll accept your challenge. I’ll take out that wall with ease.”
“Oh, g-good, but you have to do it in one shot! No more than that, okay!?”
“I understand. One shot is all I need.”
Without a sound and no preparation, I shot a single fireball into the centre of the monolith next to the loligon. A single one of my fireballs is capable of destroying an entire building. Even if I’m holding back slightly to avoid damaging the surroundings, this monolith stands no chance. My fireball erupted into a pillar of fire which left only a wall of smoke where the pillar once stood.
The dejected expression on the loligon’s face was cute.
“Wha –”
I was expecting the pillar to be completely evaporated, but once the smoke had cleared, the monolith stood there as if it were mockingly looking down on me. I had been serious with that shot — intending to destroy it — but the only sign of the attack I had just launched were the scorch marks and a sizable crack that ran down the face of the pillar.
But the monolith stood strong.
“Aha! Look at it! My wonderful wall!”
The loligon had been tense up until a moment ago, but now was happily smiling and laughing, relieved.
I don’t want to accept this.
“…you’ve built a very sturdy wall.”
“This is my power! Bow down before the might of my magic! What do you think!? Isn’t it the best!?”
“Yes, it certainly is. It’s my loss; I couldn’t destroy it in a single shot.”