Ch.182Moon Lake, the Lakeside City

In the 100-year history of the pioneers, when was the most glorious moment?

Opinions on this question vary widely.

Some say it was when they discovered the new continent of Grantis and established Mothertown, while others claim it was when they formed bonds with the Elves or Dwarves.

Some point to the moment when the New Continent Pioneer Corps was launched and the western frontier expansion officially began, and many believe it was when Oxville, the first western city, was completed.

But if you ask all these people about the “second golden age” of pioneer society, they unanimously agree:

It was the moment when, after countless hardships, they bypassed the toxic swamplands and discovered the beautiful Moon Lake—

“Wow…”

“Amazing… is this really a lake?”

“Yes. Maximum east-west diameter of 5.1 kilometers, maximum north-south diameter of 3.8 kilometers. This enormous lake is known as ‘Moon Lake,’ considered the most magnificent scenic wonder in Grantis.”

The imposing sight of the large lake spread out behind the rectangular western city.

With this fantastical landscape as a backdrop, Jessica continued her introduction to Moon Lake, the sixth western city.

“This Moon Lake was originally the territory of the Silver Wolf tribe, a wolf beastkin clan. The Silver Wolves considered Moon Lake sacred because no monsters ever inhabited it.”

“No monsters at all? In a lake connected to river streams?”

“Right. Just as Mount Evernight is covered in eternal night magic, this lake has a magical effect that prevents monsters from being born or entering it. In other words, the entire lake is essentially a giant repulsion field.”

A 5-kilometer oval lake that repels monster invasions.

In Grantis, where dark magic has overturned the world and ferocious monsters have begun to emerge, it’s not hard to imagine the value this lake would hold.

“That’s not the only remarkable thing about this lake. Three ley lines were discovered around the lake, and the one on the northeastern slope was so enormous it could be considered the largest ever found.”

“The pioneers who first discovered this place must have been absolutely ecstatic.”

“Yes. The Pioneer Corps, which had only secured modest outposts while bypassing the swamplands, staked everything on establishing the sixth western city. To do that, negotiations with the Silver Wolf tribe, who had already claimed the land around the lake, were essential.”

The Silver Wolf tribe, like the Water King tribe, had physical features strongly resembling beasts, so they were initially mistaken for remnants of the Water King tribe.

However, the Silver Wolves had learned about the pioneers’ existence from the Water King tribe who had fled from the east, and after careful consideration, they decided it would be more beneficial to coexist with the pioneers rather than oppose them.

The two rounds of talks with the Silver Wolf tribe concluded relatively successfully.

The pioneer side gained permission to build a western city on the largest ley line in the northeast of Moon Lake, while the Silver Wolf tribe received support for advanced infrastructure, free passage rights to Moon Lake, and preferential trading benefits.

Although their living spaces didn’t merge like at the Cotton Tail Trading Post, it was still a much more amicable relationship compared to the violent conflicts with the Water King tribe or the Wild Cat tribe.

“And so, Moon Lake was established and came to be known as the Second Mothertown. Not just for its size, but also for its symbolic significance in revitalizing the stagnating western frontier project.”

“The Second Mothertown… certainly a fitting nickname.”

As we entered the city through the gate while listening to Jessica’s explanation, I could immediately see that the name “Second Mothertown” was no exaggeration.

The great barrier in Moon Lake had an unusual octagonal shape.

The barrier tower, built on the largest ley line ever discovered, covered an effective range exceeding that of typical western cities by 1.5 times.

The city’s main street formed a Y-shaped intersection, extending from the barrier tower toward the eastern and northwestern gates, and toward the southwestern part of the city.

This differed from other western cities where the main streets typically ran in straight lines or T-shapes.

“Well then, should we find lodging first… no, we should deliver the memoir to the Pioneer Branch Office first, right?”

“Let’s handle the Pioneer Branch business first. It’s the right building of the twin structures at the central intersection, so you’ll recognize it easily.”

“Got it.”

As we slowly passed through Moon Lake’s shopping district by carriage, I noticed something peculiar.

Despite the prime location adjacent to the main street, there were hardly any lodging establishments to be seen.

For a city claiming to be the Second Mothertown, there must be considerable floating population, so where were the accommodations to house them?

The answer became clear as soon as we reached the central intersection.

“Wow… Aah!?”

“The… the wall has an opening! Is that really okay?”

“Hehe, surprising, isn’t it? It’s natural to think that way if it’s your first time in Moon Lake.”

Beyond the main street extending southwest from the central intersection was an unbelievable sight.

The sturdy walls that should have enclosed the city along the octagonal barrier were missing in the southern and southwestern sections.

The view of Moon Lake’s surface through these wide openings was unlike anything we had seen in any other place we’d visited.

“Originally, Moon Lake city was planned to be built at a slight distance from the northeastern shore. However, the ley line’s output was so powerful and the magic core used in the barrier tower was of such unexpectedly high quality that the barrier extended far enough to cover part of the lake.”

“Then that wall…”

“It’s inside the barrier’s range where it meets Moon Lake. It’s difficult to build walls over the lake, and awkward to build them along the shoreline, so they opened up the wall completely and developed it into a resort and tourist area. That’s why most lodging establishments are built around there.”

So it’s like a lake-view hotel district rather than an ocean-view one.

Even though Moon Lake has an effect that prevents monsters from approaching, this is an incredibly bold city design that most people wouldn’t dare attempt.

“Come on, let’s finish the memoir business quickly and look for a hotel. When I came before, I didn’t have much money so I stayed at the cheapest place we saw earlier. This time, I’ve really been looking forward to something better.”

“Oh, okay. Got it.”

We got off the carriage and, practically pushed by Jessica, entered the Pioneer Branch Office building.

~ ~ ~ The Seventh Western City ~ ~ ~

The same day, 3 PM.

After finishing a late lunch at a quiet restaurant, Jeronimo Günter Brauhorn, the Director-General of the New Continent Pioneer Corps, rubbed his stomach with a bitter smile, anticipating another day of overtime work.

As much as he would have liked to stop by a coffee shop and enjoy a leisurely moment, he needed to return directly to the Pioneer Branch Office to prepare for a 3 PM meeting with the Security Department executives.

It was truly a series of grueling duties that made it difficult to even eat meals on time.

If not for his modest hobby of exploring good restaurants, his stomach would have long since been shredded by stress.

*Bang*

“I’m back…”

“D-D-Director! Something terrible has happened! Aaack!”

*Crash!*

As soon as he opened the door, he saw the branch director with a bright red face rushing toward him, only to trip on the corner of a desk and fall.

“Are you alright, Branch Director James?”

“Ugh… grrrgh…”

“Wouldn’t it be better to go to the hospital? It looks like you hit your back hard on the desk corner.”

“I-I’m fine… r-right now… my back isn’t the problem…”

The branch director answered, trembling but managing to speak.

Director-General Jeronimo was busy preparing for the upcoming meeting with the Security Department executives, but he was also curious about what could have happened to make the normally composed Branch Director James act so frantically.

“What on earth has happened to cause such a commotion?”

“A-Actually, just now… we received a magical telegraph from the Moon Lake branch…”

“I have a meeting at 3, so please be as brief as possible. Has something happened in Moon Lake?”

The sixth western city, Moon Lake, was a very safe city thanks to its unique magical effect, but just beyond the city limits lay numerous mysteries and dangers yet to be discovered.

An urgent message from the Moon Lake branch, sent via magical telegraph, must be a matter that couldn’t be ignored.

Signs of dungeon overflow, illegal magic core trafficking by outlaws, discovery of powerful special monster specimens or harmful artifacts, and so on…

Depending on the severity of the issue, he might need to postpone the meeting with the Security Department, thought Director-General Jeronimo as he removed his hat.

“T-T-The personal memoir of Grand Sage Deidric Asmard… has been discovered.”

He couldn’t help but drop the stylish fedora he was about to hang on the hat rack with a thud onto the office floor.