Ch.4949. The County of Lyon (1)

My plan, tentatively called the ‘Moving Hut’ project, may have started as a mere idea, but by the time I proposed it, it had become a conclusion derived from rational judgment.

The carcass of the Adolescent Swamp Dragon we currently possess is incredibly massive, and even if we were to craft a full set of equipment from it, at least 85% would remain unused.

Among the valuable items we obtained during our recent spoils search, there are plenty of precious natural materials, and if necessary, we could purchase additional materials with the large amount of gold coins we earned.

Since we rarely come across such an abundance of materials that are difficult to obtain even with money, I thought we should take this opportunity to create a proper mobile dwelling…

“The Prophet agrees. A good bed that can be set up anywhere and a safe home are the greatest assets for everyone.”

My only human companion, Sophia, also seemed quite intrigued by my proposal.

A self-propelled mobile ‘Nature’s Hut’.

On the surface, it might just look like a movable base, and even that alone would undeniably have value.

Like the druids’ natural concealment, the ‘Nature’s Hut’ can blend into its surroundings, ensuring safety, and the various modern infrastructure I’ve completed inside is also quite convenient.

Lighting that can be turned on and off at will. Plumbing facilities that can provide hot and cold water, a bathroom, and a bathtub. A spacious, comfortable bedroom and a modern kitchen.

Having such a ‘Nature’s Hut’ with all these useful elements for daily life as our personal vehicle would add considerable stability to our journey.

But even considering all this, the mobile ‘Nature’s Hut’ has even greater value.

First, the ultimate goal of my ‘Moving Hut’ plan is a mobile hut made of natural materials.

It has multiple legs on the bottom to safely traverse dangerous terrain, and being treated as a natural object itself, it can bring the mysteries of nature wherever it goes—a kind of mobile otherworld.

By creating a small but independently functioning natural environment that can move, and imbuing this space with unique mystical properties, the entire area where the hut is located is reconfigured as an independent otherworld.

The enormous magical power needed to artificially construct an otherworld can be drawn from the Swamp Dragon’s heart, and the structure is modeled after the Forest Turtle, a magical beast that carries a forest on its back.

The ‘Moving Hut’ created this way will not only have sufficient defensive capabilities thanks to the barrier separating the otherworld, but being treated as a separate world (space) from the outside makes it useful for additional functions like spatial expansion.

Considering that druids are magic users who are most powerful when ‘protecting’ natural environments,

traveling with such a mobile natural environment could provide us with various advantages in different situations.

…But above all, what moved my heart the most was the aspect of having a mobile ‘dwelling.’

To be honest, embarking on a journey that might take an unknown amount of time to gather all twelve animal friends… isn’t exactly to my taste.

I’m not a person overflowing with adventurous spirit or burning curiosity.

Even though I can now wield powers beyond those of my previous human life, I couldn’t escape my middle-class mindset that desires a stable life.

And… therefore, a mobile dwelling is very appealing in the sense that it’s ‘a place I can return to anytime.’

…I can’t deny the influence of a small compensatory psychology of wanting to secure my own home here as well.

Anyway, now that I’ve gained Sophia’s agreement and laid the groundwork for the ‘Moving Hut’ plan,

the first topic we began discussing was, naturally, what form this mobile ‘Nature’s Hut’ should take.

“Just put legs under a hill?”

“The Prophet agrees. Like our comrade said, creating a turtle form might require more resources.”

What I originally envisioned was something like the Forest Turtle that inspired this idea—a forest and house formed on top of a turtle’s shell—but Sophia opposed my opinion with logical reasons.

Since it would just be an inanimate object that could be stored in a warehouse despite having a turtle-like appearance, her argument that there was no need to waste resources creating a turtle… convinced me.

“But wouldn’t it be good to keep the turtle form?”

“…The Prophet doesn’t disagree with that.”

Since this ‘Moving Hut’ plan follows the form of a Forest Turtle in its mystical aspects, we were able to reach a compromise after serious discussion.

In other words, a land turtle with an entire hill as its shell.

It can disguise itself by retracting its legs and head into the shell, and we can use not only the top of the shell (hill) but also the inside as living space.

Meanwhile, regarding the upper part of the ‘Moving Hut’—where the ‘Nature’s Hut’ and nature would be situated—our opinions aligned.

The outermost edge would be lined with thorny bushes to prevent creatures from entering carelessly, and behind that, various plants would be densely planted to form a natural barrier.

One might think that planting a few trees wouldn’t create an effective barrier, but originally, a barrier only needs to mystically isolate the inside from the outside to be established.

Borrowing a bit of magical power to strengthen this barrier is the basic operating principle of barriers used to establish otherworlds.

And after successfully building the barrier and completely isolating the space,

we can expand the interior and divide it into an area roughly the size of a high school from my previous life.

Thus, with the design of the ‘Moving Hut’ plan completed, Sophia and I began the construction of this mobile secret base in earnest.

[[…And so, nature, become our sanctuary.]]

Having decided to stay near the sparsely populated southern swamplands where materials are easy to obtain, I began preparing for the construction of the ‘Moving Hut’ in cooperation with Sophia.

We created additional facilities to prevent the natural byproducts and materials like the Swamp Dragon from deteriorating during processing for the hut construction.

We also formed a space free from external mystical influences and magical power that might interfere with the establishment of the otherworld.

Apart from the spacious interior, the size of the ‘Moving Hut’ as seen from the outside would be at least as large as two modern buses placed side by side.

A wide space is absolutely necessary for constructing a mobile building of this considerable size.

After Sophia and I formed a magic workshop that satisfied all conditions, we began the production of the ‘Moving Hut’ together.

[…Thus, in your name…]

[Noble ones, respond. Pulsate as currents of nature.]

While chanting spells, disassembling materials according to the prepared blueprints, then reconstructing them, and continuously bringing various materials to join them using only magic…

“…Huh? Are we short on materials?”

“Indeed. The Prophet thinks we’re short too.”

In the middle of piling up mystically charged pebbles and ‘working,’ I noticed that we were lacking some materials that weren’t immediately necessary but would be needed for completion.

Things like alchemical solution used as an ingredient for leather powder liquid that erases traces of artificial magical intervention, or angular wood used as material for strengthening barriers.

‘Angular wood should be in the swamplands…’

Angular wood, which lives parasitically on other trees like mistletoe, can commonly be found on troll trees in the swamplands.

Most other materials can also be easily collected in regions like the southern swamplands.

“…The Prophet doesn’t know how to make alchemical solution.”

“I don’t know how to make it either.”

Except for alchemical solution, which cannot be naturally obtained and is used as a base liquid in most potion brewing alchemy.

Fortunately, although alchemical solution takes a long time to produce, any alchemist can make it, and because demand is high, supply is abundant, so it can be purchased at a stable price at any alchemist guild.

“…Can I entrust you with material procurement?”

“Trust the Prophet, Gregory.”

Therefore, we decided to act separately for a while to collect additional materials.

Sophia would visit the southern swamplands to gather potentially scarce materials in sufficient quantities, while I would visit the nearby territory… Baron Leon’s castle to purchase alchemical solution.