Chapter 188

Episode 188

The airship slowly reduced its speed and came to a halt in mid-air. Steam erupted from all sides, and it gradually descended to the ground.

“Selendis, it seems we have distinguished guests from Plantier. Stand down the guard and prepare to welcome them.”

“Yes, sir.”

Selendis, the village head, and the villagers all rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

I approached the airship. Jericho and Freya followed me.

“This is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it. A giant ship that can fly in the sky…”

“It’s also proof of how little interaction the Empire has had with them.”

“With this level of technology, we can definitely further develop the district heating technology.”

I nodded in agreement with Freya.

Jericho said, “I’m warning you in advance, dwarves are picky. It’s best to cater to them in the beginning.”

“I know.”

*Clank!*

With a heavy grinding sound, a door opened on the side of the airship. The door, equipped with hydraulic cylinders, slowly descended to the ground with a metallic clang.

The door also served as a ladder that could reach the ground.

And a familiar face appeared in the opening.

“Master!”

It was Hassale, the manager of the Lucius Trading Company, waving his hand. His face was tanned, probably from all the hardship he had endured.

Hassale descended to the ground and bowed before me.

“Master, I can finally greet you. How have you been? I sent a message to Walker Barony, but there was no way to send someone to the north, so I couldn’t contact you.”

“I lived by the saying ‘no news is good news.’ But your skin is quite tanned. Did you have a hard time?”

“It was harder than I thought to persuade the dwarves. The atmosphere was quite tense.”

Did something happen?

I was about to ask him, but then the dwarves appeared.

They were short, stocky figures clad in light armor.

But they were all muscular and looked incredibly strong. The word “sturdy” perfectly described their appearance.

A dwarf in the most ornate armor stood at the front, followed by dwarf warriors carrying double-edged axes on their backs.

“How many did you hire?”

“About 700. I could have brought more, but the airship’s passenger capacity was exceeded. I’ll bring the rest in the second recruitment.”

“You’ve worked hard. Is that one the representative?”

“Yes. He’s a member of Plantier’s royal family, a renowned engineer and warrior. His name is Balun Ironfist. He’s from the Ironfist clan.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Balun stood before me. He squinted and looked up at me, seemingly wary.

“I just heard the introduction. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m O’Brien of House Walker.”

“Ahem, you’re the one who hired us. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

His voice was rough, as if he had just had a drink of makgeolli (Korean rice wine).

“Humans are so tall, it’s suffocating. My neck hurts from looking up!”

Balun beckoned, and a warrior behind him brought a large wooden box. Balun jumped on top of it, and our eyes met.

The dwarf looked me up and down with an arrogant gaze.

I couldn’t point that out here. As Jericho had said, dwarves were a proud race, so it was best to cater to them.

I could point it out later, after I recruited him into my family.

“Hmm. You look more delicate than I expected. Can you even catch a single monster?”

“Hahaha!”

The dwarves burst into laughter. Hassale, who was watching, tried to stop them, but I waved my hand, signaling that it was okay.

“But why did you hire 700 of us? I heard you’re building some kind of giant device. What was it again, a heating device?”

“That’s right. We’re planning to build devices that can supply hot water to the northern regions of the Empire.”

“You mean, not just one city, but the entire north? Is that even possible?”

I thought an artisan would be curious, but he was pessimistic.

“It would be impossible under normal circumstances. It requires a lot of manpower, and the climate here isn’t suitable for construction. But we’re different.”

I called Fabian. He was the Chief Mage and a research-oriented mage who could summon various golems.

“Fabian, could you create a golem?”

“There’s not enough rock here, so I’ll try making one out of ice.”

“Alright.”

The dwarves flinched at the word “golem.”

“What? You’re saying he’s a mage?”

“You’ll see.”

*Rumble!*

Fabian waved his hand, and snowflakes swirled, forming ice chunks. The scattered ice chunks gradually took the shape of a human.

It only had the shape of a human; its size was overwhelmingly different. It looked at least five meters tall.

“Oh… This is a golem! A construction golem! He really is a mage!”

“Whoa!”

“It’s a golem!”

The dwarves, who were still disembarking from the airship, cheered.

A magic golem and dwarves with pickaxes were a perfect match. It finally felt like a medieval fantasy.

The cheerful dwarves danced around the golem. Many of them took out beer and started drinking.

It suddenly felt like a campfire party.

The golem stood awkwardly in the middle, and Fabian, who had summoned it, looked embarrassed.

“I heard that in ancient times, mages often worked with us to build structures. I heard the Imperial Palace was built that way. It’s like a dream come true!”

Dwarves were a race that didn’t lie.

I used ‘Mind’s Eye,’ but his joyful expression was evident.

“There will be many opportunities to work together in the future. About 100 mages will be involved in this construction project. More than half of them can summon golems.”

“How did you manage to mobilize so many? I heard the Empire restricts the use of magic.”

“There were special circumstances. I’ll explain later. For now, it would be best to show you the heating device. It’s difficult to show it to everyone, so could you please select three or four representative engineers?”

I took Balun and the engineers to the heating facility. The northern warriors couldn’t take their eyes off the dwarves.

The clever Freya warned the northern warriors not to provoke the dwarves.

It was only natural. Both races were quite proud.

“Huh, what is this?”

“It’s a small-scale heating device. It’s supplying hot water to this entire village. What we’re planning to build is a facility ten times larger than this.”

“No, that’s not what I’m asking. Why does it look like this?”

Balun frowned as he looked at the giant furnace fused with the magic plant.

I thought a dwarf artisan would be impressed, but this was unexpected.

“A plant connected to a mechanical device. I’ve never seen anything so bizarre. Are you trying to defy the laws of nature?”

The reason dwarves were friendly with elves was because they followed the laws of nature.

This was an important question, so I had to answer carefully.

“I believe this is also within the laws of nature. After all, it’s a device created by a being chosen by nature. It’s the same principle as melting iron mined from a mine to make weapons. If it benefits everyone, God will be pleased.”

“Is there no possibility of this being used as a weapon? If you’re building a device this large, the mana storage must be even bigger.”

“That’s unlikely.”

I gestured, and Jericho brought a magic plant. I lightly tapped the magic plant as if knocking.

*Shatter!*

The dwarves gasped as they saw the magic plant shatter like glass.

“Magic plants are inherently weak. They need to be fixed in place, so they’re not suitable for use as weapons.”

“I see. You’re melting snow to create water. How did you make the pipes?”

“We infuse them with magic power to prevent heat loss. That’s why we needed mages.”

Balun pondered for a moment and then clapped his hands.

“I think we can do this.”

“That’s a relief.”

“This village seems to be finished. Where should we go?”

“We’ll be going to the capital of Whitefield County. Get some rest today, and we’ll move tomorrow.”

“Alright.”

I left the dwarf engineers at the heating facility and moved to a quiet place. I had a lot to ask Balun.

Balun said he wanted to drink, so I prepared some for him. He pushed the glass aside and drank straight from the bottle.

“Ah, this is good liquor. Liquor from other regions is too bland and tasteless, but northern liquor is quite good.”

“We have plenty, so drink as much as you like.”

“But how did a southerner get involved in northern affairs?”

“I’m not interfering, but offering help. I’m the Plenipotentiary of Kalisto and an envoy of the Imperial Family.”

“Huh, you’re quite impressive for a young man.”

“There’s chaos in the Empire and other countries right now. I heard the atmosphere in Plantier is also tense these days.”

Balun sighed deeply at those words.

“Plantier is a place blessed by God. The mountains surround it like a fortress, so it’s rarely invaded, and there are hardly any monsters. But the number of monsters has increased significantly in the past few months.”

This confirmed it. The demonic energy emanating from the ‘Dark Souls’ wasn’t limited to this continent.

“Then there must be problems in the territories of other races as well.”

“I heard that monsters and demons have also appeared in the elves’ land. As for those orcs, it’s their problem whether they live or die.”

“I think we should join forces in times like this.”

“I agree. I have a bad feeling about this.”

An alliance between races wasn’t really my concern. It was a matter for the rulers to resolve, as it involved various interests.

What I wanted to focus on now was this large-scale construction project in the north and Selendis’s situation.

“Balun, what are your plans for the airship after you settle down in Whitefield tomorrow?”

“I don’t have any particular plans. Why do you ask?”

“I was wondering if I could borrow it for a while. I’ve been away from my territory for a long time, and I’m a bit worried.”

“Sure, go ahead. You paid a hefty sum, so it’s only natural for us to help you. Use it as much as you like until the construction is finished.”

“Thank you.”

I had a lot to do when I returned to Walker territory. I had to report the progress in the north to the mastermind and find a way to cross the Veil Sea.

The next day, we boarded the airship and headed for the capital of Whitefield County.

The airship was sturdy and fast.

I asked for a tour because I wanted to know how it worked, but I was refused. It was impossible to enter the engine and power unit compartment.

“They’re so stingy. It’s not like it’s some amazing technology!”

Jericho grumbled. He seemed curious too.

“We can make something even better. Instead of riding these things, we can just teleport everyone.”

“Hmm, are you talking about the portals the ancients used?”

“Something like that.”

“…You won’t get anything by looking at me like that. You know I have a lot to do.”

I just grinned.

We arrived at the construction site. The dwarf engineers and mages all disembarked and unloaded their luggage. I left Jericho in charge of the site.

“Have a safe trip. Give my regards to the Lady.”

“Alright. Do you need anything?”

“A vacation. A long vacation.”

“I like how consistent you are.”

*Boooo—*

The horn sounded, and the airship slowly rose. Jericho’s waving figure gradually disappeared into the distance.