Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter

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“This is the result of this investigation, and any further investigation will have to be conducted again after the winter is over, I suppose.”

“Well, considering how little time was available, this quantity of information is understandable.”

“That’s for sure.”

After receiving the investigation report on the building from Crave and Gorky, Pumpkin was at home with Mizuki reading the report and exchanging opinions.

“I mean, it is astounding how they managed to investigate so much in such a brief period of time.”

In the report, a map showing the layout of the area around the building (including buildings built in similar architectural styles), a description of the building’s exterior and architectural styles, and a discussion of the building’s construction date, which was surmised based on its historical background. Moreover, the report contained data on magical beasts that can be found in the vicinity and various materials such as plants and ores that can be collected, which will facilitate the allocation of necessary materials and personnel for the next and subsequent investigations more effectively.

According to the report, the building in question was erected at least 500 years ago, in a civilization that was thought to have existed before the establishment of the Senko Country… The exact age of the building itself remained a mystery due to the magic that seemed to be applied to the building to suppress its degradation.

Incidentally, this civilization apparently collapsed following a mysterious natural disaster… and the “Kage-Ochi” was likely to blame for this. There can be no room for disagreement. With practically nothing left of the previous civilization, it would take more than the God of Destruction to wreak that much devastation.

“So, the problem is this.”

“This is…”

Mizuki and Pumpkin both focused on the same sentence in the report.

[Even adventurers who approach the building marked on the map may experience a mild form of Magic Intoxication, while ordinary people may experience severe Magic Intoxication that can lead to death should they approach too closely. Therefore, it is certain that some kind of countermeasure will be essential if investigations of this building are to be carried out.]

Under normal circumstances, what should be of concern to them here would be how to counteract the effects of the magic power, but for Mizuki and Pumpkin, there were more pressing matters to be considered.

“Concentration of magic power that could kill a normal person huh… do you think it’s natural or manmade?”

“It’s hard to tell with this report. Since you mentioned that there are devices to collect and store large amounts of magic in the basement of the human capital, it would not be surprising if there were similar facilities. However, if it is a natural occurrence… it might not be out of the ordinary for it to be born. I don’t know about the attributes, though.”

“Hmm. So it would be better for us to investigate this building in person.”

“Right. That may be better.”

Therefore, what Mizuki and Pumpkin were wondering was whether this magic reservoir was man-made or natural and if it was natural, could a spirit be born from it.

In addition, since Pumpkin possessed a high concentration of magic power in his body and Mizuki was a spirit… she should not be affected by Magic Intoxication unless a high-ranking being like Lean released magic power, so basically no countermeasures would be required.

“In any case, it would be prudent to acquire the required supplies by the end of the winter and then check the area around this structure and the surrounding areas once the winter is through. After that, we may begin looking into the building in question.”

“That’s true.”

Having come to this conclusion, Pumpkin put another piece of parchment in front of Mizuki, ending the discussion on this matter.

“Oh, yeah. I wanted to ask you, Mizuki, if the development plan for the village is like this, would you be okay with it?”

“Uh, hang on a second.”

The parchment described how the Samsara Egg Village would be expanded in the future.

And as to why he showed it to Mizuki, the development of the village was inevitably accompanied by the clearing of the forest due to the location of Samsara Egg Village, and since clearing the forest was an act of destroying nature itself, it became imperative to consult Mizuki, who was a spirit, to determine how far it would be safe to go.

To add to that, if repeated unregulated destruction was committed inside Lean Forest, it would probably provoke a chastisement not only from Mizuki but also from Lean, so Mizuki’s opinion was essential in terms of setting up a precautionary line in that area.

“Yeah. There is no problem, however…”

“However?”

“What about planting ash-hardwoods along this central street? Since it’s related to you, it must have some meaning, but to be honest, the landscape is not very appealing, you know?”

“Oh, that’s it. That’s a reasonable point to make about planting ash-hardwoods.”

As Mizuki said this, Pumpkin took out another piece of parchment.

Written on it was a request from Count Kunuki for ash-hardwood knives and shields (coated with beeswax from the Hunting Bee, of course), as well as lightweight yet sturdy equipment made from plants and ores found in Lean Forest.

Accordingly, certain plants had to be grown in the village to ensure a steady supply, which led to the planting of trees along the streets.

Furthermore, the central street will be a straight stretch of road from the egg-shaped boulder where they were now to Lake Accumulate, and it will be constructed along the existing channel.

The Samsara Egg Village will be rather thin and long according to the plan.

“Hmm. But why is the knife made of ash-hardwood?”

“Unless magic power is applied, the danger is low, and once magic power is applied, it is easy to pierce ordinary armor. In addition, if you want to use ash hardwood, you only need to use the edge part, which means that even a single branch can be used to make a single knife.”

Furthermore, a knife made of ash-hardwood cannot be used for assassination if the wielder was not skilled in handling it like Pumpkin was since it was not sufficiently sharp unless the wielder inserted magic power into it, an act that generally made concealment almost impossible. Conversely, if the wielder was proficient to some extent, they could pierce the heart squarely even if the chest was protected by iron sheet metal armor, making it a weapon suitable for knights to use in close combat.

This was why Count Kunuki requested this weapon, but even though a stable supply was being planned, there was no intention of mass-producing it. After all, there were only a limited number of people who can deal with this weapon, and producing it in small quantities will make it easier to manage and increase the rarity of the weapon.

“Well, since there is no problem, you can go ahead with this.”

“I understand. I’ll proceed with the plan then.”

This project will take several years to complete, so it will be some time before anything will be finished as shown in these drawings.

This was a job that should be done in a relaxed and leisurely manner, so the pace may slow down, but it won’t speed up probably.