The Fortress Blueprint

One hour after securing promises of assistance from Adela, the Edenberg family, and their network of experts, dozens of architects had gathered before us. Among them were several of the otherworldly races I had rescued. True to the terms of the commission, they intended to participate directly in the design process and receive compensation accordingly. Composed of carpenters, stonemasons, and other skilled trades, they wore expressions brimming with confidence.

Those summoned by the two nobles were the finest artisans in the North—masters who had spent centuries maintaining the colossal fortresses along the front lines. There wasn’t a single second-rate builder among them. These were the vanguard of Northern architectural techniques, true craftsmen who had introduced entirely new paradigms. Naturally, their contributions to the North were beyond counting.

Northerners respected artisans as much as they did warriors, and their towering pride meant that even with the backing of a Grand Duke and a Count, I couldn’t simply order them around as I pleased. Still, I laid out the request clearly.

“So what you’re saying is that you want to construct an enormous fortress inside a pocket dimension called the Water Realm?”

“That’s correct.”

“And the reason for building this fortress is to house the monster queens of the War Ant colony that you’ve tamed?”

“Exactly.”

“Since the rift serving as the fortress entrance can be opened anywhere, you’ll want the strongest possible defenses whether attacked from outside or inside.”

“That’s the most critical point.”

“The War Ants will handle the simple labor, and we’ve already prepared a fair amount of materials. So what we need is the fortress blueprint and our team to oversee construction on site?”

“Precisely.”

The dwarf who had stepped forward as the architects’ representative listened to the requirements, then burst into laughter. No—calling it laughter would be an understatement. It was a full-throated roar of amusement. Anyone else might have been flustered by the sudden outburst, but I simply waited with a relaxed smile until the dwarf representative calmed down.

A few minutes later, once he had regained his composure, the dwarf’s eyes sparkled as he looked at me.

“That’s a completely insane idea!”

“Will you take the job?”

“Of course we will—right this instant!”

As expected from first-rate master craftsmen. Rather than focusing on the reward, they were drawn by the sheer fascination of the project. Negotiations proceeded smoothly.

When we entered the Water Realm together, a vast open space greeted us. Unlike the barren wasteland with only a few patches of grass I had first encountered, a proper sun now hung in the sky. Clouds drifted by, winds blew gently, and the lush grass covering the ground brought the entire realm to life. The sheer scale was beyond words.

“Hoh. So this is the Water Realm?”

“A truly unique space. Every condition necessary for living creatures has been perfectly arranged.”

“Hmm. I wonder if the trees that grow here differ from those in the original world?”

Determined to create the most perfect design possible, they had clearly done their homework off-site as well. Their eyes gleamed with the sharp curiosity of researchers as they examined the realm. After surveying the interior with keen interest, they soon noticed the only forest in this vast grassland and their expressions shifted with intrigue.

The presence of a forest here was ordinary enough. But the elf emerging from that forest was anything but ordinary.

“Well now, who do we have here? One of the high-ranking elves, I presume?”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Eliane, servant of the World Tree.”

“Likewise, a pleasure. So you’re the High Elf this young friend brought back under his protection?”

“That’s right. I’ve only recently awakened as a High Elf.”

The dwarf expressed his delight first. Eliane’s eyes widened slightly before she offered a gentle, warm smile in return. In my previous life, dwarves and elves were often at odds, but here in the North the monster threat was so severe that racial grudges had little room to fester. Everyone got along reasonably well. Perhaps when life was comfortable enough, people found other things to occupy their minds.

“By the way, what brings you here? The other friends who stayed in the Water Realm have already left to find their own paths.”

“I need to receive instruction from Kierre, my mentor at the Adventurers’ Guild. I’ve been granted permission to stay here until he arrives.”

“Eh? What business could you possibly have here?”

“There’s a special sapling at the center of the forest. It’s a plant I’ve never seen before, so I was quite surprised. But it intrigued me greatly, so I decided to remain and study it.”

At Eliane’s words—accompanied by a quick glance in my direction—the architects showed clear interest. Those among them who had previously stayed in the Water Realm nodded in agreement.

“In seventy years as a carpenter, I’ve seen countless trees, but never anything like that one.”

“In all my life, I’ve never encountered such a mysterious sapling.”

“It doesn’t seem to be the World Tree itself… but it’s probably something on a similar level, no?”

After sharing their various opinions, the architects set aside their curiosity about the sapling and focused on the task at hand, displaying true professional discipline. As they put their heads together in discussion or explored the surrounding terrain, Adela’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she stepped forward to assist.

“Site preparation is already complete. All the core materials for the fortress have been gathered as well.”

“Then we only need to secure the stone required for construction.”

“That won’t be a problem either. I’ve been scouting the surrounding area whenever I had time and located several promising stone deposits.”

Adela had been working tirelessly to prepare for the construction of a mobile nest. She had even stayed up late studying architectural knowledge, reaching a level comparable to a semi-professional. Thanks to her efforts in laying the groundwork and preparing materials in advance, the preliminary work was completed far more quickly than expected.

The architects who had surveyed the terrain nodded with satisfied expressions.

“Excellent! The foundation is solid, and there’s even a river flowing nearby!”

“With so many sturdy workers available, we can build this fortress with real conviction!”

“For any lumber shortages, we can make use of the trees grown by the World Tree’s gardener.”

“Hoh. Are these the materials you brought back from beyond the front lines?”

After expressing their impressions, the architects finished their preparations and spread out large blueprints across a massive table. They picked up magic-infused pens and began sketching. In just a few hours, they had completed a rough but comprehensive design.

When I glanced at the nearly finished blueprint, its incredible complexity was immediately apparent. This was no ordinary structure.

“You completed this much in such a short time?”

“We incorporated the fortress construction techniques used on the front lines.”

“As for the enchantments on the fortress, we can simply commission the adventurers who regularly work the front lines. Don’t worry about that.”

“It may have been made quickly, but rest assured—we’ll be pouring every cutting-edge technique we used to reinforce the front lines into this project.”

These were some of the greatest artisans in the world. There was no need to worry about shoddy workmanship. When craftsmen with pride that pierced the heavens set their minds to something, they could accomplish the impossible as casually as adventurers slaying monsters.

The only concern was materials. The fortress seemed to have grown larger than I’d anticipated. Even with the inheritance left by Adela’s mother, completion might prove difficult. After some thought, I decided to open up the materials I had stored in my inventory.

“We’ll have to use the materials I looted from the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dark mages as well.”

“Dark mages! The walking piggy banks!”

“I worked hard to rob them specifically for moments like this. No point letting them gather dust.”

If I hesitated to use them out of reluctance, they would simply sit in my inventory forever and eventually be forgotten. Since the materials taken from the dark mages’ stronghold could be obtained again by heading to the Central Region anytime, I made the call. Adela looked at me with deeply moved eyes.

I gently pushed the emotional ant princess aside and asked the dwarf architect,

“How long do you estimate the construction period will take?”

“If the records left by our ancestors who built the front-line ramparts are accurate, working among ourselves we should be able to finish in three years at most.”

“That’s a bit tight. What if we use the War Ants as laborers?”

“Then two years.”

The dwarf’s confident declaration gave me a clear understanding of why they were called first-rate. We weren’t building one of those common several-meter-tall walls found all over the Central Region. This was a fortress to rival the towering ramparts of the front lines—walls at least ten meters high like those protecting Northern cities, plus an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠enormous castle large enough to enclose an entire city.

When I marveled at the dwarf’s ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠claim that he could build it in just two years, he grinned and asked,

“You said three years would be tight, right? I assume you’re planning to use it when fighting the Mountain Dragon?”

“We should use every resource available to us.”

“Wouldn’t it be a shame if the fortress gets destroyed?”

“The Grand Duke will compensate us.”

“True. Given his personality, if the fortress proves useful during the Mountain Dragon subjugation, he’ll surely bestow a generous reward.”

I didn’t know exactly how much that reward would be, but it would certainly be enough to rebuild the fortress even if it were destroyed. The dwarf, who had roughly guessed my intentions, smiled so widely his mouth nearly split.

“In that case, if we build this fortress well, we could earn great merit during the Mountain Dragon subjugation, couldn’t we?”

“That’s right.”

“And if that happens, the names of the artisans who built this fortress will spread far and wide?”

“The entire continent will know of you.”

I immediately understood the dwarf artisan’s intentions. Our eyes met, and as if we had made a pact, we firmly clasped hands in perfect agreement.

“Leave it to us! We’ll work day and night to create the most magnificent fortress you’ve ever seen!”

“I’m counting on all of you!”

“Uahahaahaha!”

“Hahahahaha!”

Imagining a rosy future, we reached a harmonious agreement in a warm atmosphere. The plan moved forward in the blink of an eye. The artisans, apparently planning to settle in the Water Realm for the duration, brought every tool and apprentice from their workshops. They said they would use our prepared materials to create the various devices needed for the fortress. Since stone supplies would take time to secure anyway, I let them do as they wished.

After several more discussions to establish the general direction, we stepped back out through the rift and immediately moved on to the next phase of the plan.

“Now it’s time to secure the stone. Adela, where’s that location you discovered?”

“It’s near Mount Asus.”

Adela pulled out a crumpled map from her pocket and pointed to a spot marked with a red dot on the map of the Edenberg lands. Just as she had said, the point indicated one of the mountains connected to Mount Asus. Notes about the local ecosystem, special features, and the quality of the stone had been neatly written beside it.

Adela’s eyes sparkled as she explained the information she had gathered over time.

“I found it by commissioning the Adventurers’ Guild. It’s a granite deposit with exceptionally hard material—that’s why I marked it.”

“Looking at the ecosystem data, some rather unique creatures seem to live there.”

“They’re called Gorax. Silver-rank monsters. Despite their appearance, they have gentle temperaments. They primarily eat hard stone and minerals.”

The paper Adela spread out contained detailed illustrations and ecological information about the Gorax. They looked like a cross between a pangolin and an ankylosaurus. The Bark used as transport animals in the North were a subspecies of these creatures. Compared to their original species, the Bark were pitifully weak, but even so, in terms of pure strength they surpassed the average Bronze-rank monster.

I carefully committed the information written on the paper to memory.

“They have gentle personalities. So even if we intrude on their territory, as long as we leave quickly they won’t mind.”

“But they become extremely sensitive if you touch their young.”

“It says they live in packs, like the Laserdon.”

Since they preferred harder stones and minerals, it made sense that a Gorax pack had settled in a granite mountain range. After reviewing the information, a rather interesting idea suddenly occurred to me.

“What do you think about taming them?”

“Taming?”

“Right now the only monsters in the Water Realm are the Irregular Laserdon and Protisha. This would be a good opportunity to increase our forces.”

“That’s a good idea. Northern monsters would make excellent immediate combat assets.”

“The more allies the better.”

Everyone expressed positive opinions toward my suggestion. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gorax would be incredibly helpful for the quarry operation we were planning. The princesses could also absorb their genes to produce specialized mining worker ants. If we ordered the worker ants to build the quarry alongside the Gorax, we could drastically shorten the time needed for stone processing and transportation. Being Silver-rank monsters, we could also expect decent combat capability from them.

Having made the decision quickly, we finished our preparations and set off for the location Adela had found.