Chapter 520 – Islands, Land Leveling, and Golem Procession

I went exploring with Caduceus and Balor. We roughly assessed the island’s terrain and reproduced it as a three-dimensional model using Earth Magic. We then modified the original construction plan to reflect the actual details of the island.

“If the mansion is too close to the sea, it could be damaged if high waves come. So… how about around here?”

“Hmm. That might be good.”

The Duke nodded at the location I indicated.

Toward the northeastern center of the island. It would be a bit more secluded, but in this case, being at a higher elevation was more important than some convenience.

“Well then… I’ll start preparing lunch.”

“Okay. I’m looking forward to it.”

I replied to Grace as she headed toward cooking. First… I should start from the eastern seabed. The people from Grantios will be coming to the island too, so I should create a comfortable place for them.

“Lindwurm.”

I called its name. Lindwurm nodded slightly and lowered its body. After placing Seraphina on my shoulder, I mounted Lindwurm’s back and soared into the sky.

“I think I’ll start working on the eastern part of the island first. We won’t need building materials there either.”

“Understood. I’ll guide anyone who wants to watch over there on the Sirius.”

“We’ll proceed while confirming safety, so it should be fine to watch the completed parts.”

When I called out from Lindwurm’s back, Elliot nodded. Everyone seemed to want to watch, and I could see them climbing the gangway and boarding the Sirius.

Hmm. Well then, let’s start working. I moved to the rocky area spreading across the eastern side of the island. The cove was relatively large, giving the impression of being somewhat sheltered from the open ocean.

The land surrounding the cove had both fairly high rocky cliffs and gentle slopes… Overall, it had a bright atmosphere with good sunlight.

I began landscaping the land surrounding the cove, the rocky areas visible in the sea, and the seabed terrain. I shaved down protruding rocks and used the removed rock to fill in depressed areas, leveling the ground.

I smoothed the rugged natural rocks into flat shapes, rounding the edges to make them less likely to cause injury.

For the walkable areas, should I add slight grooves to prevent slipping? Actually, since we’ll finish with Grantios-made coating in the end, it should be relatively safe as algae and such won’t attach.

I created a small plaza at the bottom of the cove, and by arranging the surroundings in a fan-shaped stepped pattern centered around this plaza… I remade it into a shape resembling an underwater stadium.

“If we sing in the middle here, will the sound resonate?”

“Hmm. I think it should be fine.”

I adjusted the shape inside the cove while consulting with Seraphina.

To put it simply, it’s like the Sirens singing songs on the plaza at the bottom of the cove while everyone sits on the stepped seating to listen. Of course, you can also swim normally in the cove, and it’s designed to make coming ashore easy.

Next—I hollowed out the interior of the higher rocky cliff and reinforced it with structural enhancement magic, remaking it into a building where the people of Grantios could stay when they visit.

I transformed the rocks one after another into Golems and moved them out to sea.

I created an entrance from one corner of the underwater stadium leading into the interior of the rocky cliff… First, I made an entrance hall. Then I created corridors, rooms, windows, stairs, etc., giving it the appearance of a proper building.

Since the windows face the cove side, you can also see the underwater stadium from inside the building.

The underwater entrance serves as the main entrance, but if you consider the sea level at high tide as equivalent to the first floor, then the entrance hall would be around the third basement level… I suppose.

Only the basement levels are submerged, while the first floor and above are normal buildings. This way, both sea and land dwellers can interact here when they come. In that case, it might be good to create a large room on the first floor.

“Is the structure… okay like this?”

“I think it’s sturdy. The walls are thick, and you’ve properly placed thick pillars where needed.”

Seraphina smiled and nodded. Good, good. It feels right.

Next, I smoothed the exterior of the rocky cliff as well, improving its appearance.

With this… the eastern side is more or less complete. The facilities for receiving guests from Grantios are finished.

There are quite a few Golems left over from hollowing out the rocky cliff. Hmm. Well then, I’ll use them as building materials for roads connecting various parts of the island.

Roads to the planned mansion construction site. Roads connecting to the wide sandy beach on the north side. And then roads to the port should be fine.

We decided to build the port on the southern side. There are no issues with water depth, and it seems convenient when moving from the dukedom. There’s also high ground on the southern side, so building a lighthouse there might be good too.

It can serve as a landmark for nighttime navigation and can also be used when ships enter from the south. It can also serve as a shelter when high waves approach, and as an observation deck and watchtower. Next, I’ll build warehouses etc. on the southern side to make storing and exchanging supplies easier. …In that case, building the airship landing area on the southern side would probably be more convenient.

Hmm… What about the western side? The underwater rocky areas jut out, making it somewhat difficult to use… Oh, right. Maybe I’ll build a pier and make it a fishing spot. Having many underwater rocky areas means fish can easily hide there.

Okay… That’s mostly decided. The lighthouse wasn’t originally planned, but if we run short of building materials, I can just pull rocks from the sea.

“Welcome back.”

Just then, Balor and Caduceus returned. Well then, after Balor replenishes his magical power, I’ll have him help me make roads.

We laid roads according to the three-dimensional model, creating them while considering elevation differences and convenience. What should I do about the virgin forest trees? We have materials, so simply cutting them down would be somewhat wasteful…

Hmm… Oh, right. I’ll use the same method as Mother. Mother’s notes should be helpful for the spell formulas too.

First, I’ll temporarily turn them into Wood Golems using Wood Magic and have them move, then later collectively remake them into houses. The trees don’t need to be cut down; they can remain alive. If I combine several together, I should be able to remake them into buildings.

Having just one Western-style mansion would be dull, and there’s plenty of land available. I’ll make them usable as annexes or guard stations. Land dwellers will probably be deployed as personnel too.

“Awaken.”

I deployed a Magic Circle. I moved the virgin forest trees growing where we’re making roads as Wood Golems. Somehow it turned into a grand procession with me leading Rock Golems and Wood Golems… Well, I won’t worry about it too much.

I further golemized the uneven road created by the trees moving, first leveling and compacting it flat. Then I laid the Rock Golems down on the leveled areas, remaking them into cobblestone roads.

When we reached the road junction—Balor, who had finished replenishing, left my shoulder.

“Okay. Well then, I’ll leave that side to you.”

Balor blinked his eyelids twice as if responding and took half the Rock Golems with him. A procession of Wood Golems was forming on those roads too.

The planned mansion construction site… I moved the trees aside using the same method as for the roads and leveled it flat. Since we plan to create a garden, I made it reasonably spacious.

While working, I started running out of Rock Golems, so I petrified Clay Golems and remade them into cobblestones.

The mansion can be built carefully later. It’s fine to do it after we finish laying the connecting roads. The virgin forest… I’d like to preserve it as much as possible since it improves the scenery. The plant density isn’t that high anyway, so it’s not particularly overgrown.

“Watching buildings and roads being created right before our eyes is quite spectacular.”

“My, my, this was worth coming to see.”

“The road width is generous, and the cobblestones are beautiful and impressive.”

That was the conversation between the Duke, the Grand Duke, and Prince Helfried. They seemed to have disembarked from the Sirius, followed the Golem procession from behind, and were looking at the completed roads.

“There are gutters along the edges of the roads. Is this… to drain rainwater?”

“Really. There’s a slight slope so water can flow. That means good drainage too.”

“We went to see the building in the cove, and it was a wonderful place.”

“That’s nice. The part that becomes underwater midway through.”

And… this was the conversation between the three princesses. I continued working while listening to the voices of these spectators.

Now then. I had Caduceus and Balor briefly investigate the interior of the island. Ecologically, it seems to consist mostly of birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, arthropods, etc., with no large creatures or monsters inhabiting it.

Securing drinking water is possible with Magic Tools. There are slight issues with food self-sufficiency… but this should stabilize by having supplies transported from the dukedom.

According to Queen Eldorene, it’s apparently possible to practice agriculture underwater. By planting and cultivating edible seaweed, fish that use it as hiding places will increase, making it kill two birds with one stone in various ways. In the future, it might be good to cultivate seaweed near the island too.

As I worked while thinking about various things, the roads were completed as planned.

Well then… Should I use the Wood Golems to build annexes using the land secured near the center of the island? It feels odd to keep walking around with a large number of Wood Golems forever.

I turned back along the road and headed toward the planned annex construction site. Using Wood Magic, I fused the Wood Golems according to tree type—transforming them into towering giant trees.

Individual slender trees combined to form giant trees… branches and trunks becoming walls, floors, and ceilings. Each transformed into a house. Five buildings in total. The sight of giant trees standing in a row is rather like tree mansions. More than annexes… they’re more like cottage houses. Well, they should be fine for staying in. Later, I’ll transform silica sand into glass and fit it into window frames to complete them.

I checked each house one by one for structural issues. The strength of walls and floors. Sunlight, amount of light from windows, room sizes, bedrooms, kitchens, storage, and the usability of baths and toilets.

“I was wondering what you were going to do with all those Wood Golems you were leading… To think you’d turn them directly into houses.”

Auria seemed impressed.

“When leveling the ground, I had no choice but to move the trees aside.”

“No, no. I think it’s really good. Would it be alright if I took a peek inside?”

Hmm… Is it because Auria is an Elf? She seems unusually excited about living trees becoming houses directly, appearing somewhat restless.

“Yes. Safety checks are complete, so please go ahead. I’ll be leveling the area around the houses.”

“Good. Then, I’ll take a look.”

Auria nodded and entered the tree house. Then she appeared at a third-floor window, waving back and forth with Marlene, Sion, and Corulis. Well. It’s good that she seems to be enjoying herself.

“Theodore. The Barrier is complete.”

Just then, Old Sigmund and the others returned.

“Thank you.”

“Finally, I can observe the teacher’s magic.”

Charlotte seemed quite cheerful.

Well, well. Next is… probably the garden and Western-style mansion. After that’s done, I’ll build the boat landing, then the lighthouse and airship takeoff/landing area, and finally the fishing spot. That should more or less complete the island modifications.

Well, there are still various small tasks afterward, like bringing water to various places and making glass windows.

Still, we’re already prepared to welcome the people from Grantios. Finishing everything in one go would probably be exhausting, so from here on, I’ll build at a leisurely pace while taking appropriate breaks and drinking Magic Potions.