Published: January 12, 2026
"Can we really call this a village?"
"Your Majesty, I apologize, but this village may have already surpassed the capital city’s defensive capabilities… no, never mind."
"Fool! What are you trying to say here? However, I suppose we must send our kingdom’s architects to this village to learn from it… even if the teacher is only an eight-year-old child."
With that conversation concluded, the visitors quietly resumed their tour.
Meanwhile, Van-kun, who had promised to show everything, began working on building the walls with an enthusiasm unbecoming of a noble.
"Alright, pull the rope! Straight? What angle?"
"A little to the right."
"Right! Right! Perfect!"
More like a foreman than a baron, he directed the work and prepared to build the walls.
"Have the lines been drawn? Okay, everyone step back! Espada!"
"Understood."
At my signal, Espada activated magic and created an earthen wall. It was about ten meters tall and five meters wide. Espada seemed to have picked up some tricks; the wall was easier to shape than before.
I touched the earthen wall and altered its properties. Ideally, we’d add rocks and ores later, but for now, this makeshift structure would do. Reinforcements could come afterward without any problem.
"Well then, I shouldn’t keep you waiting too long. We’ll save the walls for another time. What should I show you next?"
I said this and looked back.
Again, the visitors froze in place. King Dino’s expression shifted from surprise to disbelief; he pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head from side to side.
"...I’m truly tired of being surprised. Let’s rest a bit. Is there somewhere we can take a break?"
"How about the gazebo over there? It’s by the water and quite pleasant."
"Please."
King Dino and the others moved to the gazebo, and the villagers brought out chairs. Seeing this, Apcaluru and the others exchanged glances before coming over.
"Is he a clan leader from another land?"
When asked, I smiled wryly and corrected them.
"Hmm... he’s more like a grand chieftain who oversees many clan leaders. Someone who’s above a hundred or two hundred clan leaders."
When I answered that, Radavesta’s face stiffened.
"I see… We must show the utmost respect. We pay our respects to those who lead clans."
Radavesta said this and moved toward King Dino by the water’s edge. Seeing the king drinking a strained juice made from fruit, she spoke.
"Grand Chieftain, I am Radavesta, leader of the Rada clan."
"Hmm. I am Dino En Zola Berlinate, king of this kingdom... Today will be a memorable day for me, the day I spoke with Radavesta for the first time. If possible, I hope this will also be the day we deepen our friendship. What do you say?"
"I have no objections. It is an honor."
Radavesta responded with a magnanimous nod to the king’s surprisingly respectful greeting. It was hard to tell who held the higher status.
Or perhaps, since Apcaluru and the humans were involved, there was no real hierarchy.
"Radavesta-san, is there anything interesting you could offer as a gift?"
I asked from the side. Radavesta placed her hand on her chin and looked down, then quickly lifted her face.
"In that case, I will give you a rare stone from our land."
Radavesta said this and produced two large fist-sized chunks from somewhere. She casually placed them by the lake’s edge.
The chunks were a dull golden color — no, a strange gleam like gold tinted with red.
Curious, I picked up one and examined it. Suddenly, the king and others gasped in astonishment.
"Th-this is…!"
"Orichalcum!?"
Hearing that, I was startled as well and took a closer look at the ore.
Orichalcum: the legendary metal known as the “metal of the gods.” Although Mithril has a higher magical conductivity, Orichalcum surpasses it in pure hardness, elasticity, and tensile strength as a metal.
Also, perhaps because it conducts magic poorly, it has high resistance to magical attacks. There’s even a legend about a warrior with an Orichalcum shield who single-handedly cut through an entire army, blocking all magic attacks.