NOVEL SIMPLE 100. Busy day
Kai’s steady heartbeat continued to thrum in his ear as he felt a pang of nervousness rising in his throat. He was doing something he’d planned for weeks— enchanting the wall.
His hands traced complex sigils in the air. As he did, faint arcs of energy—a glowing pulse—followed his movements. He knew that if he placed his hand on the wall, he could feel the Atheum stones embedded within them hum with vitality.
Below, the construction continued, the workers glancing up at him occasionally and whispering among themselves.
Since beasts periodically attacked the walls, he reckoned that it was important to finish doing enchantments. When he was in Hermil, he had spent nights studying the perfect seals for this very moment. Now, every stroke of his hand fortified the city’s defence, making the walls more than just a physical barrier.
The seals he was working with were called Reinforcement seals.
They weren't high-level ones since he wasn't confident in inscribing them perfectly and they would take way longer to do, but they would be able to protect the walls from most magical attacks.
As he had instructed, the Mason made cavities in the walls and filled them with Atheum from the mines. He simply had to put down the seals and connect them to the stones for them to start working.
This might take long, but it’s worth the time, Kai thought to himself as he finished one more seal.
He took a step back to inspect what he’d done, a faint frown crossing his face.
The seals were strong and drawn well, but he knew their limits. Two months. That was how long the Atheum stones would last before they would need to be replaced— a task that wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Still, two months was more than enough time. The walls would stand firm against any elemental attacks the beasts might unleash, the magical reinforcement ensuring that no matter what, the city’s defences wouldn’t crumble easily.
There were still a lot of different ways the beast might be able to break the walls, but he was on limited time and resources.
He moved along the wooden planks made to work on the walls and continued to etch more seals. Each one needed a careful balance of power that would ensure the mana flowed correctly.
Unfortunately, the channels he created were still somewhat crude, causing a slight loss of energy. Mainly because the walls weren't made of mana-conductive material. It was a transference loss he hadn’t quite been able to eliminate, and each time he laid a new seal, he could feel the faint bleed of power, like a slow leak from a punctured vessel.
The inefficiency irked him, but with the current time constraints, it was a problem he had to live with.
It would need additional enchantments to stop any sort of leakage and since the loss was minimal, it wasn't enough to jeopardise the effectiveness of the enchantments. Stopping to correct it would mean days of extra work— days they didn't have. For now, the seals would hold, and the walls would protect the city.
The morning sun had barely climbed the sky when Kai began etching the enchantments into the walls.
Since then, the steady rhythm of his work carried on through the afternoon, his hands moving with steadiness as he carefully laid down each seal.
Once the last of the seals was in place, Kai straightened, wiping the sweat from his brow.
His gaze swept over the walls, satisfied with his work. With the enchantments complete, he made his way to Barret, who was already inspecting the stonework from his vantage point.
Kai approached, his voice steady. "It’s done. The enchantments will activate the moment any beast tries to climb or attack the walls."
Barret squinted at the stone, his eyes searching for any visible change but finding none. He didn't question it, though Kai could see the doubts on his face. But he quickly hid it and nodded in gratitude.
Kai knew Mason and everyone else in the city knew enough about his powers to have any long-lasting doubts.
"And what about the spell wards you mentioned, Lord Arzan?" Barret asked, tilting his head.
Kai shook his head slightly. "Not yet. Those require more than just seals— they’re full spells inscribed directly onto the stone. They’re tricky, and won't last more than a day or two. I’ll cast ones that cover most of the wall when the time comes, but it won’t hold for long."
Inwardly, Kai thought of the complexity of those wards, a task he hadn’t focused much on during his time in the Sorcerer’s Tower. There, Mages had to change wards every week or two and he recalled there was some sort of a mechanism that led them to run for so long. But he didn't know much about them.
They were far from his speciality and the ones he could do were a crude version, but those would go well with the seals, giving a lot of extra protection to the walls.
With that, Kai instructed Barrett to continue overseeing the wall's construction before heading down from the battlements.
Barret gave a nod and followed his order along.
The work was far from over, and his mind was already racing to the next task. Claire, who had been assisting him all morning, approached as he descended.
As Francis was tied up with looking over the alchemist, the supply lines with Malden and other administrative duties of settling in the refugees, Claire was left to handle the task of his assistant.
“Lord Arzan, will you be taking a break for lunch?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Kai shook his head. “No time for that. I need to check in with the Balen and see how the weapons are coming along. Those are our main priorities if we wish to win this war.”
Without another word, he moved past her, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him like a heavy mantle. Claire walked behind him as he sighed, knowing that there was no rest for him for a long time.
***
Kai made his way through the bustling corridors of the castle, the air thick with the smell of metal and burning coals. As he entered the workshop, the noise of a hammer against steel filled his ears.
The space was alive with activity— workers rushing about, carrying materials, and tending to the forge under the watchful eyes of Balen.
Balen was in the centre, his massive hands delicately inspecting a sword that seemed to shimmer with a faint magical aura. The moment he saw Kai, his face lit up with a toothy grin, revealing his sharp yet friendly demeanour.
“These,” he said, holding the sword up for Kai to see, “turned out way more impressive than I ever imagined. Truly, they’re a sight to behold. Now, if only you could finish up with the enchantments, I’m dying to see their full potential.”
Kai stepped closer, eyes tracing the intricate patterns carved into the blade. They weren't seals, but a circuit that Balen had created within the blade.
With an Atheum stone embedded in the centre, mana will flow through the circuit and power up the enchantments that would then run for quite a long time. Of course, he hadn't finished enchanting them yet and he doubted he could begin right away with the mana drain he was feeling from working on the walls from the morning.
These weapons were for the Enforcers and by one look, he knew that the craftsmanship was impeccable—balanced, sharp, and humming with the latent energy of the mana stone. The weapon had crossed the boundaries of being ordinary and had become an artefact.
The quality… one of the best ones I’ve seen here. Probably hard to standardise since Balen seemed to have worked on it himself, but it's really good.
Kai cast an eye around the workshop and saw old man Jeb working diligently alongside a few others in the back. He was the castle's blacksmith before Balen had strode in and taken charge, but the man hadn't taken it negatively.
According to what Francis told me, he was anyway looking for retirement and despite the initial apprehension that Balen's imposing figure had caused, Jeb had quickly warmed up to him and helped him get a team of youngsters who were looking to apprentice with the blacksmith.
Kai did not doubt that the gleeful nature and unmatched skill of Balen had also played a part in it, turning fear into respect, and evaporating any concerns about his race like smoke from the forge.
“The sharp enchantments and the basics will be done tomorrow,” Kai said, his voice firm but tinged with exhaustion. “My mana is pretty depleted after working on the walls, but if I have the strength, I’ll try to add some elemental enchantments to the blades as well.”
Balen’s eyes lit up at that. “That would be more than helpful,” he said, his tail swishing behind him. “I am preparing another batch of the weapons and working on the mana circuits inside of them. But,” he paused, his expression growing serious, “I believe we should work on the cannon first.”
Kai’s gaze followed Balen’s as they turned and moved toward the adjacent room.
There, looming in the centre of the workshop, was the prototype of the first mana cannon in the world.
The cannon was a massive structure, its barrel thick and reinforced with enchanted steel bands. Unlike dwarven cannons, it had multiple levers and a series of compartments running along its length. The design was reminiscent of a mortar, yet with a complexity that spoke to what was planned for it. The mana circuits within it pulsed faintly, awaiting the Atheum stones that would fuel its power.
Kai ran a hand along the smooth, cold surface of the cannon. It was an impressive piece of work, built with precision and care. The compartments were designed to hold the Atheum stones, while the levers controlled the flow of mana, adjusting the intensity and spread of the magical discharge. This was no ordinary weapon; it was a game-changer, capable of turning the tide of battle if used correctly.
Everyone who had taken one look at the blueprints of the mana cannon knew that.
“This is what we have so far,” Balen said. “Malden’s materials were used up quickly, so I had to improvise with what we had. It’s ready for testing, just needs the crystals and enchantments to prevent any mana leaks.”
Kai scanned the parts scattered around, recognizing components for more cannons. “You’re working on them piece by piece?”
“Saves time,” Balen replied, adjusting a panel on the cannon. “Once all the parts are ready, I’ll assemble them.”
Kai glanced at Balen, curiosity evident in his voice. "How many will we have in the end?"
Balen rubbed the back of his head, a hint of frustration in his tone. "We’re stuck with just three for now. We’re out of materials. The ones we’re using are pricey, and even with a mine for Atheum, the other mana-conductive stuff is always rare. We are lucky we were able to get the materials for the three. I know a bit about how the market behaves in Lancephil and these things get sold out quite quickly."
Kai nodded, satisfied. “This will do for now. We’ll test them tomorrow, and if they perform as expected, we’ll mount them on the walls.”
As Kai turned to leave, Balen stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, curiosity etched on his broad face.
“What is it, Balen?”
Before replying, the minotaur sighed, his eyes narrowing a bit as he took a look around the room scattered with mana cannon components. “Where did you learn all this, Lord Arzan? The more I work on these, the more I’m amazed. Even the dwarven bastards would be envious.”
Kai paused, considering his answer. These questions were going to pop up more and more as his knowledge became known and the ruse of being a genius would only go so far. Still, it wasn't the time to reveal his secrets.
“I can’t say. I promised the one who taught me to keep their identity a secret. But keep at it, and I’ll share more of what I know. Things that’ll be… useful to you in the future.”
With that, Kai gave Balen a nod of encouragement and added, “If you’ve got the time, start prepping for the golem. We’ll be working on the core soon.”
Balen’s eyes lit up at the prospect, and Kai left the workshop, knowing that the defences of Veralt were in good hands.
If the mana cannons worked as expected, he might just be able to slaughter the beast before they would be able to take a step inside Veralt.
***
Kai entered his room after a hectic day of working. From the walls to the workshop to looking through the refugee problem, he had not gotten a single second of rest.
He sank onto his bed, feeling the fatigue in every muscle. The preparations had taken their toll, but they were necessary.
For a moment, he let his thoughts drift, considering the strategies they'd laid out and the weapons they were crafting. The beast wave loomed closer with each passing day, and every detail mattered.
This… This is going to be one hell of a battle, he thought to himself but soon pulled himself out of his mind.
It was important to think of the beast wave, but he had been too engrossed in it. If he kept going like this, he would surely break down.
Hence, he sat up.
His eyes wandered around the room before falling onto a corner where green robes were placed. They weren't any ordinary robes, but the adept ones that he had gotten from the Archine Tower when he had gone to talk about reinforcements.
Apparently, he had passed with distinction and any doubts the invigilators might have had dissipated after his duel.
He had thrown the robes around when he had returned from Hermil, but now that he had a moment to himself, he decided to check on them.
Rising slowly, he retrieved the robes and inspected them carefully, his fingers tracing the stitches etched into the fabric. At first glance, he could see that the materials they were made up of were expensive.
Arzan had quite a few high high-quality and the green robes were even better than them. But there was something else he was curious about.
He closed his eyes and let his remaining mana flow through the robe. Slowly, but carefully.
No strange spells, no hidden surveillance— just a few protective enchantments woven into the material. It was a rare find, unique compared to the other robes he'd seen, and since he lacked clothing with such defences, he decided it was worth wearing.
He dug into one of the pockets of the green robes and retrieved a ring he'd received as compensation for the troubles due to Archine Tower.
The small jewellery gleamed faintly, imbued with the power to conjure a force shield.
It was a nice artefact that could hold off a few second circle spells. As he placed it on his fingers and pushed his mana into it, a small force shield appeared in front of him. Simple yet effective, another valuable asset in the coming battle.
Satisfied, he decided to keep it on him and placed the robe safely on the side of the room.
With a final sigh, he allowed himself to lay back, thoughts of the impending conflict swirling in his mind before sleep eventually claimed him.
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