Volume 2 Chapter 10 Let's Build a Fortress
After breakfast the next day, as planned, everyone involved gathered in the Sanroze family conference room for the fortress-building discussion. Cain set out the model he'd made, and everyone was shocked. The conversation kept drifting off topic as they debated how useful it might be and all the ways it could get used. Luke pulled them back, reminding everyone to focus on the "fortress" first, and all sorts of opinions started bouncing around.
"Benjamin, I want to know what Cain's magic can and can't do. Tell us as much as you know."
While Luke tossed out ideas about the fortress──how tall, what shape──he told Benjamin to explain.
"Right now, Cain can build earth and stone walls using [Earth magic]. He can make them whatever size you ask for. But──this hasn't been tested yet──just like other wall-type [magic], it only works on the ground you choose, so if you try to make a tall wall all at once, it might fall unless you dig down first."
Benjamin figured Cain's [Mana] could handle making walls dozens of meters high. But with no foundation, those tall walls would fall for sure.
"So, it sounds like we need to start by digging. How wide and how deep do you think we need to go, Benjamin?"
"By my guess, since we're planning for a 12-meter wall, digging 3 meters deep should be safe. Cain can handle all that with [Earth magic], so there's no problem."
"""Huh?"""
Everyone turned to Cain. He gave a tiny nod.
"If we've got Sir Cain, we'll be out of a job, won't we? Hah!"
The head of the stonemason guild joked.
"Guildmaster, it won't go that smoothly. In the tests, making more walls on top of the ones Cain summoned just stacks them like blocks. They don't lock together and can't fuse, at least not yet. That's why Cain needs you guildmasters and your skills to really build the fortress and its walls."
Benjamin explained that magic alone isn't enough; human skill is needed to complete the job.
"If you expect that much, the Masons' Guild will give it our all!"
The guild master of the Masons' Guild seemed a bit happy.
"Sir Benjamin, how many stone walls will it take to build the foundation and walls, using Sir Cain's Earth magic? I heard that Sir Arthur proposed adding a layer of sand between the stone walls to create a strong, shock-resistant castle wall. How will we do it?"
The director of the Maintenance Bureau asked Benjamin.
"We've experimented with Cain before. We're considering creating the walls in a sequence: stone, earth, stone. Then we'll use Sand magic to turn the earth wall into sand. But there's a flaw: Cain's Earth magic can't merge the walls, leaving gaps. We thought of filling them in by hand... Even then, we predict that rainwater might collect in the sand layer. There's a risk that the sand could wash away and cause a collapse. Sir Arthur's plan is groundbreaking, but it seems quite difficult right now."
Benjamin looked a bit troubled as he glanced at Arthur.
"Guild master, is it really impossible technically?"
Luke followed up, seeking confirmation from the guild master.
"Well, usually castle walls are built by stacking stones and securing them with clay. Sir Arthur's plan seems easy to execute. Of course, it will require a lot of manpower. However, I judge that it won't work with Sir Cain's Earth magic this time."
Everyone's expression darkened a bit.
"Our domain's engineers are excellent, father. Isn't it rare to have so many ideas in such a short time, even in the capital?"
Arthur didn't stick to his own opinion but instead praised his domain's engineers, showing his depth of character. Seeing this, Cain thought, "He's so cool."
"Yeah, our engineers may not shout loudly, but they have skills and passion that are several times greater than the capital's engineers. I feel it every day!"
Luke followed Arthur, praising the engineers, who quietly bowed their heads in response.
"So, we want the fortress wall to be a single stone slab, 6 meters wide and 12 meters tall. But we still have the issue of the gaps between the slabs. The gaps are only 0 to 10 millimeters, but at 12 meters high, they're quite noticeable and make us worry about the strength. Any ideas on how to fill those gaps?"
Benjamin's words made everyone groan in contemplation.
"Hey, hey, Cain. Can't we just make it one big stone wall, like this model?"
Chris asked, pointing at the model and approaching from an angle. Everyone looked at Cain with an "Aha!" expression.
"Hmmm, I wonder... We can probably imagine it, so it might be possible... But then we couldn't build watchtowers or the gaps between them. What should we do?"
"No, no, Sir Cain. If you can build it like that, we can handle the rest by stacking bricks or stones by hand."
The head stonemason answered Cain's question.
Once the basic concept was set, things moved quickly. Inside the conference room, experts discussed and proposed ideas for the staircase, the height and width of the gate, the materials for the gate, and how to build the watchtowers. They made changes and adjustments until finally, they confirmed everything with Cain's model.
There, a rather impressive fortress had taken shape, and everyone wore satisfied expressions.
'Alright, let's actually build it!'
Cain was excited, looking at the model.
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