GILF Hunter

Chapter 511: 511 I don’t have name for the Chapter

’Coming through! Step aside for a moment.’

’Be careful! If you break that one, the price could build a whole new tower like this!’

Sieg, who was supervising the work, shouted at the workers carrying loads up the stairs.

Accepting Ian’s proposal, Sieg the blacksmith had taken charge of the construction to create an [Ancient Structure] alongside the relic researcher, Ellen.

In a watchtower located in the center of the city, construction was in full swing. It was the site for recreating the ancient structure, [The Archmage’s Spire].

If the original blueprints were reproduced exactly, a massive tower dozens of times larger than this would have had to be built.

However, since it was ancient technology, there were quite a few parts that could be improved upon.

First of all, the means of mana storage—the primary reason for taking up space—had advanced significantly over time, and they received support in the form of high-performance materials found only in Labyrinth.

Thanks to that, there was no need to build a tower of such ridiculous proportions. Sieg and Ellen succeeded in drastically reducing the size while maintaining the crucial central circuits.

’Hmm. Still, I wish it were a bit wider.’

’This tower was the only one we got permission for, so it can’t be helped.’

A surveillance watchtower located in the center of the city.

It was a facility built to monitor monster infiltrations or aerial threats... but due to its location, it was a place that had almost never been practically used.

The construction was taking place there.

A place shaped like a tower while being situated near the center of the city. It was the best possible condition for recreating a tower-type structure.

Even though there was the disadvantage of the space being a bit narrow—meaning they had to cram the circuits in as much as possible.

Still, for now, getting construction permission in the middle of such a large city carried great significance in itself.

Even though Ian had guaranteed he would get permission, Sieg never expected he would actually pull it off. He had assumed they would eventually build it on some empty land on the outskirts of the city.

’Still, I’m surprised permission actually came through. And you said the city is even providing a construction subsidy?’

’It’s a useful enough building here. I suppose the condition that it would be primarily used for city defense worked well.’

In most cases, such high-cost magical structures were a massive waste of money, but it was true that having one in the city would certainly be helpful.

This tower, built a fairly long time ago, was a military facility but essentially a useless object. That’s likely why permission was granted more easily than expected.

And it happened to be influenced by the fact that construction was underway throughout the entire city.

The amount donated by the Merchant Association, including Hermann, to support Ian’s city defense plan was so large that there was quite a bit of budget left over.

Since it was a donation, the budget couldn’t be diverted to other purposes... but seeing Ian request permission for this construction, they tucked it into the plan as part of the project to process the costs.

While it would be a waste to build it with tax money, it was true that it was a building that would definitely be helpful to have. No one was going to miss the chance to build it with someone else’s money.

Sieg looked away from the dizzyingly dense circuits and raised his head.

Taking a brief sigh, Sieg leaned out from the tower and looked down at the panoramic view of the city. Large-scale construction was in full swing here and there.

’Busy everywhere. Is it always like this? It feels like preparing for war.’

’It’s a war every year here.’

The city looks like a maze....

Observing the city’s appearance from above, Sieg noticed the peculiarity of its structure.

Looking at the locations of the paths under construction, it was clearly an arrangement made with a certain intent.

’Are they preparing for urban warfare, perhaps? The fortresses I saw in the past had this kind of structure.’

’No way. It’s likely just a precaution for a ’just in case’ scenario.’

’What ’just in case’? If monsters get this far into the city, it’s over anyway....’

As the two were conversing, there was a sign of someone coming up the stairs.

It wasn’t noisy, and given the light footsteps, it wasn’t a worker....

There was only one guest scheduled to visit today. It was Ian.

’You’re here.’

’How is the construction going?’

’It’s going well, of course. Once finished, you’ll be able to use considerable grand magic on your own without much trouble.’

Ian looked up and stared at the various relics and statues being placed throughout the watchtower. It was a structure made of items owned by Ian and Ellen, as well as relics donated by some people in the city who had heard the rumors.

Sieg and Ellen also looked at it with fresh eyes.

To think they would get to build something like this personally. And using someone else’s money at that.

It was a truly impressive experience for both of them. And it would add a very significant entry to their personal resumes.

If possible, it would be nice to see it actually being used... well, unless something very major happens, there likely won’t be a need for these to operate at maximum output.

Sieg looked back at the circuits of the half-finished spire with a slightly regretful face.

* * *

Frenda quietly held a conversation with the Elf’s voice in her room.

’So, you’re saying people called Dwarves built the Labyrinths... and Elves cast the magic on them.’

- Precisely. The space there is completely fragmented, structured so that things trapped inside cannot easily escape. It is also difficult for those invading from the outside to enter deep within.

Frenda was in the middle of hearing the story of the Labyrinth from the Elf.

...Actually, she had wanted to hear it sooner, but it took about a full day after that incident for the Elf to properly regain her senses. It was truly a pitiful lack of stamina.

’But, by any chance... what happened to those Elves and Dwarves? I’ve never heard their names before.’

- Most of our remaining kin entered various parts of the Labyrinth to complete the magic. Since it had to be completely isolated from the outside, it could not be finished from without.

’That... is a shame.’

- it was our choice. There is no need to mourn.

She said a very small minority remained for the tasks left outside... but seeing as no traces of them can be found now, it seems their descendants did not continue the line.

Frenda continued to ask questions about the Labyrinth.

’Then what are the monsters in the Labyrinth? I heard they keep appearing.’

- The thing inside the Labyrinth is likely creating monsters and sending them out to find a way to escape. If one moves incorrectly without knowing the path, they will wander forever.

Frenda recalled the appearance of the ’Source’ she had seen inside the Labyrinth.

The mysterious object that produced monsters.

So, according to this Elf... it meant that whatever was trapped in the deepest part of the Labyrinth was continuously creating and sending out Sources. In order to find a path to the outside.

Combining the information she had gained while traveling the Labyrinth and listening to Ian’s stories bit by bit, Frenda asked the Elf.

’Then that means the seal is almost broken. That there isn’t much time left.’

- Likely so. It was something that was bound to happen eventually. The Labyrinth was prepared to buy time so that the descendants left outside could get ready.

’...Didn’t it fail? You say descendants, but I’ve never even seen people called Elves or Dwarves. They weren’t even in the records.’

Elves, Dwarves... she couldn’t find out at all what happened to those people being mentioned.

Regrettably, this Elf, who had lived for a considerable amount of time, said she also knew almost nothing of the circumstances outside that occurred since then, as she had been trapped with the Holy Sword for most of the time. She had only heard bits of information delivered by spirits very occasionally.

If not a single one of those ’descendants’ who were supposed to establish countermeasures remained, wasn’t the plan a failure...?

Frenda thought so, but the Elf seemed to have a different opinion.

- No. It must have succeeded. The one leading our descendants who remained outside was the greatest prophet. They surely found a future that could resolve this and created a prophecy.

’A prophecy? There have been many doomsdayers saying destruction is coming, but they were all talking nonsense. Hardly anyone believes them seriously.... How can that be a countermeasure?’

- I am not speaking of such hollow words, but of having directly witnessed the future and manifesting the prophecy into reality in this world.

The Elf’s subsequent explanation was a story difficult to fully understand with Frenda’s knowledge.

- The future is infinite and uncertain, but the moment it is observed, it gains power and generates a force that leads toward that path. Our prophet would have found that path. As proof of that, though we are forgotten... is there not still one who follows after us, seeking to stop it?

’Do you mean Captain Ian?’

Frenda said, thinking for a moment while organizing the story she had just heard.

’So. Does that mean Captain Ian’s arrival in this city... is a fate drawn by that prophecy?’

- Fate. It is completely different... well, to make you understand it accurately would take decades of learning. If that is the limit of what you can accept, it is better to just understand it that way.

Good grief. I think I understood it almost exactly the same way, but you’re being really difficult.

Frenda complained as she stood up from her chair. Seeing that the hallway outside was slightly noisy, it was about time for someone to visit.

As Frenda expected. The person who came to the room knocked on the door and handed Frenda something.

It was a letter addressed to Frenda for this week.

Among those few letters, Frenda found a familiar name again.

’It’s the Director again.... It seems she sends one every week lately.’

Since she received letters so often, she could guess to some extent what kind of content would be inside.

The content written in the letter Frenda opened was as expected, but at the end, unlike usual, quite significant content was attached.

- I heard recently that your romance is going well.

- But be careful. Children in their first relationship often find it hard to restrain themselves and are prone to going out of control.

- If you really can’t help it, use this method. I’ve written it on the back page.

Frenda read the back side, hoping for some good advice... but what was written there was.

’Pu-purification magic used when doing it... from behind...?’

Frenda, her face turning beet red, hurriedly crumpled the letter.

’As... as if I would!’

Lest anyone see it, she burned the letter immediately.