It was the autumn of the 831st year of the Altera period. We had crossed the mountain range in the summer, so about a quarter of a year had passed since we arrived in the desert. Under the direction of Sechs and Sieben, the city we had been building was finally taking shape.
Although the construction proceeded at a rapid pace, it was made possible by the precise leadership of Sechs and Sieben and our physical abilities as demons. According to Sieben, it was still far from perfect, but it was enough for everyone to live comfortably.
The limestone we discovered during our survey at the foot of the mountains played a significant role in this construction. By mixing it with minerals from the Shumie Mountain range and sand from the sand sea according to Sieben’s instructions, we created a mysterious soil that was soft at first but hardened after drying.
Using this substance, which Sieben called concrete, Chirik and I connected blocks made from the solidified sand of the sand sea to complete the walls, buildings, and water and road systems. According to Sieben, these structures were calculated to withstand the body slams of the giant worms I had encountered. It wasn’t just about stacking blocks; various enhancements increased their strength.
As planned, the city was protected by circular walls. The only parts without these walls were the single gate to the north and the port used for accessing the sand sea.
Regarding the interior of the city, there was a magnificent pond at the center… a large pond filled to the brim with clean water. In its center, a young Great Spring Tree that was given to us by the “Mountain God” was growing.
The Great Spring Tree quickly became a sapling by using the Aiwass growth accelerant, and as soon as it did, water began to gush from its base. This quickly filled the large pond we had constructed, and it never dried up even on hot days.
Thanks to the Great Spring Tree, we had no worries about water… or so we thought, but then another problem arose. The amount of water produced by the Great Spring Tree exceeded our expectations and that caused the pond to overflow.
However, this turned out to be a pleasant surprise for Sieben. It made possible something he had put on hold due to uncertainty about the water source. He quickly revised the city’s design and built a water system that connected to all the buildings. Needless to say, this increased the workload for Chirik and me as we created the pipes for the water system.
Thanks to our efforts, we completed a city with one of the best water systems north of the Shumie Mountains. We also planned for future growth, with a maximum capacity of about three hundred people. With only around a hundred people currently living there, it felt a bit quiet.
There were facilities outside the city as well. To the east of the city, a ranch spread out for the cattle and horses to live. A pond, where water flowed from the city, had formed, and barns and stables were built to provide shade. The perimeter of the ranch was constructed using the same method as the city walls, and the inside was much larger than the city itself. During the cooler hours, the animals could run around freely.
Next to the ranch was an even larger farm. Here were planted sand grapes and drought grains; these were seeds also given to us by the “Mountain God” along with cacti collected from the foothills.
We didn’t use the growth accelerant here. It was a powerful substance that could turn seeds into saplings instantly, and Aiwass had advised us to refrain from using it on anything other than the Great Spring Tree. So Sieben didn’t let us use it.
Despite not using the growth accelerant, both the sand grapes and drought grains had already sprouted. As expected, the ‘Mountain God’ adjusted them to grow even in desert conditions.
As for the cacti, they were simply planted in the wilderness, but they were clearly growing taller. We hadn’t even watered them… truly, they were amazing plants.
To the west of the city, there was not a field but a rice paddy for growing rice discovered in the sand sea. Apparently, the place for growing rice is not called a field. None of us knew this, and it was one of the things Sieben taught us.
This rice paddy was larger than the drought grain fields. That was to be expected. Unlike drought grains, which required the ground to be tilled before planting seeds, rice could be easily grown because it was mixed with the sand of the sand sea, which allowed us to create it effortlessly using our spiritual arts.
However, there was a critical problem. None of us knew how to grow rice. Even Sieben, who knew the word “rice paddy” had no idea how to grow rice. We were completely groping in the dark here. We would need to somehow accumulate the necessary know-how.
“Hey, Boss! There you are!”
“Tigar?”
The one who called out to me from below was Tigar. I was on top of the city walls. This spot offered a panoramic view of the city, fields, and ranch, making it a favorite scenic spot for many of us, including myself. In fact, to my left were Woodsorrel and Gardenia, and to my right was Lappy playing with Acht.
It seemed Tigar had been looking for me. Not wanting to keep him waiting, I jumped down from the top of the city walls and landed right next to him. This dynamic move delighted Reese, who was cradled in Tigar’s arms. Ah, today seemed to be a good day for Tigar.
“Did something happen?”
“That Chris young lady is calling for you. She said she has something she wants to talk about.”
Tigar had come to call me on Chris’s behalf. It was currently late morning, a time when people would be working north of the Shumie Mountains.
However, in this desert, it was too hot to work during the day. Anyone who wasn’t resistant to the heat, like me, would collapse. During the day, the only activities possible were tasks that could be done indoors or studies. Heavy physical labor could only be done from just before sunset to just after sunrise.
That’s why I had been spending my time leisurely while gazing at the city, but it seemed Chris had something to discuss. At this time, she should be teaching martial arts to the children who wanted to learn. She wouldn’t ask someone like me, who is self-taught, to act as an instructor…so what could she want?
“Chris? Understood. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Alright, we’re heading up too!”
“Kyaakyaa!”
Tigar had called for me while he was climbing the city walls with Reese. I decided to move silently and head to Chris so as not to disturb the father-and-daughter time.
“Hey, Boss! It’s hot today, isn’t it!”
“You’re working hard, Sieben.”
As I walked through the less crowded streets of the city, I encountered Sieben working by the roadside. Being a luminous crystalline life form, he was unaffected by the heat. What he was doing was decorating the city in various ways.
Large cities are often decorated with sculptures and reliefs. Indeed, the capital of the Kingdom of Harlasia had several sculptures. It was their absence that made Sieben call this city incomplete.
With his six arms, Sieben was very dexterous and skilled at complicated tasks, and he seemed to enjoy creating things. While he prioritized constructing residential buildings for us, now that the living environment was settled, he was creating various works to satisfy his creative urge.
Sieben crafted whatever he felt like, but he also had a sense of the city’s overall decoration as a single cohesive artwork. His style was consistent, and none of his works stood out too much from the rest.
He was making statues of animals, gods, and demons from various eras and places. Though they were called stone statues, they were not made from the rocks of the Shumie Mountains but from blocks solidified from the sand of the sand sea. This material allowed me to make them, and when crafted to Sieben’s exact specifications, there was no waste.
Creating the blocks had become so routine for me that it was not a burden, and Sieben had devoted himself to the construction of the city. I had no intention of refusing to help.
“What are you making now?”
“That’s a surprise for when it’s finished.”
“It’s not another statue of me, is it? That would be quite embarrassing…”
“I don’t plan to make the same motif repeatedly in a short span of time. You look quite good as an artwork, so I’ll probably make one in a few years.”
“Please spare me.”
The first thing Sieben made was a bust of each of us. Just having my own statue was embarrassing, but I couldn’t refuse. My bust was placed in a corner of my room.
After parting ways with Sieben, I encountered Sechs and some children playing with a cat climbing up his body before I returned home. They were by the pond in the center, the only cool place outside except for the shaded areas. If going to the top of the city walls was for the view, then the pond was the place to cool off.
There sat Sechs serving as both a plaything and a babysitter. He rarely spoke on his own, but according to Sieben, he liked children. The children and the cats seemed fond of him…. or could it be said that only the cats were fond of him? They were always using his legs as scratching posts whenever I saw them… well, it’s fine.
“Chris, did you call me?”
By the pond, there was a large training ground. It was chosen because it was cool and always had water available for hydration. There, as expected, Chris was training the children. Although their movements were still clumsy, I was looking forward to their future.
When I called Chris, she told the children she would step away for a bit and then approached me. She then sat in the chair set up by the pond when I gestured for her to do so.
“Thank you for coming.”
“This much is nothing, but do you need something?”
“Yes. I want to return to the kingdom in spring to report back. I would like you to accompany me then.”
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