That day, Xellos went to the lord's mansion to meet with the current duke, Delsacis.
　The gazes of the two wives pierced him, but he decided not to pay attention to them.
　It is the trouble with those who have power and wealth that an unnecessary comment is likely to become a spark, and there is no good in getting involved in it.

　Currently, Xellos is using his experience from his previous life to the fullest and is in sales mode.

"What is your name?
"Me?　I'm Xellos Merlin, a lowly mage.
...... You seem to know your place. But you're dressed in a very fishy outfit, aren't you?
It's a hobby.

　I don't know why I'm being priced out by these two wives.
　I want to ask for help, but Delsacis seems to be holding a finger between his eyes and enduring a headache.

"And now, Duke Delsacis, what brings you here today?
"Well, I was going to give you some land, remember?
I've been waiting all day to hear from you. I was wondering when it would come.
"That's 'living on borrowed time'." - Oh, no, not from here.
I don't know how you know all this, but you're going to give me the title to the land, is that right?
Thank you for talking so quickly. I'm going into town with my two wives and I want to make this quick.

　They said they didn't get along with each other, but it didn't seem that way.
　They were happily discussing where they were going, as if they were old friends.

He seems to be a very slick guy. ......
"I'll leave it at that... here's the bill of rights. All you have to do is write your name on it and you're in possession.
It's the land behind the orphanage, right? In the old city...
It's a little unsafe, but I'm sure you'll be able to beat most of them back.
It's hard to keep them from dying, though. Oh, the ...... house is currently under construction?

　There are even blueprints for the new construction, and Zeroth can read the layout of the house from the design.

"Can I have a word with ......?
What?
The house is due to be delivered in two weeks. Is it really that easy to build a house?
The dwarves, the carpenters, they're working very hard. The dwarves are working very hard. The construction is proceeding at an alarming pace.
Why the question?　Who are these dwarves, ......?

　I heard that they are a group of craftsmen who are famous in the city for doing whatever they can to make things. 　
　There is no compromise there, and if you mess up even a little, they will beat down even a big tree with their iron fists.
　They also have no mercy on customers, and those who change the design later are beaten in the mount position without mercy.

"There are people, aren't there? "You know, there are people who build a house according to the design, but halfway through the construction they don't like it, so they suddenly order changes to the structure.
That's a real pain in the ass. Those builders are going to have hell to pay.
"What can I say, they only make what they want to make?　These craftsmen.
But they're good. But they're good enough to get the job done on time.
I see. ...... can be trusted.

　Other than that, there was something wrong with them, but Xellos didn't interrupt.
　Sometimes it's wise to take the long view.

It would be nice if you could take a look around while you're at it and give me your input. I'm not sure I want to leave it to them alone.
The house itself looks fine.　It's got a bathroom ...... and a few more rooms, but it should be fine.
Yeah. ......
It would be nice to have a basement for storage, but we don't have the budget for that. ......
The wyvern's magic stone will pay for itself. There's no need to be shy now. But you'll have to tell them about the basement.
...... Is there a problem?
Because if I tell them, they might beat me up.
You want me to go get beat up?　What kind of violent people are you talking about?

　They seem to be a difficult group to deal with.
　Rather than craftsmen, they seem to be merrymakers who take advantage of their profession to do whatever they want.
　I honestly don't want to go to such a place.

This is your house, isn't it?　Isn't it strange that I should have an opinion?
Yes, it is, but I don't want to get mixed up with these weirdos.
I understand. But if you don't go down there and check it out, they're going to beat the shit out of you, okay?　A bunch of them. ......
"How bloodthirsty are these people?　Are they really craftsmen?

　I'm not sure what to make of this, but it's a good idea.
　It looks like I'm going to have to take a look around.
　In the meantime, two wives approached Xelloss.

"Hey, I heard you're single, but aren't you getting married?
I'd like to have a family, but I'm worried about my own life right now, so I'll think about it when I'm stable.


"Then why don't you give me one of our bad boys?　Honestly, I don't think he's from the same family as the duke.
"Bad boy?　Celestina?　No, I'm just a commoner.
A useless man who can't use magic is no use in a political marriage. But I don't want to keep you around forever, either.

　The two wives believe that Celestina is still a magicless failure.
　But now she is probably good enough to be called a high ranking mage.
　They don't know this fact, and they seem to be intent on eliminating anyone who gets in their way.

I'd rather not do that. I don't want Mr. Creston to kill me,......, and I don't want to interrupt your holiday with your ladies, so I'll leave you to it. Have a nice holiday.

　He ducked with a simple, innocuous remark, bowed reverently, and left the room.
　He left the room calmly, but inwardly he didn't want to get involved in the family of a nobleman any further.

You ducked easily, didn't you?
Yes, I thought you were ambitious enough to want the land. ......
"Not exactly ambitious. But I don't think you can trust him.
What was your father thinking, bringing in such a questionable mage?

　They don't know Xellos' skills.
　The two of them don't know Xelloss's skills, so they come up with their own speculations and ask her husband Delsacis.
　But Delthasys had no intention of answering their questions.

　He did not want to make an enemy of the Great Sage.

"Don't worry about him. Are you ready to go?
"Yes, I hope you have a good day, sir.
Yes, sir. Where will you take me today?　I'm looking forward to it.

　With a single word from Delthasys, the two forgot about Xellos in an instant.
　That's how much this lord is loved by his wives.
　He's a lawyer at heart, a con man at heart, and a walking scamp at heart.

　It's not that he has relations with multiple women.
　Delsacis, who is full of dandyism in vain, is a master of playing with fire.

　A good man does not forget aftercare.


　　You can see him in the background.


　Xellos walking in the city of Santor.
　He's headed for the construction site behind the orphanage, which will be his land.
　It had been more than two weeks since the harvest of mandragora, and there was no construction work going on at that time.

　However, when he arrived at the site, he found that it had been cleared and many dwarves were hard at work on the construction.

"Master!　Where are you going to put these poles?
"Oh?　It's got a number on it. Where the hell are you looking?
It's gone!　Someone must have spilled water on it.　There's a few more just like it.
Who ate on the building material?　You spilled my tea!
That's him!
Oh, you idiot, you betrayed me!

　He's taking in something, and he's too stunned to talk.

"Barr ......, you're ready for this, aren't you?
I'm sure you're ready for this.　If you're gonna hit him, you might as well...
You're gonna sell me out, too?
f*ck you, you're coming with me!
Both of you, clench your teeth!

　I heard a very raw sound and two Dwarves moaning.
　Two Dwarves are crawling on the ground.

"Don't just stand there, get back to work!
"・・・・・ Hey...

　The dwarf was strong.
　Their bodies must be incredibly strong, because they could take a fist that would knock down even a heavyweight boxer and still get up without a hitch.
　This was the first time Xelloss had seen a different species.

　The master dwarf notices the stunned Xellos.

"Hey, you. What are you doing here?
"What?　Oh, ......, I'm late. My name is Xellos. I live here.
You?　I'm here on a contract for my lord.
It's a complicated situation. .... At this time, are you the person in charge of this site?


"Oh, I'm the head of this crew of carpenters, Nagri.

　To be honest, Xellos couldn't tell the dwarves apart.
　They were all bearded and barrel-bellied, with thick arms and short legs, typical of the fantasy race.

You must be Nagri. Thank you for your help.
I don't mind, but what do you think?　How do you like the house we've designed?
It's nice. I have no complaints about the layout, the balance of the rooms... ......
What is it?　You got a problem with that?
No, it's a personal thing, but I'm a mage. I was hoping to have a storage room like a basement. But I thought it would be too late after the foundation was laid.

　Instantly, Naguri's eyes turned grim.

"What?　The basement ...... is a storage room?
I don't want to force you to do anything. I'm sure the foundation has already been laid.
That was a blind spot!　That was a blind spot! Since the duke ordered it, I thought he was going to have his mistress live there.
How many mistresses does he have at ......?
I don't know. Sometimes I see him, and it's always another woman. It's always a widow or some other woman in an awkward position.

　For some reason, Delsacis often has relationships with women with troubling circumstances.
　One of the most famous stories is that he had an affair with a mistress who was being kept by an underground organization, and in order to save her, he attacked her by any means necessary, and finally crushed the organization to the ground.
　Moreover, he did not use any of the power of the duke's family, but only his own contacts as a merchant.
　As a result, he has made a name for himself as one of the most prominent merchants in the country.
　Incidentally, all the subterfuges that he had destroyed were now under his control, and he was now engaged in honest business.

The name he got is "The Lord of Silence". He may look like a dandy, but he's a very dangerous man.
"He's a hard man. ...... What makes him do it?
What makes him do it? - He says he makes a living pleasing shady women. He even wrote a book about it.　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.
What are you doing, Duke?　What are you doing, duke?　Did you even read it before that?
It's a bestseller.　It's the bible of men.
Are you serious?

　The lord went beyond my expectations.

Well, don't worry about the lord. The problem is the basement. ...... Can't we do something with Gaia Control?
I'm sure you can, but you'll need precise control.
Yeah. How do you know all this?
You're a mage. Would you like me to do it for you?　I'm quite good at this kind of work.
It's not like we're leaving it to amateurs. ....... But we can't use magic that well. ......

　Dwarves are basically not good at magic.
　They can become mages with a certain amount of effort, but it is more suitable for them to have a job and work hard.
　The Gaia Control spell, which could be used for farming and construction work, was of great use to them.
　In particular, this spell, which could be used to build foundations and clear forests, was a good match for them, so they purchased it from the Solstair Trading Company.
　The problem is that they can't control it with precision, but if they keep using it, they will eventually learn to control it.
　The problem is that they cannot manipulate magic with precision, but if they continue to use it, they will eventually learn to manipulate it.

"Well, if it's your house, you don't mind if it falls apart a bit. The lord will pay for it, though.
"That's quite outrageous. But the problem is, you'll have to change the shape of the structural foundation.
We'll take care of that. Follow me.

　Nagri led Xellos to the foundation of the frame house.
　The slightly open area would be the kitchen and living room.
　The foundation was covered with a few square timbers that would support the floor, and since the floor was not yet laid, it would be easy to work on.

We have to dig between the pillars of the foundation from here, but what about the strength?　If it's just dirt, the house will eventually collapse.
Let's use Gaia Control to dig down and Rock Forming to turn it into rock, including the foundation.
Is there such a thing as magic?　I've never heard of such magic!
I've never heard of that kind of magic before! - It just compresses the soil particles and forces them to harden into rock.

　It's a spell that I've created mainly to build flowerbeds and the like, but depending on how it's used, it could help build a fort in a short period of time, so I can't just spread it around.
　If forts are built in a short period of time, it will greatly affect the military balance of this world.
　If an enemy's fort is suddenly built in the middle of nowhere, it could cause a great deal of strategic confusion.
　It is like the overnight castle in Sumimata.

　Ordinary citizens are sent to war as engineers and used to build military bases.


　And if they win, they get the bounty, but if they lose, they die. And they fall into slavery.
　It is not only knights who fight in wars, but also mages, mercenaries, and overwhelmingly, conscripts from the people.
　Other criminals were used as soldiers for the sake of reward, but mostly on the front lines.

　For this reason, Xellos doesn't want to spread magic too much.

We'll dig in a bit, but let's start with the stairs, shall we?
"Yes. Before that, we should leave some space for digging and make the foundation rock, right?
Yes, it would. Then ...... "Rock Forming".

　The surrounding soil is shoveled up and the foundation is transformed into a three-meter thick rock.
　When Naguri saw this, he shouted in admiration.

"That's a useful spell. I wish I had one of those.
I'm still working on it. The power consumption rate is a bit too high.
Not for the general public, huh?　You're trying a lot of things.
It's dangerous, depending on how you use it. No matter what it is, there must be unspoken rules.
That's different.

　No matter how convenient it is, people will always abuse it. 　

Do you want me to build a staircase diagonally from here?
Is the entrance wide enough?
Yes, I think so. Well, it's a storage room, so the doorway should be narrow.
I don't care if you're going to live there. ......
"Now, Gaia Control.

　You dig an archway through the unhardened ground, harden it again by "rock forming" about five meters underground, and then dig a side hole through it.
　By further hardening the ground there as well, they gradually built up a basement.

Hey, you ......
What is it?
Why don't you come work for us?　I'd love it if you could use your skills in the construction business.
What?

　I've been scouted.

No, I'm a researcher at heart, and I want to live comfortably while working in the fields.
No, I'm a researcher at heart. That's a good idea.　I'd love to have you work with us in the field.
I don't have time to think about that right now. Our first priority is to secure a place to live.
Isn't that usually a job?　Even if you have a place to live, you can't make a living if you don't have money.

　These were honest opinions.

　Even if you are a tutor, you don't know how much money you can make from it.
　For the future, it's better to have a temporary job by all means.
　However, Xellos, who thinks that money is good enough to live on, did not think that income was a problem.
　There was also the issue of taxes, but for now, those words were sleeping in the corner of his mind.

If you're free, why not?　It's just a day job.
Oh, you know what I mean.
I'll be out of a job in a few weeks anyway. I need a way to make some money.
Are you ...... going to retire at your age?
You may look young, but you won't be able to do manual labor in another ten years. Humans age very quickly.
Dwarves are similar, but they have more strength in old age. ......
They live longer than humans, don't they?　We don't live that long because we're not a part of the spirit family.

　The average lifespan of a dwarf is two hundred years, while an elf can live to be five hundred years old at the most.
　High Elves and High Dwarves, the higher species, can live twice that long.
　Incidentally, the longest-lived species is the dragon, which can live for at least 3,000 years.
　At that point, they are no longer living beings, but more like spirits or gods, and they gain great power.

Do you want to live a long life?
As someone who can only live for a hundred years at most, I envy long-lived species.
Not really. The longer you live, the more people you know are dying one by one.　It's lonely.
I can understand that. I had both my parents die, so the loneliness of being home alone is not half bad. I'm used to it.
You know what I mean?　You know what it's like to be left behind, to live on.
I understand that, too. Still, it's nice to hear your name mentioned in the memories. This is the opinion of someone who is dying first.
　Well, it's just my personal opinion, but at least it's mine. I don't want to be forgotten.
"I see, ・・・・・・, that's a bit helpful.

　While talking seriously, the construction of the basement proceeded.
　There are three rooms in the basement, and although it is cross-shaped, it is a massive basement.



The room is also arched. ...... You seem to understand a little bit about architecture.
It's a good shape for distributing the weight from above. Isn't that a basic concept?
Well, yes. It's a technique often used in the construction of bridges and castles.
We should open the vents. The house will be built on top of it and it won't be visible from the outside.
You're just what we need. It'll make our work more efficient.
"Let's rock the foundation all the way to the basement, just in case. Just in case something goes wrong.

　After the vent holes were drilled, the ground around the basement was turned into rock, and except for a few parts, it became a complete monolith.
　The foundations of the house are also integrated, making it strong enough not to collapse under ordinary circumstances.

"Do you use magic tools for the lights?　It costs a lot of money for magic stones.
I'll go hunting for that. I'll go hunting. I've got all the magic stones I need.
...... You're an expert. You say that with a cool face, you must be pretty good at it.
I don't know. I don't really care what people think of me.
That's just like a mage. He doesn't care about anything but his research.

　The work of building the basement was done surprisingly quickly.
　When they came outside, the dwarves were continuing their construction work without feeling anything unusual.
　They condensed the soil around the basement and the foundation, so the area around this land should be slightly lower, but they didn't seem to notice anything unusual. 　

Should we clear the surrounding land as well? It's not a good idea to flood the land after it rains, you know.
I'm not sure why you're dressed so suspiciously at .......　I'm not sure what you mean.
It's a hobby. This disreputability is good .........
You're going to get reported for your appearance.　What are you going to do?
I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that. Yeah.
Is that intentional?

　It seems to be a style of making money while having fun.
　As expected of an ex-salaryman. It's the kind of businessman who can't just fall down.

　While he was saying such foolish things, he was clearing the land around him, erasing the slopes and unevenness of the land.
　The dwarves were speechless at the sight, stunned by the magnificent engineering work.

The dwarves were stunned by the sight of the work.　Let's get him to come work for us.
"Well, we've decided to hire him as a temporary worker. Well, it depends on his availability.
That's the master!　You're a shrewd one!
Now we can get on with it!　Laying out the land is the most troublesome part!
And fixing the roads... It's too big.
Stop whining and start working!　The deadline is fast approaching!
「「「「 We~s~! 」」」」

　Xelloss is welcomed by the civil engineering and construction community.
　In this world, there was no magic as convenient as Gaia Control, so all work was done by hand.

　Even the leveling of the land was measured many times, and each time it was corrected in detail to make the land flat.
　The same was true for the streets, where it was difficult to prevent rainwater from accumulating and turning into ponds.
　If the water level rose, merchants' wagons would get stuck, which would affect the economy.
　In the rainy season, they would be stuck there for days, which could lead to bandits and other criminals targeting them.

　The dwarves, who were the first to adopt earthwork magic, marveled at the convenience of Gaia Control and were even quicker to master it.
　They have always known the inconvenience of this kind of work, and when their lord informed them of the existence of Gaia Control magic, they immediately chose to adopt it.
　Well, it seems that precision work is still impossible.

　For example, mountain roads with unevenness and gradients require a lot of manpower to maintain, and the labor cost alone is ridiculous.
　In order to avoid unnecessary expenses and finish the job within the budget for the direct request from the lord, other jobs have to be cut down, and it is rare that the planned scope of work can be finished on time.

　However, Gaia Control not only allows you to finish the work within the scheduled deadline, but also allows you to share the limited human resources for efficient construction work, as well as greatly increasing the efficiency of achieving the scope of work such as land preparation.
　The work can be done as fast as using heavy machinery for civil engineering work, and since there is no need to bring extra luggage, the work can be done easily.
　With the addition of the magic of "rock forming," it is possible to build ditches beside streets that overflow with rainwater, and by adding a slight slope, the rainwater can be diverted to other areas.
　Since there was no need to dig the ditches by hand, the work could be done quickly.

　With the use of the Mana Potion to restore magic, the efficiency of the work would be incomparably faster than before, and a wide range of work could be ordered and accomplished.
　Furthermore, since the number of manpower can be reduced, this is a situation that can be called a civil engineering revolution.

　Although he did not intend to go down in history, Xellos was revolutionizing the civil engineering industry.
　In fact, the magic was sold by the Solstare Corporation, and the influence of Xellos was only indirectly ....

If you continue to use this magic, you will quickly improve. Is that so surprising?
"You have a much wider range of magic than we do. You've got more range than we do, and you're more accurate, which I envy.
Is that so?　The area around it was meant to be a field from the start, so we just cleared it for better drainage.
It's hard for us to do that. We don't use magic very often, it's basically physical labor.



　Dwarves are good with earth magic, but the only use of that magic was in battle.
　Basically, only warriors learned magic, and other dwarves focused on industrial products, so they never used magic.
　At most, they use [body enhancement magic] to carry heavy things.
　They have more magic power than humans, but they don't use it much.

"Nagri!　Naguri, get that pillar over there.
Oh!　That's the one. Wait for it.

　A dwarf who was sitting on a pillar of a frame fixed to the second floor of a house under construction called out to Naguri.
　Xellos recognized the dwarf as the one who was in charge of the site, since he called out to the master.

　Nagri picked up a nearby pillar and saw a dangerous glint in his eye.

"Die, ------!　Yumbo -------!
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

　Nagri threw the pillar as if it were a javelin, and the dwarf called Yumbo swayed back to avoid it and caught the pillar.
　It's a great way to make sure you don't get caught in the middle of the night.

"d*mn!　You dodged it. ......
I'm not sure what to say.　You're trying to kill him now...
He ate the spicy fried bolo moro chicken that I had been saving until the end to enjoy.

　It was an impulsive act of food resentment.

It was a limited time offer, and the next time I could eat it would be in a year.　It's a limited time offer, and the next time you can eat it will be a year from now, and it was the last one you stood in line to buy. ...... It makes you want to kill someone, doesn't it?
Well, I don't agree with ......, but I understand the feeling.

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　I can understand the resentment, as much as it hurts.

"And he ate it with gusto as a snack. Right in front of me!
Wow, ...... sucks.

　If he eats it in secret, fine, but if he eats it in front of the person who bought it, his anger will be pushed to the limit.
　It's not surprising that he gives himself over to the desire to kill.

　As Naguri trembled with anger, he saw a dwarf approaching him with a terrible expression.

Nagri ～～～～～!　What the hell are you doing?
I'm not sure what to say.　It was your fault in the first place. You're the one who did it. You're the one who got away with it.
You're a small guy with a chicken!
Just a chicken! - Just a chicken?　If we don't get that thing, we're gonna have to wait a year!　You can't call it a chicken!
It's only chicken, you always eat the same thing!
You don't know the difference in taste, you omnivore!　You don't even know the difference in taste!
Why would you try to kill me?　No!
Yeah. That's what you've done. You owe me an apology.　

　The ragamuffin is migratory, wary, and not an easy food to come by.
　It was a rare and valuable meat that many hunters tried and most of them failed.
　Naguri, having been eaten by this precious meat, was in a state of desperation.

You're going to die!　Naguri～～～～～!
Come on, you bastard!　Come on! I'll beat you back!

　The dwarves began a fierce fistfight.

　Ignoring them, the other dwarves continue their work.
　Seeing them unmoved, Xellos knew that this was their daily routine.

"I can go home to ・・・・・, can't I?

　Left to his own devices, Xellos was at a loss for words.

　The fisticuffs lasted until dawn, he says.
　Dwarves seem to have a lot of stamina.