The ‘observation devices’ that I had arranged for mass production in Sidera were slender rod-shaped artifacts, classified as a type of magic auxiliary tool.
Each was about twenty centimeters long, with a pointed tip designed to be driven into the ground and buried up to its head, establishing its position.
These devices were capable of receiving and reflecting a specific wavelength of magic emitted by the familiars. While the enchantment itself wasn’t particularly complex, the use of rare alloys made them quite costly. To cover the vast expanse of the Void Forest, mass production was essential, and the costs were substantial.
Initially, mother and I planned to shoulder the expenses ourselves, but Noah took the matter to the kingdom, and they agreed to subsidize nearly half of the costs. When I questioned if that was truly alright, Noah laughed heartily and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
「This forest technically belongs to the kingdom, and if a rare existence were to emerge, the kingdom wouldn’t be safe either. Besides, your family lives in the heart of this forest, Sui. If we don’t support you here, the kingdom would lose its justification for keeping the ‘Heavenly Bell Witch’ within its borders.」
I understood his reasoning, and we gratefully accepted the help—after all, if a rare existence did rampage beyond the forest, it would be a disaster.
Thanks to the urgent mass production efforts, the observation devices were now piled high in a warehouse on the outskirts of town. There were over three hundred of them.
「It’s going to take us about half a day. Looks like we’ll be staying over.」
「Bark!」
My task was to imbue each device with the ‘Indestructible’ attribute and have them resonate with the familiar—the flying saucer.
I psyched myself up for the work ahead, with Chocola by my side, though he didn’t have any particular job today.
「Impressive, isn’t it?」
Noah, Parker-san, and the Ejetia twins stepped into the warehouse after me, surveying the towering stack of devices.
「It’s best to set these up quickly, right? Once you’ve finished fifty, we’ll each head to our designated areas.」
「Yeah, thanks for the help.」
The setup would be a major operation involving my family and all of Sidera’s adventurers.
However, since I couldn’t risk their lives, the adventurers were tasked with the outermost areas near Sidera, where the forest was relatively safe. Meanwhile, the more capable and agile Noah, Parker-san, and the Ejetia twins would cover the wide western section.
「Be careful out there. Don’t push yourselves, and if you spot any mutant, make sure to avoid them.」
「Yeah, I know.」
Each observation device could detect anomalies in the magic power crucible, such as the emergence of Teikou, within a radius of about thirty kilometers. There was no need to place a device in an area if it was occupied by a mutant; the devices would still provide ample coverage.
Given the nature of the task, it made sense for smaller teams of powerful mages to handle each section.
So, our assignments were as follows:
– Berde-san’s adventurer squad would cover the southern part of the outer forest.
– Noah and Parker-san were in charge of the western outer section.
– Rick-san and Noemi-san would handle the eastern section.
– My family and the Dragons would be responsible for the northern outer forest and the middle part.
The Void Forest was vast. From my own estimation, its radius was likely around six to seven hundred kilometers. Still, excluding the northeastern bay area and the deepest sections where Teikou didn’t occur, the three hundred observation devices should suffice, and our goal was to complete the installation by year’s end.
Sitting on the warehouse floor, I picked up the observation devices one by one, imbuing them with the necessary attributes and syncing them with the familiar. It wasn’t a particularly complex task, but with so many to go through, and the added effort of infusing them with a slightly stronger magic, I’d probably be exhausted by the time I finished.
But since it wasn’t the kind of work that required intense concentration, I could chat with the others waiting behind me.
「Rick-san, have you heard anything from the Elf Nation of Alfheim yet?」
「No, nothing. It’s starting to feel strange, so I’m planning to head back and check on things myself.」
「Do you think it’ll be alright? If something’s going wrong over there, they might detain you or worse…」
「It’s unclear what the Council of Elders is planning, so I can’t rule out the possibility. But honestly, I’m more worried about the opposite.」
The opposite—that is, if they were in such dire straits that they couldn’t even send a response back.
「Well, I did hear back from our parents. I subtly probed them about it, but they said there’s ‘nothing particularly unusual’ going on.」
「Did you tell them about the Athenak settlement?」
「No, I didn’t. The investigation was a direct order from the Council of Elders, so I’m bound by confidentiality.」
「I see…」
Rick-san and Noemi-san planned to return home after this task was finished, hopefully before the end of the year. It made sense—they couldn’t just leave things unattended indefinitely.
After a while, I finished fifty of the devices, which Rick-san and Noemi-san collected before promptly leaving the warehouse.
The next ones to arrive—or rather, return—were Karen, along with Berde-san, Schnei-san, and Tomoe-san.
「Sui, I brought some food.」
「Oh, thanks! I’ll eat it when I get hungry. Did Tomoe-san make it?」
「Yes, it’s a special from Skylark Pavilion. It’s a sandwich filled with dragon-eye yuzu jam and white apple compote, both said to have magic power recovery properties.」
「Thank you, I’m looking forward to it.」
I said, turning back to express my gratitude. Tomoe-san took a milk canister from Schnei-san, poured the contents onto a plate, and set it down for Chocola.
「Here you go, Chocola-san. Thank you for all your hard work.」
「Bark! Bark bark bark!」
Chocola barked excitedly, wagging his tail as he lapped up the milk. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his enthusiasm.
「Sorry for relying so much on you all… It’s honestly frustrating.」
Berde-san said with a wry smile, plopping down beside me.
「Even with all of us working together, we can’t even cover a fifth of the southern edge of the forest, right? Sometimes I wonder if we’re just getting in the way.」
「What are you talking about? Covering a fifth is a huge help. And besides, we wouldn’t have these observation devices at all without you guys.」
The three hundred devices were only possible because everyone in Sidera had given their all. From sourcing materials, notifying the various guilds and craftsmen, to managing schedules, they had made it happen despite the town’s everyday needs.
And—though the overall coordination was handled by Cliché-san, who had been running around, pulling it all together while I wasn’t there.
「Remember what I said before? This town is my home.」
As I continued imbuing the devices with magic power and synchronizing them with the familiars, I looked at Berde-san’s large shoulder beside me.
「It’s not just me. Noah and Parker-san are part of this town now, too. Even Rick-san and Noemi-san are adventurers living here. So, Berde-san… you’re the one leading all of us.」
「Hey hey, that’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?」
「I don’t think so. None of us would be here without you. We wouldn’t be rallying together like this to protect the forest. Even my father would say the same.」
「Boss, stand tall.」
Came a blunt but encouraging voice from behind us.
「That’s right! You’ve just married a beautiful bride, haven’t you? If the husband looks downcast, it’ll dull the shine of the woman’s prestige. So, keep your head up for Lila-san’s sake.」
Tomoe-san added teasingly.
Berde-san looked up at the ceiling for a moment, as if enduring something, then adjusted his cross-legged position and let out a deep breath.
「Alright, I get it. Sui, I’m counting on you. It might be a tough job, but hang in there.」
「Yeah, thanks. Hearing that helps me get fired up… Alright, here we go—another fifty done.」
I pushed the newly enchanted devices toward Berde-san, who stood up and called out loudly to those behind him.
「Noah, Parker-san, your turn. And remember—don’t push yourselves. If you sense a mutant, retreat immediately. Keep up with the scheduled check-ins.」
「Roger that, Boss!」
「Yeah, don’t worry. We’ll follow the things you taught us and keep safety first.」
Parker-san said, nodding confidently as she packed the devices into her backpack.
Watching them, I felt reassured and turned my focus back to the task at hand.
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