Chapter 574: Paving the Way

Kamail had left, and Gawain sat quietly at his desk, lost in deep, prolonged thought.

He pondered the nature of magic, speculated about its origins, and considered how to shield his observational experiments from the interference of natural magical forces. As he was immersed in these reflections, Amber, standing beside him, finally spoke up. “You seem to be obsessed with the fundamental nature of magic… Is that really such an important question?”

“Don’t you find it curious?” Gawain glanced back at the half-elf, noticing the confusion etched across her face. “Have you never wondered what magic actually is? Where it comes from?”

“…Magic is just magic, like air—something natural. It’s part of the world,” Amber scratched her head. “You need it to cast spells, brew potions, even some plants and animals rely on it to survive. I think it’s like stone—something that’s existed since the world was born.”

“But stones don’t suddenly turn into chaotic magical storms. Magic can—and might not last forever, unless we can prove it’s truly infinite,” Gawain shook his head gently. “What if magic is just a fleeting miracle? Of course, ‘fleeting’ in the grand scale of the world’s lifespan, but maybe magic is only a brief phenomenon in the long cycles of this world—like a moment of calm amid thunderous waves. We mortals are born in that calm, tiny insects with even shorter lifespans. Because we’re born in calm, we assume the world’s essence is a still surface, unaware that a storm could be brewing the next second. Or perhaps magic is a finite resource, constantly being consumed, but before it runs out, mortals have no way to detect or measure it…”

Amber’s eyes widened in shock as she listened. “Where do you come up with these terrifying ideas?!”

Then, eyeing Gawain strangely from head to toe, she added, “No wonder you always seem so mysterious… Turns out your mind is full of all these weird thoughts every day. Wait, you didn’t happen to see something during those seven hundred years your soul was separated from your body, did you?”

“That has nothing to do with it,” Gawain said with a wry smile, shaking his head. “Anyway, someday you’ll…”

He had wanted to say, “Someday you’ll understand this question,” but thinking of Amber’s laziness and lack of curiosity in intellectual matters, he changed his tone: “Forget it. Don’t think about it so much.”

Amber frowned. “I think you’re underestimating my intelligence…”

Gawain paid no mind to the half-elf’s small protest. He stood up and left the study, heading to the nearby magical laboratory.

This lab belonged to Hetty, but since Gawain also had some knowledge of magic, there were a few items here that belonged to him. He went to a corner, took out a device that had been set aside for some time, and placed it on a nearby workbench to assemble.

The device was simple: a light-shielding plate with a small aperture, a narrow double-slit barrier, and a flat screen. Thanks to the fine craftsmanship of the Nicholas Egg, the precision of this apparatus was unmatched in this era.

The barrier wasn’t made of anti-magic crystal but a plain opaque metal plate. It wasn’t designed to observe magical interference patterns but rather the ordinary double-slit interference of light. The device had been here for months, and the observation results had long been recorded. But today, Gawain wanted to look again.

He set up a monochromatic light source before the device, turned off the lab lights, and carefully adjusted the relative positions of the barrier and the screen.

No matter how he adjusted it, the screen always displayed a chaotic, diffused glow.

The glow shifted and flickered with his adjustments, like a devil’s malicious grin mocking the helpless experimenter.

No interference fringes.

Gawain felt as if he had traveled back months, reliving the astonishment and confusion he felt the first time he observed that glow through this device.

The “light” of this world didn’t seem to be light at all, yet the simple optical devices he designed—like telescopes—worked perfectly fine.

The absence of interference fringes could mean the device’s precision or adjustment range was still insufficient, or perhaps the “light” here truly lacked wave properties. But combined with his recent conversation with Kamail and the similar difficulties the elves encountered when verifying magical fluctuations, a new hypothesis formed: maybe this device was also being interfered with by the natural magic of this world.

Is the “light” here a form of magic? A kind of visible magic that can be blocked by ordinary opaque materials? Or does the world’s magic influence light’s wave properties at the microscopic level, causing all double-slit interference experiments to fail whenever exposed to ambient magic?

Staring at the hazy, chaotic glow on the screen, Gawain sank into deep thought once more.

…

Autumn had arrived.

As the most prominent constellation in the summer night sky, Pyrois gradually drifted away from the zenith, becoming a familiar sight in the western sky. Meanwhile, the Frostsky constellation, signaling the retreat of summer’s heat, began to rise and move toward the center of the sky.

Each year, January was the Month of Cold, February the Month of Renewal, March the Month of Fire, and April the Month of Harvest. The rising of Frostsky meant the hottest season was ending, and the fruitful autumn was arriving. It would continue to ascend through the Frost and Mist months, drawing ever closer to the zenith. To mark this seasonal change, the Ansu people named this early rising period “Welcoming Frost in April.”

This name had once briefly confused Gawain. Though he knew “welcoming frost” didn’t literally mean welcoming frost or snow, but rather the Frostsky constellation, his Earth-born mindset took time to associate this “cool” name with days still tinged with summer’s lingering warmth.

But he had finally adapted to this world.

Inside the Government Affairs Hall, the weekly routine report meeting was underway. Gawain sat at the head of the long table, listening calmly to Agriculture Minister Norris’s report.

The minister, a once-poor farmer now showing signs of age, held his notes and tried to straighten his back, though his upper body remained slightly stooped. “…The newly cultivated fields in the Hosman, Kant, Carol, Grant, and Tansan regions are growing well, with promising harvests. However, the new lands in Peibo, Konstin, the Western Wastelands, and the Northwest are still in early stages of reclamation. Land consolidation and relocation issues mean the grain production plan may not be met…

“The introduction of new farming machinery in Hosman and Kant has been effective, with some early crops already harvested ahead of schedule…

“Testing of the ‘Harvest-II’ druidic elixir in the northern experimental fields has achieved preliminary success. The next step is to evaluate the elixir’s long-term effects on the soil… cough, cough…”

Gawain looked at the minister. “Norris, are you feeling alright?”

“Cough, cough, it’s an old ailment. I always cough when autumn comes,” Norris waved it off. “That’s all for my report. I’ve already handed the detailed documents to Lady Hetty.”

Nearby, Pittman winked at Norris. “Hey, want to try my medicine? I promise, your cough won’t be a problem anymore…”

“Keep order during work,” Gawain shot Pittman a sharp look, then scanned the room before exhaling softly. “That concludes today’s meeting. You’re dismissed.”

Soon, the hall emptied, leaving only Gawain and Hetty—along with Amber, who had been quietly snacking on sunflower seeds for the past hour, hidden near Gawain.

“Ancestor, the royal messenger from the capital has arrived at Rockhold Fortress,” Hetty reported. “Leading the group is Vice Commander Kohn Loren of the Royal Knights. Also, according to the envoy, the first batch of materials for building the barrier has been loaded onto ships at the upper Dolgon River port. Barring any issues, they should reach the southern border within twenty days.”

The elves had sent advance messengers with letters, followed closely by official royal envoys. At the same time, supplies from the northern regions were being loaded onto ships upriver. This seamless coordination meant one thing: the nobles of the capital had finally unified their stance.

Victoria Wilde… that northern duchess was indeed capable.

“They’re finally getting efficient,” Gawain nodded. “How’s the progress of the ‘Pathfinders’ project?”

“The Pathfinders have established a forward base at the northern edge of the Black Forest and have begun advancing deeper into the woods. There have been several brief skirmishes between the escort squad and forest monsters, with only one soldier lightly wounded and no other casualties.”

“Crossing the Dark Mountains means leaving the safe zone of civilization. We must be extra cautious of enemies lurking in the Black Forest,” Gawain said slowly. “You and I should visit the South Gate Fortress to inspect the construction progress.”

Hetty lowered her head. “Understood.”

Gawain nodded and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from the nearby table. “Stop snacking and come with me.”

“Hey, hey!!”

…

At the southern foot of the Dark Mountains, the South Gate Fortress.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t yet a fortress but a massive, half-finished fortification and a bustling construction site.

Engineering machinery, building materials, and workers from Cecil City had moved into the former “Shadow Experiment Grounds.” Using the vast cavern as a foundation, they were erecting a large, sturdy reinforced concrete fortress.

Under the supervision of construction chief Gordon, the team had reinforced the southern mountain wall of the cavern with permanent cement. Steel mechanical gates and several firing and observation points had been installed on the cliff face. Inside the cavern, powerful magical crystal lamps illuminated the space like daylight. The remnants of Gondor’s artifacts had been sorted and cleared. Pools of stagnant water and cracked pits had been filled and covered with new magical mesh layers and flooring. Exposed stone walls were supported and reinforced, with ongoing work on walls and pipelines.

The crew was currently installing support pillars on the southern and western sides, preparing to build the fortress’s second floor. Gordon himself stood in the cavern’s center, overseeing workers as they performed protective isolation and repairs on the “Shadow Gate.”

This portal to the Shadow Realm was damaged, but Miss Amber could still use her unique powers to enter the depths of the Shadow Realm through it. The lord believed the gate held special scientific value. Since the portal was fixed to the surface and couldn’t be moved, Gordon planned to protect it as a special facility within the fortress.

A mechanical scholar in yellow workwear, holding a magitech terminal, approached Gordon and saluted. “Mr. Gordon, the supplies from Cecil City have arrived—they’re for the forward base. Would you like to inspect them personally?”

Gordon looked up and saw several trucks parked under the lights, each bearing the emblem of the Cecil Construction Department.

He nodded and strode toward one of the trucks. “I’ll go check it out.”

The supplies headed for the forward base were crucial—there was no room for carelessness.

Thanks to the new magic-driven vehicle technology, these powerful machines could haul as much cargo as a small caravan all at once. And thanks to the advanced architecture of the Gondor Empire, the main corridor of the Defiant Fortress was wide enough to allow such large vehicles to pass through freely. Gordon climbed up the ladder at the back of the truck and began inspecting the cargo.

Food, clothing, new water purification devices…

He nodded approvingly, ticking off each item under the “Living Supplies” section on his checklist.

Next, he moved to another truck, where the cargo caught his eye—

Boxes of Rebecca crystals, individually wrapped detonation runes, druidic withering potions, Type II high explosives, and matching fuses…

Gordon nodded again, marking off items under the “Construction Materials” category.

As he checked off the list, the construction minister muttered to himself, “How on earth do these things count as construction materials…?”

(The wife is due any day now, and I’ll be staying with her at the hospital throughout. I’ll do my best to keep updates coming, but if I run out of prepared chapters and there’s a break in updates… I hope everyone can understand =.=

Everyone, the little one is really about to arrive!!!)

(End of chapter)