Chapter 213: Pressure
Ace cast Lesser Sound Sensitivity on his ears. Hearing the apprentices’ discussion, a smile appeared on his lips. He walked slowly toward the apprentices. As he approached, the apprentices stopped arguing and looked at him quietly.
His clear and powerful voice reached every apprentice’s ear through the Amplification Spell: “Are you all worried about how to transport these logs?”
The apprentices spoke all at once, voicing their previous thoughts. Even at the fastest speed, they believed it would take half a month to transport all these logs to the harbor district.
“Half a month is too long. Before sunset tomorrow, we can transport the logs to the harbor district!” Ace said with a confident smile.
“One day? How is that possible?” an apprentice exclaimed.
“What method can we use to transport them in one day?” Warren murmured.
Is this the spirit of questioning? Sulu thought to himself, looking at the bright freckles on Warren’s face.
Ace ignored the apprentices’ discussion and offered no further explanation. He used Lesser Activated Wood. Accompanied by the pulse of Mana, he transformed over a hundred logs into activated logs.
The apprentices watched the logs hopping slowly like living creatures, their eyes popping out. Is Lord Ace planning to turn all ten thousand logs into these self-moving logs?
Warren stared at the ten thousand logs, falling into deep silence.
Even for Lord Ace, his Mana would probably be insufficient to animate so many logs. Moreover, the duration of such a spell was also a problem. He frowned, thinking hard, wondering if he had overlooked something.
Sulu followed suit, frowning like Warren, thinking in his mind: Is this the secret of the spirit of questioning?
Ace controlled the hundred-plus logs with vague mental telepathy, making them use their shaping ability autonomously to slowly transform according to Ace’s will.
The logs lay on the ground, absorbing nutrients from the earth. The ground beneath them became barren at a speed visible to the naked eye, while the logs accelerated their transformation and proliferation. In a short while, over a hundred large rafts appeared on the ground.
Warren’s eyes lit up, and he murmured:
“Tie the logs to the rafts and rely on the water flow for transportation? Why didn’t I think of that? As expected of Lord Ace. However, even relying on the water flow, the River of Luminous Light is not currently in flood season. It would probably take two or three days to reach the harbor district.”
The apprentices gradually began to understand Ace’s idea. Under Ace’s command, they stacked the logs evenly onto the rafts.
Ace threw down a handful of vine seeds, quickly using Lesser Breeze to scatter the seeds evenly on the ground next to the rafts. Then he waved his hand, and hundreds of modified Lesser Vine Entanglement Spell Models appeared. He activated them rapidly. Accompanied by the pulse of Mana, vines grew rapidly.
The nearby, already barren soil began to undergo desertification. The nutrients in the land had been completely extracted, and it was unlikely to recover in the next ten years.
The vines quickly tied the logs firmly onto the large rafts. This place was not far from the River of Luminous Light, and the apprentices soon pushed the hundred-plus rafts piled with logs into the water.
It was deep autumn, and the flood season had passed. The apprentices looked at the rafts, pondering how to drift downstream in one day.
“Perhaps we can use Water Element Magic to push them and accelerate the flow.”
“With our Mana, we would probably have to meditate after pushing for half an hour, right?”
The apprentices discussed amongst themselves. Ace did not stop them, letting them discuss freely. This was a good opportunity for independent thinking. If someone could come up with a good idea, wouldn’t that be even better?
The apprentices didn’t come up with any effective, feasible method. All methods were stuck on one point: their Mana was insufficient to sustain such long-term consumption.
While the apprentices were discussing, Ace had already ordered the Wizard Apprentices stationed at the upstream dam through the Grimoire to open the gates in an orderly manner, releasing a sufficiently fast water flow. The roar of the water flow could already be heard from not far away.
At this time, Ace walked in front of the apprentices and said: “Magic is indeed the primary productive force, but sometimes, we don’t necessarily have to use direct magical means!”
He pointed behind him. The water released from the dam surged forward, rushing the log-laden rafts downstream in almost a breath.
Ace seized the opportunity to disseminate his philosophy to the apprentices:
“We use Magic to transform nature, fully utilizing the great power of nature. Direct magical means can be used, and indirect means can also be used. The fifty-meter-high dam we built is perfect for this moment!”
Watching the apprentices deep in reflection, Ace continued: “Now, please use every means possible to reach the harbor district as soon as possible to receive our timber!”
With that, he activated Flash Teleportation, soaring into the sky. Opening his geometric Mana Crystal wings in mid-air, he flew toward Nightlight City. After all, Nightlight City spanned the River of Luminous Light. If he didn’t notify Leon and the others to open the water gates in advance, the logs might crash right into them.
By the evening of the next day, the apprentices successfully intercepted the hundred-plus large rafts carrying logs. Although some logs were bumped and soaked, most were fine.
Under Daina’s command, the apprentices quickly transported the logs to the vicinity of the dry dock in the harbor district.
They began cutting the wood using Mana Crystal Shaping spells and Lesser Wind Blades. With the help of Fire Element Magic, the apprentices quickly used constant temperature spells to process the wood similarly to sun-drying.
Following Borg’s suggestion, they began constructing the ship’s keel and assembling it.
The entire process was similar to shipbuilding in other city-states, but Magic accelerated production. The apprentices used Fire Element Magic to quickly manufacture a large number of iron nails and other parts, and used Spell Hands to rapidly construct the keel and assemble the hull.
Borg watched the ship hulls taking shape at a speed visible to the naked eye. He estimated that at this rate, they could produce four or five brigs in half a month.
While the Wizard Apprentices were building ordinary sailing ships, Ace and the mirror image arrived at the harbor district with an unfinished section of a keel. He gathered the eleven Mid-level Wizard Apprentices, excluding Ancestar and Arno, preparing to teach them the Lesser Activated Wood spell to build a unique Magic Brig!
I will sail this Magic Brig to welcome my parents and tell them personally that I am a Wizard Apprentice, Ace thought, looking at the unfinished keel section.
Meanwhile, in the First District of Medimus Royal City.
“Romon, have you thought it through? According to city-state law, the Citizenship badge in your hand is invalid because your son Ace is missing. Only when he appears can you obtain this badge.”
Two middle-aged men wearing white robes with red ribbons accompanied a young man wearing a white robe with a purple ribbon and a hood to Romon’s home. One of the middle-aged men spoke sternly.
The other middle-aged man chimed in, saying fiercely: “It is your honor that Lord Dean appreciates you. As long as you offer your loyalty and some secrets of the estate, he is willing to protect you. Although you will lose the Ace Estate, you will receive a large sum of Gold Thales. The most important thing for a person is to be content!”
Romon looked at the three men, clenching his teeth hard. This feeling of powerlessness was terrible.
Ever since the Crown Princess fell into a coma, everything had changed. Without the Royal Family’s protection, even Peter could not help him. The Ace Estate held too many interests that people coveted.
Times had changed. After the city-state suffered heavy losses, the prices of slaves, grain, and livestock rose day by day. The entire atmosphere of the city-state shifted from pioneering to conservative. The Divine Descendant Nobles, unable to gain benefits externally, turned their eyes inward.
Without the Crown Prince’s protection, the Ace Estate instantly became a desirable prize. Many Nobles in the city were already tempted. This one was considered relatively decent in his approach. It seemed they couldn’t wait any longer!
The foundation left by my son might really be lost, Romon thought sorrowfully.
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