Volume 7, Chapter 45 – Court of Confession

The gray plain drifted with a faint stench of decay. Due to the lack of vegetation, a glance revealed only exposed rocks, the desolation visible to the naked eye.

“…Your Highness, are we really going to build fortifications here? If I may be frank, the aura of death here is too heavy. You are a person who has attained miracles and can freely use magic here, but for ordinary magic chanters like us, our mana would likely be exhausted before we could even build half a tower, let alone station people here long-term afterward. Living in a place rich with death aura for a long time causes mental listlessness at best; what if we get transformed into undead creatures?”

The middle-aged elf standing behind Fia had a face full of bitterness. He and the hundreds of magic chanters behind him were members of the advance party sent by the Elf Tower. Their mission was to construct the [Court of Confession] above the second abyss to monitor the movements of the chaos.

As for the [Court of Confession], it was a result of past research by the Elf Tower. It could be seen as a floating watchtower that integrated offense and defense, while also possessing the effects of [Insight], [Farsight], and [Listening]. Initially used in the war against the Netherworld, it was declared abandoned due to the massive maintenance costs once a tacit understanding formed between the elves and the Netherworld—the elves no longer advanced into the Netherworld, and the undead’s attacks slowed down accordingly.

Fia had seen the schematic diagrams in the Holy Tree’s Forbidden Library. That square structure, wrapped in countless profound runes with emerald airflow drifting around it, was truly full of other-worldly fantasy style.

Hearing the advance party leader’s words, several magic chanters in the back nodded repeatedly. Getting too close to undead creatures would only result in being drowned by countless bleached bones; this was common sense. Even if they were elites, they were unwilling to die in vain.

Fia tapped the ground heavily with the Cloud Moon of the Illusory Sea in her hand, her tone dropping low.

“As long as you rotate shifts on time, there is no danger. Father didn’t mobilize you here for a vacation. If your mana is insufficient, use magic potions to replenish it. No one knows when the chaos will crawl up from below, so we must build an outpost on the ground as soon as possible.”

“Use… use magic potions?” The middle-aged man’s expression became even more bitter. He hunched over slightly, clasping his hands together. “Your Highness, we are all Third to Fourth-Tier magic chanters here. To restore mana with magic potions, we’d need Intermediate Magic Potions. Even though we are magic chanters of the Elf Tower, we cannot afford that consumption…”

Under normal circumstances, once a magic chanter’s mana was exhausted, an excellent one would need at least three hours to fully recover, while the vast majority would need half a day to a full day. Only those who were exceptionally talented and possessed royal blood like Liti could possibly restore full mana in one to two hours.

This was also the difficulty plaguing magic chanters trying to raise their tier. If a person could only fight for ten minutes and needed half a day to recover mana, placed in a monster forest full of danger, it would be truly hard to let loose and improve oneself.

The biggest reason Liti and Milu could raise their tiers quickly, aside from having Fia and Claire help select suitable monsters, was that they had an inexhaustible supply of magic potions. Of course, others could also use magic potions to restore mana, but the price was exorbitant; only wealthy families could use them sparingly.

Dissatisfied with the advance party captain’s repeated refusals, Anastasia rested her right hand on the mithril sword at her waist.

“Are you magic chanters of the Elf Tower or outsiders hired by Silivar? Building fortifications for the border is your duty. If you have any more questions, Her Highness won’t need to act; I will deal with you first!”

“Uh, but what we are saying is the truth. Insufficient mana is insufficient mana…”

“If mana is insufficient, use this. You are the ones building the fortifications, so where are the combat personnel from the High Elf Tower?”

As she spoke, Fia took out two wooden barrels from her storage item. The wooden barrels, identical to large wine barrels, made a heavy thud even when placed down gently.

Not knowing what Fia was up to, the middle-aged man rubbed his hands and smiled apologetically.

“Yes, we are only the ones building the [Court of Confession]. The lords of the High Elf Tower are still assembling.”

“Then I will return to Blossom again later.”

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“Eh? If you go back, what about us?”

Fia failed to understand the man’s meaning for a moment until she saw the troubled faces of the magic chanters. Then she remembered they might be afraid of the undead on the other side attacking while they built the fortifications.

“You have over a hundred people, the lowest being Third-Tier. Are you afraid of a few mere First-Tier undead?”

“We aren’t magic chanters skilled in offensive magic. Our combat power isn’t as strong as you imagine.”

The middle-aged man’s head lowered further, reminding Fia of those maids in the royal castle being scolded for doing something wrong.

Anastasia quietly explained.

“The Elf Tower categorizes the use of magic chanters based on talent. Those skilled in earth magic and nature magic are naturally unsuited for combat. So, aside from a small portion of geniuses, most are categorized as non-combat personnel. Their usual work involves ripening crops, creating temporary housing, and tilling soil. These people are the best among them, very skilled at creating stone materials and building fortifications.”

Which meant special talents developing in special directions.

She hadn’t expected the Elf Tower to divide magic chanters into combat and non-combat personnel. Fia couldn’t help but look at them with new eyes; she had previously thought the Elf Tower only blindly cultivated combat-type magic chanters.

However, judging by their simple clothing and humble attitudes, their status in the Elf Tower probably wasn’t high.

It’s better not to have such high demands.

A sense of helplessness rose in Fia’s heart.

“The undead on the opposite bank can’t use flight magic. As long as you don’t shout and wake them up, they won’t crawl out of the ground. As for what to do if they do crawl out and attack you even if they have to take a long detour…”

Halting halfway, Fia looked the expectant middle-aged magic chanter up and down.

“Even if you aren’t combat personnel, as magic chanters, you’ve undergone some combat training, right?”

“We have, but only a little. Like casting [Stone Wall] when attacked, and using [Rockfall] and [Rolling Logs] when free. Ah, I-I am a Fourth-Tier magic chanter, so I can also use [Earth Dragon Rush].”

“That’s enough.” Fia took out several mana furnaces from her storage item. “Distribute these in groups of ten. To use them, throw magic crystals into this box, then aim your staff at the monster and infuse mana—explaining one by one is too troublesome; just go down and try it once, and you’ll know how to use it.”

“Although they can’t deal with overly strong monsters, they are more than enough for skeleton soldiers. As for what’s in these barrels and bags, they are Intermediate Magic Potions and High-Grade Magic Crystals respectively. You may use them freely, but you must not steal or hoard them privately.”

“…Huh?”

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Seeming not to understand Fia’s words, the advance party captain was stunned for a long time before making a sound that wasn’t quite language. His neck turned with difficulty, like a rusted machine, toward the two wooden barrels on the ground.

“Did… did you say these are all full of magic potions? And we can use High-Grade Magic Crystals freely too?”

“Her Highness bestowed them upon you, so take them.”

Even though Anastasia said that, the advance party captain still had his mouth wide open, looking at Fia with disbelief. He didn’t dare take the cloth bag Fia held out for a long time. If this bulging bag was completely filled with High-Grade Magic Crystals, then selling him wouldn’t be enough to buy them—even a hundred of him wouldn’t be worth this much.

“If you can finish using them, I’ll consider your skill. I will check when I return later. If anyone dares to hoard them privately, don’t blame me for handing them over to the military department.”

“I guarantee no one will dare hoard them! With this many magic potions, let alone one [Court of Confession], we could build ten! By the Elf God, this is the first time in my life I’ve seen someone use wine barrels to hold magic potions. As expected of the Eldest Princess, even drinking magic potions by the barrel!”

“Insolence!”

“Eek! I-I’m sorry, Lady Anastasia. I was just too happy for a moment…”

Although he apologized verbally, the captain still hugged the cloth bag Fia had given him, beaming with joy. If not for Fia’s presence, he would have wanted to open the bag and put every single High-Grade Magic Crystal in his mouth. The magic chanters standing behind him wore expressions of longing, wishing they could extend hands from their eyes. Even craning their necks and standing on tiptoes, they wanted to see the High-Grade Magic Crystals their captain was hugging.

“Hehe, if we tell the lords of the High Elf Tower, they’ll definitely be jealous enough to want to steal our mission. Your Highness, when can we start work?”

“You can start as soon as you choose a location. Don’t forget to distribute these ten mana furnaces, ten people per group as I said. I still have things to do; I’ll bring the people from the High Elf Tower over in an hour.”

“Yes!”

Beaming with delight, the captain gave Fia a somewhat substandard military salute, then immediately turned around to organize the manpower.

When he shouted that magic potions could be used freely and whoever ran out of mana first could replenish it first, every elven magic chanter’s eyes widened exaggeratedly. Then, as if injected with stimulants, they couldn’t wait to start. Fia even saw some magic chanters begin creating massive stone blocks on the spot, muttering like madmen, “I’d be letting myself down if I don’t use mana until my legs go soft today,” and “We have to use up the magic potions before the High Elf Tower people get here.”

The reason for their behavior was self-evident. Besides hunting monsters to increase mana capacity, constantly using magic could also increase mana. Now, with an unlimited supply of magic potions, the opportunity to raise their tier was placed right before their eyes—a chance they wouldn’t get in several lifetimes.

Not lingering any longer, Fia and Anastasia turned and walked toward the Land of Exile . Anastasia watched the busy magic chanters beside her and sighed softly.

“You really didn’t need to give them expensive magic potions to increase their enthusiasm. They are soldiers trained by the Kingdom; as long as an order is given, they are obligated to complete the mission. That amount of magic potions should be used where they are needed more. In the world your subordinate lived in, Intermediate Magic Potions were rare treasures that only soldiers fighting on the front lines had a chance to buy.”

“No, that batch of magic potions isn’t actually as valuable as you think, Anastasia.”

“Not valuable… Do you mean the quality is insufficient? But no matter how poor the quality, they are still Intermediate Magic Potions.”

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Anastasia raised an eyebrow, looking very troubled.

Fia smiled bitterly.

“You’ll know tonight, Anastasia.”

The expense of magic potions lay in the long production cycle, not the cost of raw materials. With her exquisite manipulation of mana, she could completely achieve mass production.

As for Anastasia saying she distributed magic potions to increase enthusiasm, that must be a misunderstanding. She simply wanted the magic chanters to finish the [Court of Confession] quickly.

Fia looked up at the sky. The sky of the Land of Exile was still a hazy gray. Even at ten in the morning when the sun was brightest, the sunlight couldn’t pierce through the dark clouds.

“Can you accompany me to the abyss, Anastasia?”

“Do you intend to try the magic you learned in the Forbidden Library yesterday?”

“Exactly. Plus, I have something else I want to test; there might be some danger.”

“No matter where you go, your subordinate will follow you.”

Isn’t that sentence a bit too cheesy?

Fia looked at Anastasia in surprise. Hearing such cheesy words from Anastasia’s mouth felt just like when the initially tsundere Nola said “I like you”—it made her wonder if she was still dreaming.

Speaking of which, ever since she accepted Anastasia as a sparring partner, perhaps because she subconsciously treated it as practice, she hadn’t dared to take a real step forward. Or maybe for some other reason, she still hadn’t done things lovers could do with Anastasia.

Even though that pair of artworks was right before her eyes… if she could just touch them, her Faith Magic would surely improve significantly…

“What do you mean, Your Highness?”

“Ahem. Indeed, I want to test the magic I learned yesterday. Neither [Blessing of the Mother Goddess] nor [Incinerating Fire Dragon] are spells that can be used on the surface. Additionally, I want to test the chaos’s reaction to you, Anastasia. Since the chaos went as far as using space-tearing magic to flush you out, what reaction would it have if you appeared directly in front of it? It’s really strange that we still don’t know why the chaos targeted you.”

Resting her right hand against her chin, Fia pondered as she walked. However, she soon realized that Anastasia beside her was too quiet. Usually, Anastasia would definitely continue the topic, even if just to agree.

Subconsciously, Fia turned her head to look at Anastasia.

“Anastasia?”

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“Ah? W-What is it?!”

Like someone just woken from a dream, Anastasia jolted and answered flusteredly.

“Something on your mind again? Are you worried the chaos will cause trouble for me? Chaos of that level is no match for me.”

“No… I was just spacing out a little…?”

Why use a question mark for spacing out?

Finding it amusing, Fia stopped walking and pointed ahead with the Cloud Moon of the Illusory Sea .

“Alright, we’ll choose this spot.”

Although the second abyss led directly to the Primordial Continent, it went straight down. The only people who could truly pass through were herself and Claire. Thus, there was a need to open another path. That is, following her initial idea, to use earth magic on the World Tree Continent to drill a passage slanting down to the Primordial Continent, allowing the army to travel freely between the two continents.

The remaining problems were sufficient oxygen and elements.

These two problems were easily solved after learning [Blessing of the Mother Goddess]. She would use [Blessing of the Mother Goddess] to create an island on the Primordial Continent, then use [Rain of Serenity] to attach active ley lines to the island. The abundant elements would be enough to make the place lush and vibrant. Just like when she revived the ley lines in the Flame King’s desert, as long as the ley lines were restored, the desert could instantly turn into grassland, and dry riverbeds into waterfalls.

Of course, doing so wasn’t without risk. According to Helian, the chaos would devour anything with mana. If they couldn’t defend the island with revived ley lines, it would be equivalent to using her own mana to strengthen the chaos. The feeling of having her own things stolen by the chaos was particularly detestable.

“Here? Aren’t you going down into the abyss? This is at least a kilometer away from the abyss.”

“It’s safer to be a bit farther from the abyss.”

Smiling at Anastasia, Fia looked at the ground two meters ahead and took a deep breath.

Although it was only a Second-Tier magic, there wasn’t a more suitable choice.

Hopefully, it won’t be too shabby.

She chanted in a low voice.

“——[Guidance of the Stone Spirit].”