Granmaria carried me as we headed toward the Hot Spring Area.
She had carried me many times before, but we were high up today. The Sun Castle really was at a staggering elevation. The altitude was around two thousand meters—about the same height used for skydiving, right?
...Hm?
Oh, enjoying a freefall through the air? Wait, no. Safety first. I’ll give a detailed explanation of the concept next time. Not right now.
We arrived safely at the Hot Spring Area, where the three Death Knights came out to greet us.
"You don't need to kneel," I told them. "Stand up, please."
First, I explained the situation regarding the Sun Castle. When I told them that, after one thing and another, I had brought it under my control, they were genuinely surprised. Then, the three of them broke into a synchronized Victory Dance.
They must have practiced that; their timing was perfect. Were they influenced by the performances during the intervals of the martial arts tournament the other day? I see. I understood the sentiment, but I wasn't so sure about them dancing while surrounding me. They usually carried swords, but for some reason, they were all holding spears today.
I felt like I was in the position of a sacrificial offering. They told me not to worry about it, so I let it go.
Next, I informed them that things would get a little noisy because we would be mining and transporting Heat Retention Stones. I didn't think it would be a problem, but the Death Knights were visibly shaken. Was something wrong?
Led by the Death Knight who had been stationed there from the start, Granmaria and I headed toward the Heat Retention Stone Mining Site. Apparently, seeing was believing.
He led the way, but since I had come here many times to mine the stones we used in the village, I knew the path by heart. The Death Knight managed to get lost twice. Come to think of it, he had a terrible sense of direction. He was definitely better suited for base defense.
As we walked, I noticed he was using the shield I had given him. He told me it was quite sturdy and easy to handle. The other two seemed envious, so I decided to find some time to make shields for them as well. I wondered if they’d want the same gimmick. Then again, different designs would probably be more fun.
We chatted as we moved, but I didn't let my guard down. Monsters and Magic Beasts still appeared around here. Well, we had hardly encountered any since the Death Knights started staying at the Hot Spring Area, but still...
We arrived safely at the mining site.
At the Heat Retention Stone Mining Site, the stones were naturally exposed. Even in winter, the surrounding area remained warm. It wasn't quite as hot as the Sun Castle, but it was enough to make one forget the season.
I spotted a family of magic beasts at the site. Were they giant lions? Standing on all fours, they were easily three meters tall. They were roughly the size of Kuro’s offspring when they grew large for battle.
The one with the mane was likely the father, and the one without was the mother. Tucked behind the mother were three small Lion Cubs. Because the parents were so massive, it created an illusion, but the cubs were actually quite big themselves. However, I could tell they were young by their facial expressions and the length of their limbs. Perhaps they had been born recently?
The lions were cautious of Granmaria and me, but I didn't sense any hostility. One of the Death Knights approached and soothed them, and their wariness vanished. Then, the knight stood between us and the lions as if to protect them.
I wasn't going to object to them keeping pets.
"I don't mind," I said. "In fact, it would be a help if they could assist with the security of the Hot Spring Area."
I thought it would be nice if I could pet one of the Lion Cubs, but the Death Knight stepped forward with a look on his face like he was prepared to die for them.
"Wait, I’m only going to pet it..."
Oh. That was nice.
"Granmaria, do you want to try petting them too?"
The remaining two Lion Cubs ended up frolicking around Granmaria. I wasn't jealous. Not at all.
"These lions... do you know what species they are?" I asked.
"No, I am sorry," Granmaria replied. "But... aren't they just ordinary large lions?"
"Right. Well, I'll ask Lu or Frau when I see them; they might know more. Or perhaps Ria or Ya would know, since they’re experts on monsters."
It seemed the Death Knights were feeding the Lion Family by bringing them the creatures they defeated. That explained why the usual mountain of monster carcasses was so small today; they had all been sent into the stomachs of these lions. I hoped they hadn't grown this large just because they were being overfed. Well, as long as they looked healthy, there was no problem.
However, if they stayed right there, they would get in the way of the mining. The parents were quite large, after all.
"Would you mind moving to the Hot Spring Area?" I asked.
It felt a bit mean, like I was kicking them out, but the knights explained that food was easier to come by at the hot springs anyway, and the lions could even soak in the water. I suppose that made sense. Still, I felt a little bad.
Just as I thought the three Lion Cubs would climb onto the father’s back so they could run off, massive bat-like wings sprouted from their backs.
"Eh?"
The Lion Family gave a polite bow to the stunned version of me and flew off toward the Hot Spring Area.
Right. Definitely not ordinary lions.
Composing myself, I checked the mining site as planned. I wasn't sure of the exact reserves of Heat Retention Stones in the area, but I estimated there were several tons just in the exposed portions. We could secure more than enough to satisfy the Sun Castle’s needs.
All that was left was the mining itself. I had a procedure in mind: I would dig out large chunks with the Universal Farming Tool, and the others would trim away the excess. It was my usual method.
The only real issue was transporting the stones from here to the Sun Castle. Since it was a floating fortress, I assumed there would be some kind of airship for logistics, but there wasn't. According to Gou, the previous owners had sold the airships first whenever they ran short on funds. That meant anyone who could fly had to carry the cargo by hand.
I planned to have Rusty carry the bulk of it all at once. I felt like I was using Hakuren and Rusty a bit too conveniently for everything related to the Sun Castle. I decided I should make them whatever dish they wanted as a reward.
"Let’s get this done quickly," I said.
When I had called for support to get down from the castle, I had asked Rusty to bring along some people to help with the labor.
"By the way, Granmaria, how was it decided that you would be the one to come?"
"It was a lottery, of course. I am grateful for my own blessed luck."
I see. I had been indebted to Granmaria for many things lately.
"I’ll make you whatever you want to eat later too."
"I would like sweet snacks, please."
"Understood."
I focused on the mining while Granmaria kept watch. We worked hard until Rusty arrived with the reinforcement crew.
Upon seeing the piles of Heat Retention Stones we had recovered, Bell let out a sigh. "If we had this much when this castle was first built... we could have conquered the world."
Bell was in high spirits. I wondered if this was the sense of satisfaction one felt when a gas tank was finally full. Of course, the stones still needed to be refined. Once we moved them to the designated area, Gou would handle the refining process. Apparently, once the fuel levels were sufficient, Gou would be able to take on a human form like Bell. I was looking forward to seeing that.
There were others in the castle as well, and I hoped they would support Kuzuden.
"Bell, stop muttering to yourself about armaments. It’s dangerous," I warned. "If you have that much free time, come help with the fields. We’re moving the indoor crops outside, remember?"
We couldn't just destroy the fields while the crops were still growing, so they would just have to be patient for a while longer.