First thing the next morning, I made my way to the chapel, where my crafting stations waited silently for me. The faint smell of heated metal and polished wood filled the air: a comforting scent that reminded me of progress.
I checked the overnight crafting results: stacks of stone blocks, sharpened wooden stakes, and several toolkits ready for use. Perfect. After resetting the next batch of materials to process, I gathered what I needed and headed for the village outskirts.
It was time to start the construction in earnest.
The plan was simple, at least on paper.
Step one: Dig a trench around the entire perimeter of the village, roughly two meters wide and one deep.
Step two: Line the outer side of the trench with wooden spikes and stack stone blocks along the inner edge, creating a crude spiked moat and a foundation wall.
Step three: Build the wall itself, five blocks high, leaving openings where the gates would go.
Step four: Add stairs and a narrow upper platform so defenders could fire safely from above.
Straightforward. Effective. Exactly the kind of project I liked.
The morning sun was already climbing when I drove the first shovel into the earth. The steel blade cut cleanly through the soil, and soon the rhythmic scrape and thud of my work filled the otherwise quiet field. Cecile, ever vigilant, watched from a short distance, close enough to protect me if something appeared, but far enough not to disturb the process.
By midmorning, a neat trench snaked along the southern edge of the village. Sweat clung to my brow, and my arms ached pleasantly from the steady labor. Just as I was setting another row of wooden spikes, Mayor Chrone approached, her usual dignified air softened by curiosity.
"You laid the foundation in a single morning?" she asked, astonished as she surveyed the growing fortification.
"Just about," I said, straightening. "If everything goes smoothly, the wall should be usable by tomorrow at lunchtime. I'm hoping to get it at least two blocks high before sundown."
Chrone nodded approvingly.
Curious about something myself, I asked her, "How goes the recruitment effort?"
"Better than expected," she replied, brushing her hands together. "Aside from your three adventuring companions and our eight guards, we've gathered about twenty villagers willing to help defend the town."
"Excellent," I said, genuinely pleased. "Once I finish this section, I'll need to meet whoever's in charge of organizing them. I have an idea for how we can arm them without sending anyone outside the walls."
Chrone smiled. "I'll send someone your way after lunch. Ah, and look, here comes one of your new volunteers now!"
I followed her gaze and saw a familiar figure approaching across the field. Curved horns, a swinging tail, and a confident smile: Belle, the cowkin tavern keeper, was walking toward us with a basket in her hands.
"Belle?" I asked, raising a brow. "You volunteered?"
"Sure did," she said brightly. "Right now you're my only guest, so I closed up the tavern for the day. Besides, someone has to make sure you eat properly!"
She held up the basket with a grin.
Chrone laughed softly before excusing herself, leaving us to our lunch.
We sat under the shade of a nearby tree, and I gratefully accepted the meal: freshly baked bread, sliced fruit, and roasted silvestre meat seasoned with herbs.
"You know," Belle said between bites, "watching you build is kind of mesmerizing. Walls just appear wherever you go."
"It's less magic and more repetition," I replied with a chuckle. "But I'll take the compliment."
After finishing lunch, I invited Belle to accompany me to the chapel to collect the finished items I'd crafted overnight. She followed eagerly, and when we arrived, her eyes went wide at the sight of my makeshift workshop: rows of benches, smelters, and tools all neatly arranged.
"By the gods, Abel… this looks more like a blacksmith's forge than a chapel shed," she said, running a hand along one of the polished tables.
"Efficient workspace equals faster production," I said with a grin, loading several items into my inventory.
She nodded appreciatively. "I can see why the mayor's so happy to have you around."
With supplies in hand, we returned to the construction site. Belle found a comfortable spot to sit while I resumed my work. The steady rhythm of stacking, shaping, and reinforcing filled the afternoon air. Every now and then, I caught her watching quietly, her tail swishing lazily behind her.
I'd just finished reinforcing another gate post when a familiar voice called out across the field.
"Abel! Mayor Chrone said you wanted to talk to me?"
I turned to see Tuly, one of the town guards: the same woman who'd fetched the mayor and Claire when I first arrived. Her armor glinted faintly in the sun as she jogged up, posture confident and alert.
"Yeah," I said, wiping my hands on my trousers. "You're helping organize the volunteers, right? What's the plan for arming them?"
Tuly shrugged. "Wooden spears, mostly. Unless someone happens to have their own weapon."
I nodded, it made sense. Spears were easy to make, but not much use against a horde if you had to stay on the walls.
"I've got a better option," I said, pulling something from my inventory. I presented it to her with a grin.
Her eyes widened. "Is that… a crossbow?"
"Sure is. Simple to use, powerful, and ideal for defense from high ground. I made about thirty of them, plus a few thousand stone-tipped bolts. If we arm the volunteers with these, no one will need to risk open combat."
Tuly's face lit up. "That's brilliant! I can shoot one, and I think Cecile can too."
"Perfect. What about you, Belle?" I asked, turning to her.
She blinked. "Me? I've never tried shooting anything."
"Then it's a good time to learn. Tuly, mind showing her how it's done? Once she's got the basics, you can teach the other volunteers the same way."
Tuly nodded eagerly. "Gladly. And I'll talk to the mayor, we'll purchase these from you officially. Payment fair?"
"Works for me."
I set up a wooden target from my inventory and stepped back. Tuly demonstrated the loading and firing process, her movements precise and efficient. The first bolt thudded into the target's center with a satisfying thwack. Belle watched carefully, tail flicking nervously.
Her first few shots went wide, but she quickly adjusted her aim. By the time I finished raising the wall to its second tier around the entire perimeter, both women were hitting the target consistently.
When I returned, Belle beamed proudly. "I actually hit it!"
"More than once," Tuly added. "She's a natural."
I laughed. "Good. You'll make the perfect instructor."
Before leaving, Tuly handed me a small leather pouch. Inside were two gold coins, fair payment for the weapons and bolts. "The mayor insisted," she said with a grin.
"Tell her I said thank you," I replied.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Belle and I began the walk back to the inn. The stone walls now circled nearly the entire village, gleaming faintly in the golden light. For the first time since the goblin threat appeared, the settlement actually looked defensible.
Belle glanced at me as we walked. "You know, Abel… you're starting to make this little place feel like a real fortress."
I smiled. "That's the idea. Tomorrow, we finish the wall."