Editing Godhorn Tech:Volume2 Chapter6 (section)

===Meanwhile at Horn Fortress 5===

''Development is coming along nicely,'' concluded dwarf craftsman Garett Goldcave, looking up at a giant structure.

Before, he had only built some small stone or brick buildings here and there on the island, but he had added on enough extensions that they were now complexly intertwined and stacked on top of each other, creating a bizarre sort of castle. He had not planned this out, so the interior had an inefficient and labyrinthine layout, but it was accomplishment enough that the unplanned structure did not collapse under its own weight.

He was finally at the point where the materials abandoned around the island would be useful.

He and the others could do most anything with the facilities they had created. Whether they wanted to cook or manufacture, they just had to draw out an accurate plan of the fuzzy idea in their head, process the materials, and assemble them.

For example, they could create bombs for the Lucifer Horn and help it resupply.

He had of course received help from the others in this.

The dwarf craftsman was joined by many other technicians. The gasmask girl named Marietta Diggrave had gathered imperial documents without realizing their value. The maid named Angela Custardmare had frequented enough mansions and castles to know a lot about their structure. The bunny girl named Eluné Jackpot and the gang daughter named Phobia Neverjudge were familiar enough with crime to know how to construct secret tunnels and doors. The former Godhorn Tech designer Candy Lunaticover could bring everyone’s fragmentary ideas together into a final product. The nonhuman and non-dwarf knowledge of the elves like Cliff Blueforest and Lillian Greenforest had come in handy as well. All of their knowledge had fused together to develop the unorthodox techniques needed to keep such a bizarre castle standing.

(Still, I think I was right to create some gargoyles and golems as soon as I was set up for metalworking. We can all design things and come up with ideas, but I need more help on the actual construction side of things.)

“Yes, you’re all such good boys. It’s time for your daily winding.”

He had the look that a grumpy old man reserved for his grandchildren.

This here was one of the biggest facilities.

“Nhhh… It’s been so long since I was kicked out of my guest researcher position in the Arsenal Kingdom and forced to earn my research funding as a traveling dancer, but I finally have a clinic all my own!!”

Iris Tempinvy, the dancer with a long silver braid, lifted her arms and stretched her back. She primarily researched supposedly-impossible recovery magic, but she had apparently been working as a dancer to fund that research.

Garett gave a snort.

“Hmph. Clinics are best when they’re rarely used.”

“Unlikely to happen on an island crawling with venomous snakes, venomous spiders, bears, tigers, and even the undead. Of course, we have all of them to thank for the plentiful materials and food.”

That brought into question what exactly they ate on this island. Life on a desert island was not always pleasant.

“Shouldn’t we consider trying our hand at some fields or paddies?”

“I think none of us wants to accept that we’ll be stuck on this desert island long enough for crops to grow, but it is true we’ll run out of animals eventually if we keep relying on hunting alone.”

Garett and the others had walked all around the Horn Fortress island, making it into their own backyard, but they had not run a detailed ecological survey. They could be stuck fighting against starvation tomorrow if they ended up killing and eating the last of some birds or beasts that they mistakenly thought were plentiful.

“If we do plant some seeds or seedlings in a field, the animals might come along and try to eat them,” said Garett.

“Wouldn’t that just mean more delicious meat for us?” asked Iris.

“Sigh. If I want someone to till the dirt, maybe I should go to Marietta since she’s an expert at digging holes. But this will work differently from the previous construction. I hope I don’t let my guard down and injure myself.”

“Oh ho ho. I hope you bring me plenty of scrapes and scratches to work with.” Iris laughed in delight, slapped the center of her chest, and winked. “We have a clinic now. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for the excitement of a serious wound. Moebius is a fine guinea pig, but it gets boring with just the one.”

“…”

“I also want to experiment with some trickier magic! Anyway, I just need patients, so make sure you come to me with any injuries☆”