Level 1 Strongest Sage 1

Ten days after Halt and his family and friends finished the design of the clan house –

“Hey, are you for real?” “W-What the heck…!?”

Luke and Ryuushin were stupefied as they stood in front of a certain building.

“Hm, the real thing is way more epic.” (Youko) “Amazing!!” (Hakua) “It’s far bigger than we imagined!” (Mai and Mei) “As expected of you, Halt meow.” (Merdie)

“I didn’t do it on my own, it’s thanks to Tina.”

Halt and his companions were gazing at the 5-story building, which was actually their clan house.

The colossal building had been completed in just the short span of ten days.

“We simply provided the carpenters at H&T Trading Company with a special bonus and asked them for a simple favor. In response, they put forth exceptional effort."

Tina gave the construction workers three times their annual salary in advance. The hundred plus workers’ eyes shone at the sight of the heap of banknotes, and the promise of additional rewards if the project was completed within the month boosted their morale.

Moreover, there was a certain thing that motivated them even further.

“Hey, Elmia, try touching this.” “What’s up, Seira? Oh, what the heck is this!?”

“It feels cool and nice, right?” “We used a special type of lumber for this.”

Halt and Tina were beaming with pride.@@novelbin@@

“Ah-Ahm, the lumber that was used for this clan house, could it be – “

Leaffa noticed that a certain type of wood had been used to build this clan house when she touched the pillar.

It was no other than [Radiant Steel Tree].

All the carpenters in the world would love to work with this wood, even if it’s just once in their entire life.

In this world, multi-story buildings were typically built with a durable type of wood known as [Steel Tree]. The Adventurers' Guild in the royal capital of Glendale and the main store of H&T Trading Company also use steel tree for their frameworks. However, it’s far too expensive for ordinary people to use for their own homes.

There is approximately one radiant steel tree for every one thousand steel trees, so it’s considered an extremely rare building material. And yet, that invaluable wood had been lavishly used just for this clan house.

By the way, even if they were to gather all the radiant steel trees that grow in their natural habitat, the number would still be far from enough to build this massive structure.

However, there was a certain sage who had the capability of doing the impossible.

“Ahh, so that’s why Gnome dropped by last week.” “Oh, Sylph, you already realized it, huh.”

There is one spirit who could freely produce and grow trees by will, and it was no other than Gnome, the Earth Spirit King. With sufficient mana, Earth Spirit King Gnome can grow as many ultra-rare radiant steel trees as he wants, and it so happens that he is also contracted to Halt.

“I requested Gnome to grow many radiant steel trees to use as lumber for this Clan House.”

Upon realizing that they’ve been given an opportunity that felt like a pie from the sky, the carpenters were extremely motivated, even going to the extent of competing with each other. Some even wanted to work through the night on the very first day of construction. Their morale had been driven to its peak because of the ultra-rare material they were privileged to handle..

By the way, Tina arranged an elite project supervisor to oversee the construction, and it was him who stopped the carpenter who attempted to work overnight.

However, it wasn’t only due to the construction workers’ zeal and hard work that the clan house was completed in such a short time. Tina and Halt also personally lent them a hand.

It usually requires pulleys and several workers to lift a pillar and set it in place, but Halt, clad in a magic suit, effortlessly accomplished that task. Tina used her Earth Magic to solidify and fortify the foundation and she also aided the carpenters with her flight magic. It looked as if they were dancing in the air as they swiftly went on with their jobs. Since the workers could work while staying afloat, they didn’t have to build scaffoldings.

Halt also expedited most of the time-consuming tasks using his magic.

In this way, they pulled off the incredible feat of finishing the majestic five-story clan house in just ten days.

“But Haru-Nii, why radiant steel trees?”

“Radiant steel trees keep the temperature at a comfortable level for the people within their vicinity.”

Halt chose the radiant steel tree for its temperature regulating property. However, that’s not the only merit those trees have. There’s a rumor among carpenters that says that structures and buildings constructed with radiant steel tree lumber are protected.

Little did they know, it wasn’t a mere rumor but the truth.

Since the radiant steel trees were imbued with Gnome’s mana, they were essentially under the protection of the Spirit King. Gnome had been pouring enormous amounts of mana into the trees, so he hadn’t had a chance to enter a contract with people until now.

Halt managed to form a contract with Gnome because it was no ordinary contract.

In the past, he forcibly summoned Gnome and proposed a contract with him, making the latter unable to disobey his words.

Supposedly, buildings constructed using radiant steel trees would lose Gnome’s protection because of the contract with Halt. However, because the sage possessed unlimited mana, he would always impart huge amounts of mana to the spirits whenever he summoned them as a gift.

The amount of mana was enough to raise a spirit king, who was supposedly the pinnacle of the spirits to the next level.

Gnome agreed to be contracted to Halt because of this, and as a result, the buildings made with the radiant steel trees retained his protection and that includes this clan house, of course.

Only high level spirits’ magic could damage it, which shows just how sturdy the building is – if it’s made with ordinary radiant steel trees, that is.

“I’ve never seen a radiant steel tree before, but I’m not sure, is it supposed to be this black?”

Ryuushin confusedly asked.

The others who knew what the radiant steel tree looked like also had the same misgivings.

“No, Ryuushin. I know what the real radiant steel tree looks like, and it’s not as dark as this.”

“The radiant steel tree that I know doesn't have this color either. Halt, is this really wood from the radiant steel trees?”

Sylph and Hakua knew that the radiant steel trees were vividly scarlet, giving the illusion that they’re in flames.

“D-Danna-sama, is this perhaps –”

Former demon king Sitri once saw a certain sage’s bunshin use a wooden sword enforced with this wood to beat an ogre to a pulp.

It was actually a technique that could turn an ordinary branch as powerful as an orichalcum sword.

“Yup, the pillars, walls – you’ll see that everything made from the the radiant steel trees had been blackened.”

The pillars, walls, floors, and ceilings supporting their clan house had all been reinforced to a strength exceeding orichalcum.