Construction Mage - Chapter 20: Church Inspection

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“The Church of Life is perhaps the party that was most affected by the Descent. They went from waning influence year by year to near-total collapse within the span of a month, only to come out better than before. If there is one thing we should learn from their success, it’s their ability to adapt. They quickly amended their texts to include the four names that mage class Delvers constantly chanted as subordinate gods and goddesses under their supreme Goddess of Life. As a result of their swift adaptation, they have grown to the point where even the royal court has to be mindful of them.“

-Passage from Impact of The Descent, by Royal Historian Edwyn Quillborn, 8 AD

***

The small caravan of three carriages reached the worksite in no time. The fourth ring was mostly an empty plot of land with barely any structures besides the half-built church and the towering wall in the distance. They only had to be mindful of the few farmers heading to and fro in the fields beyond the walls. Other than that, their horses could let loose.

As soon as the vehicles came to a stop, the three coachmen, along with armored knights flanking their side, hastily opened the door for their passengers. The first to come out of each carriage wore the same thing as the knights—plate armor. They each had an identical tabard with the engraving of some women praying. Their equipment was uniform, but having hung out around Delvers for some time now, Clay could tell they were all Delver gear, each with their own nuances.

The three knights scanned their surroundings before taking up a defensive position around their convoy.

“The perimeter is secured, Lady Elaria,” one of the knights called out.

At the knight’s word, people from the first and last carriage rushed out. There were a dozen men who all sported one long ponytail and wore the same gray monk robes that reached their ankles. They hurried into position around the carriage in the middle, lining up by the door.

A petite woman then popped her head out, glancing around at the scene with a curious gaze. She wore the female version of the same gray robes and wore an eye-catching pin on her collar. She hopped out of the door before turning around to hold her hand out to support the next person coming out. This next person’s presence immediately changed the atmosphere of the entire place. Everyone quickly fixed their posture and glanced down, not daring to meet the eyes of the beautiful blonde woman who stepped out next.

She was the only one among the entourage, besides the knights, who didn’t have a ponytail. Her platinum blonde hair flowed straight down to her waist, glistening in the sunlight. While her robe was the same color as the others, even Clay could tell the materials used were much more extravagant. It had the sheen of silk, making it look more silver than the dull gray the other used, and looked particularly comfortable to wear. Despite the loose robe, the fabric stuck close to her curves, failing to hide her full figure.

The workers of the worksite struggled not to gawk at the well-endowed lady, as they suddenly found the floor very interesting. Even if their gaze did drift, none of them could get a good look at her face, anyway. That was because she wore a silver veil over her head.

As she walked by, the lines of people on either side fell behind her. She ignored their presence and went straight to Garrick, who was standing deferentially at the forefront of his people, with a hand respectfully resting on the other shoulder. The knights positioned themselves between the woman and the foreman, but otherwise kept quiet.

“Foreman Garrick, it’s been some time since we last spoke,” the woman’s soft voice reached Clay with clarity despite the distance. “I hope everything has been going well?”

“Of course, Lady Elaria. Progress is on track thanks to the Delvers you have graciously hired to defend against the waves. Please feel free to inspect our work.”

“I appreciate you and your team’s hard work,” Lady Elaria said with a curtsy that was directed at Garrick and all the sweaty laborers behind him.

Garrick bowed deeper in response, and his men quickly mimicked his actions.

The high-ranking woman from the Church of Life then approached the half-complete church to begin her inspection. Her handmaiden dutifully carried a slab of wood as the backboard for some parchment used to record the words her mistresses whispered into her ears. 

Only once she was a distance away did Clay dare walk up to Garrick.

“First time I’ve seen your bosses come for an inspection. I assume this Lady Elaria is a priestess of notable importance?”

“Yes, and you better keep your tone polite, not just your words. She’s a luminary, and the one who will be taking charge of this church we’ve been building here.”

While Clay was not familiar with the title, never having the spare time to look into the religious order he had been working for, Garrick’s tone made it perfectly clear the woman was an esteemed individual.

“Of course, I would never speak crudely before someone so important. Especially anyone from the organization employing you.”

“What are you bootlicking for?” Garrick scoffed. “Out with what ya have to say.”

“You sure know me, Garrick. That’s my former boss for you. Do you think you can introduce me to someone from within the church? It doesn’t have to be the luminary, of course. Her assistant or anyone knowledgeable would work.”

“And why do you want to get involved with the church now that you’re a Delver? You know what, never mind. I don’t really care. As long as you promise to behave, I’ll see if any of the caretakers I’m familiar with are free.”

Clay followed his former boss’s eyes toward the group of robed monks. Some of them kept their hood up while others didn’t. For some reason, Garrick could tell who they were despite the identical clothing and backs turned as he confidently called out to one of them.

“Caretaker Thalen, can I have a moment of your time?”

The man spun around in an instant, revealing a young man in his early twenties. Recognizing Garrick, he lowered his hood, revealing his light brown hair that was slicked back into the same ponytail his peers shared. There was also an eye-catching birthmark that covered half his left cheek.

“Of course, Foreman. Are there any changes to the budget you would like to be made known?”

“Not this time. The ledgers are in order—thanks to my wife. I’d like to introduce you to my friend here instead.” The large man pointed at Clay with his thumb.

“And who is this gentleman?”

“My name is Clayton Stratton, and I recently became a Delver.”

“Oh?” The caretaker gave Clay a good look over before flashing an amiable smile. “Well, a congratulations is in order, then. Are you looking to join the Church of Life?”

“No, sir. I actually have chanced upon a skill book befitting those who have selected a mage class. I was wondering if either your church traded in such items or knows someone who does, that you can introduce me to.”

“Hmm, and what spell book did you find, exactly?”

“A ‘Summon Elemental,’” Clay replied.

“I see. That is quite uncommon, but also unpopular. Unfortunately, the church mainly deals in spell books related to the holy, light, or life element. We use exclusive traders for our Templars’ other needs.”

“I understand, but the effects of ‘Summon Elemental’ depend on the user’s class. If one of your members with a holy class uses it, it will summon an elemental of the same attribute.”

“I’m sorry, my friend. It’s not something we’re interested in. I’m well aware of the effects of this spell you’re talking about, but I’ve never seen any of our members desire it. Since you said you are new to Delving, you may not know, but the effects of this skill aren’t worth the mana expenditure. Our mages have plenty of strong knights and paladins defending them. There’s no need to waste mana on something that can only provide a subpar frontline combatant.”

Caretaker Thalen nodded at Garrick before going back to his peers, effectively ending the conversation. The large man then placed a hand on Clay’s shoulder.

“Can’t win them all. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll find a buyer eventually. Just got to get the word out. Maybe Thalia can help you out on that end?”

“Hmm, maybe,” Clay replied with a sigh. “I’m getting a bit tired. I think I’ll go back to rest for now. See you later.”

“Sure thing. Better eat some meat and get some sleep with injuries like those.”

Seeing how adamant the caretaker had been about how undesirable the skill book was, Clay decided to cut his losses early. There was no point in wasting more time with other members of the church, so he retreated to the third ring for now.

He returned to his inn to cool down, fetching a bucket of water before retiring to his room. He then dipped a piece of cloth into the cold water and began wiping away the sweat and grime on his skin as he contemplated his next steps.

At least that wasn’t a total bust. I got some information from it, even though it wasn’t good news.

As he dried himself off, he picked up the ‘Summon Elemental’ spell book and stared at it.

Why did you have to be an unpopular spell book? It doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to trade it in for what I want. Should I save it for now until I get more skills books to trade in together, or just sell it for money?

I’m not exactly hurting for money right now, though. Even if I get ten gold coins from this, I can’t buy any land anywhere except for the fourth ring. It won’t be enough to fund the construction of a new house. Building one myself is still the most cost-effective way.

Clay’s thoughts quickly wandered to the unreasonable real estate market of Ravenhold. It had only been ten years since the advent of the dungeons, and the population of numerous towns and villages was forced to migrate into the few strongholds left. With a growing population and limited land, things were getting crowded in the city. It was why a new ring was being constructed.

The nobles and big merchants only rented out their properties to those willing to sign tenant contracts that always included the obligation to farm their lands outside the walls for them. Few ever outright sold their properties. The only opportunity to buy your own piece of land was in the new ring, where it was the most dangerous, owing to its proximity to the waves harassing the city. However, purchasing the land came with the immediate obligation for the buyer to begin construction at their own expense right away. It was a policy that encouraged the development of the new ring without the administration having to pay for it.

Once the fourth outer wall was closer to completion, the competition for land, construction materials, and workers would rise dramatically. Clay was determined to get in on the action before that, so the sooner he got the Earthen Wall spell, the better. Otherwise, he would have to pay a lot more in order to set up the Adventurer’s Guild he had been planning.

As he lay on his bed, wishing for his dream spell to fall onto his lap, he double-checked the viability of his options.

Like the church, he could hire people like Garrick and guards to build what he wanted, but the costs involved weren’t something he could afford anytime soon. He would at least need enough to pay for the daily wages of a dozen artisans for months, plus guards to prevent the waves from damaging the worksite. It wasn’t something unviable, unless he could consistently venture into the deeper layers.

Why can’t labor be cheaper around here? 

Wait…that’s it!

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