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This night’s banquet was filled with eating, drinking, and festivities, and everyone had a great time.
During the banquet, amidst the lively atmosphere, some beast companion was curious about the taste of the drinks and approached their contract holder, and beg to let them taste their contractor’s drinks, due to the contractor being drunk, they poured the alcohol into the beast mouths.
Surprisingly, the beasts seemed to enjoy the taste and continued to ask for more. Their contract holders happily obliged, pouring more drinks for them. Seeing this, the other beasts started seeking drinks from their contract holders as well.
While most beasts did not particularly like the taste, there were a few who developed a liking for it. Some showed no interest and turned their heads to focus on eating and resting. Those who enjoyed it continued to drink, and soon, some beasts with a low tolerance for alcohol started behaving rowdily. People around, including professionals, tried to control the situation and prevent any trouble caused by the drunken beasts.
The lively atmosphere continued until morning when the party finally dispersed.
During the banquet, Aresia drank quite a bit of fruit wine. When she left the table, she wasn’t exactly drunk but felt slightly tipsy. Combined with the exhaustion from staying up all night, her plan to visit the Magic Tower had to be postponed.
Not one to waste time, Aresia asked Charlie to bring her a detailed map of the territory. She marked several locations on the map and asked a few people familiar with the area several questions. She intended to visit and thoroughly investigate these locations to determine which one would be most suitable for building an alchemy workshop.
There were indeed several options for this purpose. The territory had a small population, and there were areas with available land outside the castle. However, finding a suitable location for an alchemy workshop was not easy. Furthermore, the alchemy workshop was not run by Aresia herself, but rather under the name of a factory. This posed some complications if the Magic Guild were to investigate the actual management of the workshop. It was less troublesome to have fewer connections.
In the end, Aresia decided to visit the Magic Tower first. She remembered that when Amos was young, they had visited the Magic Tower for fun, and it wasn’t far from the castle.
However, the Magic Tower was located on the castle side, and its appearance was architecturally integrated with the defensive towers surrounding the castle. It appeared as a part of the castle itself.
If one walked around the castle, they would find a grassy plain that seemed to have no trace of beast. In reality, beasts inhabited the area, but the castle’s soldiers regularly cleared them out. However, the lower-level beasts, which had higher fertility rates, continued to thrive on the plain, undeterred by the high-level beast cleared out by humans. How to deal with these never-ending lower-level beast was a problem.
The presence of beast around the castle posed a significant threat to the surrounding farmlands. Although the soldiers of the five cities regularly eliminated the Beast on the plain, the lower-level Beast, with their high fertility rates, continued to thrive. Despite the efforts of the soldiers, lower-level Beast were still a concern.
In terms of safety, building the alchemy workshop near any of the five cities would be a relatively secure choice. However, after inquiring with a few individuals, Aresia dismissed the idea due to the associated complications.
Firstly, the cities were not large in size, and each city already had an alchemy workshop. The workers were divided among these workshops, and building another one would likely attract the attention of the Magic Guild. Additionally, the workshops were associated with specific alchemists who were not present in the current area. Should a mage from the Magic Guild investigate the workshop, it would cause unnecessary trouble.
Secondly, there was a scarcity of available land within the cities, making it difficult to find a suitable location for an alchemy workshop. Moreover, the existing workshops had different owners and operated differently. Calling it a workshop was merely a formality, as these facilities were more like factories. The required land and production capacity varied across different cities, and it would be challenging to find a suitable location within the cities.
Furthermore, the cost of the land was not negligible, and it was not something that could be purchased without spending a significant amount of money. Aresia thought it would be foolish to spend such a large sum of money on land when it could be better utilized elsewhere.
After discussing with a few individuals, Aresia rewarded them through Luna and asked them to leave.
Then, she requested Charlie to summon them.
“Oops, I forgot to ask. Did Father mention anything about contacting a suitable construction team for building the alchemy workshop?”
Charlie nodded and replied, “I have already received information about several architects who have participated in the construction of alchemy workshops in the nearby cities. One of them even participated in the construction of the Magic Tower. Shall I arrange a meeting with them when they are available?”
“Architects who participated in the construction of the Magic Tower? They might be suitable candidates indeed.”
After considering for a moment, Aresia continued, “Please make the arrangements. If they are available, invite them to come.”
With a clear plan in mind, Aresia decided to investigate several potential locations first. Among them, the Magic Tower was her priority.
Considering that Amos was still young and enjoyed playing in the Magic Tower, it made sense to prioritize this location. The Magic Tower was conveniently located near the castle.
In reality, the Magic Tower was situated outside the castle, but its appearance was architecturally integrated with the defensive towers surrounding the castle. It seemed like a part of the castle itself.
To reach the Magic Tower, one had to first leave the castle and then cross the bridge over the moat. The distance wasn’t as close as it seemed due to the castle’s large size. Walking to the castle took half an hour for slower walkers. However, there were always guards stationed nearby, so it wasn’t particularly dangerous.
Aresia initially planned to visit the Magic Tower alone, but following the orders of the Duchess, Luna accompanied her. Charlie made the necessary arrangements and brought the two guards who would accompany them.
When they finally stood before the Magic Tower, Aresia realized that it wasn’t as abandoned as she had initially thought.
The Magic Tower was a circular high tower, standing at a height of around twenty meters. It had a tall structure, with approximately five windows on each floor of the outer wall. The tower’s appearance wasn’t particularly eye-catching, resembling the defensive towers found in the castle. The main body was constructed with stone, and the windows on the wall were quite small. The top of the tower had a circular battlement, and the inside featured a platform, seemingly designed for repelling flying magical beasts.
The magic formations within the tower were no longer active, and the exterior was covered in moss and vines. There were loose stones and exposed areas, revealing a more solid material beneath. It turned out that the stones on the outer wall were actually thin layers of stone, only serving as a facade to hide the true construction beneath.
Due to the overgrowth of moss and vines, as well as the weathered state of the wall, the Magic Tower appeared rundown.
Upon closer inspection of the true structure hidden within the stones, Aresia found it to be sturdy and durable. It could be left as it was for a few hundred years without any problems.
The original entrance to the tower had magical mechanisms, but most of them were no longer operational. Some parts had even been dismantled.
As they stepped into the long-forgotten Magic Tower, the atmosphere felt dark and damp, with a faint scent of decay in the air. Faint sounds could be heard from the corners, likely from rodents or insects that had made their homes there.
Knowing that the inhabitants were merely ordinary creatures, despite the snakes being low-level magical beasts, the two guards accompanying Aresia remained vigilant. They quickly eliminated any potential threats and brought the bags they had brought to carry away the remains, ensuring it was safe for them to enter.
Aresia walked through the tower, and they cleared it thoroughly. Once any immediate danger was eliminated, only a few rats remained, scurrying away.
Aresia tapped and checked the walls and stairs, determined the condition of the windows, confirmed the location and layout of the magic formations, and considered the necessary modifications for the renovation. Then, she turned and left the tower.