"Killing..." Courage paused. "Well, if they disturb us, I'll do it myself. After warning them, of course." She said with a serious expression.
"Let's hope it doesn't dissolve to that," Arthur said while looking up. "Oh, it's here. Manager Gruen!"
"Yes, Seika?"
"Did you make sure all of your staff are here?" Arthur asked as he opened the door, making the Knight of Courage steer her horse away as it neighed.
"What are you doing?" She asked with a frown as she pulled on the reins of her horse.
"We have a little guest called a meteor." Arthur pointed upward at the bright light coming their way. "I think it's a little too flashy."
He jumped off the carriage and kicked the ground, darting in front of the convoy. Crouching on the ground, Arthur bolted upward to meet the meteor as he used his Skill, Wings of Wind.
"HALT!"
The Knight of Courage roared as the meteor came crashing their way. The horses began flailing to run away, and the Knight waved her hand to cut them loose.
The world stood still as everyone pulled to a stop and watched the meteor descend. Arthur flew toward it as a golden radiance surrounded his body.
"Break." Arthur raised both of his hands as his mana of creation was unleashed. As he felt the heat of the meteor, Arthur couldn't help but think how Dia could handle this kind of attack easily.
His barrier appeared, and his creation mana supplied it. The meteor met the barrier, breaking it after a slight pause. He frowned as the meteor began pushing him back while deviating from its original course.
"Scatter!"
Arthur roared at the people below, and they ran everywhere. He held the meteor back, but his strength looked puny in comparison. As the people below scattered, the meteor pushed Arthur away while descending on the carriages.
The destruction it left was immense. The moment it touched the ground, the meteor destroyed the carriages and whatever they held within.
Arthur descended as the Knight of Courage raced toward him. She threw water over his burning clothes, extinguishing them. As he shook his wet arms, Arthur held a thin smile while watching the destruction of his carriages.
"Why are you smiling? Everything is gone!" The Knight of Courage looked wrathful. "We need to find the person behind this!"
"I can tell you their identity, but it wouldn't change a thing. It's just another obstacle. Whoever did this is gone by now."
"So, we should just sit around and cry over what we lost?" Courage huffed in anger. Arthur looked at her silently but didn't say anything.
"Seika!" Gruen rushed toward him. "Are you alright?"
"I am. The staff?"
"All are unscathed because of the time you gave us!" Gruen grinned, making Courage even more confused. She turned toward the staff and saw that all of them were calm.
"You knew this was going to happen?" Surprised filled the Knight's voice as she turned to Arthur, who simply nodded.
"I expected an arson, not a meteor, but yes." Arthur shook his head. "Such ruthlessness... so many people would have died if not for me stalling it."
Arthur could have destroyed the meteor, but he didn't want their plans to fail. He wanted them to believe that Arthur didn't have any of the resources he needed, giving him enough time to build his city without interference.
"Let's go." Arthur walked toward the place they were supposed to build their city. The rest of his crew followed them, walking on foot after the horses ran away.
They reached the clearing after half an hour, where a group of small hills and trees mottled the landscape. As Arthur stood in the middle of it, he breathed in and out.
"You seem excited." Gala walked over toward him. He turned toward her with a grin.
"It's exciting to build something from scratch, knowing that it will succeed," Arthur said. "Aren't you excited about building your own potions workshop?"
"Not that excited since getting the materials to work will be a pain." Gala shrugged.
"Even with the ones we bought?" Arthur pondered.
They bought ores and herbs of all kinds, enough to supply them for now. They would first have to clear the place from monsters, trees, and hills. After that, they would build the buildings and start making this place more habitable.
'A dock is also necessary.' Arthur realized as he looked at the river in the distance.
"What we bought can be found everywhere. The rare herbs are always hoarded by workshops and cultivated for their use." Gala sighed. "I used to have a giant workshop, but I got bored of it."
"Maybe we can work around that," Arthur said with a smile. "For now, let's start clearing this place for a camp.
"I got this," Gala smiled and walked toward the trees slowly. She waved her hand as a curved line of green light rotated around her arm. "Wind Spirit, Ryah."
The wind blade rotated faster before growing larger, surrounding Gala with a green light. The witch waved her hand, and she began floating.
"Tear apart." She waved her arm, and, with her at the center, a green ring spread to the surrounding. Arthur could feel the sharp edge of the wind, but it passed him without harming him.
"Phew..."
He heard the spirit's whisper as it passed by. A smile unknowingly took his face as he listened to its whistle. The trees in their close surrounding were torn down by the sharp wind, falling to the ground.
"There!" Gala dusted her hands with a triumphant smile as the trees began falling one by one, shaking the area and scary the wild animals away.
"What are you, the embodiment of destruction?" Arthur blinked his eyes as she skipped toward him.
"Hehe, no need to flatter me. I'm yours already!" She said jokingly as the Knight of Courage and the rest walked toward them.
"Do you need help getting the trees out of the way?"
The Knight asked, but Arthur shook his head. His empty sleeve fluttered as his spiritual power spread and picked up the trees, stacking them neatly on the side.
"Now you're just mocking us." The Knight shook her head with a sigh.
"I'm not done yet."
Arthur placed his hand on the ground and pulled out a wall of dirt, solidifying it. He repeated the process, and the group witnessed the construction of the first building in Hidden City, a small one-room house.
The process took no more than five minutes, as the walls solidified instantly. Arthur started building houses until his mana bottomed out. When he was done, there were almost ten of them.
"The rest will have to camp," Arthur said as he walked into the most prominent house. He placed a table and several chairs, which he stored in his subspace, and created a conference room.
"How about we hold our first meeting?" Arthur smiled as he sat in the chair. "Gala, Gruen, Courage, Big Bear, and Ma. You five will be the leaders of each department, so sit down. The rest should create a camp."
The five looked at each other and hurried to sat. Arthur could feel Ma fidgeting in place after being appointed a leader. He smiled, knowing that this man had specific skills that the others lacked.
"What am I in charge of, Seika?" Gala asked with excitement.
"For now, we need five departments to start working as a trading hub. Agriculture and Herbs, Potions, Artifacts and Smithy, Order, Diplomacy and PR, and Civil Affairs."
"Uh, some of them include two things." Courage frowned. "What is PR?" She frowned as the acronym wasn't something this world knew.
"Public Relations," Arthur answered. "And yes, we lack staff. However, you are the only people I trust right now."
The five straightened their back with pride as they heard Arthur's words. Seeing them, Arthur didn't know how to tell them that he only trusted they weren't following the Knight of Nobility.
Big Bear was an outsider, but he was loyal to the Knight of Courage. If he turned out to be rotten, then there's nothing that Arthur could do. He only needed to place him in a place where no sensitive information exists.
"Gala will be responsible for the potions, and you will be supplied with the herbs you need by the Agriculture and Herbs department. Manager Gruen will be responsible for the Artifacts and Smithy, who will create a smithy as his first task."
Gala and Gruen nodded in understanding. They both knew that for artifacts, Arthur was the actual supplier. However, he needed items to inscribe too.
"Ma will be responsible for Diplomacy and PR. Make sure that news about our developments reaches our customers before our enemies. I'll trust that you'll control any information leak appropriately. You can also hire whoever you think fits."
"I will do my best, Seika!" Ma stood up and bowed ninety degrees, making the others snicker.
"Big Bear will lead the Order of the city, responsible for protecting it from monsters and outsiders. That is, of course, after I have fun." Arthur smiled.
"As long as my commander wishes for it." Big Bear turned toward Courage, who nodded in approval.
"What about me?" Courage asked.
"Civil Affairs. I trust that you will do good to the people. Resolve any disputes or issues. All of you need to report to me."
"That means you will be running the Agriculture and Herbs Department?" Gala asked with a knowing smile.
"Indeed. I am, after all, a gardener."