Chapter 86: Gears Beneath the Sky
The world outside the workshop was moving fast—though, technically, it was the workshop that moved. Liora leaned against the smooth brass railing atop the armored platform, wind tugging gently at her dark hair as fields rolled past in a blur of green and gold. Reyn's "Walking Forge," as he proudly called it, moved faster than any carriage she'd ever ridden, its long metal legs striding smoothly over roads, hills, and shallow streams. Beneath her feet, the rhythmic thump of pistons and the hum of mana cores gave it a heartbeat of its own.
"It's like riding on a moving fortress," she murmured, watching as flocks of birds scattered ahead of them.
They had been traveling for hours now. Not long after Alarcus had left, Reyn had activated the forge's walking mechanisms and set a course through the western region. There was little rest between destinations. The road ahead was long, and they had work to do. Reyn's divine artifacts needed trials—each one a test of character, strength, or purpose—and the west held the first of many sites he'd chosen.
Liora already knew that. But that didn't make the journey any less surreal.
"Look at that," Kael muttered from beside her, pointing out across the open land. Acres upon acres of farmland stretched to the horizon, dotted with small villages and clusters of farmhands waving as they passed. Yet what truly amazed her were the strange, elegant tools scattered across the fields—devices of brass and crystal, glowing faintly with mana.
High above, translucent disks hovered like glass birds, diffusing light and adjusting the air around certain fields to create artificial seasons. One was shaped like a dome and spun lazily on the ground. From its vents, it puffed alternating bursts of icy mist and warm air into the sky. The clouds above it shimmered, swirled, and condensed. Moments later, rain began to fall evenly across the field in gentle sheets.
Reyn watched it all with casual pride, arms crossed, boots propped on a crate. "Everything you see out there," he said, "runs on low-grade mana stones. No spellcasting needed. Just plug in a pebble and let it hum."
"Low-grade stones?" Kael blinked. "Aren't those basically useless?"
"Useless for combat," Reyn nodded. "Perfect for machines. These tools don't need explosions—they just need a trickle of stable mana to keep turning."
Liora tapped the window thoughtfully. "So that's why the farmers could afford them."
"Barely," Reyn said, shrugging. "One mana stone lasts a few weeks per device. The stones are cheap enough, but the real cost is the machine itself. That's why most villages pool resources to buy even one."
"You're like some wandering merchant god of farmers," Kael snorted.
"I prefer benevolent innovator," Reyn replied with a shrug.
The first time these devices were delivered, the farmers had stood dumbfounded. One elderly farmer, gripping his old rusted hoe, blinked several times at the hovering sprinkler before muttering, "What in the goddess's name… is it raining from the sky or the ground?"
When the local lord arrived—Viscount Elgen, a stern man with a long mustache and the air of someone used to not being impressed—he dismounted and folded his arms as he watched the devices in action. At first, he said nothing, but when he saw a twelve-year-old girl make it rain with a press of a button, he stepped forward. "This… is absurd. How is she doing that with a single stone?"
As the forge carried them over the next hill, Liora retreated inside to continue testing the armor stored within the enchanted necklace Reyn had gifted her. She summoned a new set with a flash of golden light—sleek, plated, and crimson—built for speed and piercing attacks. Another Erza armor. Each one felt different. Each one required new reflexes, posture, balance. She wasn't sure how many he had stored in the necklace, but it felt limitless. And exhilarating.
Later, seated near one of the internal windows, she watched the horizon roll by and asked, "Still planning to go to Viremont?"
Reyn nodded from his spot near a workbench. "Vice Count Magnum's territory. It's flashy, chaotic, but ideal for the Trial of Ambition."
Liora tilted her head. "Still trust Alistor's father?"
"He's complicated," Reyn replied. "But he doesn't pretend to be anything else. He loves his city, and he respects ingenuity. That's enough for now."
Kael yawned from across the room. "And after the west?"
"Capital," Reyn said without looking up. "Then south. Toward Elen'thalas."
Liora said nothing—but her gaze drifted toward the south. Toward the elven forests she'd only heard about in stories. Dangerous, secretive, ruled by spirits and silence. But Reyn seemed determined.
After several more hours of travel in Reyn's walking forge, the group finally reached their first destination: a small but lively town nestled at the edge of a vast pine forest, with a wide, slow-moving river dividing the village from the logging yards beyond. The town was called Riverbend, named for the sharp curve in the river just east of its edge.
They parked the forge-house in a thicket on a hillside, half-hidden beneath illusion cloth and camouflaging enchantments.
"Parking complete," Reyn said with a grin.
Kael practically leapt to his feet. "Finally!" He dashed to the door, threw it open, and stumbled into the fresh air like a man escaping prison. "I thought I was gonna melt into the floor if I had to listen to you two talk about irrigation runes for another minute."
Liora smirked. "You could've joined the conversation."
"Absolutely not," Kael replied, stretching his arms dramatically. "I have limits."
As soon as they stepped past the town's stone archway and onto the main road, Kael stretched like a cat and sighed in delight.
"All right, I'm outta here."
Liora raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly is 'here'?"
"Wherever the mugs are frosty, the music's loud, and the girls are kind," Kael grinned. He patted the pouch at his hip—bulging with coin earned from Reyn's commissions and repairs over the past few months. "It's about time I spent some of this. I've been sleeping next to literal treasure hoards and living off roasted beasts."
Back inside, Liora slipped off her enchanted armor and reached into her necklace's storage to pull out something simpler—comfortable traveling clothes: a cream blouse, a pair of dark fitted trousers, and a soft green cloak.
"No need to draw attention," she said aloud, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she checked her reflection in a polished panel.
Reyn gave her a nod of approval. "Looks good. Let's see what this town has to offer."
Together, they strolled toward the town of Mapleford, known for its sprawling lumberjack yard across the river and its famously fluffy flapjacks. The streets were bustling with energy—brightly colored stalls, music in the air, the scent of grilled meats and sweet syrup wafting through the breeze. A local festival was in full swing.
As they walked, Reyn and Liora passed farmers and townsfolk still buzzing over Reyn's farming inventions. Just a few months ago, they had been dumbfounded by the tools he'd distributed. One invention—a spherical device embedded into the ground—spun slowly and released alternating hot and cold air, creating clouds and light rainfall. Reyn had called it a "weather sprinkler." Other tools helped with planting, sorting, and even pest control, all powered by low-grade magic stones.
"I thought it were a prank at first," an older farmer had said, eyes wide as he recalled the day it arrived. "Next thing I know, my carrots were planted in perfect rows and the soil watered like spring rain."
"And those magic spheres!" another chimed in. "They made it rain! Right over the field! My lord nearly dropped his wine glass."
Indeed, even the local lord had been floored. "If these tools keep working like this," he'd muttered after the first demonstration, "I might have to start paying the farmers more."
Now, Reyn's name was whispered across the western villages like a fabled craftsman—some called him a sorcerer, others a miracle worker.
After taking in the sights, Reyn and Liora eventually found a quiet outdoor café tucked beneath a flowering tree, where they settled into chairs and watched the world pass by.
Liora sipped a warm drink and leaned back with a smile. "This is nice," she said.
Reyn nodded, arms folded behind his head and two minutes later began his work.