"Well then, let's begin. You brats, make sure you're watching closely!"
Once Lucas had finished setting up the ritual tools, Maitis began the ceremony to construct the barrier.
At the center of the circle formed by the ritual tools, which had been placed in a ring roughly ten meters in diameter, Maitis stood and struck the ground several times with her staff.
Rest and the others stood at a slight distance around the perimeter of the circle, observing the ceremony.
Of course, Rest and Isis, both being mages, watched with great interest, but Yuri, Lubeth, and Andrew were equally fascinated.
"Normally speaking... to construct a barrier, you either consume the caster's own mana, or mana that has been accumulated in ritual tools or catalysts. Once the mana runs out, the barrier dissipates."
She struck the ground with her staff.
The heart of the demon realm. The point where the mana flowing through the earth gushed forth—directly above the dragon vein.
If one looked closely... faint particles of light could be seen rising up from the ground.
"However... this time, we'll use the mana from the dragon vein as a substitute. As long as the dragon vein's mana doesn't run dry for some reason, or the magic circle itself isn't destroyed, the barrier's effect will be permanent... Oh, I suppose there's also the matter of degradation over time causing the barrier to wear down... but that's something several hundred years from now, so as long as the kingdom still stands by then, we'll be fine."
"!"
Lines of light streaked outward from around Maitis.
The lines that floated into the void were based on circular forms, flowing through the air as they traced geometric patterns.
"Now then... the barrier I'm about to cast layers four barriers on top of one another. There's no shortage of mages who can construct one or two barriers. However... there's probably only this old hag who can layer four of them together."
The boast was slipped in with casual nonchalance, but setting that aside, the magic circle was completed in midair.
The luminous magic circle was transcribed onto the ground, searing the light-drawn figure into the earth.
"First up—the first one. A barrier to ward off monsters."
"This is..."
Rest turned his gaze upward.
He realized that the mana in the atmosphere had visibly decreased.
In its place, a magic circle on the ground began to shine brightly.
"Next—the second one. A barrier of abundance."
Layered around the first magic circle, the design spread outward.
It grew larger in such a way as not to diminish the monster-warding barrier, expanding only further out.
The barrier of abundance was, quite literally... a power that granted crops their yield.
Up until now, the power had been scattered randomly to grow weeds and feed monsters. Now it would be returned to the earth and converted into bountiful harvests.
"And the third one. A barrier against plague."
The magic circle expanded even further outward.
This time, it was a barrier designed to prevent the outbreak and spread of disease.
As the magic circle grew ever larger, Rest could feel the mana in the atmosphere growing thinner and thinner.
It was now only slightly denser than what you'd find in an ordinary settlement.
"Finally... the fourth one. A barrier to prevent crime."
"Prevent crime...?"
Isis murmured, sounding puzzled.
Though he didn't voice it, Rest harbored the same doubt.
Barriers against monsters, of abundance, and against plague were all documented in books and part of Rest's knowledge.
The royal capital, of course, and even in larger towns, there were places where these barriers were deployed.
(But... a barrier to prevent crime? He'd never heard of such a thing. Its effect was... literally to eliminate crime?)
"............"
When Rest turned his gaze toward Andrew, the young prince smiled wryly and shrugged his shoulders.
He seemed to know something, but now was not the time to ask.
"Ohh...!"
"This is...!"
Before long, the enlarged magic circle was complete.
The glowing pattern resembled a beautiful equation, and at the same time, a delicately painted work of art.
The quadruple magic circle drew in the mana overflowing from the dragon's vein, constructing a barrier that would serve the daily lives of the people.
The mana in the atmosphere thinned. It settled to a concentration no different from outside the demon realm.
An invisible dome spread outward from the magic circle on the ground, until it completely enveloped the center of the demon realm.