For the residents under Kroya's rule, daily life was simple and plain. They worked at sunrise and rested at sunset, and all they needed to do was grow crops according to the inspectors' instructions.
Moya Village was no exception.
It was an utterly unremarkable little village chosen at random. Kroya was proud enough that he would never deliberately pick out some carefully spruced-up village to show the Visiting Delegation from Starry Town.
The more ordinary, the better.
"Who are you?"
The patrol responsible for protecting the village spotted the visitors outside and immediately grew tense. Their first response was to use the magical instruments they carried to send word to the Northern Frontier Guard.
In a world of magic, this was essential. No one knew whether they might suddenly fall under someone's control, preventing a message from getting out and triggering a whole chain of consequences.
There was no harm in being cautious.
Jamie understood this, of course. He gave them a gentle smile much like Kroya's. "Please ask your village chief to come out. I'm Jamie from Reef Island's Civil Engineering Department. I've brought some guests to tour your village."
He took out his emblem and handed it over. The colorful alloy, infused with a trace of eternal magic power, gleamed in the sunlight. Naturally, it was impossible to counterfeit.
The patrol also carried an instrument that could verify emblems. At once, the patrolman's expression turned respectful. "So you're a mage from the Civil Engineering Department, sir. Please come in. I'll fetch the village chief right away."
Within Reef Island's organizational structure, the Civil Engineering Department held a particularly special position. Everything from repairing magic runes and machinery to building cities and academies fell under its remit.
Simply mentioning that one was a mage from the Civil Engineering Department