On the Schoolhouse field, villagers sat in neat rows.
Mavis and Zera occupied the front row, closest to Weston.
Behind the girls sat the island's other children, and behind them the adults.
Weston stood before them, unfurling a huge, mana-conjured map and a set of exquisite 3-D building models.
Under everyone's gaze he began, every inch the schoolmaster.
"People, let me first outline the island's current situation."
"We have 297 survivors: 188 able-bodied adults, 36 elderly, and 73 children."
"Going forward, the first group will handle the heavy work of building the village, the second will manage logistics—together we'll forge a new home."
"I'm calling it the 'Tenrou Village Construction Plan'!"
Weston pushed the model forward with both hands, revealing the meticulous Tenrou Village 3-D mock-up he'd built while recuperating.
"Tenrou Village?"
"Construction plan?!"
The crowd exchanged glances, then looked up at the model.
They saw moats, watchtowers, a lifting drawbridge, orderly streets, neatly spaced houses, fields carved out at the edges, and irrigation channels—every detail perfect.
Everyone was stunned.
"We're supposed to build it like this?"
"Sounds really tough…"
Voices buzzed at once.
Weston raised calming hands and smiled confidently. "Don't worry!"
"We have enough manpower and materials."
"By my schedule, in one month life will be back to normal; in three, the new village will be finished; in six months we'll live ten times better than before!"
People looked at one another.
"R-really?"
"You're not pulling our leg?"
"Probably not—Weston must have it planned out. Let's hear him."
"Fair enough. So… what exactly do we do?"
Weston was one of the island's few remaining mages; during the last disaster he'd saved them all. Though still a child, everyone trusted him implicitly.
"First: the construction itself."
"To finish the new village we must solve gathering, transport, and building."
"After observation and calculation, if we fell trees here and haul them along this route west of the Schoolhouse, we'll minimize manpower and material loss."
"Here's the detailed method…"
Super Ancient Text magic is like an exquisitely precise super-computer.
It tallies every resource on the island at lightning speed, factors in weather, terrain, manpower, and allocates everything optimally, then presents the results in the clearest way possible.
After seven days of calculation, Weston's Reconstruction Plan spelled out who should do what, when, and what outcome to expect—down to the last detail.
To keep the slower villagers from getting lost, he even drew up individual action plans and magically transmitted them straight into each person's mind.
"Whoa! Amazing!"
"Suddenly everything's crystal-clear in my head!"
"Weston's magic really is something…"
"With a plan like this we can rebuild our home ourselves!"
"Tenrou Village? Great name!"
After receiving the information and understanding the plan, the villagers were overjoyed and brimming with confidence.
The next day, work on Tenrou Village began in earnest.
Following Weston's schedule, everyone cleared roads, dug ditches, felled timber and hauled stone, hunted and fished; coordination made everything twice as efficient.
A month flew by.
Progress outpaced the plan: nearly half the village was finished.
Not only were food and clothing secured, living standards now surpassed those before the Blue Skull raid.
That day Weston convened another meeting.
"People, thanks to our joint efforts life has improved, so I believe it's time for the next phase!"
Everyone looked puzzled.
"Next phase?"
"But the village isn't finished yet, is it?"
"Weston, what are you planning?"
"Whatever it is, we support you!"
"The village is where it is today because of your plans—just tell us and we'll do it!"
"Exactly!"
The villagers cheered in unison.
Over the month Weston's precise calculations, brilliant planning and hands-on skill had won everyone's admiration.
To the adults he was a reliable youngster who could solve any problem;
to the children he was the omnipotent king of Tenrou Island, their undisputed "Boss."
Already many voices suggested that once Tenrou Village was complete they should make Weston its headman.
Under their expectant gazes Weston spoke slowly.
"In the next phase I intend to teach the village children magic!"
"Magic?!"
At the familiar word everyone's eyes lit up with delight.
Red Lizard's fall was barely a month past—no one had forgotten magic's power.
If the children could wield it, their future would be far easier.
"T-teach magic…?"
"Can that really be done?!"
The adults were intrigued; the children, bursting with excitement, squeezed past their parents and crowded around Weston, shouting.
"Boss, Boss… are you serious? You'll teach us magic?!"
Weston grinned and nodded. "Absolutely!"
"Yay!!!"
"Magic! Magic!…"
With the confirmation the kids flushed red, jumping and dashing about in glee.
All month they'd envied Weston for possessing magic.