The Wall of Limestone

Moriarty walked with a smile proud of his deed. He felt satisfied that he had done something good for someone else without even thinking about it.

When Moriarty reached the wall, he reached out his hand and felt a surge of awe.

The wall was smooth and flawless, like a pearl. It was white, but with hints of light brown that made it look warm and inviting. It shone with a gentle radiance, as if it was constantly bathed in sunlight. He marveled at how immaculate and elegant it was, a testament to the wealth and power of the Kisesh Kingdom.

He ran his fingers along the wall, sensing the slight changes in texture and temperature. He wondered about the origin and history of the wall. He admired the skill and artistry of the wall. He imagined how much time and effort it took to erect such a wall, and how many skilled and talented workers were involved.

"Limestone…" he whispered. He had mistaken it for marble from afar.

He knew the stone well, having helped a mason once or twice, but he had never handled it himself as it was an expensive material.

He recognized the smooth and hard feel of the stone, and the faint white glow that it gave off. He was intrigued by the nature and characteristics of the stone.

It was a material that could attract mana from the air, and even convert sunlight into raw mana. He had learned that limestone was a natural conduit of magic, and that it could store and release mana depending on the circumstances.

It was one of the king's stones, which were coveted by mages and nobles for their magical potential and prestige.

"No wonder it looks very beautiful, casting a faint white glow. Does this one glow too in the dark?" he wondered aloud.

He had heard that some limestone could glow in the dark, especially if they were exposed to sunlight or moonlight for a long time. He thought that it would be a marvelous sight to see the wall shining brightly at night, like a beacon of light and hope.

Moriarty heard that only higher-status nobles such as dukes had limestone on their building infrastructure. But it was widely known that white limestone was the king's property.

He was amazed by the sight of the wall, which was made of pure white limestone, the rarest and most valuable kind.

He had heard rumors that the palace was entirely covered by white limestone, making it a majestic and impregnable fortress. He wondered how the Kisesh Kingdom had acquired such a large amount of white limestone, making him more amazed that with just the wall, they were already impregnable.

The wall was more than five stories high, which made his estimation before wrong, but Moriarty knew height wouldn't matter if a wall was made of one of the king's stones. 

It could cast magic automatically, even forming a shield ten times the height of the wall if needed.

He had seen some examples of magic shields that were created by granite walls, which were also the king's stones, and they were formidable and durable. He knew that no ordinary weapon or spell could penetrate them.

"But how can I climb?" he asked himself. 

Moriarty wondered how he could scale the wall. He scanned the area for any stairs or ladders that could aid him in his ascent. He wished there was something that could make his task easier and quicker.

He looked for any signs or traces of such a thing.

He found none. To his left, he saw some soldiers with a cart, far enough that they might not notice him. He hesitated for a moment, then walked towards them as he gambled with a reason that a slacker could loiter around the wall too. 

He hoped that the soldiers had some knowledge or access that he lacked, or that they could let him climb the wall without suspicion.

He acted like he was just wandering around the wall, bored and curious. He pretended to be a slacker who had nothing better to do.

The cart caught his attention. It was filled with boxes and bags that looked heavy and important.

As he approached them, Moriarty spotted a slacker nearby, who was measuring the distance between some trees.

He paid no attention to him, as the soldiers did. He saw another slacker who was busy measuring the distance between some trees and the wall. He assumed that he was doing some kind of work or research related to the wall, or that he was just passing time and exploring.

He gazed at the road that stretched before him, only to be cut off by the towering wall. 'How will they manage to haul the cart up there', he wondered, 'or was there another way to reach it?'

Perhaps there was some contraption or gadget that could hoist or drop the cart, or maybe there was some hidden passage or portal that could take them to the other side of the wall.

His curiosity was soon satisfied as the end of the road dipped, opening up a subterranean tunnel.

'Of course, it doesn't have to go up, that was rather silly of me.'

He observed as the edge of the road lowered itself, exposing a secret tunnel that ran beneath the wall.

He understood that this was how they moved goods and people across the wall, without having to scale it or breach it.

He felt embarrassed for not considering this option earlier. He thought that this was a smart and inventive solution, and that it must have been designed by someone very clever and adept.

He pondered if he should trail them into the tunnel, or if he should search for another way to climb the wall.

He thought that both choices had their advantages and disadvantages, and that he had to make a swift decision.

He evaluated his options carefully and decided what to do next, be a slacker.