Chapter 59

Chapter 59 Episode 59 Earth Wall! At the soft incantation from Clayton, a 100-meter-long dirt wall rose along the marked boundary of the village. Woooom. Thud. Wowwww! The cheering of the workers filled with admiration at the spectacle. Before their cheers had even ended, the foremen shouted from all around. What are you all doing! Compact the dirt! The earth wall, one meter thick and three meters high, began to shrink in size as the workers shoveled, but it grew denser, eventually forming a solid outer wall with a consistent hardness. Logan bowed politely to Clayton, who was sweating to maintain the spell. Thank you once again for accepting our demanding conditions. His thanks were not merely for the extended collaboration on the construction project beyond contractual obligations. Offering the heart of a fledgling settlement, not firmly established within well-built city walls, to someone wishing to construct a Mage Tower, was unheard of. It could have been taken as an insult, suitable for outrage, but Clayton readily accepted the offer, dismissing all conventional expectations. Lord Logan, you exaggerate. A yearly grant of ten million gold is promised; whether its for a city or a village matters not. Ha-ha. Thank you for thinking so. The heart of the kingdoms largest settlement, even bigger than a city. Quite fascinating. I have no complaints. Claytons words came out with a blurry smile but serious tone, making it clear without much thought that he meant every word. Indeed, the concept of a settlement where large numbers of peasants lived together was new to him. Aside from main cities like Kail, used for trade, the typical model involved the Lords estate and its castle as the central symbol, with villages scattered about for the residents to live their independent lives. Only the Lords retainers, knights, soldiers, and certain essential craftsmen like blacksmiths lived within the castle; the majority lived outside. Building a village larger than a castle, where the territorys residents would all live together, was unheard of. If things proceed as Master Logan plans, this settlement called MacLaine Town will become the central hub of the domain, even surpassing MacLaine Castle and Teslon Castle. Typically, you would build a castle in the middle of a plain like this Why bother? It would be a waste of time. Its enough to make it comfortable for the domains residents to farm and live. Indeed Hm? No, its nothing. The possibility of rebellion rises when many residents are gathered in one place. Common estates often split the population into several villages to minimize this risk. Logan answered simply to this unspoken concern. If we dont exploit the citizens, there wont be any uprising. Who would rebel when theyre promised a good life? Truly remarkable. A warm smile crossed Claytons austere face. His way of thinking is fundamentally different from other nobles. For Logan, it was merely following in the footsteps of the successful policies of the future empire, but to Clayton, Logan was an extraordinary young man. Feeling burdened by the admiration in Logans eyes, Clayton tactfully changed the subject. Regardless of construction or Mage Tower matters, if you ever need anything, let me know. I will provide support as soon as possible. Maintaining a positive relationship with someone as supportive as Logan required reciprocal gestures of good will. However Its unlikely, but if this Town project fails and it becomes a ghost town, please be a bit more attentive to our school. I wouldnt want it to be lonely Haha, just kidding. No laughter? The joke failed to amuse, and the atmosphere turned stiff. Ahem. My apologies. I have no talent for jokes Ah, but seriously, will this earthen wall really be sufficient? If by any chance this place were to be invaded Clayton trailed off, but Logans answer was swift and decisive. Ha-ha, dont worry. There wont be any battles here. A bad day for me to spout off useless worries, I guess. No. Really, there wont be any wars here. I wont allow it. This place will simply remain as the heart of MacLaine. Truly, your concern for the peoples welfare is If Clayton knew Logans true thoughts, he would not have smiled. Before that happens, well make our move against others. Phew Joseph, the smith working at MacLaine Castle, completed another crossbow and smiled with pride. Learning new work at his age, over forty, wasnt easy, but making these new weapons made him feel he was advancing even in middle age, leaving him without complaints. I thought Id be making parts forever. Joseph and five colleagues had been summoned to Dwarf Hamars workshop, and a month ago, they began actively participating in weapons manufacturing. Besides making parts, now they were assembling weaponry. Truthfully, it was an unexpected fortune. Even after this work, as long as they remembered the production process, hunger would no longer worry them. Perhaps I might even strike it rich. But that was still just a dream. Joseph shook off such thoughts of a rosy future and approached Hamar with his finished work. Master Hamar, another one is done. So that should be todays quota Life is enjoy~ Ah, is that so? Put it over there then and take a break. The Dwarf, who had been singing to himself while carving a small piece of metal at his desk, barely glanced up, pointing his toe at the storage area while continuing his meticulous carving. It was amusing to see Hamar stretching out his short legs to point while still carefully working on his craft. Still, making only two a day and resting Feels like Im being paid for doing nothing. Thats alright. As long as you guys together reach our monthly quota of 200 pieces, theres no problem. The responsestill without shifting his gazewas decisive. But still The faster we finish, the more work that devil of a boss will find for us. People need some leisure. He thinks since he doesnt rest, others shouldnt either. Weve got to pace ourselves for better efficiency. Ha-ha. Right, I guess tha Eh?! Laughing, Joseph suddenly felt a firm grip on his shoulder that left him gasping. As he turned, he locked eyes with a person motioning for silence with a finger to their lips, and Joseph froze. Hamar didnt look up as Joseph made strange noises, too absorbed in the vivid memories of his first love, Noir, from two hundred years ago. He couldnt afford to be distracted while carving those beautiful eyes. Should I really be resting during work that needs my best effort? Doing your best isnt just about work. Its about properly pacing yourself to meet deadlines. Right? Ah, so thats why youre not at the Town construction site. Right. I did the design, built some fundamental housing as a modelthat should be enough. I dont need to be there all day. Efficiency is key. But why suddenly cut your words short? Originally verbose Josephs abrupt silence annoyed him, but Hamar, in a good mood recently, decided to let it pass. Wouldnt it finish faster if we helped more rather than resting? Oh, how many times do I have to explain? We just need to meet our deadlines. But theres something off with the way you talk. Youre not using honorifics. Its irritating Oh, my bad. Guess I should have set a tighter schedule. Yeah, my fault. Thats right- Ugh?! Finally sensing something wrong, Hamar bolted upright, which damaged the beautiful eyes of Noir in the carving, but that wasnt what mattered. A chill ran down his spine as he turned his stiff head towards a sense of foreboding. The lord, either supposed to be fighting paperwork at the estate or practicing swordsmanship, stood there with strangely flashing red eyes and twitching cornershis hand cringing as if ready to punch at any second. Ma, Master Why bother coming all the way here? Ha, hahaha. Our dear Hamar, with plump cheeks glowing in health. Seems lifes comfortable these days? He was smiling, yet the sight was terrifying. Im here like a fool, carrying beer and food because I thought you were working hard. What an idiot. Peering behind his lord, Hamar saw barrels of beer and what looked like a barbecued pig. Why hadnt he smelled it sooner? If he had, he couldve at least pretended to be working. Beautiful Noir. Your memory clouded my perception, leading me to Alas. He bowed his head, gripped by a grim premonition. Hey. Dont cry, our efficient master blacksmith. Enjoy yourself some more. Other blacksmiths, take a break and drink up. Todays work is done! Laughing merrily and swinging his shoulder, the red glow between his fingers sent out an intense malice. This month, finish all the crossbows and round up the Town construction. Ill give you one month. Fail, and Swoosh. Watching the lord trace his neck with his thumb, Hamar trembled uncontrollably.