Chapter 290: Stone Wall
The following day, preparations for the town’s construction began in earnest. Marquis Rosemary summoned surveyors and architects to draft the town’s blueprints. Viola, Primula, Yuri, and Rest conveyed their wishes in advance, allowing the experts to create a design that incorporated their ideas.
They discussed where to place key facilities, how to route the irrigation and sewage systems, measures against monsters, and how to manage waste and excrement. As the saying goes, “Leave it to the experts,” and indeed, the specialists provided practical solutions while skillfully weaving in Rest and the others’ suggestions.
Since land surveying takes time, it would still be a while before actual construction could commence. However, Rest had a mountain of tasks to tackle in the meantime.
“Stone Wall”
Rest activated his magic, summoning a stone wall before him. He then toppled the wall, laying it flat on the ground.
“About a kilometer, huh… Still a long way to go.”
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Rest let out a deep sigh. What he was doing was maintaining the highway. He was lining up stone walls and laying them down to create a road from the Rosemary Marquisate to his own territory.
The benefits of constructing a stone-paved road were significant. The dirt ground was susceptible to rain, causing depressions and puddles that made it difficult for carriages to pass. By paving it with stone in advance, the movement of people and goods would become much smoother.
(This territory I govern will depend on the neighboring Rosemary Marquis House. Maintaining the highway is essential… This is necessary. Yes.)
“Earth Shield”
Reminding himself of the task at hand, Rest used his magic to pave the ground. Ground paving through magic wasn’t particularly rare; it was a common practice. However, it typically required the cooperation of dozens of magicians. It was not a task one could accomplish alone. It was only possible for Rest due to his infinite magical power.
(While my magical power is more than sufficient… using the same spell repeatedly is still tiring. Mentally, that is.)
The repetitive nature of the task felt akin to an endless side job. Although it wasn’t harsh due to his infinite magical power, after hours of continuous work, his spirit began to wear thin.
“Rest, how about a break? I brought some food!”
The one saving grace was that Yuri had come along with him. She brought water and meals for Rest, who was paving the empty plain. By the way, Viola and Primula were not present; they were busy with other tasks, leaving only Yuri, who was not much help with administrative work, to support Rest.
“I saw a delicious-looking bird over there earlier. I made skewered grilled meat, so eat up!”
“A bird, huh… I’m glad it’s something edible…”
Yuri could be described as a gourmet in the best sense or a picky eater in the worst. Whether it was insects or monsters, if she deemed it “delicious-looking,” she would eat it without a second thought and would even offer it to others without any malice. Rest, who had suffered from her culinary adventures, couldn’t help but feel anxious about what she had brought.
“Thanks, this really helps.”
Without stopping his magic, Rest took the water and drank, then accepted the skewered meat and took a bite. Around them, several workers were busy with their tasks. They were filling the gaps between the stone walls Rest had created, connecting them, and adjusting their positions and angles. Yuri was distributing food to the laborers as well.
“Here you go, everyone! Time for a meal!”
“Thank you very much, ma’am!”
“Thank you, young lady!”
“Madam, you’re always a great help!”
The workers received their meals from Yuri, smiling and expressing their gratitude. With her cheerful demeanor, Yuri was quite popular among them, showing no airs despite her status as a marquis daughter. The sight of her grinning sheepishly at being called “madam” brought smiles to everyone’s faces.
“…You really do have quite the charm, don’t you?”
It felt akin to being a manager in a sports club. Though she didn’t fit the mold of a typical noble lady, she certainly had the qualities to lead others. Even if she couldn’t perform the aristocratic duties like Celestine, Yuri seemed to have her own place where she could shine.
“I think I’ll continue to rely on you… But for now, it’s back to work…”
Rest bit into the skewered chicken and resumed the simple task of creating stone walls.
Days later, he would discover that the bird he had eaten was, in fact, a monster with the body of a bird and the head of a frog… but that is a tale for another time.