Chapter 48: Let's go, Viscount
In Aden's Study
Levi sat with his legs propped up against the table's edge, watching Javi diligently sketch a picture on sheets of parchment paper.
Aden's desk was littered with various drawings and outside the window, the chirps of squirrels making last minutes preparations for the bordering winter could be heard.
Recently this has become one of his favourite pastime activities, a period when he could briefly ignore all the issues challenging him and just relax.
Quietly he watched Javi digress from sketching realistic portraits to doodling ludicrous stickman characters. He couldn't help wonder if the little girl had unrealised ambitions of becoming Udoris's first mangaka.
Chuckling softly he couldn't help but remember a certain cousin of his from Earth, Talon who happened to have such lofty ambitions. Sadly though dreams don't necessarily come true.
Given his aunt's financial buoyancy, the reality of adulthood settled in too abruptly for himself and his cousins, many dreams where unfortunately buried.
Shaking his head to get rid of those depressing thoughts James decided to think too much of the past. The future has a lot to offer, there's no point holding on to things that don't matter.
A dozen minutes later Lady Junita appeared to pick up a reluctant Javi forcing Levi to end his break and return to his duties.
In the study that looked tidier than it was ten minutes ago, Levi was still sitting at the desk.
In front of him was Robert giving today's report on the town's progress.
"My lord the thatching of the last building was just completed," Robert said as Levi read of a list. "But my lord the peasants are complaining about the accommodations being cramped and two fights broke out again today in the male dormitory. Even I feel stuffing twenty-four people in a single building might be a bit too much."
Levi read through the list rhythmically tapping his fingers on the table's surface. He was also aware of the issue but there was not much that could be done given the time frame.
The intended plan was to build short-term shelters for the people to use tide through the winter. The buildings weren't intended to be anything elaborate, just cuboid-shaped structures about two meters wide, two meters high and about twelve meters long. From a distance, they looked like grey shipping containers.
Levi chose such a simple design so as to speed up the construction process.
The buildings had no internal partitioning, no rooms just empty spaces. The only complexity added was a simple fireplace and a chimney, it was added to combat the cold when winter arrives. This sped up the construction plan by simplifying the process required for the completion of a single building.
To further simplify the process even the buildings foundations were intentionally made shallow, only a few inches deep.
To compensate for this and reduce the risk of collapse, mounds of soil were added by the town's children around the walls. When winter finally arrives the soil would be soaked with water to cause it to freeze up, the frozen soil temporarily anchoring the structures to the ground.
Levi did something no other lord of the era would do, he treated these buildings as expendables. After this winter the building would hardly remain usable due to the manner in which they were built requiring more stable structures to be built quickly.
But considering Levi's goals, this was enough. From his perspective, the lives of the townspeople were more important than any gold he could save up by not building the structures at all.
Gold could always be earned, mined or even stolen from others but people were not so easily replaceable. Considering his plans for greenfields, even with how overpopulated the little town currently is now he would need many more immigrants even just to fulfil the basic requirements.
The buildings were divided into two wings, the right-wing for the female dormitories and the left-wing for the male dormitories. Each wing currently is made up of fifteen houses, five public latrines and a bathhouse each.
Each house was designed to accommodate twenty-one people so Levi initially planned on constructing thirty-five of these buildings but due to limited time, only thirty could be completed and allow enough time for the cement to harden before winter arrives.
Because of the deficit, Levi was forced to increase the quotas of the already cramped buildings to twenty-four just to accommodate the remaining people.
"What about the dorm prefects I asked you to choose to maintain order?" Levi asked still drumming his fingers.
"It was the prefect in charge of dorm seven that got involved in a fight with a fellow dormmate. Twice." Robert sighed.
"Replace that prefect and punish him and his accomplice. Change the punishment for fighting to fifteen lashes and add abstinence from food for a day. I want to see if they can continue fighting on empty stomachs." Levi ordered coldly. He might value their lives but that didn't mean he would tolerate any misdemeanour on their part.
"What about the cement workers? Have they been dealt with?" Levi asked.
Understanding the political, even militaristic value of cement he made major moves to ensure the formula wasn't leaked. Although that was indirectly saying to Lancelot that he was in fact the one who invented it, Levi understood his priorities and didn't mind much even if the viscount found out.
He ordered everyone that everyone who had been in close contact with the core manufacturing process is detained within the castle walls. From this point on until Greenfields is self-sufficient, they would be strictly monitored and provided for by the castle.
"Yes, my lord. The kilns have been emptied and all evidence has been washed away while the peasants have all been moved with their families to work in the castle."
"What about the remaining preparations?"
"The food stores have been tallied, the charcoal stores have been filled, the grains rationed out into bags and..." Robert started saying but was cut off by a fervent knocking on the door.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Come in," Levi said raising his left brow.
The door opened and Lancelot excitedly barged in.
"Sorry for my misdemeanour, young master but Lord Aden just arrived!" The viscount said excitedly.
"He is downstairs and commanded I summon you..." Lancelot said trailing off at the end. He felt the atmosphere suddenly grew colder.
Levi smiled softly but there was a frigid, gloomy glint in his eye.
"Its young master now, huh?" Levi chuckled mirthlessly.
Walking past a frozen Lancelot he spoke.
"Let's go, Viscount. We can't keep your lord waiting now can we?"
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