章節 5: [5] Choosing a Location
Chapter 5: Choosing a Location
"Idar... Manure supervisor??" Shabi couldn't help but shudder.
This was a position that had never existed in the city of Idar before. While it sounded rather... colorful, Shabi had no choice.
"As you wish, my Lord," Shabi said, his face long and full of grievance.
The air outside the city was especially fresh, occasionally carrying the fragrance of wildflowers. For the first time, Bruno felt that fresh air could be so wonderful.
Tightly gripping the reins, Bruno rode ahead, looking around as he went, stopping and starting frequently.
For him, even if the construction itself was possible, the mere task of choosing a location for the Hanging Gardens was a major issue.
If it was too far from the city of Idar, it would be inconvenient to transport workers, and the time wasted on the road would be a significant loss. But if it was too close...
Just the thought of some indescribable odor wafting from the Hanging Gardens made Bruno shiver with disgust.
Before setting out, Bruno had already reviewed the map of Idar and its surroundings. However, the quality of the map was laughably poor, like a child's doodle—it was overly simplistic.
A few circles represented Idar City and the surrounding towns and villages, with a few squiggly lines indicating the small roads connecting them. As for more detailed information... well, if you wanted to know, you'd have to guess yourself.
Fortunately, Bruno had inherited the memories of his predecessor, and in those memories, there was a location that fit his expectations perfectly.
The terrain of Idar City was generally higher in the west and lower in the east. The city was nestled on a somewhat narrow coastal plain on the eastern foothills of the Almis Mountains, which stretched across the eastern part of the empire.
Bruno's destination on this trip was precisely the Almis Mountains!
Relying on the map's routes and his predecessor's memories, Bruno made his way forward with a mix of guesswork and instinct. Following closely behind him was a despondent Shabi and the accompanying guards.
It was unclear how long they had been traveling when Bruno faintly heard the sound of rushing water. The sound grew nearer, like the crisp clinking of pendants.
"Looks like we're on the right path," Bruno murmured to himself.
"The Count truly is a man of great wisdom!" Shabi suddenly popped up out of nowhere.
Bruno: "..."
Why are you everywhere?!
If you're going to flatter me, at least be more original next time!
The sound of the water grew louder. Bruno dismounted at the side of the road and, accompanied by the guards, walked into the dense forest.
The rushing water brushed over the treetops, and the withered leaves on the forest floor rustled. Through the dry, towering branches, Bruno saw a white torrent cascading down from the rock face like a tidal wave. The rapid stream, carrying chunks of ice from the mountaintop, crashed violently against the rocks, producing a thunderous roar.
This was a waterfall nestled in a mountain ravine, flowing year-round, regardless of the season. The constant roar of the water echoed through the eastern foothills of the Almis Mountains.
What a treasure!
This was the perfect spot to build the Hanging Gardens!
Bruno could hardly contain his excitement. For him, the biggest challenge in constructing the Hanging Gardens wasn't labor or materials, but the water supply system!
Bruno was neither a physics expert nor omnipotent. Without any special abilities, even with his transmigration, he would likely just be an ordinary person.
As such, in this world, he couldn't invent things like water pumps or other sophisticated mechanisms. He had no idea how Earth's Hanging Gardens managed to transport sufficient water from the ground to such heights while being far from any rivers.
So, Bruno's idea was simple: build by the mountains!
The cascading waterfall solved the water supply problem for Bruno. As for the stone needed to construct the Hanging Gardens, it could be easily quarried from the Almis Mountains.
Labor was even less of a concern. As the only noble in Idar City, Bruno owned all the serfs in the area.
Given that it was currently midwinter and there was no farming to be done, Bruno could easily mobilize a large number of serfs to help him build the Hanging Gardens!
Finally, there was some hope!
Just then, a series of square pop-up windows suddenly flooded Bruno's vision one after another.
[Terrain data successfully recorded—]
[Wonder modeling completed—]
[Do you wish to select this location for construction?]
There was even a hidden feature?!
Bruno was both surprised and delighted.
"Select!"
With a single thought, Bruno saw a flowchart-like interface appear in the upper left corner of his vision.
[Location selected successfully] → [Generating blueprint]
93%...
99%...
In a daze, Bruno seemed to hear a "ding" sound near his ear. Before he knew it, a slightly heavy scroll of parchment had been placed in his hand.
[Hanging Gardens Construction Blueprint.pdf] has finished loading!
[Note: The system will evaluate the wonder based on its completion and grandeur, and rewards will be given accordingly upon task completion.]
Bruno raised his hand, looking at the parchment scroll he was holding, and murmured, "This must be... the blueprint..."
With a mix of nervousness and excitement, Bruno unrolled the parchment...
Sure enough, it was filled with sketches...
The sketches were packed with dense lines. Though there were many, they were not chaotic at all, but meticulously organized.
Bruno couldn't understand the specific construction blueprints, but he could clearly see that the sketches depicted a grand and beautiful structure. The simple idea of just casually building something was now out of the question...
"I'm going to build a garden here!" Bruno declared, taking a deep breath as he stood before the rushing waterfall.
"A garden? This place isn't far from Idar City. If you really build a garden here, you could visit it in your spare time. That would be wonderful!" Shabi, ever the sycophant, quickly agreed.
"I'm going to build a huge garden... So tell me, how much gold and manpower can we pull from the territory right now?" Bruno asked.
"You needn't worry. This year, you haven't been too extravagant... ah, I mean, there should be a large surplus this year. I'm sure the old steward can allocate enough funds to build it!" Shabi responded.
"See this," Bruno said, pointing to the lake, waterfall, and the large clearing in the forest in front of them. "All of this needs to be included. Look, I even brought the blueprint!"
With that, Bruno handed the parchment scroll to Shabi.
"Actually, my lord, you really don't need to worry. The gold in our territory has always been... Ah, this..." Shabi took the blueprint respectfully, casually unrolling it and glancing at it. But then...
His eyes widened as he stared at the blueprint his lord had handed him.
Although he couldn't fully understand it, Shabi knew that constructing such a building would certainly be an enormous undertaking...
This blueprint was different from his lord's previous whims. The meticulous details and annotations showed careful planning and preparation...
Who would have thought! After being quiet for so long, it seemed the Count had finally changed his ways. But no—he had been planning something big all along!
"Thud!"
With a mournful expression, Shabi suddenly knelt beside Bruno. "My lord... our small county simply can't withstand such a grand project..."
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票