I stood up and looked at my beautiful wife. Her body was sweaty and exhausted, and she was still asleep, snoring softly. I lingered for a moment, looking at her beautiful curves. The smell of sex still hung in the air.
'Heheh, now this is the life…'
Remembering last night gave me the urge to start the morning with more erotic tones...
However, it wasn't time yet.
'Even if my dear wife is starting to get a taste for the erotic, it's still too early to intensify things…'
And it was also time to go to work. The city wouldn't build itself.
Hours later, I was looking at a pile of reports on my desk.
If I wanted this land to become something, I would need people. Not slaves, but people with roots here.
'And to think there are slaves in this world…'
'Well, it's not like my old world didn't have them, but they were hidden. Here… the trade in enslaved people was common.'
This city was a trading post, luckily not on a human trafficking route. But the products of this city were limited to low-quality goods, and people only trade if the merchandise is worth it. The place was a wasteland. The land could be improved. The territory could be expanded. But why would anyone do that, knowing they could lose everything? Loyalty is not something you buy. It is earned.
'Well… you can buy it… but it costs a fortune I'm not willing to pay.'
'For an anarco-capitalist like me to have to play lord… it's ironic, but I won't give up this power.'
'From now on I'm a monarchist and a liberal.'
The head butler brought in some more papers, said his goodbyes, and left. I called Eddard, the Guard Leader. "Gather your men. I want people from the city. Guards, hunters, farmers. People who lived through the Advent of the Dungeons. I want to know what they know. If they know how to fight, even better." He nodded and left. The list the head butler gave me was on the table. Data and more data.
Eddard didn't take long. He brought two guards and a hunter. The hunter looked at me as if he were hunting. One of them, Brian, spoke, nervous. "We... my lord... we go to the mountain slope when the snow falls. To the Lighthouse Tower. To watch for the demons... If too many come... we... light the flame and run."
I covered my mouth. "And the beasts? Can they be killed?"
His partner, a little calmer, answered. "Yes, sir. They were common animals that became maniacs. But the Central Fortress always sent the cavalry to help."
I studied more about the Central Fortress to understand what I was getting myself into, and it's a fallback fort that receives a large number of people from the border cities...
'It looks a lot like the three walls from Attack on Titan...'
But in this kingdom there were only two 'walls,' or rather, fortresses, the Central and the Royal, with the Royal being the stronghold for great nobles to shelter in case of catastrophes. However, the biggest problems tend to be concentrated in the borders because they are less populated and poorer.
"And how long does the Advent last?" "One to three months. Depends on the sun," Brian said. I stared at him. "Depends on the sun?" "Yes. The snow only stops when the sun shines again. That's what marks the end."
"The snow indicates the end of the Advent?"
"Yes. The longest one lasted four months. A lot of people died of hunger. The administrator of the Central Fortress said the ore only provided three months of food. We had to risk our lives to get more, but we couldn't leave the fortress."
Anger rose. The name "Ronard" was seared into my mind.
The hunter, Amando, spoke. He was big. "I killed a boar and a wolf."
"Species," he corrected me. "They get stronger, faster. The boar's hide becomes as tough as iron. The wolf gets faster, smarter."
"So they're still animals," I said.
"But not the worst," he lifted his shirt. A nasty scar crossed his abdomen. "I saw a hybrid. It had wings. It knew where I was. It was toying with me." He swallowed hard. "I fell into the Corante River. Luck saved me."
I looked at the scar. A strong wall is useless against a monster that flies. "Mixed species are rare, right?" I asked. I needed a direct answer.
Strefan, the guard, stepped forward. "My lord, there's a rumor. A suspicion that they might be mixing with Goblins."
Upon hearing the word "goblins," everyone else's face went pale. The guards, Amando, even Eddard. Their hands instinctively went to their sword or axe. Their backs hunched. They stared at me with apprehension. My hand clenched. "What's the problem with goblins?" I asked. They didn't seem like creatures worthy of such fear. Small and weak.
Brian swallowed hard. "My lord, they are terrible. They multiply too fast. They reproduce with females of any species... from anywhere. Human women... the ones who are captured... their minds are... are destroyed." He stammered, his eyes filled with horror.
Amando took the lead. "They are a plague, my lord. They appear out of nowhere, in great numbers. They mix with the beasts, use their females to generate more of themselves. Once they settle in, there's no stopping them. The city becomes a nest of monsters. There are no walls that can hold back an endless horde."
A term came to mind: 'the green horror.'
A memory of a book my previous self read as a child, it spoke of cities and kingdoms lost to the 'green horrors.'
The conversation stopped. The silence was heavy. I felt their fear. A fear that didn't come from death, but from something worse. A stain on humanity. I looked at them. "So, the issue isn't fighting them," I said, more to myself. "It's eradicating them. Forever."
-
"You don't seem to be from my Kingdom of Peach."
He nodded. "Half of my lineage comes from the Brummon Clan. The people of the city call me Iron Axe."
The Brummon Clan, people of the Silvermoon Kingdom, located southwest of the desolate lands, were considered to have half-Tauren blood. I searched my memory for any information about the clan and realized he didn't use his people's name, but rather the one given by the people of Silk City.
Apparently, he didn't want to have any relationship with the Silvermoon Kingdom. Why? Since it was obvious he came from the southwestern border, I imagined there was a series of sad stories behind his origin.
At the moment, however, those stories didn't matter. Everyone was welcome in Silk City, regardless of their origin.
I clapped my hands. "That's not why I asked you to come, Eddard. Give ten silver coins to each of them and dismiss them."
"Thank you very much for the reward, My Lord," the three said in unison.
Then, the men were led away by Eddard. When he finished his task, the knight returned and asked, "My Lord, why did you ask those questions? Do you intend to stay here?"
I didn't express an opinion and, instead, asked, "What do you think?"
"That is out of the question, My Lord!" the knight exclaimed loudly. "According to the hunter, even a group of corrupted wild boars would be difficult to face. At a distance of fifty meters, a crossbow bolt would have no effect. We would have to wait until it got within forty or even thirty meters before shooting, and only our elite soldiers would be able to do that. We cannot rely on weak walls alone; we need to stand side by side with the local guards to stop them. I fear the losses will outweigh the gains; our defeat is certain."
"You are a man of little faith. Have you seen the defense plans? The Church will send a platoon of paladins to help, so why can't you be more optimistic?" I sighed.
"And I will also participate in the defense personally. I can currently summon 10 spectral trolls, not to mention the witch can help us. We've already presented her as a mage, no one will be suspicious, and you've seen what she's capable of."
"That... witches are evil, but Sue... Miss Sue doesn't seem that way. As your leader of the guard, I must stick to the facts. And even if your trolls help, they wouldn't be able to stop a stampede of frenzied monsters, not to mention it would be dangerous to have my lord in the middle of the chaos. It would be more appropriate for you to stay in a safe place, under protection."
"If I gave you a wall, do you think it would be possible?"
"What?" For a moment, Eddard suspected he had heard wrong.
"If I give you a wall, between the northern slope of the mountain and the Dye River," I emphasized each word, "even if it's not as grand as those of Central Fortress, it would still be able to stop the animals."
"My Lord, do you know what you are saying?" The knight didn't know whether to be angry or to laugh. "Even your nonsense has a limit! If you don't stop, you will have to excuse my lack of manners."
"We still have almost four months, don't we? I checked the previous records, the first snow usually falls here at the end of the second month from now."
"Even if we had three years, it wouldn't be enough! Building a wall would require many workers. To establish the foundation, they would have to compact the earth, and every few meters, it would have to be reinforced; otherwise, it would have a high risk of collapse. And this would be the simplest of earth walls!"
Eddard shook his head in denial. "Brick and stone walls are even more difficult to build and would require hundreds of masons who would first have to cut the stones or bake the clay to turn it into bricks. Then, they would need to build it block by block. My Lord, all walls are built this way, without exception. A city built in a day and a night, that's just the stuff of legends."
I gave a sign that I had heard enough. "I understand. You don't have to be so worried. If there isn't a reliable wall in place, I will retreat with you to Central Fortress. I will not sacrifice my life in this place."
The knight knelt. "I will protect you!"
Later, in the beautiful castle gardens, I took a sip of my bitter beer. Looking at Sue, who was eating cream cakes with full attention, my mood improved greatly.
I was determined to stop the demonic beasts in Silk City. By joining the elite soldiers with the city guards, I would also intensify agriculture. To build the wall that would connect the northern slope of the mountain and the Dye River in just three months, I would have to use a technology appropriate for my modern times.
It wasn't a sudden thought. I had already inspected the surroundings of Silk City and had a clear image in my memory: the northern slope of the mountain and the Dye River were separated by only 400 meters at their closest point, forming a natural bottleneck. And due to constant mining, the area was surrounded by gravel extracted from the cave.
These gravel residues were a grayish tone, containing a lot of calcium carbonate which, after grinding, could be used as lime. With the lime, I had my solution: it would be the basis for cement.
Yes, this would change the history of humanity: the ability to build with a material that hardens in contact with water, with easily obtained raw materials and simple preparation, was one of the most efficient tools.
I estimated the necessary time. Even implementing a new technology, and even with cement, I wasn't sure if it would be possible. The amount of cement needed was too large, and I didn't know if we could calcine so much cement powder in three months.
In addition, the resistance of the concrete would be inferior, and in the end, we would need to reinforce it with steel. The probability of success in building a concrete wall was not so great.
We would have to make the most of the available materials and save cement. For this reason, building a stone wall would be the most viable option. The so-called "field stone" was a raw byproduct of mining — irregular stones that had not been ground or carved. Because of their unpredictable edges and shapes, they couldn't be used directly in structural constructions. Normally, a mason would need to carve them into more uniform blocks before laying them.
However, there was an alternative: using these irregular stones with cement as a binder. Even with varied shapes, the cement would fill the spaces between them, creating a solid structure. This would allow for the reuse of mining scraps and reduce the consumption of cement, which was limited and difficult to produce on a large scale.
This technique was not common at the time, but with modern knowledge, it would be possible to apply it. The key would be to adapt the construction methods to the local reality, using available labor and optimizing the use of resources. The wall wouldn't need to be perfect—just functional enough to contain creatures or protect the city during the advent of the dungeons.
With that, the path was set, but I feared I would have to do it alone. Both calcined cement and the field stone wall were new concepts. Besides me, no one else had seen or knew how to do these things. I feared that the next three months would be extremely busy.
"You, look here."
Sue's clear voice came from behind me.
When I turned, I saw a small blue flame burning silently in her palm. There was no wind, but the tip of the flame was rising and falling, as if greeting her.
Apparently, witches, unlike mages, could use several elements, and this was a clear advantage.
Sue had shown a talent for ice, fire, and a bit for water.
She waved her finger, and the fire was like a child, moving slowly toward the tip. Finally, the flame landed on top of her index finger, flickering.
"You did it."
It was an incredible scene, and I felt a deep admiration. That wasn't illusion magic or a chemical trick, but a true supernatural power. However, the most attractive thing to me wasn't the flame, but Sue's gaze.
As she looked intently at her fingertips, her eyes, clear as lake water, reflected the vibrant flame, like an elf sealed inside a sapphire. The traces left by the torture in prison had already disappeared, and although she rarely smiled, her face was no longer lifeless.
A drop of sweat glistened on the tip of the young woman's nose, and the rosy color on her cheeks conveyed vitality. Even a simple look at her could make a person's mood improve.
"What is it? Is something bothering you?"
"Ah... Nothing," I realized I had been watching her for too long, averted my gaze, and cleared my throat. "Well then, try to use it to melt iron."
In recent days, except for eating and sleeping, she constantly repeated her practice. Faced with so much effort, I blushed with shame. Even though I had promised an easier life, I ended up using her to test my experiments...
Even though my dear wife was a fire mage, I couldn't use her for manual tasks, and so I was limited to poor Sue.
It seems it won't take long for her to fully grasp this power, I thought. After that, my ideas for new projects could be put into practice.
Steel... gunpowder.
-
Sue approached the makeshift furnace, her eyes fixed on the stone opening. Without saying anything, she raised her hand. The blue flame appeared with precision, concentrated, without trembling.
"Keep the temperature at a thousand degrees," I said, observing the rudimentary thermometer attached to the side.
She nodded. The flame intensified, and the gravel began to calcine. The smell of hot stone spread through the courtyard.
Elizabeth watched from a distance, sitting under the awning, with a glass of wine. It was not disdain, probably jealousy.
Sue, on the other hand, already had soot on her arms and sweat on her forehead. She was the base of the operation.