CHAPTER 43: THE FIRST STEP TOWARD CIVILIZATION

"There’s no point in overthinking this. Tarian isn’t a simple man—I saw that in the novel."

Unlike Boundless Knights, who usually serve a single noble for life, mages were different. They operated directly under what was called the Mage Hall, which determined their assignments and stationing. This explained why Tarian and the other mages lived permanently in the castle.

According to the novel, Tarian had only arrived in the barony three years ago. Faelor, on the other hand, had spent several decades in the area. As for Nerian, it was said he had been there for years, though the exact duration wasn’t specified.

’Now that I think about it, when a mage dies or completes their service, the Mage Hall sends a replacement. Not that it really matters. If I don’t send them a special request, they likely won’t care or do anything. And news of a mage’s death would take ages to reach them anyway.’

Sigh!

’No need to think about something like that right now.’

Arthur stored all his loot in the Dimensional Storage and leaned back onto his bed.

...

The next morning, as soon as he woke up, he headed to the dining hall, had his breakfast, and then asked Octavia, "Did you find a suitable place for the workshop?"

"Yes, my lord," Octavia replied politely.

"Alright, let’s go see it then."

Octavia was slightly surprised—she hadn’t expected that—but she didn’t freeze in shock. She quickly pointed the way. "This way, my lord."

Arthur left the castle quietly. Unlike usual, he didn’t ride his horse and walked on foot. He was accompanied only by seven recruits under Alvin’s command.

Arthur stepped on the sticky, foul-smelling ground and sighed. ’This place is absolutely disgusting.’

As they walked, he noticed that every passerby quickly fled and hid, leaving the alleys he passed through completely empty.

Smile.

’I guess my reputation got even worse after what happened.’

A look of ambition appeared on his face, and he smiled. ’Just wait. One month is enough to change everything.’

After walking for several minutes, they arrived at a location near the river, where there stood a house that was slightly larger than the others.

A strange look crossed his face as he stared at the house for a moment, then said, "This place is a complete ruin. Ha! This will take a lot of work."

Everyone around him froze and stared at him oddly, as if they couldn’t believe what they’d just heard. The issue wasn’t what he said—but rather the fact that, unlike usual, he had spoken casually, with no trace of his usual sternness.

Octavia didn’t react, though. Having spent so much time with him, she was used to his strange, offhand remarks.

’Tch, these idiots... why are they acting so weird?’ Arthur sighed silently and dismissed the idea of being kind from his mind. Then, with firm authority, he stared into their faces and said:

"Why are you staring like that? Go fetch some skilled builders. This place won’t fix itself. And bring me the best craftsmen and potters as well."

"At once, my lord."

Some of the recruits quickly rushed off to carry out his orders. The rest stayed by his side, keeping a watchful eye on everything.

Arthur turned to examine the house carefully. In his mind, he started laying out a complete blueprint for its structure, and what kind of tools and equipment he would place inside.

While deep in thought, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Calmly, he turned to look at a spot a little further down the river—where he saw a man defecating right in the water, completely at ease.

’Again.’ Arthur’s brow furrowed, and fury surged through him. He pointed at the man and spoke with a voice that brooked no argument. "Seize that man and give him ten lashes."

Everyone followed his finger—and their eyes landed on the poor fellow who had no idea what was coming. Two recruits sprinted toward him. The moment the man saw them coming, he fled, but unfortunately for him, they chased after him without pause.

A quiet chuckle.

The scene was so bizarre that even Alvin and Octavia couldn’t help but laugh.

After a few minutes of silence, the recruits returned—accompanied by a large group of muscular builders and craftsmen with rough faces. Their hands were covered in scars and grime, reflecting the nature of their work.

Arthur looked at them with determination and said,

"Listen well. I want you to completely rebuild this house. Add a few chimneys to the left side, widen the entrance, and also install some small windows near the ceiling."

"As for the potters, I want you to construct a thermal kiln in that area. Make the kiln a little large, and make sure it produces slightly less heat than traditional pottery kilns. Once it’s built, I want you to construct a small shed around it to shield it from the elements."

"As for you craftsmen—I need several wooden molds of uniform size. Also, build a very long wooden table and place it at the center of the house. Most importantly, craft several metal stoves and install them beneath the chimneys. Is that clear?"

Everyone around him fell silent, unable to keep up with the volume and variety of his orders. They seemed somewhat mismatched and overwhelming.

"You didn’t understand a thing, did you?"

A slightly angry look crossed his face, causing the builders and craftsmen to tremble. After a brief moment of silence, one man stepped forward and said,

"My lord, we’re just simple folk—we’re not as clever as you. I beg you to explain everything again, in simpler terms that we can understand. Preferably with a drawn plan—it would make everything much easier for us."

"Hmm, that’s a good idea. Bring me some paper, ink, and also a table and chair."

The recruits quickly went to gather what he needed. A few minutes later, they had set up a small desk for him. He sat down calmly and called over the best craftsman and best builder, then began to draw a detailed blueprint for everything, slowly and carefully.

He sketched the building precisely and wrote out the measurements in simple terms. He explained what materials to use, and even arranged every element neatly in its proper place. The plan ended up looking so clean and professional that both the builder and the craftsman were stunned. They couldn’t stop themselves from staring at Arthur in shock. At that moment, this young man in front of them surpassed their lifetime of experience and knowledge in their own fields.

After finishing the main blueprint, Arthur drew illustrations for the molds, the table, and the stoves, then handed them over to the craftsman to build with the help of the others.

"Remember this well—don’t deviate from the measurements. Everything must be precise."

The group of workers began to disperse, each heading off to do their assigned task. Some went to fetch tools, others to get materials for construction.

As for Arthur, he remained seated, staring at the stack of paper in front of him.

’This paper is absolute garbage. If I wasn’t so skilled with my hands, I wouldn’t have been able to draw on it at all. And using a quill and ink is just plain impractical.’

The common paper in this world was coarse and extremely thick, often made from old natural fabrics. There were, of course, other types—such as magical paper—but those were very rare and required costly materials like magical beast hides. And even then, their quality was still somewhat inferior to modern paper.

After a moment of deep thought, Arthur picked up another sheet and began drawing again with excitement. His actions caught Octavia’s attention, and she curiously watched what he was sketching. But she didn’t understand a thing—all she saw were overlapping geometric shapes.

Sheet after sheet, Arthur kept drawing until several hours had passed. When he finally finished, he looked at the papers in front of him with a satisfied smile and thought, ’What a genius I am. If this actually works, I’ll be swimming in money.’

He hid his smile and let out a sigh.

’The number of workers isn’t enough. I’ll need to hire more craftsmen. That reminds me of what I was planning to do.’

After hours of silence, Arthur finally spoke.

"Alvin, I want you to gather everyone who’s educated—those who can read and write fluently."