Chapter 132: Dancing on the Rebars (2)
Jump!
Moira stepped on the rebar and jumped high in the air. A thought crossed her mind. I’m free. How familiar. This feeling of being hundreds of feet off the ground. As she jumped high from the roof of the building made of rebars and cement, she surprisingly felt familiar akin to leaping on birch trees.
It feels like I’m back in the woods again.
Since she had spent her whole life in the Everglow Woods, she started to miss it even though it hadn’t been a month since she left. The landscape, air, and smell. Every moment in this fiefdom was another moment of nostalgia for her home. But right now, as she flung herself in the air from the peak of the construction site, she was shocked to learn that she didn’t miss the woods at all. It was all due to the surprisingly familiar feeling that washed over her.
It felt similar to the woods. The height. The space, too.
The high-rise building and the pillars felt like tree trunks. And the tied-up rebars that protruded from the building reminded Moira of tree branches.
Jumping in between them feels similar.
Tap! Fwoosh! She jumped to the top of the rebar and surveyed the construction site as though she was hanging from a tree branch. She wondered if the other elves were feeling similar. They, too, had a glimmer in their eyes unlike when they were standing on the ground. Everyone hopped and moved around the site as if they were riding the wind. To the others, they looked like they were flying.
Creak. Clank! The elf workers moved and tied the metals in a flash, riding the wind and dancing and sliding. And when they had to move from one floor to another, they did acrobatics.
Fwoosh! Moira threw herself out of the building, the ground just dozens of feet below. But she didn’t plummet to the ground. She had already decided before the leap where she would land. The fall safety net.
Tap! Her feet touched the edge of the net, and she was sent high in the air again. The momentum sent her to the lower floor in no time, and she picked up the tool she had forgotten there. The process was the same when she went back up.
Tap! She kicked the safety net and stepped on the wall, the sheer speed letting her defy gravity and run up the building. Stretching her arm, she grabbed the window sill and entered the building through it. It took her only about two seconds to climb that high without using the stairs. However, even though Moira just showed an exploit that no ordinary humans could ever perform so easily, the other elves were nonchalant about it. After all, what she did looked as natural as walking to them. What was more, the elves perfectly showcased what they had learned from Lloyd despite their intense movements.
My goodness. They’re better than I expected them to be.
Lloyd’s jaw dropped as he supervised the construction site. He wondered if those elves were born to be rebar workers. They were that wonderful.
I did a great job by bringing them here. With their current competence, Lloyd could assuredly leave the site to them. There was no more need for supervision. But since mistakes are unavoidable even for the best masters, I better take precautions and lay a thick pad of hay on the ground just in case.
The elves could fall under the safety net by mistake. And so, Lloyd thought to himself that he should take another preventive measure. But when he went down, he found the orc warriors cheering in the courtyard as they stared at the ongoing construction.
“Awesome! Oink!”
“Elves are the best, oink!”
“I was so scared to go up there, oink!”
“My girlfriend scolded me every night, oink!”
“My wife scolded me, oink!”
“My son scolded me, oink!”
“Liars! These guys are all single! oink!”
Thanks to the great work of the elves, the orcs were liberated from the rebar work and their fear of heights.
They are unimaginably fast as well. At this speed, we might be able to put up eight stories of Building 102 before it gets colder.
The winter was coming near, and Lloyd was secretly worried about it. Once the freezing winter began, the cement could no longer be deposited after the temperature dropped below 32 degrees.
It will freeze and thaw.
This was a phenomenon that had to be watched out for at any construction site.
Since water is used to make concrete, it will solidify into ice once the temperature goes below freezing. So, even before the concrete itself can dry up, the moisture inside it will condense and become ice.
If the concrete dried in that state, it would create ice particles and molecules from the water. That was fine in the winter since it remained frozen. But once the winter passed and the climate got hotter, the particles would melt, and the finished concrete would be left wet from the defrosted water molecules.
If that happens, the construction will be a failure. The concrete structure will dip below the designed strength. As a result, the concrete can crack, crumble and collapse, erode the rebars, or worse, bring about the pop-out phenomenon, where concrete blocks as big as fists tear out. In other words, a disaster will unfold. The building will be useless. And if it’s an apartment complex with about 1,000 residents in it… Ugh, the mere thought of it is just horrible.
Lloyd shuddered at the thought, his shoulders trembling. But now that he saw the speed at which the elves worked, he knew that he was free from such concerns.
The weather has been fine until now. So, we must finish the eighth floor in the next few days before it gets colder.
Lloyd encouraged the workers on the construction site with such determination. He sometimes coaxed and pushed the elf workers. Thanks to their hard work, the eighth floor, which had been slow in progress, was finished in no time, and the concrete was deposited there just within eight days.
Great. I love it.
Lloyd was greatly satisfied. Building 102 was erected on the top floor before the freezing winter came, so Lloyd was able to finish the insulation and heating of Building 101 and 102 during winter.
Building 101 and 102 will become a prototype. And based on their age and experience, I’m going to construct Building 103 to make sure I have another source of cash.
Lloyd pushed ahead to the next part of the process. It was the heating project of Building 101, which he had postponed for a while.
“So mix the bean oil with this precious sap?”
“Yeah.”
The key to upgrading the insulation in the heating pipes was the Elensia Tree sap, and Lloyd poured some drops of it into the bean oil. This invited Javier’s strange glances as though he was asking what on earth he was doing.
“Do we have a lot of Elensia sap? No, not at all. It’s a waste to use it as it is. And besides, there’s no need to do that,” said Lloyd.
“Is that why you’re diluting it with water?” asked Javier.
“Yeah.”
“But why bean oil out of all the other ingredients?”
“Since it’s cheap and easy to acquire, and it’s waterproof.”
What’s more, was the smell. It was nutty. And so, Lloyd mixed the sap and bean oil. But the ratio was a pickle. 1:1? Of course not. Then, conservatively, 1:10? That wasn’t it either.
“Master Lloyd… You’re not going to say that you ‘mixed’ the liquid when you just put a drop of the sap, are you?” Javier, who was struck dumb as he watched Lloyd, asked.
His response was understandable. Right now, Lloyd was mixing the two at a ratio of 1:99! But Lloyd was nonchalant as he spoke to respond.
“Hey, this is just the way of the world. Go try to buy a drink, and you’ll know it right away. You’ll be thankful if it contains at least one percent of the advertised ingredient.”
Truly, it was the way of the world. Go to any supermarket. Pick up any fruit-flavored drinks or jellies. The wrapper could advertise orange, strawberry, or another fruit in big letters. But if you checked the ingredients, it was common to find the product contained less than one percent of the fruit. Lloyd had been hurt by this realization during his tender youth. The unforgettable lesson of capitalism that hurt him still lived with him to this day. That day, he learned the magic of being a cheapskate.
“So, this is enough. We already tested the performance too,” said Lloyd.
“Is that so?” asked Javier.
“Of course. Take this jar. And the brush.”
“…”
“What are you doing? Come here quickly.”
Lloyd led Javier to the heating room of Building 101, and he pointed at the pipes that extended to the apartment complex.
“Do you see the pipes? Go apply the Elensia insulation cream on these pipes. Now.” ordered Lloyd.
“Technically speaking, they’re bean oil-based cream, aren’t they?” pointed Javier.
“Shush. The one percent is what matters.”
“…”
Lloyd and Javier started to apply the cream on the pipes, fanning them to make sure that they were properly dried. Next, the two wrapped them with a thick blanket of hay and fastened them with a straw rope. And when Lloyd and Javier tested out, the result was extremely satisfactory.
“How is it?” asked Lloyd.
“It’s very warm.”
“Right?”
“Yes.”
Prior to this job, the pipes on the eighth floor were cold. But after it was insulated with the Elensia insulation cream, they were warm as though the heating room was right beside them.
This will do. I’m perfectly fine with how it turned out.
The previous insulation was only mixed with wheat straw, chaff, and lime. But now, it was topped with Elensia Tree cream and hay. Lloyd felt the worth of taking special care to wrap the pipes with several different layers. Just then…
“Excuse me, Master Lloyd?” called Javier.
“Hmm?”
Lloyd noticed that the way Javier called him was slightly different.
“You have a favor to ask me, don’t you?”
“…”
“I’m right. I’m completely right,” said Lloyd.
“How did you know?”
“You said ‘Excuse me’ before calling me,” said Lloyd as though it was so obvious.
“…”
“You know, you don’t usually call me like that unless you want something from me.”
Javier didn’t say anything. He simply stared at Lloyd.
“So?” Lloyd asked. “What is this favor of yours?”
“It’s about the refugees.”
“What about them?”
“How about letting those who are disabled or sick move in here first?”
Javier spoke frankly, but there wasn’t any particular reason for doing so. It was just that he remembered the event that happened a few days ago as he touched the warm pipes.
I wonder how that boy taking care of his blind mother is doing right now.
Javier’s thoughts flew back to the event, and he recalled the environment the boy and his mother were in. It was lacking. Even though the refugee tents were built with care, they were nonetheless tents. They were uncomfortable even for healthy people. So, it went without saying how much worse it would be for the sick and disabled.
“Since refugees have to live a communal life where everything is exposed… It is my opinion that those who are sick will get better faster when they can peacefully reside in this building,” explained Javier.
“Hmm.”
Lloyd chewed over Javier’s words, and he thought his points were quite reasonable.
“You’re right,” Lloyd agreed, “it’s not helpful to put sick people in a cramped tent.”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“Then, should we let them move in first to take the bottom three floors? That way it will be easier for them to move up and down,” suggested Lloyd.
“I like your idea.”
The basic facility for Building 101 was all there. The heating was almost done, and so was the inside of each unit. The communal dining area and bathrooms only required a few more touches, which could be done even while people lived in the building.
Plus, it’s going to help to see the residents actually living here.
There could be a discrepancy between reality and the design. Houses were always like that. The noise between units, dew condensation, draught, light, ventilation, etc… The design could miss out on certain elements that make it uncomfortable for the people who live there. As such, these patients can be made to live in the winter first, and Lloyd would observe them. They would be the beta testers for Building 103, whose construction was to begin next spring. Its design could reflect the points of improvement found in Building 101 and would be upgraded to promise greater convenience for residents.
“We should then sort the patients, and those who are sicker will take the first floor,” concluded Lloyd.
The first group of people moved into the building. The patients in the refugee camps were transferred to Building 101, and everyone was touched to be there. Their response was nothing surprising as the monster domino had devastated their houses. They dragged their injured bodies to this fiefdom to live in a refugee tent for several months until a proper home was ready for them. So, it would be strange for them to not break into sobs.
“How grateful I am… I don’t know how to repay this debt…”
The first batch included the kid and his blind mother. She broke into tears as she touched the small unit given to live with her son. Just then…
Ding Dong.
A new message popped in front of Lloyd.
[Monumental construction achievement!]
[You have commanded the construction of the first apartment complex and occupation efforts in the Lorasia Continent.]
[The first batch of residents who moved into the building will be grateful to you for their entire lives, becoming the most faithful residents of this fiefdom.]
[You have left an indelible mark in the history of civil engineering on the Lorasia Continent.]
[You shall be remembered as the pioneer of the apartment complex in history.]
[For that achievement, you have been awarded a large amount of bonus RP.]
[You have acquired 700 RP.]
[Current RP: 4,783]
It had been quite a while since he acquired RP. Lloyd forcibly pushed away this warm feeling in his heart as he responded cynically to the boy’s mother.
“Ha, forget any debt. Raise your son well, and that will be all,” said Lloyd.
And this boy would grow up to work for the fiefdom, and Lloyd would use the boy to his benefit. Repeat this process, and it would gradually fatten up Lloyd’s cash cows.
Heh. You think I’m building this apartment for free?
Of course not. There was no such thing as a free lunch for Lloyd. There may be so for him. But it was never to be so for others, including these refugees.
But right now, the time isn’t ripe yet. Just a little more. Once they settle in my fiefdom and get better, I’m going to put them to work.
They would be made to pay for everything they received from him. Lloyd was envisioning a sweet future in his head when someone panted and rushed to him.
“M-master Lloyd!”
Lloyd turned to find who it was, and it was a servant in the manor.
“Just…! Now!” panted the servant.
“Just what? What’s going on? Come breathe now. Speak slowly,” urged Lloyd.
“A r-royal messenger is here.”
“What? A royal messenger? From the queen?” asked Lloyd.
The servant nodded.
“Yes, and he’s waiting for you, at the manor.”
“…”
When Lloyd heard the arrival of the royal messenger, something tingled inside him. He suddenly had a gut feeling.
Wait a second. Is this…
Lloyd made for the manor with the servant, and when he got there, he spotted the royal messenger chatting with the baron and the baroness. It was the same one that had come here to announce the queen’s order after Lloyd’s accomplishment in Cremo. Although it was the same person, his attitude was different from then.
“It has been a long time.”
The royal messenger was courteous and well-mannered, which was hardly the case back then. He had treated Lloyd with disdain.
“…”
The hunch in Lloyd grew stronger. Feeling the hunch grow into a conviction, Lloyd spoke.
“Please, let us do the procedure first.”
“Yes, let us,” replied the messenger, and he cleared his throat.
He looked around, and one of his men brought a scroll to him. The order of the queen. Lloyd got on one knee and waited for it to be read aloud. And Lloyd predicted that his hunch would be right and that the scroll would contain the very message he expected. At last, the messenger started to read.
“Since time immemorial, I, along with the great sovereigns that came before me, have worked hard to achieve peace and comfort for the nobles and citizens.”
What followed after was the usual stuff. The queen felt the burden of responsibility and that she was working hard day and night. Wretched by the recent disaster, she commended the Frontera barony for its achievements… Yada yada…
The messenger continued to read, complimenting and praising Lloyd with plenty of flowery words. As Lloyd listened to the messenger, his lips moved softly. Soon, his hunch finally developed into conviction. Lloyd continued to murmur softly as the messenger spoke aloud until his words matched the latter.
“Here ye! For the abovementioned achievements, I hereby grant the Frontera barony the status of a county.”