Volume 3 Chapter 21 Town Wall Expansion VI
"...[Stone Wall]! Good, it's done!"
Cain struck a triumphant pose at the final section of the town wall, and applause erupted from the crowd.
"Sir Cain, thank you very much. Now we can begin constructing the new town gate."
A Maintenance Bureau official expressed his gratitude.
"Yeah, I got a call yesterday saying the design for the town gate had been decided."
Cain muttered, his gaze fixed on the gate's planned location.
* * *
Rewinding time to the scheduled day for the town gate's creation...
"Barvish, today's the day for the town gate. Any requests or updates from the Maintenance Bureau?"
Cain asked Barvish as they rode in the carriage toward the construction site.
"Yes, I was told yesterday that the Head of the Maintenance Bureau will explain everything on-site."
Barvish pulled out a wooden notepad and replied.
"I hope it's a simple design. Personally, I think a thick stone wall with just an entrance and exit would be best for defense. But since it's the town's face, I'm sure there'll be a lot of opinions."
Cain recalled the elaborate gate of Margrave Shield he'd seen before.
After a bumpy 20-minute ride, they arrived, got off the carriage, and entered the tent serving as the construction office.
* * *
"Good morning, Sir Cain."
The site supervisor greeted Cain as he entered.
"Good morning, Supervisor. Hey, there are more people here today, aren't there?"
Cain noticed a dozen adults gathered at the back, deep in discussion.
"Yes, today's the town gate meeting, so the Maintenance Bureau, the Knights, and even the Civil Affairs Bureau are here... I'm not sure why."
The supervisor looked just as confused.
"Alright, everyone, Sir Cain's here. Let's start the meeting and take your seats."
The supervisor called out to the clustered group.
Noticing Cain, the participants greeted him one by one before taking their seats.
"Alright, everyone's seated. Honestly, I told you to be ready before Sir Cain arrived, but anyway, which plan are we going with?"
The supervisor urged the Head of the Maintenance Bureau to explain.
"Well, we haven't decided yet. We're still stuck between three plans—each has its pros and cons."
The Head spread out three drawings on the table.
To summarize: the three remaining plans were from the Maintenance Bureau, the Knights' Guild, and the Finance Bureau. None balanced appearance, cost, and defense perfectly.
"So what now? We should've seen this coming earlier."
The supervisor's voice rose as he scolded the review group.
The group members looked down, tense. The Head slowly lifted his face.
"Please give us five more days. I'll have a decision by then—no, I'll prove I've made one. Sir Cain, can you be a little more patient?"
"Eh, me? Sure, I'm fine. But Supervisor, are you okay with this?"
Caught off guard, Cain responded, then turned to the supervisor for a final call.
"It's good Sir Cain agreed. Then, Sir Cain, could you build the walls outside the gate first? I'd appreciate it."
"Of course. We just need to leave space for the gate and continue the wall. Should I make three gate models to help the discussion?"
"Really? Thank you so much."
The Head was surprised and grateful for Cain's offer.
"Is this table okay? ...[Create Clay] x3."
Cain studied the blueprints and crafted three gate models.
"Sir Cain, please proceed with the town wall for today's work."
Prompted by the supervisor, Cain stepped outside.
* * *
Three days later, Cain spotted the Head walking slowly on the road after work.
"Barvish, that's the Head of the Maintenance Bureau, right? He looks troubled. Can we stop the carriage?"
Cain noticed the Head's heavy demeanor and halted the carriage.
"Head, are you okay?"
Cain opened the window and called out.
"──Sir Cain, sorry for the trouble. Is something wrong?"
"──If you're free, would you like a ride? I'd like to hear about the gate plans."
Barvish opened the door, inviting the Head in.
As the carriage moved, the Head began explaining.
"I'm narrowing down the options for the lord, but I'm worried time's running out."
"Don't worry. I thought all three options were good. Since I helped compile them, they should be even better."
Cain smiled reassuringly.
The Head's expression softened at Cain's words.
"And you don't have to decide everything alone. The lord makes the final call, so you could present your top choice and let them pick from the three."
"Huh?! Y-Yes, I thought I had to decide everything. Thank you, Sir Cain."
The Head's face brightened with relief.
* * *
"Barvish, what plan did they finalize?"
Cain asked as they headed to the gate site after finishing the last wall section.
"I got the report this morning. The sketch combines elements from all three plans."
"Wow, they merged those ideas. The Head worked hard. I can't wait to see it."
Cain gazed at the gate's planned location from the carriage.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!