Volume 3 Chapter 53 I Will Keep Trying Harder
Cain and his team had spent the past week paving the streets of the Count Shield capital with cobblestones. As usual, Doughton and the others worked incredibly efficiently, so Cain could focus solely on the cobblestone task. The work went so smoothly that they even had free time. During this break, Cain spent a lot of time chatting with the townspeople and received various treats from the residents of the street they were working on.
Once the gifts started coming in, they piled up for me too. Gardy ended up with so many that he couldn't carry them all with both hands. Though it was Gardy's job as a bodyguard, a sense of competition began to grow. To avoid this, I shifted the task of accepting gifts to Will.
This was a lesson in leadership for the future lord and aimed to improve their public image. For Cain, as long as it didn't lead to overwork, a little extra effort wasn't a problem. He decided that if merchant houses, like those outside the main street, wanted cobblestones laid, he would do it for a fee. This would also show that the lord was investing a lot of money in the work Cain was doing.
"Good morning, everyone. Let's follow the work procedures and get through today's tasks without accidents or injuries. Mr. Doughton, please explain today's planned work and any additional tasks."
Cain began the morning meeting with a greeting.
"Yes, today's cobblestone work will be on North 3rd Street and East 12th and 23rd Streets. Since we'll be moving between North and East Streets, lunch will be earlier today. After finishing East Twenty-Third Street, please proceed with cobblestone work at the reception hall managed by the Merchant Guild Ronan."
Doughton checked the schedule as he explained the day's plan.
"Mr. Doughton, North 3rd Street is a bit longer than the others, isn't it? Will we work on it in sections, or all at once?"
Cain asked for clarification on the long street's details.
"Today, thanks to the neighborhood boss's adjustments, we can do it all at once. But it needs to be finished by daytime, so we'll have a slightly larger team today."
"Until noon...? I understand. Everyone, thank you in advance for today as well."
"Please do."
Cain ended the meeting, then immediately boarded the carriage and set off.
North 3rd Street was curved on both sides, making it impossible to see the whole view from one end. As usual, they started from the endpoint and moved toward the starting point, deciding on a division point. In the end, they split the work into 4 phases.
"This street has pretty deep wheel ruts. If we don't fix them, the cobblestones will warp the road."
Cain examined the street while discussing it with Barvish.
"Yes, they're deeper than other streets. But how do you plan to fix them?"
Barvish agreed and asked for details.
"Well, I can use [Earth Wall] to fill the ruts, turn it into mud, then dry it before laying the cobblestones."
Cain casually suggested something impressive and started working without waiting for Barvish's reply.
"Everyone, let's begin. [Earth Wall] x2."
When Cain cast [Earth Wall], two soil walls, 50 cm high and 30 cm wide, rose along the ruts. After that, he cast [Mud] to turn them into mud, then [Dry] to harden it. This took about a minute, leaving onlookers amazed.
"Alright! Ready! Let's do the real thing!"
With Cain's shout, children appeared out of nowhere, chanting spells in sync with him. On his cue of "Set!", they all cast [Stone] together.
Cain placed his hands on the ground, which began to glow. The street lit up, and the cobblestones spread like dominoes, transforming the road. When the glow faded, the cobblestone work was complete, and cheers erupted from the crowd. They repeated this process 4 more times to finish North 3rd Street.
Cain and his group then moved to a diner on East Street for their next task. The place had a commoner's vibe, but Doughton promised the food was excellent. Cain, who didn't care about the restaurant's appearance as long as the food was good, was quite excited.
"Mr. Doughton, what do you recommend here?"
Cain asked eagerly the moment he sat down.
"The meat stew is amazing. I come here once a week just for it!"
Doughton replied loudly, then called the waiter to order stew and bread for everyone.
Since the stew had been simmering, it arrived quickly. Cooked with red wine and vegetables, today's meat was wild boar. The fat was rich and tender, melting easily with a spoon.
"Delicious!" Cain and everyone exclaimed in unison before digging in. Doughton watched with a proud smile, savoring his own meal slowly.
Cain thought, "A good lunch really boosts your energy for the afternoon's work," and enjoyed the stew enthusiastically.
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