Volume 4 Chapter 22 Let's Build A Bridge II
By the time Cain finished surveying the far bank, noise broke out near the guard post on Bridge Village's side. Cain and his group looked over. Through the crowd, they spotted Will's box wagon.
"Looks like Sir Will has arrived, Sir Cain."
Gardy said. He stood tall, using his height to check.
"Thanks, Gardy. I guess we should go back. This side didn't have any strange layers or odd terrain anyway."
Barvish and Gardy replied together, "Understood," and began preparing to leave. It wasn't much—just folding the mat Cain had used during his [Earth Sonar] spell. Then, they waited their turn and crossed the bridge, heading for Will's tent.
"Sir Cain, good morning. Sir Will is waiting inside."
Will's butler greeted them.
"Thanks." Cain followed him inside.
A large table stood at the center of the tent. Will was there, explaining the day's plan to the captain using a model Cain had made.
"Good morning, Uncle Will. Did you get to rest early last night?"
"Ah, good morning, Cain. Thanks to your [Heal], I finished all my work in the wagon. So after dinner, I didn't need to do anything. I could finally relax."
Will smiled. He looked less tired than yesterday.
"I'm glad. Let's finish the bridge work quickly so we can enjoy some time in Bridge Village."
Cain smiled. Will returned the smile with a nod. Just then, Doughton from the Maintenance Bureau entered with several others. Cain took a seat as the meeting was about to begin.
After everyone sat down, the butler declared the meeting open. Most of the points were already discussed before leaving Margrave Shield's capital. They only checked for changes.
One major change: the road closure had been moved from morning to midday. Merchants had asked to pass through early, saying mornings were too crowded.
Cain's main work hours lined up with the closure time, but when Will asked if that was a problem, Cain said it was fine—it gave him more prep time. With that, the meeting ended.
"Sir Cain."
Barvish said.
"Next is the riverbed survey. Shall we take a short break first?"
Cain was still seated, waiting as the others left the tent.
"I was thinking about that, but maybe we should check the site now. In case we find something strange, we'll need time to handle it."
He hadn't forgotten the "flag" Gardy and Barvish joked about earlier. Better safe than sorry.
"Understood."
Barvish said, nodding to Gardy. Gardy slipped out.
He came back with two soldiers. "We're ready," he said.
Cain followed them out. Near the bridge, a wooden ladder led down to the riverbed. For safety, only those with permission could enter, and soldiers had to come along.
They climbed down together. The ground was covered in smooth, round stones of all sizes. It was hard to walk at first, but one soldier suggested taking smaller steps. That made it easier.
At the site, they worked as a team, pushing stones aside to expose the sandy ground. Once the mat was laid out, Cain knelt down and began mana circulation again. It was the third time today—but it felt smoother.
"Okay, [Earth Sonar]."
He pressed both hands to the ground. Mana flowed deep into the earth. The results came quickly. Just like the banks, there were no strange layers or signs of danger. Cain let out a soft breath of relief.
"How was it, Sir Cain? All clear?"
Barvish and Gardy asked at the same time.
Cain gave a small smile. "Yeah. Everything's fine."
The two men looked visibly relieved.
Character Notes:
• Will - Margrave Shield's son, Aisha's brother, and Cain's uncle. He is playful and enjoys teasing his father. He is a fan of Cain's 'hamburg' recipe.
• Barvish - A slave dwarf with a muscular, compact physique, intended as Cain's retainer/bodyguard, brought via magical contract.
• Doughton - Project leader for the stone pavement project; practical and resourceful, knowledgeable in engineering and magic tools, serves as Cain's assistant or subordinate.
• Margrave Shield - Cain's grandfather. An elderly man, robust, with white hair.
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