Steel and Mana

Chapter 5 – Touring

The following days, I did nothing else but walk up and down in the town. Most people were already familiar with my face, deeming me a weirdo as I drew a street map in my notebook, muttering to myself. I spent two weeks doing it, recording all the details and amazing Oleg with my cityscape drawings. He said I could easily be a painter as my pencil sketches looked like he was staring at reality itself. I think he was simply trying to butter up to me… I don't think they are THAT good… but it felt nice being appreciated. I like compliments as I am a simple man. Somehow, I always missed it in my previous life... I got nothing from home and life, not until I got older, and then… when I did? I was dead the next day… Oh well! There is no point in wallowing in it; instead, I should wallow because this is a complete mess!

"Not good…" I moaned, sitting with Oleg in my room on the tavern's second floor, looking at the torn-out pages, forming a detailed map of the whole town.

"I think it looks terrific, Young Lord! It is more detailed than what we have at the castle!"

"No, I am talking about how this city was built!" I pointed at the snaking streets, their criss-crossing form, and how it was more like a labyrinth than a city. "It is a MESS! No symmetry and no elegance! It was built haphazardly, attaching new roads, houses, and buildings to each other, wherever you felt like it!"

"But… It's normal, Young Lord… This how cities are made."

"Then we will change it! Start from zero!"

"You can't just destroy a city! That would lead to an uprising, Young Lord! Not to mention, the Empire would take it as an attack on itself! All this is the property of the ruling Emperor or Empress, even if it's under your control, Young Lord! Think about it!" Oleg exclaimed, going into a panic. 

"Relax, my Truck-sized Friend!"

"Truck what?" He asked, blinking his eyes rapidly, not getting it.

"No matter! I am not demolishing the city! I will build a new one! My own!" I laughed loudly, throwing off the papers from the desk and laying out different ones, a whole set of them, showing a perfectly designed city. 

By my calculations, this new one could house at least 50,000 people. It should be enough for the whole region! I already designed it to be perfectly sensible and symmetric to look at! In the middle would be the Royal Sector, of course! I am everything but a saint… I need my own place. So, I totally stole the idea of the Forbidden City's plans and laid it out to be my next home. It should give enough space to live comfortably. Next, I designed it so that the homes of my future, most trusted partners would be around it, surrounding me! I need to recruit people I can rely on… I wouldn't be able to do everything alone. I need some excellent brains to help me govern this shithole- khm, region. Yes. The shitting problem will be solved too!

"My Lord?" Oleg asked, seeing me grinning and giggling like an idiot.

"Nothing…" I shook my head, running my finger along the sewer system drawn on my plans. 

I will make a city so clean you can lick the ground and not get sick! I also designed it to have trees and a lot of green planted while building! I want colors, beautiful trees blooming in the spring, and the smell of flowers when you walk down the main street! It will be the desired holy place for anyone in this sorry world! Hah! On the outer skirts should be the rest of the housing for the people, shops, markets, whatever I need to run the city! I was expecting it to be booming and blooming every day! I want it to be the heart of the region where people come to visit and spend their money! 

"Money…" I whispered my biggest opponent right now. 

I don't even know if the locals have enough to afford anything. Haaah… So, I will need to ensure we get the ball rolling; if I can push it down the hill, it will snowball. I think. I'm not really a finance guru... But even I know we will need to step up our industrial sector for that to happen. Which will be at a different place; I don't want to pollute my future home! It was the thought that led me to my next goal: the mountains.

Recollecting my plans, I asked Oleg to lay down the map of the surrounding mountains, especially where the stone came for the building of the pantheon. I will visit that next and see what I can do with it. I won't build from wood that can rot away and be burnt down by an invading force or monsters… Everything will be sturdy and heavy of stone to withstand the ages, nature, and… magic! I need to make sure we are magic-proof! As to how? Well… I will come up with something, or I will rename myself to Lulu! 

…

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……

Traveling to the mountains was much harder than I thought it would be. The footpath was overgrown, and we had to track through a challenging, uneven terrain while getting closer to the old site where the church mined the rocks for its purposes. It took us four days of literal marching, watching the mountainous horizon getting bigger and bigger. It was a sight to behold for sure, seeing the snowcapped tips getting closer and more prominent day by day. I was loving it! The air was so clean and fresh; with one deep breath, I was rejuvenated at once.

"Young Lord, we will need to get a bit more alert now!" Oleg said, constantly surveying our surroundings as we were heading into the pine forest surrounding the basin of the mountains. His giant hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, making me furrow my brows.

"Are there… bandits here?" 

"You can never know!" He replied, walking in front of me. "There are some old logging sites around here, but they have been abandoned for decades now! We switched to a different location to let the forest regenerate. There are always low lives around places like this… no matter what you do, some people choose to be evil! When you can take others' property, why work hard?"

"True." I tilted my head, finding no fault in his words.

"And people like them don't do well in society, so they are drawn to places like this. Like rats! Living in others' hopes and dreams!"

"You can be surprisingly deep, Oleg!" I laughed, pointing a thumbs up toward his back.

"Thank you, Young Lord!" He laughed sheepishly, "I try to read a lot! It is a privilege to be able to read, a gift bestowed upon us soldiers by your Esteemed Father!"

"Wait… you don't learn reading?" I asked, surprised, almost tripping up myself. 

"Not really." He looked at me over his shoulder. "The average citizen gets to learn a little, but most can only write their own names and read short, simple notices. Anything complicated, long, or filled with flowery words is going to be lost to them!"

"No fucking way…" I groaned, rubbing my temples with two hands. "Then I will need public education, too? Shiiiiiit… Another problem… Okay, okay, I will deal with that too! Fuck."

"Young Lord… you want to teach the people?" He asked, stopping, looking stunned.

"Of course!" I shrugged, opening my arms wide, "What should I do with a bunch of illiterate people? How would I be able to trust anything they do?! Should I do everything by myself?! I am not a mule! I need qualified people who can think for themselves, and I can delegate the tasks so I can focus on the big picture! Let my subordinates micro-manage it; I will do the macro side of it!"

"What are… micro? And macro, Young Lord?" He asked, scratching his head, looking lost. 

"No matter! The thing is, Oleg, reading and knowing numbers is something essential! I will need all of my subjects to be capable of doing it!"

"Everyone?"

"EVERYONE!" I quoted a famous line, proud of myself… but I also knew he didn't understand it. But he still wiped his eyes of tears.

"How benevolent! My Lord, you are a truly good person!"

"Eh… Am I? Er… well… if you say it… um… sure, I guess?"

"Yes, You- Young Lord!" He shouted and lunged at me.

I didn't know what was happening, but when I was on the ground, shielded by his big body, I noticed the arrow landing close to us. It would have missed me, shooting at my feet instead. Honestly, it looked like a warning shot, if anything, but I was still touched by his quick reaction and going so far in protecting me. But… I was not a fan of being squashed by a big, muscular guy lying on me. Why couldn't he be a beauty? Haah… Well, at least I know that I can keep my mind clear and calm even in danger.

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