Dalmesia led the two to the prepared room. Since Laura wished to share a room with her sister Rula, they decided to make it a double room. Dalmesia had already instructed the maids to purchase clothes for the two. Cain smiled, thinking, "As expected of an excellent butler."
In the study, Cain, now alone, began to go through the documents that needed his approval. He was surprised by Rula's unexpected confession earlier, but he hoped that she and her brother Alek would work hard for Drintor. However, since Rula was treated as a slave, it could cause problems for future internal affairs. Cain intended to free her from slavery as soon as possible.
Slaves generally had a slave magic seal on their necks, which had to be visible at all times. As Cain continued to process the documents, Alek, Dalmesia, Rula, and Laura entered the study. Cain sat on the central sofa, with Alek beside him, and gestured for Rula and Laura to sit opposite them. Dalmesia was preparing tea in the corner of the room.
"Alek, I've decided to have the two of them live in this mansion. Rula will assist you as an internal affairs officer. Laura will work as a maid in this mansion, and I'll leave her in Dalmesia's care."
"Rula, it's a pleasure to meet you, Alek-sama."
"Laura, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The two stood up and bowed to Alek.
"I'm Alek von Silford. I am Cain's older brother, but as the second son, you don't need to be too formal. I look forward to working with both of you."
After the introductions, Dalmesia served tea to everyone in turn.
"First, I intend to free the two from slavery. Rula will be assisting Alek, so it would be problematic if she remained a slave. I will free her and have her employed by the Silford family. Rula has knowledge of architecture, so I believe she will be a great help to Alek."
Alek nodded in agreement. Cain then stood behind the sofa where Rula and Laura were sitting.
"Could you stay still for a moment?"
Cain placed his hand on Rula's neck.
"Slave Liberation"
As Cain chanted, the slave seal on Rula's neck disappeared as if it had never been there.
"Wh-what!"
The slave seal was a proprietary magic of slave traders, known only to registered merchant guilds. It was no wonder Alek was surprised when Cain used the slave liberation magic.
"As expected. Next, I'll free Laura."
Cain freed Laura in the same manner. Although Cain had never tried it before, he knew it worked on the same principle as removing a curse. The two sisters, seeing their slave seals disappear, hugged each other and cried tears of joy. They had lived as slaves for years, and it must have been difficult. When Cain first met them, they were missing limbs and had a resigned look on their faces.
The two stood up and bowed to Cain.
"Thank you, Cain-sama, for freeing us from slavery. We will serve you faithfully from now on."
"Thank you, Cain-sama. I will work hard. Thank you."
Cain nodded at their words.
"Indeed, as Magna the Chancellor said, you are 'out of the ordinary.'"
Alek sighed and took a sip of tea. Dalmesia, standing in the corner, smiled slightly as she watched the two.
---
Cain and the others rode in a carriage through the streets of Drintor. Dalmesia drove the carriage, and inside were Cain, Alek, and Rula. Laura was left with the other maids as a maid-in-training.
Drintor had a population of only three thousand, with about a thousand being citizens. The rest were adventurers, earning it the nickname "Adventurer's Town." The area near the West Gate, which faced the forest and dungeons, was filled with inns, weapon shops, and equipment stores for adventurers. Of course, taverns and brothels were also concentrated in this area.
The carriage headed toward the West Gate.
"It really feels like a town built for adventurers," Rula murmured, looking out the window.
"Yes, that's right. However, if you go to the back alleys south of the West Gate, you'll find a slum. It's where injured adventurers who have retired and orphans gather. There used to be a dark guild, but we've shut it down, so it should be more peaceful now. I want to improve this area."
Cain told Rula as he looked out the window. The carriage reached the West Gate and began to move south along the outer wall. Unlike the main street, the area was lined with dilapidated buildings, and people who looked like homeless individuals and orphans gathered there.
"…It really is a slum."
Rula replied with a sad expression. It was rare for a noble's carriage to enter the slum. The orphans were talking about the luxurious carriage. The carriage continued south toward the South Gate.
Cain and Alek planned to expand the town by widening the outer wall. They wanted to expand the area where the citizens lived and build a school and an orphanage. By educating the orphans, they hoped to provide them with various opportunities for the future.
Alek's words resonated with Cain. The three of them toured the town in the carriage and returned to the lord's residence. In the study, they discussed plans for Drintor's future.
"Indeed, as it stands, there's no space to build new buildings. If we demolish the slum, the residents will overflow. I think expanding the outer wall is the best option. By building housing, an orphanage, and a school, we can relocate the slum residents and then redevelop the area."
Cain and Alek nodded at Rula's straightforward opinion.
"Alright, let's start expanding the outer wall tomorrow."
Cain's words surprised the two. Expanding the outer wall was not a simple task; it required money, people, and materials.
"It's not that simple…"
Rula murmured, but Alek gestured for her to stop.
"Knowing Cain, he must have something in mind. Let's look forward to tomorrow."
Alek smiled at Rula, who understood and nodded.
"Rula, can you design the buildings we plan to construct? I think I can create simple tools. It would be pointless to create space without building anything."
"Understood. I'll need writing materials and paper. A ruler would also be helpful…"
"Sure, I'll prepare them right away."
"Ruler?"
Alek tilted his head at the unfamiliar word, but Cain, unable to explain, moved on with the conversation. In his previous life, he had taken technical classes and had experience with basic drafting, so he could visualize it. While a computer and CAD software would have been ideal, he could easily create the necessary tools for hand-drawing.
Over lunch, they continued discussing internal affairs. Cain had already created the necessary drafting tools and given them to Rula. When he handed her the set, she said, "These are quite basic tools," with a wry smile, but given his limited experience from his previous life, it was understandable.
Cain gave Rula a room to work in and set up a drafting table. She eagerly took the tools and retreated to her room. Cain and Alek chuckled and returned to the study. They had already communicated the designs they wanted to Rula, and now they just needed to see the completed blueprints.
"It seems we're making progress, albeit slowly."
Cain's words were met with a nod from Alek.
---
The next morning, the citizens had already been informed to stay away from the outer wall area. They were puzzled but nodded at the lord's request.
Cain's carriage stopped just outside the West Gate. A road extended a few kilometers into the forest, not well-maintained but naturally formed by the frequent passage of carriages carrying monster materials.
"Here should be fine."
Cain and the others were about two kilometers from the gate, heading into the forest.
"If we build the outer wall here, it will provide enough space."
Rula agreed.
"Stay back a bit, it might be dangerous."
Cain confirmed that Alek and Rula had moved away to the carriage before placing his hands on the ground and channeling magic. He visualized the design in his mind.
"I've heard that there used to be monster invasions, so a certain height would be good. And a moat on the outside. It should be fine if we can channel water into it."
"Creation Magic: Earth Creation"
As Cain chanted, the earth began to rise, forming a wall hundreds of meters long and about ten meters high.
"Creation Magic: Hardening Maintenance"
The earth wall gradually hardened, becoming like a stone wall. Cain, satisfied with the result, wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned around.
"How does this look?"
Alek and Rula were standing with their mouths agape, stunned.
"…I didn't expect it to be this much…"
"…Cheating, isn't it?"
Cain's extraordinary magic left them speechless. Dalmesia, tending to the horses, smiled.
They then moved the carriage to the new wall and continued the same magic, building the wall around the town. By evening, they had completed a ten-meter-high wall surrounding Drintor. This was not something a regular mage could do. Before his training in Fabenir, Cain would have run out of magic and collapsed. But now, as a demigod, he could accomplish such feats.
Cain used magic to create a moat five meters deep outside the wall and filled it with water. Finally, he built a bridge.
"This should do for now."
Cain looked satisfied, but Alek and Rula, who had watched his magic all day, were already resigned and had nothing to say. They returned to the lord's residence in the carriage.
---
Merchants from the capital and other towns were shocked by the new wall.
"A castle in a night."
The merchants, seeing the wall, said in unison. Of course, Drintor was a two-day carriage ride from the capital, so it didn't take long for the news to reach the royal castle.
---
Thank you for reading. I've been revisiting my early work, and I must say, it's quite embarrassing. Writing and revising is quite challenging. I often find myself slipping into first person when I intend to write in third person. I'm still not consistent, but I'm learning by reading other works when I have time. I wonder when I'll be able to write well. (^_^;)