Chapter 55

"Hmm, it's not stone pavement anymore..."

I successfully created a new spell called [Hardened Brick Generation]. The bricks produced by this spell are much harder than before. Moreover, I can create them from soil alone, without needing materials like the tusks of a giant boar or the horns of a Valkyrie.

I was considering how to apply these hardened bricks to other things. First, I decided to use them in the [Road Laying] spell, which I had not yet completed.

Previously, I had thought about making a Roman-style stone-paved road as I continued to build roads. To improve drainage, the ground is dug out, and large and small stones, clay, and gravel are laid down. Then, heavy stones are placed in a gentle arch to create a road that can be used for a long time. I considered using hardened bricks for the top layer of these stones.

I planned to make the road about 6 meters wide, with slightly raised sidewalks on both sides. This way, wagons pulled by Valkyries could pass through the middle of the road, and pedestrians could walk safely on the sidewalks. However, when I tried to create it with magic, the result was not what I had imagined. The reason was simple: the top layer was made of hardened bricks.

Beautiful, marble-like hardened bricks, all of the same size, were neatly laid out. It looked like a continuous slab of rock. There were no bumps or irregularities, which I thought a stone-paved road should have. This would certainly reduce vibrations when riding in a carriage.

"Well, it's different from what I imagined, but it's much better than a bumpy road."

Although it was different from what I had in mind, I didn't intend to perfectly recreate Roman roads. I thought it would be useful enough, so I used the [Memory Storage] spell to input the completed road and made it a spell so I could create it reflexively.

* * *

"Lord Ars, the new construction you requested is complete. Please take a look."

By the time I had finished creating the hardened bricks and completing the [Road Laying] spell, Gran had come to inform me that the building I had commissioned was complete. Gran had counted the total number of bricks I had prepared and drawn plans multiple times to figure out how to build a large building without waste.

"I see. You increased the number of windows to save on materials?"

"That's right. I saw some glass covered in dust in the warehouse. When I asked Lord Kyle, he said it was glass that Lord Ars had made but couldn't sell. That gave me an idea."

The building Gran created was different from the buildings in the city that had few windows. Almost every room had large windows, and the glass I had made was installed.

I remember hearing about this in my previous life. When building with stone, using an arch can reduce the amount of materials needed. A common example is a bridge over a river. First, a wooden frame is built at the intended location of the bridge. The wooden frame is shaped into an arch, and stones are placed along the arch. Once the stones are placed from both sides, a keystone is inserted at the top of the arch. This keystone allows the bridge to remain strong and support the weight of people and objects passing over it, even after the wooden frame is removed. The benefit of arch construction is that it reduces the amount of materials needed and increases the strength of the structure.

This technique of using arches to reduce materials and increase strength is not limited to bridges. Gran used this technique extensively in the building he created. In my mind, doors, windows, and other openings are typically rectangular. But what if the top of the door or window is a semicircle, forming an arch? By making all the openings in the walls arch-shaped, Gran successfully reduced the amount of building materials and increased the strength of the structure.

"Amazing. The previous building was an inn, but this one feels much larger. The many windows also give it a much more open feel. This is really great."

"It seems you like it, Lord Ars."

"It's the best. Thank you, Gran. I'll pay whatever you ask for as a reward."

"That's very generous. In that case, could I have the right to build a house here?"

"A house? Here?"

"Yes. Although I am a traveler, I would like a place to live without worry. I thought that if I lived near Lord Ars, I might see more interesting things, so I would like to request this."

What should I do? Actually, since I surrounded the land with a wall, a few people have asked to live inside. However, I haven't allowed it yet because I consider it primarily a living space for the Valkyries.

But if Gran wants to live here, I might allow it. It's not often you meet someone who can create so many things. Thus, Gran became the first person to own a house on my land.

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