Chapter 55

"Rumburg, have you met Mr. Richmond?"

"No, I haven't met him. I apologize for not being aware of his presence."

"No, no, it's impossible to know every single resident. There's no need to blame yourself."

"Mr. Rumburg, do you know Mr. Richmond? He arrived yesterday evening. It's natural that you wouldn't know."

As Rumburg bowed, my words and Bartholomew's words overlapped.

I see. As Bartholomew said, if he arrived yesterday evening, it's not surprising that Rumburg hasn't met him. When I went to the guard post, it seemed that they were taking turns, and if it was Bartholomew's turn, it would have been evening and the day would have ended.

"Bartholomew, what kind of person is Mr. Richmond?"

"Hmm, it's hard to say, but he was dressed quite oddly. From his voice, I think he's middle-aged."

"Wow, that's piqued my interest. Can you call him for me tomorrow?"

"Sure thing."

If even Bartholomew says he's odd, I wonder what kind of outfit he has. Out of curiosity, I asked him to come. No, no, since Bartholomew mentioned him, he must be someone reliable enough to entrust with security.

"Rumburg, it would be good if you knew Mr. Richmond."

"Absolutely not, I have caused a disturbance and been rude."

I tried to smooth things over, but it seems I made him even more uncomfortable. I apologize, Rumburg. I silently apologized to him and decided to move on to the next topic.

"Elie, Arle, how are the agriculture and the square?"

"The square? Every morning, the residents gather there. It's a beautiful sight!"

Elie stood up, her cheeks flushed pink, and her moist eyes spoke with strength.

She looks so entranced, it's a bit scary...

I should have only asked about agriculture. No, I didn't want to touch on it either. But Elie, Arle, and Tore put their hearts into making that weak stone statue...

So, I couldn't just dismiss it. But I'm not a deity, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me like one.

"The square is enough. I understand."

"Yes! I also attend every morning!"

Oh no, this one will keep talking if left alone. In such cases, it's best to change the topic quickly. I raised my right hand, interrupting Elie, and spoke.

"... How is the agriculture?"

"It's going well. We've dug multiple wells, so we no longer have to worry about watering. We've also started planting crops other than cassava."

"Reclaiming land is a tough job. I'm thinking of running irrigation channels through the farmland."

"Lord Joshua! You've already planned that far!"

"The city plan is as we discussed before. I want to advance the irrigation facilities as soon as possible, but once the farmland is established, it might be difficult to destroy it later."

"Understood. I will mark the planned water channel locations with lime."

"Exactly. I had a rough idea of the fields, but now we have a lot of work to do, not just in agriculture, but also in livestock and food production."

I paused and turned to Charlotte, who had been listening to our conversation intently.

"Charlotte."

"Yes, sir!"

"Have you been listening? I know it's a broad area, but I want you to oversee all matters related to food. Coordinate with Bartholomew and others for foraging and hunting. If there are any plants that we're unsure about, report to me. I want you to take charge of the entire food self-sufficiency plan."

"Yes, sir!"

Hehe, as expected of a workaholic. Even after asking her to do so much, she hasn't changed her expression at all.

However, we can't underestimate the severe shortage of personnel.

"There's more. I also want you to oversee the handicrafts. I'll provide technical support. Identify potential candidates. The range of essential items, from paper to cloth, is vast. For lamps and metal products, I have someone to entrust them to, so please coordinate with them."

"Yes, sir! I'm excited!"

Charlotte clenched her fists and her eyes sparkled.

Next, it's Elie and Arle.

"Elie, for the next two days, I want you to assist Charlotte. After that, I have other tasks for Arle and Elie."

"Understood!"

"Yes!"

Their voices overlapped.

"I will work on the planning and design of civil engineering projects and explore alternative methods since we don't have magic stones or combustion stones. For the next two days, Arle will be my guard. After that, I'll need you to take turns."

The two nodded silently.

Even inexpensive magic devices for daily use require magic stones. Fuel is combustion stones... The absence of these two is a significant issue. Although we've managed to make blacksmithing possible with the power of water wheels, the future is still uncertain.

The city's infrastructure and housing need to be addressed, but not until they are somewhat in place. What I'm particularly concerned about is sewage treatment... If we had magic stones, we could solve it with a purification magic device, but that's not an option.

A water purification system would be better with a sewage system, but it's a tricky situation. Considering the time it will take to complete the sewage system, it might be better to build the water purification system first. Until then, we'll have to manually transport sewage to the purification system.

This mansion has a purification magic device installed for drainage, so there's no immediate concern about sewage. Not to mention, it even has running water from the outside wells, powered by a magic device pump.

Creating magic devices is possible with the right materials, and there are skilled workers among the residents.

I need to borrow the power of Penguin and Sequoia to advance the development of magic stone production. Of course, I plan to build facilities considering the period before magic stones can be developed. The bridge over the Rubicon River will be the first step.

"There are many issues to address, but let's tackle them one by one. I want to take more time tomorrow. Everyone, I'm counting on you today!"

"Understood!"

Everyone responded with strong voices.

Well, let's work hard today! First, I'll check the city with Arle. After that, Penguin should be awake.