47 — 5 (7)

Even so, it was true that Hector felt something new here.

“No, I mean it. My hometown is comfortable, yes—but I truly felt a new emotion in this place.”

‘A new feeling…’

Louis could more or less grasp what Hector wanted. After all, unless one had considerable passion, one wouldn’t call in fellow craftsmen to work.

“I’ll be blunt—would you come work under me?”

Hector’s expression grew subtly uncomfortable.

Naturally, because of the guild and his family, he could not.

“I’m sorry, but it would be impossible. I appreciate the offer.”

‘As expected, a refusal.’

Louis spoke on immediately.

“Then I’ll have to entrust the next construction to someone else.”

He deliberately let the words hang and looked aside, then slid the papers forward—sign here. In Louis’s view, the value Hector cherished most was construction itself: the desire to leave finer buildings to the next century, the dream of an architect…

But people rarely accept when offered too hastily, so Louis spoke as if there were a next project. Naturally, Hector was sensitive to that remark.

“………………”

“Well then? Sign here. Once you do, the subcontract is over. Contract complete, and you can return home.”

Seeing Hector’s reaction, Louis knew the tactic was working, and pressed the matter the moment he realized it.

“Is there… a next project?”

“There may be, or may not. I’m only thinking.”

Only the sound of Louis stamping documents echoed in the office. Hector felt stifled. He wanted a clear answer, but Louis gave none.

‘Could the next project be something like the Library?’

He could just sign and leave—but if what Louis meant matched what Hector was imagining…

His hand, moving to sign, stopped. Hector had to ask the follow-up.

“If… my guess is right, would you entrust the work to me again?”

“Sorry, but from next time on I plan to handle it with my own people.”

That settled it. Hector judged that Louis had other ideas—ones not yet revealed to the world.

Even while feeling inferior to Louis’s talent for designing masterpieces at will, Hector’s heart swelled with a desire to join in. He knew his own ability best: he could make good buildings, yes—but he lacked both the chance and the skill to erect something that would endure for a century.

“May I ask directly?”

“By all means.”

“Can you design another structure on the level of the Library?”

‘He’s taken the bait.’

Louis smiled. Hector seemed to think it was truly what Louis had in mind—and Louis found it convenient to let it be framed that way.

He couldn’t raise a Wonder immediately, but once Points and Science accumulated, it would be entirely possible.

“I have ideas. Not right away, but once finances are secured, I’m thinking of trying several things. Of course, with my own people. In that case, the next site supervisor will likely be Ain.”

‘So that’s why he had me teach Ain…’

Hector concluded that Louis was a genius of architecture. But, true to his nature as a ruler accustomed to directing rather than doing, Louis had little interest in building with his own hands and needed people to act as his limbs.

In that case, this moment… was a great crossroads for Hector.

If he went home now, he could live a comfortable life as a senior guild officer with decent repute, buy a few slaves, and enjoy stability.

If he accepted Louis’s offer, he would automatically leave the guild, likely never return to his hometown, and—because of unknown risks—might have to flee by night with family and a few disciples.

“……I’ll do it.”

After careful thought, Hector stated he would accept Louis’s offer.

‘It worked.’

Louis needed Hector now. Many buildings needed repair, and many had to be raised anew. With only six novices who had barely learned the basics, it would be hard to push anything forward quickly.

Since Hector belonged to a guild, Louis had estimated the chance of a final refusal at around fifty percent.

“I don’t follow.”

“I’ll do it. I accept the Consul’s offer.”

“Your mind changed.”

“……Huh? No—please hire me. I want to build many artistic structures from now on. I’m begging you.”

Louis laughed—just a light laugh.

Hector, bewildered, watched Louis rise, come over, and offer his hand.

“I’m joking. I need you now, Hector. If you need anything, tell me. I’ll provide ample help when you relocate here.”

A vast grassland spread before Louis. It lay three tiles from Proia—originally outside Proia’s control, but thanks to population growth and Louis’s monster purges, it had become usable land.

It was still undeveloped, with very high potential value.

‘Land suited to either agriculture or animal husbandry.’

Burn the grasses and use it for farming, and it would produce excellent wheat; or use the grasses as-is for livestock.

Unfortunately, within Louis’s current domain there were no animals of any kind—no horses, no cattle. Horses and cattle had supreme value to humans, so they were expensive and heavily guarded.

‘With 13.5 billion, I can buy horses or cattle.’

Choosing cattle would also lead to food reproduction, and the raise-and-sell model was practically industry. In other words, supply Proia and sell large quantities outside.

Horses could be viewed similarly, but they never counted toward a city’s food. Horses were a military resource, used to make cavalry.

Behind Louis, who surveyed the wide land, the three thousand soldiers accompanying him pitched camp.

They were soldiers—and soldiers with construction experience. Louis had brought them to cleanse the area completely.

“Reporting: we eliminated the few nearby orcs.”

Orcs and goblins swarmed this world like mosquitoes. Land not thoroughly handled had to be secured this firmly, or later, when laborers were put in, casualties would occur.

What had plagued Proia on a large scale had been those dwelling in the wetlands; but since Louis had wiped them out completely, the creatures on the grasslands were newborn orcs, so to speak.

Because orcs and goblins reproduced asexually—sprouting like mushrooms from spores that gnawed at the world—even if one swept them once, they resurfaced again, disturbingly fast.

‘So the difference ultimately comes down to food versus military.’

Louis recalled the Civilization System’s new options spawned by the Library. The system now delivered Science each turn—generated by the Library and the mages who dwelt there.

Once Science reached a threshold, he could open Technologies, much like unlocking Traits.

Technologies were things like this: take agriculture—so self-evident to humanity that a ruler like Louis, given land suitable for wheat, could send in farmers at once and get results.

Likewise in the Civilization System, technology meant a universal list applied to humankind.

This was also why Louis outsourced and purchased goods. Even with resources, without the technology to process them, the only way to use them was to sell them.

But once he amassed enough Science and broke through to a Technology, the system displayed the fundamentals of that field at a glance.

Points were still required, and Technology was additionally gated by Science.

‘Good thing I built the Library Wonder.’

Had Science not begun flowing in, he might have drifted on, unaware this function even existed.

The technologies on Louis’s mind now were Animal Husbandry and Mining.

Frankly, lacking proper experts, they hadn’t been able to check properly whether the lands near the city held resources like iron or bronze.

Of course, the basics had been done since his forefathers, and the city had developed accordingly, but nothing checked things as concretely as the Civilization System.

Even so, in the present situation, the more important choice than Mining was which livestock to pursue.

‘Horses would be best.’

On this grass-choked steppe, there were two usable resources—horses led directly to cavalry.

To field cavalry, one needed horsemanship. Someone would have to teach it—his two brothers would not, and even if they did, the price would be steep.

Animal Husbandry required 5 Science and about 500 Points. With 1,600 Points free, he was fine.

Before Louis’s eyes, knowledge related to ranches unfolded.

Not rule-of-thumb, but basic, efficient blueprints and operating methods for pastures appeared.

All Louis had to do now was learn from the system and teach his subordinates; then the ranches would run.

‘I’ll have to go buy horses.’

Among Duke Remitri’s domains, only his eldest brother possessed a tile that produced horses.

He surely would not want to sell even a little, but with skillful bargaining Louis might obtain some; in addition, he planned to buy what was lacking from the lands of Marquis Gangpireu.

Marquis Gangpireu was a faction within the Duchy of Eron that, from beside Duke Remitri, sought every chance to expand his territory. He would not sell much either, but rumor had it he needed money lately.

The rest, Louis would have to learn by going in person.