Chapter 64: Let's Build a Bridge

While we were discussing the status of road maintenance at the workshop, Carpenter seemed to suddenly remember something and spoke about a settlement that was struggling because of a valley. “It’s not along a main highway, so it’s not really a road construction issue, but there is a valley on the outskirts of Northernford that you have to detour around to pass. To get to the other side of the valley, you have to take a long way around, and the people in the nearby settlement seemed to be having a hard time.”

“Is that so? Whereabouts is it?” Oliver pointed to the map on the table and said, “Right around here.” “That’s not too far from here. I hope we can do something for them. I’ll go take a look when I have some time.”

“In that case, I will get permission from His Excellency the Margrave to build a bridge if necessary.” “As you say, Oliver, Father’s permission is necessary. Can I ask you to handle the explanation?” Although I’ve been made the representative of the workshop and allowed to do mostly as I please, I can’t just go around doing construction work within the territory without permission.

A few days later, I had about half a day free, so I went to the site with Theo. Seeing it in person, the valley certainly made getting to the highway difficult. It wasn’t that deep of a valley, but since a river flowed at the bottom, it looked impossible to cross on foot.

“This certainly looks inconvenient. To go back and forth to the opposite bank, one has to go quite far upstream.” Ophelia, who had come along as an escort, is fast on her feet and has good eyesight, so she seemed to have gone to check the state of the upstream area in the blink of an eye.

Alright, let’s build a bridge here. My magic capacity has increased again lately, so I think I can use my Production Skill to span a bridge that reaches the other side.

We went to the workshop to fetch timber. Theo stored half of it to help conserve the magic I would need for bridge-building. “I’m at my limit with just this, but Master has so much to spare. I still lack training.”

Storage Magic capacity is proportional to one’s magic power. My magic amount was large to begin with, and since being—certified?—by the World Tree as the Savior, it has increased further, reaching a slightly absurd amount now.

However, looking at the workshop staff around us, they were dumbfounded by Theo storing things one after another, so I think Theo has also stepped into a realm beyond that of a normal human.

When we returned to the site, residents from the nearby area had gathered, though I don’t know where the word had spread from. “Isn’t that Lord William, the Lord’s second son?” “Wow, he’s storing a huge amount of timber. The capacity of the kid next to him is amazing too.”

“I wonder what he’s going to make with that timber. Is he building a fort?” “No, it’s not the border, so we don’t need a fort.” I could hear various voices, but I decided to tune them out and concentrate.

I visualized a wooden bridge that could cross to the opposite bank. I wanted it supported by thick girders, with timber bracing it diagonally from both banks. I wanted to build a sturdy bridge that would be safe to cross while pulling a cart, one that could withstand wind and rain, and that many people could cross with peace of mind.

As I solidified the image and activated the Production Skill, I felt a large chunk of magic being drained from deep within my body, and a magic circle appeared. When the warm light faded, a magnificent bridge stood there.

“Oh, it’s a bridge!” “Such a magnificent thing in the blink of an eye. It’s a miracle.” “Long live Lord William!” The residents watching around us erupted in excitement.

An old man stepped forward from among the residents. “I am the village head of this area. Thank you very much, Lord William, for building such a magnificent bridge for us.” “I am happy if this bridge proves useful to everyone in the village.”

“Useful doesn’t even begin to cover it. To buy or sell anything in the nearby town, this village had to detour around the valley. Even crossing the shallows upstream was difficult with large loads.”

I see, so it has been difficult until now. “From now on, the town is just a short way across this bridge, and you should be able to cross with large loads as well. I really don’t know how to thank you.”

The village head’s eyes were moist with tears. Sent off by the cheers of the villagers, we returned to Northernford. It makes me happy that my Production Skill can improve the lives of the people in the territory.

Later, when I reported to Father, he seemed half-impressed and half-exasperated, saying, “So you can even build bridges now. Normal construction takes both time and manpower, you know.” However, it seemed there were several places within the territory where he wanted bridges built.

“There are actually quite a few places where it would be helpful to have a bridge.” “Fufu, if we are to build bridges here and there, allow me to discuss the matter of remuneration.” Oliver, please go easy on Father.

Then, along with the report, I explained a few Pomte recipes to Father and asked him to pass them on to the Duke of Sheffield’s family in the north. Previously, we decided to sell Pomte in response to the request of the Duke’s son, Luke, but since there is no custom of eating potatoes in the Albion Kingdom, I was worried the people might be hesitant.

So, we created simple recipes: Fried Pomte, Pomte Salad, and Pomte Butter. Though I say “we,” I didn’t make them myself; Baker, who runs the workshop’s cafe, created the recipes for me.

Baker is one of the staff members Oliver recruited from the Levant Company. Incidentally, his family apparently runs a bakery. Someone’s naming sense is quite simple. Even with my vague explanations based on memories from my previous life, Baker created solid recipes. He is an excellent staff member.