The night settled outside the house, with only a faint red glow left from the furnace.
Louis sat at the desk, flipping through the thick workshop daily report and labor list.
Now that two-thirds of the mountain road has been repaired, the transportation line is open, and soon most of the laborers will be idle. We can put these people to use.
"Once the mountain road is completed, we can use this manpower for other tasks, and if such a large group of people is jobless, it will cause problems."
Louis took out a new parchnt, pressed it flat on the table, and paused with the ink pen between his fingers before he began to write.
The clean draft gradually took shape on the paper, showing the circular fortress outer wall, the positions of the four towers, facing the main street and square.
These are images he has been envisioning in his mind for a long ti.
A gentle sound ca from the doorway, and Louis turned to look.
Emily leaned against the door fra, draped in a pale blue thin robe, loosely tied at the waist.
Her blue hair was simply tied at the nape, with a few strands hanging near her neck, gently swaying in the furnace light.
She did not enter, just leaned against the door, one long leg naturally crossed over the other, her expression carrying a gentle fatigue.
"What are you drawing?" Emily asked, her voice curious but kept low, not wanting to wake the child in the cradle.
Louis turned back to continue drawing, "The design plans for the new castle."
He added another stroke, marking the height of the furnace tower on the south side, "The mountain road of Red Tide Territory is almost done. A large number of artisans and laborers will be free, and you can’t leave them idle; they have to do sothing."
Emily slled, intrigued, and hurried a few steps closer, leaning over to look at the paper, where the outline of a surrounding fortress was already visible.
She opened her mouth slightly, letting out a small yawn, "Introduce ."
As he continued to sketch, Louis introduced to Emily, "The main tower is set on the western highlands, overlooking the entire city. The furnace tower is near the geothermal belt, used for heating, with walls enclosing all sides, leaving a road to Fierce Tide Square."
He spoke slowly, like he was deliberating each position in his mind.
Emily, listening while looking at the design, saw the candlelight reflecting on her face.
The lines on the design were tidy and concise, with just a few strokes creating a grand and magnificent castle, resembling this familiar person, who seldom talks but always delivers his best.
Emily chuckled softly, walking around behind him, leaning in to look at the paper, "You draw so well, I always feel like you know everything."
Her breath was so close, almost touching his shoulder.
Louis only raised an eyebrow slightly, "There are plenty of things I don’t know. It’s only that I thought of doing them before others."
Emily said nothing more, her fingers gently smoothing the wrinkles on Louis’s outer garnt on his shoulder.
Louis noticed how close she was.
The warmth of the furnace mixed with her breath, carrying a faint floral scent.
He did not turn around, just said softly, "I’m currently drawing the communication tower..."
Emily responded softly, but her gaze was no longer on the drawing.
She reached out, straightening the askew pen holder beside him, her fingertips pausing briefly on the back of his hand.
"It’s too late, you need to rest." She said softly.
Louis raised his eyes, eting Emily’s, neither speaking.
He reached out to extinguish the candle wick, leaving only dimness in the room.
The sound of snow lingered outside the window, and the room was silent, with only intermittent humming.
......
Morning light seeped through the thick curtains, spilling into the ssy room.
Mike opened his eyes, first seeing the large beam across the ceiling.
The room was large but chaotic like a construction site.
Wooden boxes piled up to half-wall height, papers scattered on the table with unfinished ale, and even tools brought back from the workshop were stashed in the corners.
On the other side of the bed, the old wife was still curled up, murmuring half-dreamingly, "You’ve just been back two days, and you’re working again?"
Mike sat up, putting on the jacket dusted with sawdust, "Lord Louis asked , said there’s business."
The old wife sighed, pulling the blanket over her head, "You see Lord Louis more often than you do ."
Mike chuckled, not replying, casually grabbing a few pieces of leftover bread from last night and sipping so cold tea.
The taste wasn’t great, but he was used to it, especially when even a piece of bread is a luxury in other parts of the Northern Territory.
As he stepped out the door, the sky was not fully lit, and cold wind imdiately blew into his collar.
Mike tightened his cloak, ducking into the waiting carriage at the door, "Directly to the administrative building, please."
The driver imdiately whipped, the wheels clattering crisply over the cobblestone road.
For the convenience of work, Mike’s house was close to the Artisan District.
The streetlights were still sparse, but smoke pillars were already rising from the distant Forging District, carrying the sll of coal.
The main street of Red Tide was gradually becoming lively, with many apprentices and artisans recognizing him and stopping their actions to wave at the carriage window:
"Good morning, Lord Mike!"
"Is everything steady over at the port?"
Mike lifted the curtain, nodding his response to them.
The carriage’s heat was insufficient, but sohow he felt a long-lost sense of calm.
At Dawn Port, he had been busy for months, but now everything has stabilized, responsibilities handed over to Russell, and his old bones were no longer needed there.
These years, Mike had watched Red Tide Territory transform from wasteland to roads, bridges, and city walls.
Reflecting on his participation in all of this, a stirs of warmth welled up inside him.
Five years ago, he was an old craftsman abandoned by Frost Halberd City’s old guild, but now he was the chief engineer of Red Tide.
"Lord’s kindness is certainly not just for show." He muttered to himself, with a smile sticking at the corner of his mouth.
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