The Maritz Wetland was abandoned land. It was filled with muddy swamps, which were inhabited by unidentified living creatures. As such, erecting a building or doing farm work there was impossible. The land was useless and was good for nothing. The Maritz Wetland was treated as if it was nonexistent for generations. The Frontera barony was to its north and the Lacona viscounty was to its south. It was ignored by both lands, but nothing was surprising about that since everyone deemed it dead and barren in the first place.
But of course, those perceptions will all be a thing of the past. It will be different from now on.
Thinking that, Lloyd lifted his head. He turned around and carefully asked, "Are you alright?"
"Of course." Baron Frontera, who was following behind Lloyd, nodded.
Lloyd quickly gave a full scan of the baron with his gaze. The baron was wearing knee-high boots. The pair was made out of oiled leather, so it boasted an almost perfect waterproof function. Unfortunately, however, today was the day the pair failed to do their job properly.
"It doesn't look like you are alright. It looks like the water and mud have already gotten into your boots."
The thing was, the water level in this swampy area went above their knees. So each time the two took a step, they sunk into the water up to their thighs. Thanks to that, the inside of the baron's boots were already thoroughly soaked. Even his trousers were thoroughly ruined as well. Surprisingly, the baron turned out to be a man of tenacity.
"It's alright. I expected this to happen."
"Hmm, is that so?"
I don't think he actually did… Lloyd looked back on what had happened two hours ago.
***
Two hours ago. Lloyd went to the baron's office. He went there to discuss his plans to develop the Maritz Wetland that sat south of the barony. The reason and purpose behind the development were clear. It was to produce more food for the fiefdom. I need to feed the orc miners. And if not for that, it's always encouraging to expand the agricultural land of the fiefdom.
Agriculture was the foundation of all industries. That was the case even for advanced societies. The basic issue of food had to be resolved before they could move forward.
Lloyd thought the same principle applied to the fiefdom.
Orc miners are just the start. One day, the population here will grow bigger. If we can't produce food by then to meet the population level, we'll be in trouble.
The number of mouths to feed would increase, so he needed to expand production accordingly but the fiefdom was out of land to farm on. The only possible option left was the Maritz Wetland, so Lloyd needed to drain the water there.
A reclamation construction was essential, but to do that, he needed the baron's approval.
So he revealed the plan to the baron, coming prepared with a way to persuade him if he refused. Shocking him, the baron gave an unexpected answer.
"Do you then plan on observing the topography of the wetland?"
"Excuse me? Well, yes. That is my plan."
"Okay. Then I am going with you."
"Excuse me…?"
"Don't take the servants. You and I can go, just the two of us. First, I should get changed into something more comfortable. Wait here a little."
The baron immediately started to change his clothes without waiting for Lloyd to answer.
He put on something more comfortable to move in and a pair of leather rain boots.
He even tucked a small knife into his waist. What was more, he even ordered one of the servants to make a lunchbox!
"Hmm…I am not going on a picnic, you know," Lloyd explained.
"I know."
"Then, why bring a lunchbox…"
"Surely, it would be troublesome if we get hungry in the wetland."
"I know that, but still…" persisted Lloyd.
"Am I wrong?"
Lloyd had to shut his mouth.
The baron wasn't wrong about that but he was wrong to think of this as a picnic. And he thinks it's a happy _one. Lloyd couldn't wrap his head around the baron's actions.
He was heading to look around and survey the murky swamps in the wetland, but the baron got ready as though a picnic was waiting for him.
_What is he so excited about? Even when he and the baron went out of the estate, cut across the fiefdom toward the south, and floundered around in the muddy swamps after getting there, the baron's attitude still was a mystery to Lloyd. It was the case even at this moment.
"Whew! Wheeew!" The baron breathed heavily, panting.
Each step he took in the swamp turned him into a slapstick comedian. The reason was simple: The baron had raised his arms to save the lunchbox. Unable to just watch any longer, Lloyd said, "Uhm, can you give me that lunchbox basket? I will hold it for you."
"No, I am fine."
"But if you keep your hands raised like that, your arms will start to hurt, and balancing yourself will be more difficult."
"It's not hard. Focus on your work," the baron insisted.
"Well, having that in my arms won't affect what I'm doing, really."
Lloyd was telling the truth. He had been using the surveying skill from earlier and didn't have to focus to use it. The data from the survey results is stored automatically.
The data from the survey could be called upon anytime he wanted when he returned to the estate later. He could focus on it then and so, right now, holding a picnic basket for the baron was a cinch. The baron, however, was stubborn as a mule.
"I'm the one who told you that I would tag along. So how can I burden you?" the baron said.
"Hmm, you don't have to think like that."
"I am really fine, so do go on." The baron motioned with his eyes.
"Yes," said Lloyd. "Shall we then rest for a bit over there?"
Straight ahead, there was an elevated area in the middle of the wetland. It was a small mound whose soft patch of grass rose above the water. Even so, it can only be a few feet wide at best. It was the perfect place for a respite.
"Please follow me. Don't trip yourself."
"Do not worry. Whew!"
Lloyd led the baron to the mound. Once he was up, he noticed a considerably flat and wide rock. Lloyd sat on the rock and collected his breath. Meanwhile, the baron opened up the basket beside him. Inside was a wooden lunch box wrapped in pure white cloth.
"I've been wondering, what's in there that makes you care for it so much?"
"Isn't it obvious? I brought the most delicious food in the world." The baron grinned as he opened up the box.
And inside, there were…
"I brought boiled eggs and tomatoes."
"Eh?" Lloyd asked.
"The tomatoes are drizzled with lots of honey. Here, take a fork."
Lloyd was a little surprised. Since he was a noble, he expected the lunch to be something fancier. The content smile on the baron's face deepened.
"Are you dazed because it has been a while? But you see, this was your favorite food when you were young."
"It is still clear in my eyes. You threw such a tantrum that you did not want all sorts of nice, greasy foods on the table. Instead, you insisted that boiled eggs and honey-soaked tomatoes were the best. How embarrassed I was each time you did that."
Lloyd remained silent.
"Sometimes, even now, I regret it," a look of remorse flashed on his face. "I should have given you as many boiled eggs and tomatoes as you wanted…"
Lloyd didn't know what to say. He simply chewed on his lips with a fork in his hand.
The surveying skill had already been turned off. Lloyd simply stared at his fork, blank and wordless. The baron grinned and peeled an egg before handing it to his hand.
"Here, take the salt. Dip the egg in it. Make sure to drink some water, so you don't choke."
"You haven't talked since earlier. Am I making you feel awkward?"
"Uh, Uhm, it's not that," Lloyd finally uttered.
"No, I completely understand."
The baron's gaze at Lloyd flashed inexplicable remorse.
It was short-lived as the baron burst out in laughter. "Hahaha. I am making you very uncomfortable. Here, let us eat now."
"Yes…"
After that, neither the baron nor Lloyd spoke. They simply ate the crumbling boiled eggs and tomatoes as they sat on a rock in the grayish wetland. For the past few months, the baron regretted his past behaviors. Back then, he had been sorely disappointed with his son for not meeting his expectations. He had hated Lloyd. However, he felt sorry for his son at the same time. The baron wanted to apologize to Lloyd for his past behaviors.
But it wasn't easy for him to work up the courage to express those regrets out loud. Instead, he silently passed the water bottle to Lloyd. Lloyd drank from it without saying a word, either. In return, Lloyd passed the salt to dip the eggs. The two continued to remain silent. On the way home, it was Lloyd who held the lunchbox basket. The baron didn't refuse Lloyd this time. The basket was lighter on their way home. And albeit very slightly, their steps became lighter as well. Just like that, the first day of surveying the wetland passed by.
***
Even after the first survey, Lloyd preoccupied himself with surveying for quite a while.
The Maritz Wetland was more vast than he expected. A day or two of surveying wasn't enough to cover the entire land. But I'm thankful that this is an intermediate-level skill.
Because it was intermediate, he was able to survey about 130 feet of land in one try.
After doing everything he could with the skill, he succeeded in surveying quite a lot of land. About twenty days or so later Lloyd was done surveying most of the land that would be reclaimed in the first part of the construction. The topography of the land within the range was now in his hands. However, that didn't mean everything would be smooth sailing from now on. Constructing is a matter entirely different from surveying. Lloyd furrowed his brows as he studied the topographical data of the Maritz Wetland.
I expected there would be many variables but not this many. The wetland was situated on low-lying ground, embracing two courses of a river. There were frequent floods, and the stagnant river water invaded the land as there was no proper drainage system. And after a long period, the land turned into a wetland.
Seriously, anywhere you go, these stagnant waters are always a problem.
Whether it was about a game or a piece of land, it was the same. The stagnation had to be solved adequately to survive a game or sell a piece of land. Thinking of that fact in his head, Lloyd racked his brain to figure out a way to reclaim the wetland.
Of course, I have a plan. I just have to use the vertical drain technique with the support of my summon partners. Quicken the consolidation process, and I'm good to go. But I must make sure that the embankments and waterways are installed exactly where they should be. However, there were just too many variables because of the sheer size of the land mass.
Lloyd wasn't sure whether the water would fully drain as he intended it to. But I can't hastily start the construction without any thought. That might backfire on me. Lloyd would find himself in serious trouble if the water didn't drain after having toiled away to make the embankments and waterways. All the work and money he put in would be in absolute vain.
That was the last thing he wanted to experience.
Hmm. I wish I could run a simulation at least. It would be nice if I could run a simulation by throwing the topographical data of the Maritz Wetland into a supercomputer. However, that was impossible in this world.
Just then…
"Uhm…"
In one corner of the bedroom, Javier fidgeted in a comfy chair. Lloyd wondered if Javier was having a bad dream. His elegant eyebrows were furrowed. He'll wake up if I just leave him like this, Lloyd thought to himself. So, he recited a magical spell in Javier's ears.
"The drain construction method consists of a draining tool to collect rainfall and river water that has penetrated the embankment during a flood, and a filtering tool to prevent the draining tool from clogging by receiving drainage at a fixed rate. The thickness of the drain ball…blah blah blah… At least 1.5 feet above the ground in the embankment… The average dynamic slope (H/D) on the front of the drain hole does not exceed 0.3…blah blah… A structure that ensures a constant safety rate against slip destruction… Go fall asleep, zap."
Javier sunk back to sleep. Lloyd grinned. He grinned as an alternative method to create a simulation popped into his head while reciting a passage from his textbook to put Javier to sleep.
It's a good thing that I read the chapter about embankment building. The answer was right there in the textbook. Okay, let's try it out. He walked out of the bedroom and headed to the training hall, which is the backyard of his estate.
There, under the moonlight, he held up his shovel. He dug the soil, gathered it into one place, and carefully shaped it. Next, he fetched some water and mixed it with mashed grass and red clay. He then collected small pebbles around the area. The beads of sweat on his face glistened against the moonlight. Lloyd kept busying himself even after that until the following morning rolled around. The result of his toil revealed itself under the sun. It was a miniature model of the Maritz Wetland that was about thirteen feet in width and length.
"Whew. I wonder if this will do."
Lloyd grinned in contentment as exhaustion washed over him. In his eyes, the miniature model of the wetland looked quite convincing. Of course, it should. The model is based on the data I collected with my surveying skills.
He had reflected countless details of the wetland in the model, including the overall topography, height, slope, amount of stagnated water, and water flow. With such a precise model, he would be able to try out a simulation in a more traditional way.
_Let's get started. Lloyd rolled his sleeves and pants all the way up. He started touching the model like a farmer planting new crops. A miniaturized embankment was created into the model as he used his design skills. He bore a hole in the ground and a waterway in the other.
Afterward, he studied how the water was drained. The job wasn't easy.
Now, once the morning gave way to the afternoon, the scorching summer sun beat down on Lloyd mercilessly. It beat down on his back. No, it was grilling him, to be more exact. His back began to sweat profusely as if he was soaked with rain. The sight brought a crowd of villagers around him.
"Look, what is Master Lloyd up to now?"
"Maybe he realized how fun it is to play in the mud."
"That's not it. It must be for something else, I'm sure."
Perhaps it was a relief that people no longer unilaterally doubted him like before. Things have changed. Lloyd went on running an analog simulation under the gaze of countless observers but he failed each time he tried. The water was drained, sure, but not enough to satisfy Lloyd. However, he didn't give up. He would never back down until he found the way.
If I were going to back down and give up, I wouldn't have started it in the first place! Each failure stimulated him to be more tenacious.
He yelled, "Again!" and restored the model with his hands, poured the thick water once more, and created embankments and waterways of various shapes. After a series of attempts and failures, when it was late in the afternoon, and the sun was slowly setting down…
At last, Lloyd invented an embankment and waterway model that properly drained the water. I did it! Lloyd clenched his fists, his body soaked in fatigue and sweat. The water was finally draining out properly. Furthermore, the shapes of the embankment and waterway were preserved without being destroyed. Lloyd reaped the sweet reward of an entire day's worth of work. Just then, an unexpected message popped in front of him.
Ding Dong.
[You have overcome a limitation by being wise and tenacious amid hardship.]
[That special experience is having a strong effect on your
[A new skill option has been opened.]
***
Translator: https://bettertranslation9.wordpress.com