CHAPTER 157: I Will Handle This Myself (3)

Mercenaries are people who will do anything for money.

In his past life, Ghislain also took on a variety of requests beyond just fighting.

Fortification work, fortress construction, and even setting up temporary barracks during wartime were common tasks when manpower was short.

'If I hadn't earned the title of Mercenary King, I'd probably be called the King of Construction.'

At first, he only provided brute strength without much understanding. But after handling similar requests repeatedly, he picked up basic knowledge about construction and civil engineering.

Once he realized how critical it was to have bases and housing where troops could rest to win wars, he made a point of visiting construction sites to learn.

Thanks to this hands-on experience, Ghislain found it easy to oversee the work.

"Gather as many laborers as you can. The more hands we have, the faster it'll go."

However, no one around him knew about his accumulated knowledge.

To them, Ghislain was nothing more than an impulsive, reckless lord with no expertise.

But who would dare oppose a lord who insisted on taking charge?

Soon, a large group of laborers was assembled, and Ghislain began issuing instructions based on his memories of his past life.

"First, lay the foundation and work on the framework!"

At his command, the laborers got to work.

Since their lord was personally overseeing the project, none dared slack off.

As they worked feverishly, a decent framework began to take shape.

The skilled workers whispered among themselves as they worked.

"It seems like the lord knows what he's doing…"

"But what is this? Isn't he just building a large house?"

"Judging by the way the space is divided, it looks like he's just making one big house with multiple rooms to cram people into."

Dividing a large structure into sections, like a mansion or barracks, would solve the housing problem temporarily.

It wasn't ideal for distributing individual homes to people, but in a time crunch, it wasn't a bad solution.

Still, they wondered if it was necessary for the lord to personally direct the construction.

Finally, a carpenter raised his hand and asked.

"My lord, if this is just going to be a large barracks, we can handle the rest from here. There's no need for you to involve yourself in such grueling work."

"No, no, that's not the kind of building I'm making. If you cram everyone into one space, how is that a home? That's a pigsty."

Another worker raised his hand and asked.

"Isn't this just a mansion with lots of rooms, like a noble's estate?"

Once again, Ghislain shook his head.

"It's similar but slightly different. If we were truly desperate, we could do that. But since we still have some leeway, we should build it properly from the start."

As the workers gave him curious looks, Ghislain chuckled.

"Alright, let me explain it simply. You'll need to understand the concept to follow along. What we're building is a large, sturdy structure with multiple houses inside it."

"Houses inside a house? Isn't that just a bunch of small houses stuck together?"

In densely populated cities, it wasn't uncommon to build tightly packed houses like that.

But Ghislain's concept was unprecedented, and the workers could only imagine that much.

"No, it's a large building that contains multiple smaller, independent homes inside it—a communal residence."

"A communal residence? Does such a thing even exist?"

Ghislain nodded firmly.

"It will now. We're building one here."

In his past life, after disasters devastated the continent, survivors flocked to fortified cities. To accommodate large populations in limited spaces, maximizing efficiency was essential.

This led to the concept of communal housing—a tall, large building divided into independent living spaces for different households.

Despite Ghislain's repeated explanations, the workers looked puzzled. The concept was simple, but it challenged their conventional way of thinking.

"Judging by your faces, you still don't get it."

Sighing, Ghislain shook his head. Explaining an unfamiliar concept was proving difficult.

There was only one option left: to show them.

"Enough chatter. If you don't understand, just follow my instructions and do your best. You'll get it when you see the final result."

With that, Ghislain resumed work.

The project quickly gained momentum. Despite being a single person, Ghislain's involvement noticeably sped things up.

Part of the reason was that the laborers, wary of his sharp gaze, didn't dare slack off. But there was another, more significant reason.

"Let's go!"

Crack! Crunch!

With each swing of Ghislain's axe, smooth planks of wood seemed to materialize instantly.

Tasks that would have required several workers to process wood were being completed by Ghislain alone in mere moments, leaving everyone stunned.

"Wow… I'd heard the lord was skilled with a sword, but his axe work is insane too."

"How is this even possible? He's swinging that axe a few times, and planks are just popping out?"

And it didn't stop there. Nails? Ghislain grabbed handfuls and threw them, driving them in perfectly in one motion. Structures that needed to be demolished? One swing of his hammer reduced them to rubble.

Even time-consuming tasks like drying mud bricks were expedited with the help of mages, who he roped into the project.

At this pace, the other workers were too busy trying to keep up to even question what they were doing.

"Huff, huff. Are we really building a house right now?"

"The speed is unreal. It feels more like assembling something."

Of course, Ghislain wasn't building haphazardly.

Although he adapted the designs and structures he remembered from his past life, they were adjusted to fit the technological level and resources of the estate.

Ghislain constantly communicated the concept of communal housing to the skilled workers assisting him, meticulously dividing tasks to bring the idea to life.

He incorporated advice from the craftsmen while pushing them to include all essential elements for livable homes.

"The cooking place will be separate, and we'll use fireplaces for heating. Each floor will have its own chimney system to vent smoke properly."

"The bathrooms will have drainage systems that lead to a central pit for waste disposal."

"This goes here, and that goes there…"

As time went on, the workers began to grasp what Ghislain was creating.

"Seeing it come together is a hundred times better than trying to explain it."

Hearing this, the workers nodded blankly.

They had no idea what they were building—they'd simply followed his instructions. Yet somehow, the structure taking shape before them looked impressive.

Even Claude, who came by occasionally to observe, found his expression growing increasingly bewildered.

'What is this? Is he serious? Is he really building a house?'

When Ghislain had first stepped in, Claude was certain his meddling would cause problems.

He hadn't stopped him because he believed failure would humble the lord and make him reflect.

But to Claude's astonishment, a proper structure—a communal residence—was rapidly taking form.

Moreover, the construction speed was phenomenal, thanks to Ghislain's relentless involvement and his decision to pull mages from their agricultural tasks.

In just four days, the "communal residence" Ghislain had envisioned was completed.

The result was a three-story building with four homes per floor, totaling twelve units.

"Hm, not bad for something built in a hurry," Ghislain said, slinging a massive hammer over his shoulder and smiling contentedly at the finished building.

Though plain and unadorned, the massive, sturdy structure stood tall, exuding a rugged charm.

The workers who had labored alongside him stared at the communal residence in awe. Now, they finally understood the concept Ghislain had been explaining.

"So… it's really possible to build something like this?"

"How did the lord even come up with this idea?"

Even though they had helped construct it, the workers struggled to believe it was real.

Claude, still dazed, asked Ghislain.

"How… how did you come up with this?"

"Well… as delays piled up, I thought about the fastest, most efficient solution," Ghislain replied, feigning humility.

In truth, communal residences had been a common feature in his past life.

Back then, with the help of magic, such buildings were even more convenient and comfortable than the one they had just completed.

Some had as many as seven floors, with even more units per level.

Of course, nobles and elites still lived in mansions, while commoners resided in communal housing.

Ghislain turned to the skilled workers.

"Building like this should speed up the housing construction, right?"

If a single supervisor couldn't manage more buildings, the logical solution was to house more people in fewer buildings.

The reasoning was sound. The time it took to construct one communal residence was about the same as building two or three small houses.

"Yes, this method will save an incredible amount of time. With just ten of these, we could house 120 families."

"Good. I'll provide more laborers, so pick up the pace."

"Understood!"

The workers, filled with awe, saluted Ghislain enthusiastically.

Detailed blueprints had been created during construction, ensuring they could replicate the design without issue.

In fact, the skilled workers realized the true brilliance of the communal residence before anyone else.

The more they analyzed it, the clearer it became: this wasn't just a solution but a revolution in housing design, perfectly suited to the current situation.

They marveled at how a slight shift in perspective had yielded such groundbreaking results.

Watching the workers huddle and chatter excitedly, Claude decided to stop overthinking.

'Right. I was wrong to think of him as a normal person.'

Ghislain noticed Claude's exasperated expression and spoke sharply.

"What are you doing? Snap out of it. Now that construction will move faster, we need more laborers."

"Ah, yes. I'll issue another recruitment notice immediately."

Ghislain raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"When will we finish if you do it that way? Let's pick up the pace. We're out of time."

"How… what do you mean?"

"The settlers," Ghislain said with a sly grin. 

"They've been well-fed and rested for days, haven't they?"

"Yes, most of them have recovered, though some of the sick remain."

Ghislain smirked.

"From now on, we're not recruiting. We're drafting. Anyone who can move is coming to work. Free meals are over."

***

The settlers, who had been enjoying their respite, weren't surprised when the draft orders came. They had assumed from the start that nothing came for free in this world.

Some even felt relieved, having expected it all along.

Thus, no one resisted. Like sheep being herded, they answered the summons without enthusiasm.

Every able-bodied settler was conscripted into the housing construction and farmland development projects.

Initially, they worked without spirit, but their attitudes changed the moment they moved into the communal residences.

"Is it real? They're giving us actual houses instead of tents? I thought it was a lie!"

"I expected to live in a crowded barracks, but this is incredible!"

"Owning my own home… Was it really this easy?"

Most of the settlers had been forcibly evicted from slums.

Their previous "homes" were crumbling shacks, leaky tents, or shoddy structures cobbled together from scraps.

Born into poverty with no education, they had resigned themselves to lives of hardship, believing it was their fate.

But Fenris was different. Here, hard work earned them great rewards.

Though labeled "communal housing," these buildings were far larger and cleaner than their former homes. Each family even had its own designated space.

For people who had lived as outcasts, it was a gift beyond measure.

"I hated coming here at first, but now I realize I'd have missed out if I hadn't come."

"Our lord is so generous! I'm glad we came. I feel loyalty welling up in me."

"You're only here because you were thrown out. Still, getting exiled was lucky after all."

For those who had been treated as less than human, Fenris was a land of opportunity.

Determined not to return to their former lives, the settlers threw themselves wholeheartedly into the work.

As a result, construction progressed at an unprecedented pace.

Watching the settlers work with joy despite the grueling labor, Ghislain smiled in satisfaction.

"To see the estate united like this—it feels like we can accomplish anything with this morale and enthusiasm."

Claude couldn't help but agree.

"It's fortunate. With this level of motivation, the other projects will finish much faster."

"That's good. We'll need to work even harder to prepare for the coming war."

At the mention of war, Claude's expression darkened slightly.

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