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Chapter 57 - The Road to Progress

Chapter 57: Chapter 57 - The Road to Progress

Construction began the very next day.

The newcomers were quickly taught how to mold and shape the cube concretes and now, they were finally laying the groundwork.

With Maxim’s help and the support of his earth mage escorts, the trees along the planned road were swiftly cleared.

It was hard to believe how fast things were progressing.

Using magic, the mages carved out a trench roughly one meter deep and six meters wide, marking the path where the road would be built.

Rows of cube concretes were embedded into the trench as anchors then layered carefully.

The edges were gently sloped to blend the road naturally into the surrounding terrain.

Once the structure was in place, mana was poured over everything... binding and hardening the materials into one seamless whole.

Everything was going smoothly... until they reached the river.

It was wide and its current ran strong.

The water mage inspected it and confirmed that it wasn’t very deep but that didn’t make things easier.

In fact, it proved to be a serious challenge.

Lucien called for an emergency meeting.

Gathered around the table were Sebas, Maxim, Stone and the two young heirs.

They had to come up with a solution fast.

They devised a plan.

A proper approach to tackle the river crossing.

After a round of intense brainstorming, Lucien settled on a clear solution.

First, the water mage would part a section of the river, diverting the flow temporarily.

Next, the earth mages would construct sturdy stone walls to redirect the water current and isolate the riverbed.

Once the riverbed was exposed, they would clear out any debris and remove any lurking creatures.

With a dry and stable path in place, construction could continue.

If the exposed ground turned out to be too loose or unstable, a thin base layer of slime cement would be applied to reinforce it.

After that, they would begin laying the foundation for the road or perhaps... a bridge.

Pillar bases would be installed and specially designed molds would be used to shape the pillars themselves.

These molds were made with a function in mind.

The pillars would have triangular or wedge-shaped fronts to cleanly split the water current and reduce pressure during floods.

The molded concretes would be stacked vertically on the bases, forming solid columns or arches rising from the riverbed.

Then came the bridge span. The flat section of road will be laid across the tops of the columns, completing the crossing.

Once that segment was done, they would repeat the process for the next portion, working step by step until the entire bridge was complete.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, they decided to halt construction for the day.

Work would resume the next day.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team stayed busy molding slime cement into cube concretes, ensuring they had enough stockpiled for the next phase.

Lucien, however, realized something pressing. He’d need to step in again and help farm the raw materials.

Their supply was depleting faster than expected.

Fortunately, slimes in the dungeon seemed to respawn endlessly. He had no idea how or why they kept reappearing but it was a blessing he wouldn’t question.

As long as he didn’t destroy the core in the dungeon’s deepest depths, the supply of slimes and thus, slime cement... would never run dry.

Not that he’d reached the bottom yet.

•••

The next day, construction resumed without a hitch.

Everything was going according to plan.

No unexpected obstacles.

No delays.

Lucien, as always, continued farming tirelessly to keep up with the demand for slime cement.

Everyone was busy but in good spirits.

Despite the hard work, there was laughter, camaraderie and a shared sense of purpose.

Even the laborers, though new to this kind of work, pulled their weight and contributed greatly.

But the real MVPs?

Maxim’s escorts.

Their magic made all the difference. It turned a monumental task into something manageable, almost effortless at times.

Ironically, the entire plan sounded simple when laid out.

Build the foundation.

Mold the materials.

Cross the river.

Lay the road.

So why hadn’t it been done before?

The answer was simple.

High-tier mages don’t usually get their hands dirty.

They serve in courts, fight in wars and take on grand commissions.

...Not humble infrastructure projects in forgotten borderlands.

So when people say that building bridges and roads is "easy," the truth is... yes and no.

The concept is simple. The execution? Not without the right people.

Finding powerful mages willing to help is the real challenge. And Lucien had somehow done just that.

The only water mage on the team whom Lucien jokingly nicknamed Moses was Tier 7.

The earth mages? Between Tier 5 and Tier 7.

That kind of talent, all working together for a road project? It was nothing short of a miracle.

The fact that they were even willing to help was already a blessing in itself.

It was no wonder the past generations failed to build a road or bridge here.

For one, no one truly cared about constructing infrastructure in the borderlands. These territories were often overlooked.

Out of sight.

Out of mind.

And even if someone did care, where would they find mages willing to help

Mages were scarce in the borders and those who were powerful rarely concerned themselves with something as mundane as roadwork.

In the end, the answer was clear.

The real problem wasn’t the terrain, the river, or the complexity.

It was the lack of resources and people who believed it was worth doing.

But now? Things were different.

As everyone watched the progress unfold before their eyes, it felt like witnessing a miracle.

And it wasn’t just the magic.

The materials themselves... especially the Slime Cement.... were nothing short of extraordinary.

Durable.

Versatile.

Easy to work with.

It turned a once-impossible task into something achievable.

Everyone was in awe of how fast things were moving. The road that had seemed like a distant dream now looked like it might be finished sooner than anyone expected.

Still, the pace came at a cost.

Lucien was exhausted. Utterly drained.

Farming materials nonstop to keep up with the construction demands was grueling. He pushed through the fatigue, knowing that if he stopped, everything else would slow down too.

•••

Five days later.

The roads...

...Were finally finished.

It had taken longer than Lucien anticipated.

The main issue? Supply shortages.

Even with Skittles, Sparkles and Oreo working alongside him, it was a relentless grind.

Lucien lost track of how many batches of slime cement he had farmed.

He stopped counting after hitting ten thousand but to Lucien, it felt like he had produced a hundred thousand. That’s how exhausted he was.

Endless harvesting.

Endless molding.

But in the end... none of that mattered.

Because now...

It was done.

Truly done.

And as a bonus, Lucien had reached Level 39.

With his job skill: Extra Credit pushing him forward, Level 40 wasn’t far off.

While he finally allowed himself to rest, the others began inspecting the road.

Checking its integrity, stability and durability.

Soon, a formal ceremony would mark the completion of the project.

The road would officially open.

And with it, the first true path in and out of Lootwell would begin its new Chapter.

•••

Lucien sat in his new office inside the freshly built Town Hall. It was one of the new structures in the new Lootwell Barony.

It was here that the Administrative Division handled most of the official work.

Sebas had gently urged him to start using the town hall instead of conducting matters from the manor and Lucien agreed.

The space was wide, functional and carried a sense of legitimacy befitting his title.

Across from him sat two elderly men.

The Barons of Hornvale and Needlehart.

"Baron," Baron Hornvale said with his eyes glinting with both surprise and admiration. "My son Aldren wasn’t exaggerating. You’re... truly built different."

"Indeed," Baron Needlehart chimed in. "Roneth couldn’t stop praising you. Now that we’ve seen it with our own eyes, we understand why."

They couldn’t stop singing Lucien’s praises.

At first, they had been skeptical. Even when their sons returned with glowing reports, doubt still lingered in their hearts.

Words could be exaggerated.

Results could be misunderstood.

But then they witnessed the miracle with their own eyes.

The road.

The bridge.

The transformation of a struggling territory into something thriving.

Their doubts dissolved instantly.

Even now, they struggled to fully compose themselves in his presence.

Despite Lucien’s youth, they addressed him with full respect. Not once did they belittle or underestimate him.

Because no ordinary boy could lead people to accomplish such a feat.

Building an entire road across wild terrain in just one week.

No.

That took vision.

Strategy.

Charisma.

Resolve.

And more than anything, it proved that Lucien was capable of far greater things.

"Please, don’t be too formal, Barons," Lucien said with a calm smile. "We’re allies now. It’s better we support each other equally."

Despite his humble tone, the two old men couldn’t help but feel a sting of guilt.

They had only sent a handful of laborers.

In contrast, Lucien had carried nearly the entire burden of the construction.

Resources. Planning. Leadership. All of it.

To show their gratitude and ease their conscience, they presented him with generous gifts.

Signature goods from their lands. Local delicacies. Fine commodities. Livestocks. And other prized offerings from their territories.

Lucien’s expression brightened as he examined the gifts and that alone made the two barons sigh in relief.

Still, a strange awareness settled between them.

Despite being older and more experienced, they felt like they were walking on eggshells around the young baron.

Not because he was threatening but because of the sheer presence he carried.

Lucien had the charisma of a true lord.

One that outshined even theirs.

Then with newfound resolve, the two barons made a formal offer.

They would take full responsibility for maintaining the new road.

Assigning patrols. Ensuring security. Keeping the path clean. And repairing any minor damage over time.

In addition, they proposed collecting tolls from passing merchants who would use the road but with one key detail...

All tolls would go to Lucien.

Lucien added...

"That’s good if we are talking about other merchants. As allies, there’s no need for tolls between us. You’re free to travel and trade in Lootwell as much as you like. And make sure Kael is excluded as well. He’s earned our trust more than anyone."

He offered a grin.

The two barons nodded, deeply appreciative. Lucien’s fairness only deepened their respect for him.

They spoke for a while and to Lucien’s surprise, he found their company pleasant.

As fellow border lords, they had faced similar struggles.

Scarcity, neglect and the constant pressure of defending lands that the central plains barely acknowledged.

Their experiences were relatable.

More importantly, they weren’t the kind of nobles who looked down on others. That alone made Lucien feel at ease to have them as allies.

Their conversation drifted naturally, even turning colorful as they exchanged stories and not-so-kind words about the Coalhearts.

Eventually, talk turned to the upcoming Grand Celebration.

Unfortunately, the two Barons confessed they wouldn’t be able to attend. The journey was long and the preparations overwhelming.

Even if they left immediately, they wouldn’t make it in time.

Lucien could only sigh.

It seemed he wouldn’t be seeing any familiar faces at the celebration after all.