The Main Work Begins

Elon and Aiden headed back to the count's stone-built manor immediately, and with the success of killing the Black Bear, both of them were in good spirits.

Although Aiden was still amazed by the power of the AK-47 shots, he tried his best not to show it...

Unfortunately for him, Elon was more perceptive than he thought.

Aiden hadn't gotten a clear chance to witness the impact of a gunshot since King Elon arrived in Salvador. He had been unconscious at that point in the war, after Xaven used the Demonic Core Hijacker on him, so he missed the chance to see a Negator die from the shots.

Now that he had seen how the bear suffered from the hail of steel-like bullets, he couldn't help but wonder:

'Where in the world did he get such a weapon from?'

Aiden was deeply confused, because there was no way such a weapon could exist in the Althera Empire... or even the Green Continent at large.

And it was said that Elon had never left Fogmount Village since their arrival, so there was no f**king way...

It was already becoming mysterious.

"I know you're curious about my crazy weapon, Aiden. I can sense that, man. But I won't tell you... not now," Elon patted Aiden's shoulder and spoke after noticing his mood.

Aiden could only react with a nod, and with no other conversation, they reached Northwic and went straight to the count's house.

"Done," Elon smiled as he stepped into the grand hall.

"What? You mean you already killed the Black Bear?" Count Emond suddenly stood up from his high seat, eyes wide in shock.

"We killed the bear," Elon waved a hand toward Aiden as he spoke.

"That's unbelievable. It was insanely fast, King Elon!" The count couldn't express his joy as fully as he wanted, but it was obvious he was truly relieved.

Truthfully, the Black Bear had been a huge threat that could slowly wipe out many residents in the village. No one had reportedly been powerful enough to confront it, as it was an A-ranked beast.

Judging by the level comparison, only a Gold-level mage could match the strength of an A-ranked beast. Even though a joint group of Silver-level mages in the county could take it down, the bear had appeared at a time no one expected.

It was almost as if it cast a spell that made every single human in its attack range fall asleep...

But now, thanks to King Elon of Salvador, the bear was dead, and the long period of tension in southeastern Northwic was finally over.

"Yeah, fast. I know. We just had to finish the job quickly so we could get some rest and prepare for the collection tomorrow," Elon smirked.

"You can go ahead with your collection, King Elon. The entire county appreciates you!"

Count Emond couldn't help but praise him, relishing the fact that the count's greatest threat was finally gone.

Although he had trusted Elon to slay the bear, his joy was amplified by the fact that he wouldn't have to pay some bloody mercenary team from Kingdom Thera to deal with the beast anymore.

With just the disposal of a useless grey rock, the job was already done.

"Alistair, take them to the best guest rooms and make sure to bring two women each to them after that. The best women in the brothel," Count Emond ordered one of his guardsmen.

"Uh-uhm... the ladies... not now. I mean, not today. We actually have a lot of planning to do for the night," Elon declined with a polite look.

"Really? That's a shame, though. Every man would want to test what's under a lady's skirt in the county's capital," Count Emond said with a slight glare.

"Perhaps Aiden would want to...?" Elon turned to his PA, teasing.

"No, my king. I'm fine," Aiden quickly objected before Elon could say another word.

'Right! I know you would do the same. Strong little virgin, just like me.'

.....

They ended up not having any women in their rooms for the night. Instead, Elon went back to Brienne to discuss how he'd start the wall construction once all the materials were gathered.

It was quite hard for him to understand many things, as he had no prior knowledge of bricklaying, but Brienne made sure to teach him everything he needed to know.

The next day, he marched to the rock lands with his men and kick-started the work.

Unlike limestone, the iron ore was much harder to break, but fortunately, they wouldn't need as much iron ore as limestone.

In just six hours, the ten carts were full, and it was time to go home. But just as they were preparing to leave, a young lady in a red cloak, with fair skin and flowing red hair, approached them with a charming smile and a flower.

It was a beautiful flower with green, red, and white petals.

"King Elon, I brought this for you," she said, her smile unwavering.

Elon froze for a moment, hesitating before extending his hand to collect the flower.

"It's a very expensive flower from Kingdom Fyn. I wanted to give it to you... because why not?" The lady rolled her eyes playfully.

That's when Elon noticed two guardsmen standing not far from her. She must be a noble.

"The count's daughter, my king. Marcella Emond Gurras," Aiden whispered, revealing her identity just in time.

"You helped my father kill the tyrant bear. We appreciate your help," Marcella added.

"Nice to meet you, my lady. And thanks for the beautiful flower," Elon said, grateful but still wondering why she chose flowers as a token of appreciation.

Though he wasn't thinking too far...

No, he was.

She was quite suspicious.

"Hopefully, we can meet and have a drink together later, King Elon. I wish you a safe return home," she said.

Those were her final words before she left, her eyes lingering on him... long enough to cause a slight jolt in his chest.

Then...

When she finally disappeared from view, Elon heaved a sigh and turned to Aiden.

"What do you think, huh?" he asked.

"Uhm... nothing," Aiden responded awkwardly.

"Right. I shouldn't have asked you. You've never been gifted flowers before."

Before they left Northwic, Elon handed the flower to Aiden and urged him to keep it.

"It could be useful for your father's grave," he said with a smile.

Aiden returned the smile as well.

But truly, it was a bit crazy to end up giving a girl's love flower to the dead.

.....

The site at Westwood was bustling as Elon arrived after a long journey. Everyone was diligently doing their jobs, even though it was already getting dark...

The pipes were completed, and even the tanks as well. Large cliffs of sand and clay spread across different areas, making Elon clench his fists in joy.

It already reduced his stress after the long journey, but that didn't mean the job was done.

There was even more work ahead.

After making sure to have dinner, Elon gathered the workers and laid out the plan.

He ordered ten blacksmiths to melt old swords and knives and turn them into as many molds as possible. They were to forge heavy, large hammers capable of breaking and pounding the limestone and iron ore into dusty pieces for the cement.

He divided the teams: water, sand, clay, and molding.

"In three days, the blocks will be strong enough to start building," Elon announced.

"We'll dig the foundation and begin construction. I, Ser Vorden, Ser Norman, and Ser Aiden will oversee your work to ensure success."

"We'll take Saturdays and Sundays off, but..."

The workers cheered, but the "but" made them hold their breath in the next moment.

"Every Saturday will be for shooting practice and fitness training. Every man over seventeen must participate, except for the disabled and prisoners."

"To success!" Elon raised his arm.

"To success!" the workers shouted back.

As they chorused, Elon felt the weight of the task ahead. Building an eighteen-foot wall before winter came was no small feat.

This was his second move to show he was a modern king... after blowing his enemies' skulls apart firstly.

And yet, this was only the beginning.