First Downpour

The next day, the construction began, with the smashing of the limestone and iron ore starting first. Brienne told Elon that the iron ore contained more than one resource, and there was usually a separation process before using it for cement production in the real world. But now, that wouldn't be necessary since there was no machine to do that in this terribly undeveloped world.

If he had to create one in the future, that was fine. But to think about it at this crucial moment would be foolish.

[—Just tell the iron ore breakers to stay away from fire—]

Brienne warned.

With that order given, Elon went ahead to supervise the water workers. They were carefully managing the water flow from the river and ensuring the pipes had no defects.

Thanks to the fact that the pipes were made of bamboo — which was round and easy for water to flow through — the system worked well. Although some pipes were made of wood, the bamboos were more prevalent.

The wooden tanks they built were placed at every point where the sand was packed so they could be used for mixing after cement production was fully completed. Elon had already ordered that the newest batch be brought to the mixing area immediately, as there was no time to carry out the processes one by one.

For the molding, they patiently waited until around noon. By then, the first mixing of the cement materials was complete, and the mixture was sent to the sand and cement mixers.

Everything was progressing as desired, and the young king was in good spirits. Despite Salvador's staggering financial state, Elon ensured the workers received good pay, which motivated them to give their best effort.

When there was free food, the workers wouldn't even need to go home for lunch. Elon had made sure to satisfy them in every important way because he knew the job wasn't easy, especially with a strict deadline.

With his kindness toward them, the workers were satisfied, and their spirits soared as the pace of work skyrocketed.

___________

[The Extra, Isan Pann, is pleased by your good treatment and promising rulership. He adores you.]

[You have gained 10 Approval Points.]

[The Extra, Reyga Aurnbon, is pleased by your humility and treatment. Your daily pay just gave him enough to feed his family adequately for a fortnight. He couldn't be more glad.]

[You have gained 10 Approval Points.]

[The Extra, Javier Norighan is...]

[You have gained 10 Approval Points.]

[You have gained 10 Approval Points.]

[You have gained 10...]

_____________

To Elon's surprise, several messages popped up in the Summoning System interface, nearly stunning him to madness.

Sure, he knew he could get Approval Points from people who began to like, trust, or fear him, but the fact that he could gather the trust of so many workers overwhelmed him.

He couldn't stop staring at the messages flooding the system screen, his eyes widening with each new notification.

It took quite a while before the notifications stopped, and when they finally did...

___________

[Approval Points Accumulated: 1394]

[Approval Points In Store: 1010.]

___________

Automatically, he had gained over a thousand Approval Points before he even realized it. There were over five hundred workers on the site, but from his calculations, only about a hundred were truly happy with his rulership and lifestyle — for now.

"Insane. What would happen if I got Approval Points from the entire Salvador population? I'd be swimming in points," Elon thought, his heart racing.

"Well, it would help in summoning more rifles for the army I'm building. This might be unexpected, but I really needed these points," he mused with a smile.

After staying on-site from dawn until evening, Matilda sent two knights to fetch him to the Royal Palace.

Elon was already starving, having not eaten anything at the site, so he had no choice but to head home. Matilda had prepared dinner before he arrived, and it was freshly made, hot, and filled the room with a delicious aroma.

It was grilled potatoes and chicken — one of Elon's favorite meals.

He urged Aiden to join him, and they ate at the same table, chatting as they dined. Aiden was starting to feel comfortable enough to call him "Elon" instead of the formal "my king," which made Elon happy.

Matilda noticed this shift but relaxed when she saw that it was what Elon wanted.

Elon had planned to rest after dinner, but just as they were almost done eating, the sky began to darken. Distant thunder rumbled in the heavens.

"The First Rain," Aiden suddenly said. "It will fall tonight," he added.

"Good for us... We already began our construct..."

Elon froze mid-sentence as a sudden realization struck him like lightning.

'The rain. It's going to melt down the newly molded blocks.'

With that terrifying thought, he dashed out of the dining hall and rushed back to the site without looking back.

"Collect large, strong leaves from the bushes and cover all the blocks! The rain is not our friend!" he ordered upon arrival.

One discovery at that moment made his heart pound even harder — if there truly would be seven rains, the construction would face severe challenges.

During this time of the year, sunlight was scarce due to the approaching winter, which would prevent the blocks from solidifying properly.

If an unexpected rain fell, it could destroy everything they had built so far.

And with a massive stroke of lightning, the downpour began...

The first downpour.

Winter was coming.

******

(Location: Kingdom Thera)

"We saw them mix the limestone with sand and water, my queen. They molded it into rectangular white stones and arranged them in the middle of their site. I believe they wanted it to dry and harden," a man dressed in black armor reported.

"Anything else?" Queen Arya asked.

"The item they used for molding the stones... It was crafted by their blacksmiths. The molds are also rectangular-shaped, just like the stones themselves," the man added.

"So, this so-called 'Incredible King' thinks he's the only one who can make a better wall. Well, thank the White God I didn't sell the whole rock," Queen Arya sneered, her eyes gleaming with ambition.

She turned to Ser Donns.

"Gather three hundred men. Tomorrow, we shall collect some of the white rocks in the stone forest and build a stronger wall for the Theran Royal Castle," she ordered.

"But, my..."

Ser Donns tried to object, but she raised a finger, silencing him.

"Do what I ask of you, Ser Donns... And let it be swift."

"Winter is coming, my queen," Ser Donns tried once more.

"If winter comes, we shall welcome it. But now, winter is the least of my concerns..." she said, exhaling slowly.

"That god-damned King Elon of Salvador is."

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[A//N: Hello, readers! This is where the main plot progresses. From now on, his missions would be portrayed one by one. I want you to drop an opinion on the story so far and how you would like it to progress. Thanks for reading!]