Chapter 5: Site Selection

"Idar... poop collection overseer??" Shabi couldn't help but shudder.

This was an official position that had never before existed in Idar City. Though it certainly had a certain "scent" to it, Shabi had no choice.

"As you wish, honorable Earl," Shabi said with a miserable expression.

The air outside the city was particularly fresh, occasionally carrying the fragrance of wildflowers. For the first time, Bruno felt… that fresh air was truly wonderful.

Gripping the reins tightly, he rode at the front, looking around as he went, stopping frequently.

For him, even before considering whether it could be built, the mere selection of a site for the Hanging Garden was already a major challenge.

If it was too far from Idar City, transporting workers would be inconvenient, and the time lost on travel would be a huge burden. But if it was too close...

Just imagining the possible strange smells wafting from the Hanging Garden made Bruno shudder.

Before setting out, Bruno had already examined maps of Idar City and its surroundings. However… the maps were so poorly drawn that they looked like a child's random scribbles—overly simplistic.

A few circles represented Idar City and nearby towns and villages, while a few wavy lines depicted the connecting roads. As for anything more detailed… well, if you wanted to know, you'd have to guess.

Fortunately, Bruno had inherited the original body's memories, and within those memories, there was a location that happened to match his expectations.

Idar City's terrain was generally higher in the west and lower in the east, with the Armis Mountains—stretching across the eastern part of the empire—forming a natural barrier in the northwest. Idar City itself sat on a relatively narrow coastal plain at the eastern foot of the mountains.

And Bruno's destination was precisely the Armis Mountains!

Using the map and his inherited memories, Bruno led the way, half guessing his path. Behind him followed the utterly despondent Shabi and his escorting guards.

Who knew how long they had been traveling when Bruno faintly heard the sound of rushing water, growing louder as they moved forward—like the crisp clinking of jade ornaments.

"Looks like we're on the right track," Bruno murmured.

"The Earl truly is a man of great wisdom!" Shabi suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Bruno: "..."

Why are you everywhere?!

And if you're going to flatter me, at least change up your phrasing!

The sound of rushing water grew even louder. Bruno dismounted at the roadside and, accompanied by his guards, ventured into the dense forest.

The gushing water swept through the treetops, making the dry leaves on the forest floor rustle. Peering through the barren branches, Bruno saw a white torrent cascading down from a rocky cliff, its powerful stream carrying chunks of ice from the mountain peaks and crashing violently against the rocks below with a thunderous roar.

It was a waterfall, nestled within a mountain ravine—one that flowed year-round, even in autumn and winter. The sound of the rushing water constantly echoed through the eastern foothills of the Armis Mountains.

A treasure trove!

This was the perfect place to build the Hanging Garden!

For Bruno, the greatest challenge in constructing the Hanging Garden was not manpower or building materials—it was the water supply system!

Bruno wasn't a physics expert, nor was he all-knowing. Without a golden finger (cheat-like ability), even as a transmigrator, he would likely have been just an ordinary man.

Thus, in this world, he couldn't create things like hand pumps or water-lifting devices, nor did he understand how the Hanging Gardens of Earth managed to transport sufficient water from the ground to high altitudes despite being far from rivers.

So, Bruno's idea was simple—build by the mountain!

The cascading waterfall solved his water supply problem, and as for the stone needed for construction, it could be mined directly from the Armis Mountains!

Manpower was even less of a concern for Bruno. As the sole noble of Idar City, he had the right to command all the serfs in the territory.

Moreover, since it was deep winter and there was no need for farming, he could mobilize a large number of serfs to build his Hanging Garden!

At last, there was hope!

Just then, a series of neatly arranged pop-up windows suddenly flooded Bruno's vision one after another.

[Terrain Recorded Successfully—]

[Wonder Model Completed—]

[Would You Like to Confirm This as the Construction Site?]

A hidden function?!

Bruno was both shocked and delighted.

Confirm!

With a single thought, a flowchart-like interface appeared in the upper left corner of his vision.

[Location Confirmed] → [Blueprint Generation in Progress]

93%...

99%...

For a moment, Bruno seemed to hear a soft "ding" beside his ear, and at some point, a slightly weighty roll of parchment had appeared in his hands.

[Hanging Garden Construction Blueprint] Loaded Successfully!

[Note: The system will evaluate the wonder's completion and grandeur to determine the final reward.]

Bruno raised his hand, staring at the parchment scroll in his grip, murmuring, "This must be… the blueprint…"

With a mix of nervousness and excitement, he unrolled the parchment…

As expected, it was filled with sketches—

A dense network of lines covered the blueprints, yet they were not chaotic at all. Instead, they were meticulously organized and structured.

Bruno couldn't fully understand the specifics of the construction diagrams, but he could clearly tell that the building depicted was grand and magnificent…

His original plan of simply throwing together something random was now completely out the window…

"I will build a garden here!" Bruno took a deep breath and declared loudly in front of the roaring waterfall.

"A garden? This place isn't too far from Idar City. If the Earl truly wishes to build a garden here, it would be a fine place for leisure visits!" Shabby quickly chimed in.

"I'm going to build a very, very large garden… So, tell me, how much gold and manpower can we spare?" Bruno asked.

"You needn't worry, my lord. This year, you haven't squandered too much—ah, I mean, there should be a significant surplus. I'm sure the old steward can allocate enough funds for the project!" Shabi replied.

"You see," Bruno gestured at the lake, the waterfall, and the vast forest clearing before them. "All of this—it's all going to be part of it. Look, I even have the blueprints!"

With that, he handed the parchment scroll to Shabby.

"Actually, my lord, you really don't have to worry. Our territory's gold has always been… Ah, this…"

Shabi respectfully accepted the blueprint, casually unfurling it and giving it a quick glance. Then—

His eyes widened, staring intently at the blueprint in his hands.

Though he, like Bruno, couldn't fully understand the technical aspects, he knew one thing for sure—constructing such a building would be enormously expensive…

This blueprint was different from his lord's previous antics. The level of detail in the annotations alone showed that this was a well-thought-out plan…

He never expected this!

His lord had been quiet for so long. He had thought the Earl had finally matured, but in reality, he had been secretly preparing a massive scheme!

"Thud!"

Shabi fell to his knees beside Bruno, his face twisted in misery. "My lord… Our little earldom truly cannot afford such extravagance…"