Chapter 37: The Hanging Garden, Completed!

A new year, a new beginning.

Seven days after the New Year's banquet, Bruno finally returned to the construction site of the Hanging Garden.

With the help of the floating magic array, a supernatural force, the first great wonder built in the Idar Territory the Hanging Garden was finally completed.

Aside from Bruno, nearly all the officials of Idar City who had free time, including Old Ford and Shabi, came to witness this historic moment.

Old Ford stared at the grand structure before him, feeling both excitement and sorrow.

He was excited because the Hanging Garden was finally completed, meaning Idar no longer needed to spend nearly a thousand gold coins each month on construction. He estimated that the next month's treasury income would see a significant increase.

But he also felt sorrowful thousands of precious gold coins had vanished in an instant, transforming into a seemingly impractical Hanging Garden. The sheer expense made his heart ache.

Meanwhile, under the guidance of White Barrel, Bruno eagerly toured the Hanging Garden.

Although he had seen the blueprints before, he wasn't an architecture expert in his past life, and the dense, intricate lines often left him feeling disoriented.

But the actual Hanging Garden before him far exceeded his expectations.

The main structure of the wonder was supported by dozens of 25 meter high, light-white marble columns. It consisted of four levels and stood quietly amidst the forests at the foothills of Armis Mountain.

The Hanging Garden leaned against a steep cliff, beside which a waterfall cascaded down, forming a vast lake to the northeast of the garden.

The Hanging Garden leaned against a steep cliff, beside which a waterfall cascaded down, forming a vast lake to the northeast of the garden.

The significant difference in elevation filled the gap in the irrigation system. Workers and serfs could directly draw water from the waterfall's peak for irrigation, saving considerable effort and time.

Serfs also dug an artificial river surrounding the Hanging Garden, allowing crystal-clear lake water to flow through its lowest level, creating a scenic touch.

The artificial river varied in width, reaching dozens of meters at its widest and narrowing to just three meters in some places. Small wooden sailboats could leisurely drift along its waters.

The nameless lake beside the Hanging Garden was already connected to the river that flowed downstream into Idar City. This meant that one could set sail from the Hanging Garden and travel downstream to reach Idar City directly.

Most of the garden's vegetation was transplanted from the Armis Mountains, but a small portion of exotic plants had been specially brought from the empire's western and central regions by the salt merchant, Cario, at Bruno's request.

That winter, Cario visited Idar twice, not only purchasing large quantities of sugar and sea salt but also delivering rare flowers from the western empire for Bruno.

Concerns like invasive species or different soil conditions were not Bruno's priority at the moment. His main focus was building and enhancing the grandeur of the Hanging Garden as much as possible.

The massive sale of sea salt and sugar greatly alleviated Idar's financial strain, ensuring the garden's construction continued smoothly.

The architectural style of the Hanging Garden was largely inspired by ancient Babylon. While it differed from the Norman Empire's traditional medieval architecture, it had a unique charm of its own.

All the sculptures and carvings within the garden were the masterpieces of the great sculptor Andy and his seven apprentices.

Although Andy initially wanted to handle all the carving himself, the enormous scale of the Hanging Garden made this impossible. Even if he worked tirelessly without rest, he wouldn't have been able to complete it on time.

Therefore, while Andy personally crafted the core structures, some peripheral courtyards and statues were left to his apprentices.

However, even though they were just apprentices, their craftsmanship already surpassed that of many so-called master sculptors.

The entrance of the garden was adorned with the Norman Empire's eagle emblem, symbolizing noble authority. Purple silk banners flanked the emblem, contrasting beautifully with the lush greenery around, making the scene look like a celestial paradise.

The garden featured lifelike sculptures, vibrant flower beds, towering marble columns, exquisite fountains, tranquil pools, and intricate courtyards. These elements combined to make the Hanging Garden feel like a divine wonder descending upon the mortal realm—worthy of its title as a great wonder.

[Mission 1: Build the Hanging Garden (Progress: 100%)]

[The Hanging Garden has been completed. Confirm completion? If further expansion or renovation is needed, select 'No.' If fully completed, select 'Yes.']

As Bruno finished his tour of the Hanging Garden, utterly mesmerized by its beauty, a familiar golden dialogue box suddenly appeared in his vision.

After a brief moment of consideration, Bruno chose to confirm completion.

After all, the Hanging Garden had already surpassed his expectations, and at this moment, he had neither the resources nor the energy to enhance it further.

[Recording the wonder—]

[Wonder model successfully recorded. System initiating rating process.]

As the system processed the evaluation, Bruno walked to a terrace on the fourth level of the garden. From there, he could see the distant silhouette of Idar City.

Please, don't let the system reward disappoint me!

Ever since he arrived in this world, every step Bruno had taken was for the sake of completing the Hanging Garden. If the reward for constructing this wonder was lackluster, it would be a massive letdown…

Finally, the system finished analyzing the wonder…

[Wonder Name: Babylon's Hanging Garden (also known as "The Hanging Garden")]

[Wonder Completion Rating: SSS]

[Wonder Coordinates: Northwest Idar Territory, Exeter Province, Norman Empire]

[Wonder Description: According to legend, the Hanging Garden was built by King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon for his homesick queen, Amytis…]

[Wonder Effects: All serfs and commoners in Stuart family territories gain a 15% increase in work efficiency, and agricultural yields increase by 15%.]

Then, a rapid series of notifications followed…

[Mission Reward: 150 'Glory Points']

[Hard Work Reward: 10 'Glory Points']

[Wonder Codex Generated—]

[System Store Unlocked—]

Setting aside the newly unlocked system store and the obtained Glory Points for now, just the Hanging Garden's wonder effect alone nearly made Bruno shout in excitement!

A 15% boost in work efficiency for serfs and commoners, plus a 15% increase in grain production—who said the Hanging Garden was useless?

This was a farmer's dream come true!

Whoever said wonders weakened a nation clearly had no idea.

This is the path to prosperity! Wonders strengthen nations!