Chapter 9: The Plan

[STATISTICS]

[AUTHORITY LEVEL: Commoners (400/1500 XP)]

[STRENGTH: D (0/1500 XP)]

[COUNTRY: Small Village (Money: 0/10,000, Villagers: 5/25)]

[SUPPORT: (Public: 95/100(%), Politics: 0/100(%))]

[Congratulations! Your Public Support has increased by 10%]

"Boss, if we build a house with a fireplace, I doubt we can finish it within two months. Especially making that many bricks—it will take a lot of time. I'm worried we'll get rained on at night," Kael said during the discussion about the house.

No one responded right away. After all, among everyone in the forest, Kael was the only one who truly understood construction.

"How about we build a wooden house first, and then later move on to a stone house? In theory, we can finish a wooden house in twenty-five days. But I'll try to at least get the roof up within ten days. I'll make sure we have shelter first."

Darren liked the idea. He was starting to worry that they might get sick from sleeping in the open. Especially since they didn't have a proper place to cook—just a campfire that wasn't reliable at all. Kael was right—they needed a comfortable place to sleep, safe from the rain.

"Alright, I agree. Let's start with a wooden house. Building with bricks is our long-term goal, but we need to be realistic—it won't be done as fast as we need it. I like your idea, Kael," Darren responded, nodding. "What would be a good size for this house? Is seven by seven meters big enough?"

"Seems too small, Boss. Right now we only have Rich as a guest, but if you want to make this place more lively, I'd suggest something larger. Maybe seven by ten meters," Evan offered, suggesting a wider space that could fit more people.

Elric raised his hand, looking like he wanted to say something. "I'd suggest something even bigger. We don't have a stove for cooking yet. We'll need a kitchen, right?"

"Right, we need a bigger place. One that can house at least twenty people. A large house also gives us more room to store food or supplies," Cal agreed with Elric.

"How about ten by ten meters?" Leon suggested softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "That seems big enough for twenty-five people."

"And we'd still have room for a stove. We could cook and stay warm in the same space. That would be a great multipurpose area," Darren agreed. "Evan, please summarize the morning meeting's decision."

"Yes, Boss," Evan responded.

"So, instead of an inn, you're planning to build a trader's community?" Rich asked suddenly—something Darren hadn't thought of yet. "When I think about it again, building an inn would cost a lot. Especially with all the bricks you'd need. It'd take a lot of effort."

"Building a traders' community sounds fun too. Thanks for the idea, Rich. I'm sure everyone will be happy if merchants like you visit more often," Darren replied before returning to the topic of their first house.

"Kael, if we're building a house that's ten by ten meters, how many wooden planks will we need?" Darren asked, focusing again on their planning.

Kael didn't answer right away. He mumbled to himself while looking up and moving his hands like he was calculating something. He was estimating the number of planks they'd need.

"For a house that big, I'd say we need around seven hundred planks. If we cut trees with a diameter of thirty to forty centimeters, we'll need around twelve trees," Kael said. Darren never doubted Kael's construction skills. He seemed like an expert even though his job wasn't in construction.

Suddenly, strange sounds made everyone go silent. This was the forest—Darren suspected a tiger or lion might be nearby. The sounds grew louder, meaning the animal was getting closer.

"Deer. There are two deer," Cal whispered just before the animals disappeared back into the forest. "They went into the woods."

"Should we catch them?" Darren asked, but they couldn't—they didn't have bows. "Forget it. Our priority is to find trees for our first house. For now, we'll have to stick with fish and apples. But I'll find a way to get more food once the house is done next month."

"Living in this place doesn't give us many choices, Boss. But don't worry—we're loyal workers," Elric said, making Darren smile. He was tired of eating the same food, too. But they needed to finish the house first. After that, everyone could focus on their tasks based on their skills.

"Alright, I'll divide the work for us all. We have three tasks, and we'll split into three groups. Group one will measure the land for the house. Group two will look for suitable trees. Group three will clear the building area of weeds and grass."

"Kael will measure the land, but he needs one partner, so he's not doing everything alone. Anyone want to help Kael?" Darren asked.

"Me, Boss. My hand still hurts, and I probably won't be able to lift heavy trees in the forest," Leon said. He was right—Darren assigned him to a lighter task.

"Who wants to search for trees?" Elric and Evan raised their hands at the same time. Perfect.

"I'd also like to look for medicinal herbs, Boss. So I'll go with Evan," Elric said. Darren nodded. That left only him and Cal to clear the area of grass.

"Sorry, I can't help, Your Highness," Rich said before they got up. "I'm still not feeling well. And these wounds haven't fully healed yet. May I stay and rest here?"

Seeing how uncomfortable Rich looked, Darren felt sympathy. Rich was their guest. He should've had a roof over his head—if only Darren hadn't been so stubborn, insisting on finding a better place. All he needed to do was survive here.

"We consider you a guest, Rich. You should've had a house by now. Sorry, we made you sleep under the stars. We're lucky it didn't rain—otherwise, it would've been a disaster," Darren said before standing up.

"But I want to repay everyone's kindness. I don't have much money, but maybe some of the items I sell could help you, Your Highness," Rich replied. Darren turned quickly—he remembered the items Rich had in his cart, which he'd accidentally touched last night. Rich was right—those items could be useful. "Please, take my goods from the cart, Your Highness. Use as much as you need."