It was day one.
We've begun to construction process but the method they had were not what I had expected.
They didn't dig down and built a foundation but instead, they had only started stacking the bricks atop each other on a barely flattened surface.
This explains why most of the old residential brick houses had collapsed. Their ways of the building were wrong in so many ways.
The lumber frames were correct and were nailed together to shape the house but they were also laid on the barely flat surface.
The residents were wondering how we were able to get such cleanly cut stone bricks when their old resources could barely even be straight.
There was no merit in keeping it a secret but after I've told them that it was with the use of magic, I had to refrain them from spreading the ideas of such.
I had also started to gather straws and wood for future production. It will be useful for producing food even in the abrupt winters.
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It was the fifth day.
I've implemented a new way of building as making frames could only use too much lumber. I was trying to scarcely use it as it was still winter and most of the wood would go to current houses, providing heat for days.
If we both use the lumber in construction and heat at the same time, we'll have to gather wood in a rather far place which would take time.
Jai had a rather sturdy body as the cold never bothered her, but the laborers would have a hard time carrying woods from one place to another in the snowstorms.
The new way of construction that I implemented, was a roof and floor framing instead of framing the whole house.
It also includes pinning the four corner foundations five meters under the ground for stability.
This method would provide both sturdiness and stability to the house.
It was then the bricks would come to action. Three bricks are under the ground to start, then stacked upon each other to build the walls of the house.
I've almost forgotten about the adhesive or cement but it seems like the ones in charge of the constructions already had a better way to make the bricks cohesive with each other.
It was through their magic, mending them together while retaining the look it had.
It was something they came up with themselves. Even I didn't think of it myself but they kept giving me gratitude for teaching them the fundamentals.
I don't know but in just a short span of days, they became fanatics of what they did and started thinking of better ideas to shape their creations.
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It was the tenth day.
The houses were rebuilt and the roofs were the only ones left needed for a finishing touch.
They were all covered up in dried tall grass and planks but we needed to use something that would last for more than what we needed.
It was just an idea, but I had the assigned team of Earth Magic users create and cut a stone that is slightly in an arc that is narrow from the top then wider at the bottom.
It was just within a few hours of requesting it, they had created something like that could work. It was enough and before I could even say so myself, they've begun mass-producing it.
On the side of production, I've taught the residents capable of farming to grow white mushrooms.
This was the knowledge that I was able to retain after watching a few documentaries whenever I had to force myself to sleep on some occasions.
At first, they were confused at the terms I've used such as substrate and pasteurize, but they were able to catch on pretty quick.
As expected for them who had been farming for years.
All we needed were some straw and wood. The resources we stocked away before to use to this very day.
"Aren't most mushrooms dangerous?"
The residents questioned it, but just like they said, most of them are poisonous, but not some of them.
Especially when you are growing it yourself in a controlled environment, it would be safer and less contaminated.
Not to mention that this product requires less extravagant materials. I answered them as so.
It was the question 'how' that came after then. I expected it but what I was about to disclose was otherworldly knowledge that will require me to risk my own identity.
I had to come up with a reason for that but I didn't think I would have to use that one.
"I've received a Revelation from the Goddess herself. She said that from a grain of rye, shall bear another harvest."
I was well aware that prying nor doubting revelations from Goddesses in this world would be an offense but I was rather confident that I wouldn't get smited by her.
I never got to know such God's name but it was important as there were far too many Gods worshipped here, just like in our world.
The residents bought such a trick, but Lilith rather had her stern eye on me.
Did it fail to trick her? Did she know that it was a lie?
I was nervously risking it but just as she spoke, she had other things on her mind.
"What do you think about her? Was she beautiful?" she asked with her arms crossed.
She was asking the appearance of a Goddess, it would be no doubt so glamorous and beautiful that anyone would fall to her charms.
However, I for one was never swayed by mere appearances.
I could even grow annoyed by the faces of those good-looking people as I never had the chance to even one myself.
In any case, every time I use that reason, I felt like Lilith's glares become sharper and sharper every time.
I should use it less often from now on.
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Three weeks had passed.
The houses were completely done and all the residents had their houses repaired.
There were a bunch of new houses being constructed that stretched to the ride side of the town. I had them continue the work and get two days of rest on the weekends.
While extra houses were being worked at, I had taught the others how to produce mycelium.
Mycelium was a kind of fungus that is mostly edible.
There were simple yet extensive steps.
One, I had them rinse jars of grains until the water was clear. It was all done in one large warehouse dedicated to such products and it was sterilized to keep the contaminants away.
We had let it soak in water for 12 hours. This was to have the contaminants in the grain sprout and make them more susceptible to be killed in sterilization.
Then the next step would take cooking them to make the grains further absorb more water and swell. This also makes it soft and easier for the mycelium to digest.
After cooking it, we'd have to dry it and ready it for sterilization.
The jars were cleaned thoroughly and we covered them with layers of clothes and leather to all the exchange of gas.
This way, the contaminants won't be able to go in while allowing the grains to breathe.
With this, all we need was to wait.
A month later, the projects for the extra houses were done, yet there were no immigrants ready to settle here.
Winter had already gone and our food was already at its minimum.
We would have to buy another wagon of it with seeds along with it.
While I supervised most of the things in this small town, I had to formulate counters about the weather.
The sudden winters were too unusual if I were to say but they said it had been like that since five years ago.
I've been drop by drop producing water for the residents, they were thankful for it but there were still some that doubted me.
This was slow but steady progress for me yet I cared less for those who didn't want to believe. I had no time to fumble myself around them.
I could control the weather with my imagination but just as Lilith said, there were multiple dangers in doing so with just pure imagination.
I could risk depleting myself if my visualization was interrupted or changed, causing the spell to rely on mana instead which was way below the required.
I couldn't take any chances, and so I had to wait until I had enough mana to be able to try again.
One month and two weeks, the new houses were done. We had to stop there as the minimum resources needed for the houses barely meet our stocks.
Our lumber supplies were saved with the winter ending earlier than expected before. It was just a miracle we had stocked just enough for emergencies.
The forest near us was completely depleted, transferring the logs from far away would take time, and thus I had some laborers to work on it with the help of one Earth Magic-user.
Sasha and the others were able to save a merchant that had intended to cross the distance between Bolo and the Capital of Hestia when they were traveling to trade at the nearby city.
His carriage was pinned down by bandits but the maids were able to act just in time. They went back bloodied, I couldn't even tell if it was theirs or the enemies.
In any case, I was supposed to not be able to bear seeing guts all over them, but I felt fine.
This may be something that they call body conditioning that comes along with the increase of mana, scaling at each level.
I had met the merchant but for him to be shocked at my mere appearance was unaccounted for, he fainted a few moments after.
Are people here this sensitive?
The next day after that, he was able to calm down, but he said something in the lines of:
"I-I just didn't expect someone of your level to exist even in this era of heroes."
Someone of my caliber? Was I too weak even with this amount of mana? I'm nearing the requirement to become a Water Saint though, what gives?
"I know I said that you needed to increase your mana but... your mana is almost as large as the Hero. It's already... enough."
It was Lilith who said that, but her voice and expression doesn't match. She looks unsurprised and rather dismayed(?)
Did I already reach the requirements long ago?
This means I can now dispel the snowstorms bugging this town and provide rain when needed.
This is a dramatic change, the residents must prepare themselves for the work I will be giving them soon.
Before he left, the merchant gave us some kind of medallion, it was for some kind of token of gratitude, and told us that whenever we go to the capital, we can show it to the royal guards we will reap its benefits.
Not that I have plans in going anytime soon.
It has been five months and three weeks.
Our production of mushrooms has been booming since a month ago. It was growing quicker than expected and with one that tested it, they said it tasted just like grain.
I didn't know exactly how mushrooms taste on their own back in my world but as long as they were edible and had no long-lasting bad effects, it was fine.
I had the residents prepare the farming lands 15 days ago and today was the time they began to plant wheat, but I was unaware that there were residents that had preserved soybeans until the day comes for Hellsburg again.
The farmers I had assigned to the lands were overjoyed by it, saying that soybeans could be double-cropped with wheat.
They said that soybeans reduce weeds and have a faster yield.
I'm not particularly knowledgeable on that space but I'll leave it to their discretion.
The town was gradually largening by itself, and the production of both food and types of furniture had begun to automate themselves without prior help from me.
It was time for me to focus on the other things.
Maybe a bit of magic practice would be good.
Somehow whenever I do use mana to use magic, they get depleted immediately, causing me great fatigue but not too extreme that it would reverse effects.
Maybe I was just too focused on the output and not the process.
It was then later I learned, when I met Lilith, she had described my mana to be as large as a lake, breaking into a cold sweat while saying it.
I had no one to compare my power to but maybe I'm already reaching the peak.
Eight months have passed.
The maids and the residents began to avoid me. Whenever I go closer to them, they all feel weakened or fatigued.
This is absurd. Do I smell funny? Does cleaning with magic not eliminate smell?
I'm sure I always washed with clean and fragrant water.
"M-My liege, your incredibly vast mana is leaking. It's making everyone unconsciously become overwhelmed by it."
It was just then that Marcus had said it to me. He was even visibly and audibly struggling to stand beside me as his legs shook.
Was it that bad?
However, opposite to Marcus, Lilith was able to go close to me without feeling anything. O was confused at first and then she began to explain.
"You must stop expanding your mana any longer and start suppressing it."
She said to me while we were standing away from the city.
I felt like I was just outcasted but the radius of effect was indeed just large enough and so I had to comply.
I asked why would I stop increasing my mana.
"Wasn't it the premise of getting stronger?"
She called me an idiot for that one.
"No, if you keep this up. You'll explode! No human can normally hold that kind of mana."
Ack! The way she worded that scared me. I don't want to explode nor even if that wasn't true, I couldn't risk myself.
In any case, if this is the peak, then following her advice would be for the better.
Neither did I know, that time that I spent would flash so fast by. That from a small village, the land that my father owned became a town once again.