Archie sat in his room, deeply focused on cultivation.
Despite making significant progress, he hadn't yet tested his combat prowess, leaving him uncertain about how well he compared to others at his level.
Finishing his thoughts, he began outlining an urban development plan for the island's surrounding cities.
Intrigued by the designs, the system inquired, "Host, what is the point in building so many of these houses so closely together?"
Archie replied, "What if I told you that the housing crisis is at the core of many other crises, such as poverty, homelessness, inequality, public health, economic stagnation, cost of living, population decline, high crime rates, and low education standards?"
The system asked in wonder, "Why are all of these issues linked to housing?"
Archie placed the blueprints in his hands on the table and explained, "Housing is the backbone of a free society. Solving the housing crisis can, in turn, alleviate these interconnected problems, and to achieve that, you need to construct more houses."
He added, "A report in my past life estimated that the housing crisis is the single worst thing to ever happen to the economy of England since the black death."
"If my homeland had built enough housing for everyone, the GDP would have been estimated to be 74% larger."
"That's why I've chosen to have our kingdom treat housing as commodities rather than hoarded treasures. Not doing so is kneecapping your own economy."
"Building more houses will resolve all these issues, haha." Archie laughed, applying the lessons he'd learned from his past life to avoid the mistakes made by Earth's world leaders.
(A/N: This is factual information, check out the well-explained case study by Britmonkey on YouTube for more details: "The Housing Crisis is the Everything Crisis.")
With this, Archie finished up the plan and headed to his father's study to present the proposal.
Archie sat down and said, "Dad, with these infrastructure projects, our kingdom's transportation efficiency will improve. Citizens will become more productive, no longer needing to waste time on lengthy, burdensome commutes to work," he explained.
He continued, "It will also significantly reduce poverty and crime, making our kingdom stand out and enticing immigrants from overseas to settle down on the island."
"Hmm."
Henry pondered, 'He has truly grown intelligent. By addressing one issue, he's effectively addressed several others simultaneously.'
After thinking for some time, Henry said, "Very well. But what's the purpose of these pathways between the buildings you're planning? Are they for carriages?" Henry inquired, intrigued by the planning details.
Archie responded, "They are intended for future use. Don't worry, they will serve a purpose."
Not dwelling on it further, Henry decided, "Alright, I'll approve this proposal. I'll dispatch Earth Mages with you to begin the construction immediately."
"Thank you, Dad."
Archie left the study and summoned Lilly and Mars.
They quickly made their way to Archie's bedroom.
"Yes, young master," they both replied.
Archie issued his instructions: "We'll be building walls around the Royal Palace's fortress. I would like to keep peace of mind and be assured that they are secure behind my walls, so call in the earth mages my father has assigned."
"Yes!" Lilly responded as she hurried to carry out her task.
Mars, feeling uncertain, asked nervously, "Young master, what should I do? I'm still too weak to be of much help to you at the moment."
Understanding his concern, Archie reassured him, "You don't need to worry about that. You are my companion, and naturally, you will need to gain various experiences to build a solid knowledge foundation. For now, simply follow me and assist where you can."
Archie smiled and offered words of encouragement, easing Mars's mind.
Mars nodded, feeling a bit better.
…
Leaving the palace, they reached the perimeter of the royal palace territory.
Archie began to lay the foundation for the walls, his father had provided him with a considerable number of high-level earth mages, making the transportation of soil and stones an easy process.
Archie directed the mages to dig down 100 meters and create a 50-meter-wide foundation for the walls.
These walls would encircle the entire territory, measuring 50km by 50km.
This was no easy project, and as two weeks passed, the entire outline had been completed.
There were a total of four rings, forming a star shape based on the bastion forts from his past life.
The distance between the outermost wall ring and the third wall ring was 30km, serving as a buffer zone for defense in case of a breach.
The third and second wall rings were 10km apart and intended for the residence of the royal knights and their families. Archie planned to design a small city for the staff and their families, given the considerable distance between the Royal Palace and the closest city, Avalonia, which was 100km away.
The district between the second and first wall rings was 5km wide and designated for some of the nobles and administrative ministers, making it a highly guarded area.
The innermost walls were reserved for the Royal family, with the space inside the walls utilized exclusively by the family, including gardens, private farms, guest houses, and more.
Archie inspected the outlines with satisfaction and then ordered, "Fill the holes with a mixture of rocks and mana crystals."
Archie intended to reinforce the walls with mana crystals to enhance their structural integrity.
Another two weeks passed, and the holes were filled to the brim, with an extra 500-meter-tall pile of rocks and mana crystals reaching into the sky.
With the foundation complete and all the materials in place, it was time for Archie to apply his creation magic.
Archie approached the wall, placing his hands on the rocks and using his imagination to create sturdy, cool-looking walls. The end result was a massive section of the rock piles transformed into a wall 500 meters tall, 50 meters wide, and 100 meters deep.
The group of mages behind him couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.
One of them exclaimed, "Did His Highness, at the age of 10, really manage to accomplish this? He's truly incredible!"
He wasn't alone in his amazement, cheers erupted at the display of the crown prince's abilities.
With that, Archie continued to work around the foundation for one month, including the three interior rings, shaping a mighty wall of incredible size.
Henry and Reina joined Archie at the top of the inner wall, gazing out as they admired the enormous walls encircling them.
"Archie, you truly are incredible," his father praised, embracing him.
Reina commented, "These are certainly larger than the ones in the empire. I wonder how my brother would react to this, haha."
Archie replied, "This won't be the only one, this is just the beginning of the improvements we'll be making."
They stood in silence, imagining the future ahead of them, their arms intertwined as they held each other.