Chapter 6: A Bloody Incident Triggered by a Loaf of Bread
Constructing the Hanging Gardens was bound to be a massive undertaking, requiring enormous amounts of manpower, resources, and finances. It wasn't just about the expenditure of money—more crucially, it was about the scarcity of materials.
A large workforce demands a large supply of food, and food is undoubtedly the most precious resource during the winter. The daily consumption needed for hundreds or even thousands of serfs would be a considerable amount, and such a project certainly wouldn't be completed in just a few days.
With countless workers gathering in the Almis Mountains, temporary shelters would need to be built, which in turn would require vast amounts of lumber. This would necessitate sufficient manpower for logging. Food would need to be transported, supplies delivered, and the gathered serfs effectively managed. All of this required a large workforce and substantial funds.
Thus, a project like this would involve numerous aspects, and for a mere county like this, it would indeed stretch its resources thin.
Bruno was well aware of the difficulties he faced, but he had no choice. After all, this was just the first task given to him by the system! If he couldn't even complete this, how could he possibly call himself a transmigrator? That would be a disgrace to the countless transmigrators who came before him!
Shabi clung tightly to Bruno's leg, his face full of pleading, hoping Bruno would reconsider as soon as possible. If the old butler learned that Bruno had come up with such a wasteful idea under his watch, he would surely have Shabi flayed alive!
"My Lord, though our household occasionally has some surplus, it cannot sustain such a grand project... This is the Stuart family's legacy, built over generations..." Shabi pleaded earnestly.
Like many of the other servants, Shabi's family had served the Stuart family for generations, with his ancestors beginning their service under Bruno's great-grandfather. His loyalty to Bruno was unquestionable. Therefore, when he heard that Bruno intended to embark on such an outrageous venture, the attending guards and servants all dropped to their knees, hoping their lord would reconsider. After all, if the Stuart family suffered losses, they too would lose their livelihood. It was a case of shared prosperity and shared ruin.
"Silence!" Bruno commanded through gritted teeth, raising his voice to drown out the surrounding cries. "It's just a garden! What is there to complain about? If it can't be built quickly, we'll build it slowly. If a thousand people are too many, we'll use a hundred. Do you really think the Stuart family's centuries-old foundation could be ruined by something as trivial as a garden?"
Hearing Bruno's words, Shabi was momentarily stunned. It seemed the Count had actually listened to their pleas after all...
"The Count is indeed a wise man! To think he would even come up with the brilliant idea of building it slowly... M-My Lord! My Lord, look over there!"
Shabi, who had been clinging to Bruno's leg and showering him with flattery, suddenly noticed something out of the corner of his eye. His gaze caught sight of a large loaf of white bread floating out of a guard's backpack, hovering and swaying in mid-air...
When Bruno heard Shabi's exclamation, he turned around just in time to see the loaf of bread drifting in the air.
I must be seeing things, Bruno thought in disbelief, rubbing his eyes.
"Shing—"
In an instant, the accompanying guards drew their swords, aiming them directly at the floating bread.
"Is this... magic?"
Though Bruno had only been in this world for a few days, he was already aware of the existence of magic. He quickly realized that what was happening before him was likely some sort of magical occurrence.
The loaf of bread seemed to realize it had been noticed and suddenly stopped moving, hovering still in mid-air.
Moments passed, and just as everyone thought the incident was over, there was a sudden "biu" sound. The loaf of bread shot like an arrow, darting into the nearby forest with incredible speed.
"Chase it!"
The lead guard, eager to prove his abilities in this rare opportunity, immediately charged into the forest.
By the time Bruno snapped out of his daze, he realized that only Shabi—still clinging to his leg and trembling—remained by his side.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Come back! Come back and protect me!"
But it was too late; the guards had already disappeared into the forest, too far to hear Bruno's shouts.
"Damn it!" Bruno kicked the helpless Shabi aside in frustration, cursing under his breath. "When we get back, I'm definitely going to discipline those guards. Don't they know that protecting me is their first and foremost duty as personal guards?"
"Don't worry, my lord! You've still got me!" Shabi finally managed to stand, wobbling as he rubbed his sore knees, flashing a sycophantic smile.
Bruno glanced at him coldly and said, "You'd better start thinking about how to organize the manure collection when we return..."
"..."
Before long, the guards who had dashed into the forest finally returned, much to Bruno's relief.
"We have successfully captured the culprit!" the lead guard reported, bowing respectfully to Bruno.
"I don't care who you caught!" Bruno shouted angrily. "Didn't you notice that I was left completely unguarded? From now on, remember that my safety is your top priority!"
Yes, that must have been the original Bruno's personality...
After getting scolded by Bruno, the guards who had been feeling rather pleased with themselves suddenly wore glum expressions. Great, not only was their reward out of the question, but they'd be lucky to escape punishment.
After venting his frustration, Bruno finally took a closer look at the unfortunate soul the guards had dragged back.
The captive was a young man, probably in his early twenties. Although his light purple clothing had been torn to shreds by the guards, it was clear that it had once been of fine quality. His face was smeared with dirt, and a patch of dried blood marked his scalp, but beneath the grime, his features were refined, suggesting he wasn't from an ordinary background.
At some point, Shabi had fetched a large bucket of icy lake water, which he now dumped unceremoniously over the young man. The shock of the cold water jolted the young man awake, his eyes snapping open in terror as he glanced nervously around at the people surrounding him.
Trying to muster some courage, he finally stammered out in a trembling voice, "I am a noble mage! You cannot... treat me this way!"
"Oh? Then tell me, how should I treat you?" Bruno replied, a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"You..."
"Mage? You're nothing but a common thief!" Bruno cut him off sharply.
The disheveled mage's eyes widened. "How dare you slander me like this..."
"Didn't you steal that loaf of bread?" Bruno shot back.
The young man's face flushed red as he loudly defended himself, "I was just hungry... I only took a little food. Can a mage's actions really be considered theft?" He then launched into a string of incomprehensible terms, babbling about "levitation spells," "fireball casting," and "noble mage apprentices," which sent the onlookers into fits of laughter. The forest clearing echoed with their amusement.
Bruno, having no patience for such nonsense, took a few steps forward and landed a hard punch right on the young mage's face.
"Ow!"
The mage cried out in pain. Bruno's punch was forceful enough to draw blood, leaving the young man clutching his nose as he complained loudly:
"%#%￥￥%￥…"
Before he could say more, he passed out completely.