Chapter Nine: Building a future

I finished my morning routine and started heading outside towards the front of the manor. The people from yesterday were waiting out front for their punishment. There were also some guards, Godfrey, his son, and... Mary? Why is she here with them?

After looking at her a little closer, I see her eyes are fixed on something. I walk up behind her without her realizing it and look in the direction she is looking. Her eyes were locked on Godfrey's son. I guess she has a thing for him or something.

I walk over to her and tap her on the shoulder. "What are you looking at, Mary?" She somewhat stumbles. "Nothing... Lenka." Her face starts to get red, and she clearly tries not to look at him again. I think this is the first time I saw her lose composure, and with that expression of hers, it's pretty clear she has a crush on him.

Well, it's none of my concern, but I guess I could help her a little after all my previous self put her through. Not that I know anything about romance or crushes. "Mary, why don't you join us. We could use an extra hand."

"No, I couldn't. I have too much work that I need to do." That's a lie. I am fully aware that her workload has been cut in half ever since Kate took over caring for me. I look over at Godfrey, who is talking to his guards and son. "Hey, Godfrey!"

He turns and looks over at me. I then gesture for him to come over. He and his son start walking over here. Mary starts trying to compose herself. "What is it, my lady?" I sighed. "Godfrey, please drop the my lady' part and just use my name."

"I understand my..." He gives a slight cough. "I understand, Lenka." "Now that that's settled. Godfrey, don't you think Mary should join us?" He looks at her and then thinks for a second. "I don't think..." I elbow him in the side, then shoot glances at his son and Mary.

He looks at me and then nods, understanding what I am getting at. "Oh, right, that sounds... like an excellent idea. We definitely could use her." He sounded very forced, almost like he had never lied before. "Yeah, that's a great idea. I've heard that you're a good cook, Mary." Godfrey's son said.

Mary started losing her composure. "I..I...I only help my mother with cooking. I don't really cook that much." Godfrey's son gives a slight chuckle. "Well, it can't be any worse than my dad's cooking," Godfrey smacks him on the back of the head. "You little..." Mary starts to laugh. "Okay, I will join you then, Leon." Well, I finally learned Godfrey's son's name, and at least this forced labor trip will be somewhat lively.

I stand on top of a crate that was placed in front of the crowd of people. Behind me were Kate, Mary, Godfrey, and Leon. Before me were the guards and the people, silently waiting for their punishment. "Listen up. Today, we will be going outside the city to mine and dig. All of you will be provided with the necessary tools to do the job. You will work until sunset, and I will allow you a one-hour break for lunch. I will give you more instructions when we arrive at our destination. With that, all of you board the carriages."

There were several carriages brought to the manor. They were typically used for delivering food and supplies, but today, they will move all of us to the dig site. The carriage that I will be taking is different. It would look bad for a noble to not ride in their fancy personal carriage. Not that I really care for noble elegance, but at least it was a lot more roomy and more comfortable than the other ones.

The carriage is fully enclosed, featuring windows, a door, padded benches, and curtains. I step inside and take a seat on the padded bench. Kate follows me in and takes a seat right next to me. Her tail was starting to wag, and she had a big smile on her face. Why is she so excited to do hard labor?

Mary begins to step inside, but then I stop her. "Mary, why don't you ride up front so that you can learn how to drive a carriage?" Mary looks at me, confused. "Why would I..." Then Godfrey cuts her off. "What a splendid idea. My son will teach everything." "But I..." Godfrey ignored her and gently escorted Mary to the front.

On his way back, he winks at me and gives me a thumbs-up. "What was that about?" Kate asked, "Don't worry about it." As I said, I petted her head. It was a bad habit of mine, but I couldn't help it; she reminded me too much of the stray cats I used to take care of. I know I am bad for thinking like that, but Kate doesn't seem too bothered by it. In fact, she seems to oddly enjoy it. She's definitely an oddball.

It took about an hour to reach our destination. The ride was bumpy and uneasy since we had to go off the road. We all exited the carriages into a field with whitish-looking rocks covering the hills. The rocks were limestone, and if you remove the grass, you will find a reddish dirt that has a high clay content. I paid someone to survey the area for the clay and limestone, and this is the spot they found. This spot is perfect; the limestone can be used for mortar, and the clay can be used for bricks. I stand on one of the rocks in the field, standing above everyone.

"Listen up. I will be splitting you all into two groups. Group one will start mining the rocks, while group two will start digging. Are there any questions?" "What is this for?" One of them asks. I'm not surprised by the question; after all, farming is what most of these people are familiar with. "The things you gather today will be used for the city revival project."

"City revival project?" a few of them question. "The project will be a multi-step project to help rebuild our city's homes and infrastructure. That lack of good roads, wells, sewers, and homes is a major detriment to our otherwise great city. That is why this punishment is called community service, because all of your work will benefit everyone in our city."

They seemed to understand what they were doing and seemed to be a little enthusiastic about it. Well, as long as the job gets done, then I couldn't care less about how they feel about it. I have way too much to do, and I don't know how much time I have before the wars come.

It's been a few hours since we started, and I have to give them credit. They may lack knowledge, but they are very hard workers. By the end of the day, we will have likely completed most of the prep work for the clay pits, and we will have mined a substantial amount of limestone. We won't be able to make anything yet, but if we continue at this rate, we will have a full production line in no time.

The only problem is that I only have this workforce available for today. I bet that if I offered payment for their work, they might come back and possibly bring more people with them. I'll see how well that's received when we finish for the day. As I started thinking about it, I saw a carriage heading this way in the distance.

I sent Mary and Leon to get food for everyone here. The food won't be great, after all, it's just hardtack and a thrown-together stew, but it will be free for everyone here. Godfrey, who has been keeping an eye on everyone, walks over to me. "Lenka, is it true that you want to rebuild the city?"

I suppose that question has been bothering him for the past few hours. It's a reasonable question, considering rebuilding the whole city is a big undertaking. "Yes," I answer, but the look on his face says that he isn't fully satisfied with that simple answer. "We are building for the future." "Why?" It's not like I can tell him a so-called devil told me that wars are in our future, but I guess I can tell him a half-truth.

"I believe that our city will not survive in the future if we don't do something to change it. We are undermanned, under-supplied, undefended, and lack many basic things. We have been stuck in the past, stagnating ourselves, while our adversaries have been advancing quickly and preparing. If we don't strive to improve not only the city but ourselves, then we will be nothing more than a pawn to not only the king but also to the world."

"That's why we must do all we can, when we can, to build this city into something more than just a home for us." "I... understand..." He responded slowly, but I could tell by his expression that he was in deep thought. It seems that my words may have hit a little too close to home for him, but he did ask me why, and I gave him an answer. It's not my fault that this city is so inconvenient. I mean, they have everything they need to make a great city within arms' reach, but they have used none of it. Whatever, this is just another impossible mission for me to do.

It was lunchtime, and Kate and I were sitting on padded stools that were brought with our carriage. Kate was devouring her food like she hadn't eaten for days. Our food was better than what everyone else got. It was real bread and a stew that contained meat. Not that I really cared; food is food, and it all tastes the same to me.

Looking over at Kate, I can tell by the small cuts on her hands that she has been working hard. She didn't need to help, but she insisted on pulling her weight. Not that I mind her helping; after all, she could gain some muscle. However, I do wonder if it will affect how people perceive me. It's not every day you see a lady in waiting carrying heavy rocks around.

It's a good thing I brought work clothes so that she doesn't ruin that nice dress. I would have helped out, too, but I needed to supervise everything since no one here knew exactly what they were doing. Kate finishes her food and finally realizes I was looking at her. She somewhat panics and almost drops her empty bowl. Then, she looks at me with a face that is nearly as red as her hair.

I grabbed my handkerchief and wiped away the drops of stew that were speckled on her face. Her face grew redder, and she almost fell off the stool. What an odd, clumsy girl. It almost reminds me of another clumsy girl. I look over to see Mary stirring a pot of stew and talking to Leon. When she got here, she almost dropped the pot of stew. To think that a simple emotion can even make that strict maid lose her composure.

Hmm.... does that mean Kate? Nah, that couldn't be it; she was way too young for emotions like that. Plus, I'm also a girl, so I'm pretty sure that's not a possibility. Maybe it's some beastkin thing? I haven't had a chance to read the book the merchant gave me. Perhaps that has some info on beastkin's childhood development? Well, it is about time for lunch to be over and work to restart.

It was about dusk, and I had everyone gather in front of me. They all looked tired but also seemed somewhat satisfied. "You all should be proud of the work you did today. You all should rest up. The day after tomorrow, we will resume work. However, next time, it will be voluntary and for pay. Tell your family, friends, and neighbors that if they want more money and are willing to work, they should meet at the manor every other morning. Please board the carriages. You are all dismissed."

They seemed to receive the news well. I could hear a few of them talking about bringing their brothers and sons. I took a seat in my carriage, and Kate took a seat next to me. It has been a long but productive day. After a few minutes, Kate slumps over and rests her head on my shoulder. She must have been tired after working so hard. I gently move her off my shoulder and place her head in my lap.

She would usually panic, but she was so tired that she fell asleep only a few seconds after I moved her. I am very good at reading people and their intentions, but I'm having trouble getting a read on Kate. Why did she work so hard today? Was it to make people believe she was more than just a noble's lady in waiting? Maybe she just wanted to prove herself or impress someone? I really don't know. Kate has always been an oddity to me. I hope the book the merchant gave me might have some answers.

I finished my nightly routine, which involved dinner and a bath. I also exercise before bed because I prefer to be fit and ready for combat. My muscles have been getting more toned, and no one has realized this because my dresses cover most of my body. After finishing my set of push-ups, I grab the book the merchant gave me and take a seat at the desk in my room.

Normally, it would be too dark to read, but luckily, I received a crystal lamp as a birthday present last year. The crystal was referred to as an energy crystal, and it glowed a faint blue. It's not as bright as a light bulb, but it's enough to allow reading at night. I conducted research on the energy crystal, and it emits a blue glow due to the magical energy stored within it. It is common in the caves dwarves live in, so luckily, the blue glow isn't some radioactivity that is slowly killing me.

The Anatomy of All Races, I start turning the pages in the book. Most of the pages are torn and faded, but the book contains a few intact and well-preserved pages. Flipping through the pages, I stop on one that reads Beastkin's Childhood. It states that beastkin are unique in that they tend to mature both physically and mentally faster than other races. They will undergo a significant growth spurt around the age of ten, which can lead to emotional instability, excessive eating, and growing pains. They also tend to have fevers and hot spells during this time. This is likely due to an early onset of their heat cycle. However, unlike in animals, beastkin's heat cycles only amplify emotions.

So, basically, Kate is just going through puberty. Although I am a little concerned because the book doesn't go into detail about the emotions it amplifies. This is concerning because it could easily amplify hate rather than things like love. I wonder if this is why the beastkins remain isolationist? After all, it would be pretty bad if you had a bunch of youth wanting to go to war with everyone because of some amplified hatred.

Granted, it's a good thing; it only affects emotions. I could only imagine how people would abuse it if it weren't. Now that I think about it, this could explain Kate's odd behavior. It could be amplifying her desire to repay her debt to me. Which may explain why she is clumsy around me, and why she went out of her way to help with the community service. Also, it explains her ravenous appetite.

I flipped through some more pages and stopped when I saw medication for it. Taking a blank sheet of paper, I copy the recipe onto it. Well, I don't really want to deal with this kind of problem, so I take the paper, walk over to Annabelle's room, and pass it under her door. I didn't want to rely on her, but I felt like she would be better at dealing with those kinds of problems.

When I return, I get ready to close the book, but something odd catches my eye. It seems that the book is on a different page. Did a gust of wind move the page? I took a closer look, and it appears that some pages may have been torn out. I could have sworn that there were more pages in the beastkin section. Well, I am tired, so maybe I didn't realize that some pages were missing. Well, it is an old taboo book, so maybe they tore it out a long time ago. Oh well, I guess I should just go to bed and read more another night.