A completely transformed village stretched in front of me. Dry roads erected from stone stretched through the ground all the way toward my mansion and then further around to the road leading to the town. Behind the village, a completed stone road spread through the grounds to the Ediab forest with lamposts lining the sides, each far away enough for one person to light them and move ahead.
"Oh! It's the big brother!"
Just as I was admiring the completely upheaved town, an annoying voice greeted me. I looked down, in front, actually, to hear a kid's giggle.
"Who?"
"Nina!"
"Nina?"
"Yup, nine years old Nina!"
I tilted my head at the girl.
"Nine years old Nina?"
"Yup! You remember me!" I had no idea who she was.
She had introduced herself like that. Was nine years old her last name?
"Big brother, you should wear something better." Nina leaned closer and started inspecting my clothes, she then sighed and showed me a cheeky smirk. "How about getting something from the shops here?"
My brows furrowed but I tried not to show it. Hand-picked clothes by Maria were any day better than whatever the village was selling. Whatever MY stores were selling! I only shook my head and propped my chin, Nina understood the gesture and led me through the streets of the village. Being guided by the locals was the most effective way to get a gist of things.
My eyes swerved from end to end as I walked by the many people carrying different items in their hands.
The village itself had changed completely. The people that used to look as if they would fly if I blew on them had turned into thick muscly folks with decent amounts of cuts and swell in their 'ceps. Their clothes had changed from complete rags to beautiful yet modestly designed tunics and trousers. Of course, something like this wasn't possible with only some magic stones.
We eventually passed by a field hall covered by a shed where many old and young men and women sat around together with fabrics in their hands, cutting and sewing them in different designs away from the dust of the ongoing construction works.
"Oh look, that's Jaja's mother!"
I stared at the operation for a few seconds with crossed arms while Nina went over to talk the ladies and old men around. I luckily didn't enter their sights. I was going to wait for the child, but she started handing out water to everyone which was a true pain in the ass. It would have been a waste to wait.
I sighed and walked over to the shed. The few that saw me immediately stood up and started bowing their heads.
"Please, continue. Don't mind me at all."
"Lord! How can we—"
I noticed the child looking at me and tilting her head. Nine-year-old Nina wasn't smart enough to understand I was the owner of this place. As I gestured at the fools to cut it out and sit back down, they hesitantly did so. Instead of standing around, I went to the makeshift water station we had set up and started filling up some wooden cups to take them to the ones working.
The sewing shop was a profitable venture.
Not everyone could engage in manual labor. Old, sickly and feeble were plenty. So, instead of buying entire clothes we purchased only the fabric and made the people here sew them. The sewing made us a lot of money since we had quite the manpower for it.
I heard that sewing machines existed but only in the most royal of boutiques around the kingdom. I thought of recreating it, but apart from the thimble, everything else was near impossible with my lacking expertise in pure mechanical engineering.
I quietly handed out the water to everyone and asked them their opinion on the workplace and the working conditions. I had them tied to quite the contract and was forcing them to work long hours, like 7 or 8 hours... Maybe they were intimidated by me since they all just thanked me over and over...
I luckily didn't have to worry about grabbing the wrong kid and heading off.
"Yo, big brother! Let's go!"
"Lead the way kid."
Nina puffed her cheeks when I called her a kid and started guiding me out of the place and through the streets again. We passed by the many stalls and stores I had haphazardly set up till I could create a good strip-store district.
"Big brother! Those oldies really bowed a lot to you, huh?"
"Of course."
"Are you their big brother too?"
"I am. You should bow as well."
"Ahaha! You joke well, big brother!"
"Tsk."
Annoying brat.
"They always talk a lot about some Eugene this or that saying how they're all thankful."
This brat! Were they feeding her words to tell me?
"I almost thought you were that Eugene guy or something, ahahah!" Nina laughed and stretched her hands up. I could feel my forehead twitching, but I ignored it for now.
"So anyway," Nine-year-old Nina continued. "Like last time, my mom bought a new bed and this thing called a kerosene lamp? It's not dark at night anymore, how cool is that!? I heard they're putting up those lamps all over the place, so we can play even at nights..."
From then on, Nina went on and on.
On and on.
Seriously, we had gone past the ragged fields and were closing up on the buildings under construction and she still kept going. It was helpful at first, but I could eventually feel my ears giving in.
"So this and this and that and that—"
"You. Why aren't you playing with other kids?" I finally cut her off when I couldn't bear it anymore.
Not so far away, I could see many tall buildings being erected. One was the cast of a dome-shaped auditorium while others were two to three-floored buildings.
"No one is playing," Nina answered, gazing at the buildings. "They are all at school..."
***
Nina was smacked and was now being dragged by the ear to the school.
Still, to think a school was already established, as I would expect from the hyper-competent Maria.
The school was situated in one of the few buildings I had commissioned. It was still ways off from completion except for the frame. But that was the only thing we could build right now with the resources from the Ediab forest.
I found the classroom on the lowest floor of the building and stopped in front of the door.
The class in session halted when they saw me with Nina in my hands.
"L-l-lord Eu—"
I instinctively shut the teacher up when she mentioned my name. My gaze went over the classroom. The students of quite a range of ages were sitting in front of a board, writing on some slates. It was probably more convenient to do that...
I sighed and tossed Nina inside.
The teacher came rushing toward Nina and grabbed her, still staring at me.
"I'll send some paper here."
Not like it was expensive.
With that, I nodded and turned away.
It was tough being an exploitative ruler.