Getting Anxious When Things Get Concrete

Stonemason shops, where masonry techniques were practiced.

Every city of any decent size had at least one.

Larger cities had several, though not as many as blacksmiths.

The reason was simple: a city couldn't function without stone.

It was a strict apprenticeship trade, and the technical barriers made it difficult for large capital interests to break in.

Dimensions were one thing, but if you weren't experienced, you'd split the stone during processing and never turn a profit.

Stone walls needed to be uniform in height, too… It couldn't be easy.

Paving stones were more forgiving. As long as the ground was leveled and the base was solid, they didn't need to be perfectly matched.

Sand was packed between the laid slabs. Making them fit too tightly would cause drainage issues.

With only Orleans accompanying me, I made my way to a stonemason's shop that had dealt with the royal castle before.

The Royal Capital's reconstruction seemed to have settled down; apprentices were working at an unhurried pace.

As I approached, a young man noticed me and came out to greet us.

"Can I help you with something?"

"I need stone slabs for paving. Queen Tianis has ordered a new urban development project, and I need materials for the expansion."

"… Is that true? Pardon me, but who exactly are you?"

The young man looked taken aback and asked about my identity.

Fair enough.

"I'm Yohane, a Royal Advisor serving under Queen Tianis. This is Orleans, my assistant. You're welcome to verify with the castle if you'd like, but… would this serve as proof?"

I showed the young man the written order I'd received from Queen Tianis when the development plan had passed through the council.

Forging a royal order was punishable by death. It bore the proper royal seal and everything.

"M-my apologies! I can't handle this myself, so let me fetch the master. Please wait a moment."

It was super effective.

If I had to put it in an analogy, I was a merchant borrowing the authority of the crown.

… When I put it that way, it sounded like I was using Queen Tianis's name to do whatever I pleased. I didn't much care for that image.

Shortly after, the young man returned with the master.

The master was thin in build.

But his face was set in a permanent scowl, his eyes carrying what felt like an unyielding will that refused to compromise.

A different type from the blacksmith master in Kassad, but there was no doubting his skill as a craftsman.

"You've got a commission from the castle, do ya?"

"Yes. We're planning to expand the Royal Capital, so I'd like to place an order for the necessary paving stones."

"… Let's set the quantity aside for now. What specifications are we talking about? Anything complicated will take time."

"I'd like the same ones currently in use throughout the capital."

I tapped the paving stones beneath my feet with my toe.

They'd supported the Royal Capital for ages. Reliable and proven.

When people's lives were at stake, there was no substitute for a track record.

"I see. Well, those aren't much trouble. How many are we talking?"

"Let's see… I'd like to place a sizable initial order, then follow up with additional orders as needed."

"What, you haven't decided on the scope yet?"

"No. We're still in the surveying phase, but I want to get started on the public works right away."

"Ah, that business with the displaced people getting restless. They're stirring up trouble because they've got nothing to do. Give 'em work and they'll quiet down for a while. We've got limited stock too, so I can't prepare a massive amount all at once. Takes time to source the materials. I'll accept your proposal."

"Then, to start with…"

How many would they need?

I glanced at Orleans. She seemed to read my mind and leaned close to my ear, so I stooped slightly.

"Based on my calculations, five thousand slabs should be enough to keep things running for a while without running out."

"Five thousand. Right."

I steeled myself and turned back to the master.

"Five thousand slabs for the initial order, please."

"… Got it. If I rally every stonemason in the capital, we can manage that in about a month. You're fine with that, right?"

"Of course. As long as you can prepare them, we'll have no issues on our end. Once they're finished, stack them outside the capital walls. We'll take it from there."

"Fine by me. Before that, let me have a sample brought over. Give it a look."

The master instructed the young man, who brought over a stone slab of the type they'd be using.

It was a bit thicker than a thumb. Rectangular, a bit larger than a hand.

Not particularly heavy.

I examined the cross-section. It was clean work.

Line up identical slabs side by side, and the seams would practically disappear.

I asked permission, then gave it a light tap. Hard. The strength seemed good too.

No complaints here. More than sufficient quality.

"If this is what you'll be delivering, there won't be any problems. Her Majesty the Queen will be pleased."

"Glad to hear it. The reconstruction's winding down and orders have been drying up, so this helps us too. I've got apprentices to feed. From our perspective, a queen who keeps the work coming is a godsend. Thanks to her, not a single stonemason's shop had to close, and we can even hire more hands. And those ridiculous taxes disappeared the moment she took the throne."

A ruler's popularity was, frankly, tied to the economy and taxation.

Good economy, good ruler. Bad economy, bad ruler.

Cut taxes during hard times and people were grateful. Raise taxes even when times were good, and they'd have something to say about it.

By that measure, Queen Tianis's popularity was looking quite favorable.

A populist uprising, at the very least, was not going to happen.

"Please send the bill to the castle. Use my name when you do. If anything comes up, feel free to leave a message for me as well."

"Will do. Looking forward to working with you."

Spending someone else's money felt great. Not having to open my own wallet was the best part.

If this had been my own business, an order this size would have warranted some haggling, but since this was work from Queen Tianis, I couldn't negotiate the price. That was my one regret.

The difference between public and private, I supposed… When you worked under the crown's name, you couldn't afford to tarnish it.

The stone slabs were taken care of. Next, after the land survey, I'd need to recruit laborers.

Times like these… I thought of a certain girl who worked at a market stall.

Her uncle should be well-versed in this sort of thing.

I went to the man's home right away, and unlike before, the uncle looked to be in good health.

"Oh, well well."

"It's been a while."

We both remembered each other, so things moved quickly.

"She's out working right now. Is there something you need?"

"Actually, it's you I came to see today."

"Oh?"

Sensing this was a business matter, his expression shifted from friendly uncle to merchant.

That suited me just fine.

"Finding work for the displaced people, is it? I see."

"Yes. I've no experience recruiting large numbers of workers. It would be great if just putting out a call was enough to bring people in, but…"

"If the pay were exceptionally high, they'd come running, but…"

What I could offer was average, neither high nor low.

Going too high would create a different set of problems.

"The priest did me a good turn once, so leave it to me. I've got pull with those folks, and we should be able to put Her Majesty's concerns to rest. I'll be taking a small commission from the people I gather, but that's not a problem, is it?"

"Of course not. As long as it's an amount they agree to."

The deal was struck.

I'd plan a slight bump to the wages just in case.

"Give me three days, and I can round up everyone who's desperate for work."

"That would be perfect."

A massive national development project was about to get underway.

I felt nothing but anxiety about whether we could actually pull it off.