Chapter 50
Chapter 50
One week later, Hamar rose from his sickbed.
"I'll make up for lost time by giving my all to restore the project."
Whether it was due to truly resting well or not, Hamar's complexion had visibly improved compared to before his injury. He worked through the construction schedule at a speed that astonished Logan.
Naturally, everything proceeded smoothly, just as planned.
Far faster than Logan had anticipated.
"What? Already?"
"Yes. The tunnel you mentioned has already been completed, connecting the irrigation channels to the Luther River. The floodgates are nearly full."
"Ha... In just three months..."
A project he had expected to take six months had been completed in a mere three.
Overjoyed, Logan rushed to the site and confirmed the surging water behind the floodgates with his own eyes. He couldn't hide his amazement.
"Of course, the water level won't rise higher than the Luther River's. The tunnel was dug deep enough to regulate the flow..."
"Wow. It actually worked."
"...What?"
A sincere exclamation burst from Logan's lips.
But the dwarf who heard it clutched the back of his neck in shock.
"M-Master! What did you just say?!"
"Hm?"
"You said you'd seen humans build even bigger dams! Didn't you?!"
"...I did."
"Then what?! 'It actually worked'?!"
Logan had indeed seen it in the future, but he couldn't prove it.
"If it worked, then it worked. What's the problem?"
He simply responded with a bright smile.
Hamar's reaction to that smile was fiery.
"Huh?! Y-You were bluffing?! I nearly died because of that lie—ugh... Hey!! Today, it's either you or me! Let go! Let go, you damn mage! I'll end you—urk!"
"Haha. Still, isn't this construction a valuable experience, Master Hamar? Piercing through a mountain and diverting water with human strength. I thought flattening the mountain would've been more realistic..."
Clayton, who looked just as haggard as Hamar, held the struggling dwarf back and grinned at Logan.
Logan responded with an equally hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! You've truly worked hard, Master Clayton."
"Urk! Urk!"
"Right, Hamar. Of course, I know you worked hard. Well done."
"Urk! Urk! Urk!"
"Yeah, yeah. I know. You're the top contributor."
Logan realized once again that the combination of dwarves and earth mages was the best for large-scale construction.
Honestly, I thought it might fail.
Instead, they had cut the expected timeframe by more than half.
Of all the projects he had pushed for since his regression, this was the only one he hadn't been entirely confident about.
Yet it had succeeded so spectacularly that everything now felt like it was flowing smoothly, lifting his spirits.
Then, Hamar—who had barely escaped the mage's rough grip—asked with a sulky expression:
"So, when are you doing that? If things go as planned, anytime before winter should be fine."
"With my disciples helping, the irrigation channels will be finished in a few days."
"Then why delay? Gather all the laborers. They should see what they've accomplished."
Nearly 8,000 laborers had already been mobilized for this project.
All were able-bodied adult men—in other words, future resources who would support him in the coming war.
Instilling confidence and patriotism in them was another purpose Logan had intended with this construction.
***
Three days later.
The moment the irrigation channels were completed, the laborers climbed the hillside at Logan's command.
"What's this about? Water? There's water down there?"
"I saw it. It was definitely surging inside."
"So we really dug those channels?"
"Eh. But there's no way enough water will fill that entire wasteland."
Murmurs spread.
Thousands of people stood on the ridge overlooking the floodgates, staring at the barren land crisscrossed with irrigation channels they had dug. Skeptical expressions lingered on their faces.
Those with even gloomier expressions were the territory's administrators, who had been summoned on a whim.
Logan had insisted they witness the land's transformation firsthand to reflect it in governance.
But the officials' reactions were far from positive.
"Well, this is truly a grand exercise in futility."
Bald-headed food supply officer Rugel Hais clicked his tongue as he surveyed the irrigation channels carved into the wasteland.
"With this manpower, they should've reinforced the southern walls instead. A monster wave could hit this winter."
Pot-bellied wall maintenance officer Rupen was already worrying about the disaster that struck irregularly every five to ten years.
"Why go this far...?"
"I don't know either."
Other officials, unaware of the project's details, were similarly pessimistic.
Surprisingly, Dwain—who had initially opposed the project most vehemently—was now staring down the hill with hopeful eyes.
It's not just about flooding the land once. It's directly connected to the Luther River.
If water could be supplied continuously through those channels, then—with proper land management—the vast wasteland below might truly transform into fertile plains.
A mix of rational doubt and hopeful anticipation made his heart race.
As everyone stared down the hill with varying thoughts, Logan turned with gleaming eyes.
"Master Clayton. Let's begin."
"You could've just had the laborers operate the floodgates. Must we do it this way? Honestly..."
Hamar, who had become quite the grumbler during construction, protested, but Clayton silently nodded.
RUMBLE.
At the same moment, a massive golem rose from the plains below.
"Waaah!"
"W-What is that?!"
"Gah! You scared—ahem. Ahem. A common spell, I see."
The officials nearly collapsed in shock, but realizing no one else was fazed, they awkwardly shut their mouths.
"Open the gates!"
With Clayton's booming command, the golem stomped toward the floodgates.
Then, it began straining to lift the massive stone barrier sealing the water.
GRRRRRRR—
Violent tremors reached the ridge, and tension flickered in everyone's eyes.
But.
"...Why isn't it moving?"
"What's going on?"
Several tremors followed, yet the floodgates remained unchanged.
Questioning gazes turned toward the mage, who was sweating profusely.
With a face so fierce it was hard to believe he was a mage (unless his name was Robe), Clayton gritted his teeth.
(What the hell? Are you kidding me?)
Clayton's ventriloquized mutterings were met with Hamar's frantic waving.
"N-No, I definitely told them to open! How is this...?"
Truthfully, the golem's display was just for show.
The real mechanism involved a hundred laborers turning pulleys to lift the floodgates.
The gates were too heavy even for Clayton's golem to handle alone.
This situation wasn't part of Logan's plan.
(What the hell happened?)
Logan maintained a composed expression under the crowd's gaze while shooting Clayton a murderous glare through clenched teeth.
"S-Sorry. Something must've gone wrong."
Hamar bowed his head, sweating coldly.
But without descending to check, there was no immediate solution.
At that moment, Logan abandoned decorum and barked:
"Master Clayton. Smash it."
"...Huh?"
"We can rebuild the floodgates. Destroy them!"
He couldn't let the carefully prepared plan fail now.
This moment wasn't just about Logan's pride—it was the foundation of his people's and officials' future trust in him.
Breaking the floodgates was better than breaking that trust.
Of course, Hamar—who would bear the brunt of the aftermath—turned pale.
"Understood."
Clayton's response was immediate.
Lifting the massive gates was impossible, but destroying them wasn't.
BOOM!
CRASH!
KABOOM!
The giant golem's repeated strikes sent cracks spiderwebbing across the floodgates.
KABOOOOOM!
Soon after, the gates collapsed with a deafening roar.
WHOOSH—
A colossal torrent surged forth, burying the shattered remnants of the gates and flooding the wasteland below.
The deluge was so powerful that even Clayton's golem was swept away helplessly. Everyone's jaws dropped.
The river soaked the wasteland's entrance and surged through the irrigation channels, its momentum unrelenting even after a long while.
Finally, as the flow began to slow slightly—
A thunderous cheer erupted among the people.
"WAAAAAH!"
"W-Water! It's water! Hahaha!"
"Thank the gods! Truly, thank you!"
"Did we really... turn that vast land into...?"
"Yeah! We did it! We did it! HAHAHA!"
Ecstatic voices filled what would now be called the New MacLaine Plains.
***
Logan, too, cheered as he watched the water flow into the wasteland.
No—because he knew the crisis looming in the future, his joy was even greater.
This will solve our food shortage during the civil war.
The moment civil war broke out, food prices would skyrocket endlessly.
Stockpiling food in advance was essential.
But hoarding too much would draw unnecessary attention.
"MacLaine bought massive food reserves?"
"Then they'll be our first target..."
At worst, they could become the primary target before the war even began.
Thus, reclaiming plains capable of self-sufficient production was the best solution—eliminating that worry entirely.
Of course, if word spreads, it'll be trouble.
But a year was far too short for rumors from this desolate territory to spread across the entire kingdom—especially since it rarely received visitors.
Besides, we don't need to rush cultivation. We can start farming next spring. Before that...
As Logan smiled contentedly while organizing future plans, a tearful giant suddenly hugged him.
"Wha—?! D-Dwain?!"
"My lord!! I—I was wrong. I'm sorry!"
"...I-It's fine. You helped out in the end."
"Sniff. But if I'd cooperated sooner..."
"It's fine, really. Why are you crying so much for a grown man?"
Though Dwain was being dramatic, scattered tears could be seen among the cheering crowd.
And when the excitement had settled somewhat—
Now.
Logan took a deep breath and roared, amplifying his voice with force.
"The New MacLaine Plains will be open for cultivation to anyone who desires it!"
Every eye—especially the laborers'—snapped toward him.
"And for every plot cultivated, I will grant tenancy rights—collecting only three-tenths in taxes! This, I swear in the name of Logan MacLaine!"
His voice echoed across the vast wilderness.
The response was an overwhelming cheer.
"WAAAAAH! My lord!"
"Thank you!"
Now the officials can't oppose this.
Logan smiled smugly at his vassals, still caught up in the excitement.
Amid the cheers and celebration, only one person—no, one dwarf—was left in despair.
"The floodgates... How many days will it take to rebuild...?"
"Don't worry, dwarf friend. I'll help again. Now that we've done it once, it'll be faster."
Even the comforting words of his human friend—whom he'd grown close to over the past months—couldn't ease Hamar's deep disappointment.
But.
"The floodgates aren't urgent. Take a week off. Then, we'll finish the mine. After that—a long vacation. Understood?"
At Logan's mention of a vacation, Hamar's gloomy face instantly brightened.
"R-Really?"
"Of course."
"WAHAHA! Thank you, Master!"
Only then did Hamar join the celebration with a flushed face.
There's still a mountain of work after this. Better enjoy the moment.
The tyrannical master, who had forced half a year of grueling labor without rest, hid his sinister thoughts behind a smirk.