It has been two weeks that Mira, Selene, and I had cramped in the 109's quarters. We are too involved in this breakthrough that we have to wait for the voices to die down.
It is strategically the right choice. But why are mum and dad showing no sign of worry? In fact, their smirks are so obvious that they are practically screaming "bring one or both of them home one day." Hello? Our lives are at stake here!
It is today, we got an unexpected guest.
Guest of honor. Third princess Maria. Her unexpected arrival caught everyone in 109 unprepared.
People gathered around her front and kneel down. It is not a formality but an actual law is there.
"Kei and Mira, forward."
?
"In recognition of your recent achievement. Closing a wound in the adventurer guild. With all members of squad 109 present now being witnesses of declaration. Here is the king's decree.
Kei and Mira, joint effort, healing achieved.
Assignment: Lecturer of MIRAcle institute
Effective Immediate
Execution Immediate, usage of current academy ground granted until MIRAcle Institute is built.
Endowment: Double of academy."
"We accept it with honor."
Great, instead of a reward, we are given a job. But are you sure you hiring kids as lecturer?
On earth, working age varies, but data indicates people will start working after their studies, typically from 18+ to 21+ years old. Depending on what they studied. In this kingdom, 12 is considered adult and is expected to work.
Mira and I: 6. Return us our childhood. Mira doesn't know the horror of work. But in my data. Work is one source of depression. Especially people of service industry and education industry. All these handling of various stupids. Imagine the struggles, imagine you being shouted at even when being perfectly correct. The despair, the headache….
All solved with a can of alcohol. But we are underaged.
The call of witch hunt died down. With this decree, it is obvious that the king has said something positive.
The people here love the king a lot.
————
The new wall has finished construction thanks to dad's effort of actively cutting wild sugarcanes. Part of the cleared land was given to dad for his effort. Now here is an issue. Dad: "Our immediate family has three people. Even if we are trying to be future proof and build a mansion for Kei having three wives and nine kids. The land is still too big. We can even grow crops here. But what to plant? Sugarcanes? This plot of land doesn't seem suitable for rice/wheat."
Hmm, dad? Do you want to revise a bit regarding my relationship? Or are you saying that I should try and marry both Selene and Mira and still have space for one more wife candidate? And nine kids? Speak for yourself you are only raising one.
I have a question on how nature works here:
How even the wild sugarcanes survived the winter? But the fact is, it survived and grew, a lot.
The employment here is paid twice monthly. Once at the beginning of day 1, the other during mid-month. Upon payment, it is obligatory and mandatory to complete whatever one is employed for.
With a salary worth a month of my principal's, I can actually get people to do what I need.
Dig.
I would do it myself if i have an excavator. But my 3kg earth limit says otherwise. Word spread like wildfire when people knew a competition is going on.
People here are generally bored. It is eat, work and sleep. There is no entertainment here. Unless you consider staring at the moon making random statements about it's beauty counts as entertainment.
The participants can kill time and get a reward.
The crowd have something to cheer and jeer on.
The tavern probably gets increased sales during this time.
Even the adventurers would want to participate, considering their strength.
————
Mira is a water mage, still training, but she is indeed one. But after walking the ground, she only managed to mark six spots where she detects waterflow directly underground. Those should be quite shallow. I hired a professional, seasoned water mage and he found thirty spots with water. He signed an agreement not to reveal anything he found to others.
I commissioned the smith to make some shovels and pickaxes for me, 30 of them. Those farming and mining types.
Hundreds of people came to sign up. I immediately declined those skinny people who have trouble lifting two sacks of rice in one go. Digging with raw power is not something easy.
Next, planking. The remaining people would be planking until only 30 participants remained. The crowd jeered at my simple posture. But even the strongest 70 people had some disqualified in just 2 minutes.
"Hey, the plank just started, what are you even doing?"
"He shall be crowned as the fastest guy here, haha."
Heh, I think you couldn't even last 20 seconds.
10 minutes was all I needed to remove people.
Three days later the competition will start. In the name of giving them rest.
Because the shovels and pickaxes needed 2 more days.
Meanwhile, to stir the crowd, i explained the rules:
"This is a competition of Endurance and Luck
First one to find water flowing underground wins, regardless of depth or clarity.
I have hired people to confirm that water is indeed detected underground.
The winner of the planking contest will choose his shovel and pickaxe first and choose his spot of choice.
ABOVE, ARE THE ONLY RULES."
So, even the weakest of these thirty. If he only had to dig 10m, could still be winning.
The grand prize will be ONE GOLD COIN!
…
…
…
The fifth prize will be FIFTY SILVER COINS!
AND THE REST WILL RECEIVE A PARTICIPATION PRIZE OF TEN SILVER COINS!
On top of it, the 25 participants can choose to leave already or spend an extra hour to continue digging. If water was found, extra 2 silver will be awarded.
Some difficult/dangerous quest in the adventurer guild only offered 7 silver coins as reward. It was definitely less than that, considering replenishing of supplies. So 10 silver coins is already a lot.
And 7 silver coins are split among a four man party. Not 7 silver for each of them.
I paid a total of 40 silver coins to city for deployment of squad 109 and 110 to maintain order.
People don't actually believed on underground water as I claimed. They only wanted to kill time.