novelraw Chapter 181: THE INITIAL STAGES
Chapter 181: THE INITIAL STAGES
The following morning broke with a clear, brilliant sky. The sun rose from the eastern horizon, illuminating the spire-tops of Iron Hearth Castle, which were still dusted with a fine layer of snow. The air was biting, though less severe than it had been weeks prior.
Rianor pushed Elara’s wheelchair toward the eastern gate.
The asphalt road beneath them had been cleared of snow by the city workers. To their left and right, factories were already humming into motion, thick plumes of smoke billowing from iron chimneys. The rhythmic hiss of steam engines and the steady clang of forge hammers provided a familiar, industrial backdrop.
"From here," Elara said, pointing toward the south.
Rianor followed the direction of her finger. A vast stretch of vacant land lay before them—roughly ten hectares of neglected earth covered in thin, snow-dusted grass and a scattering of untended saplings. In the distance, the rooftops of residential districts were visible. To the east, the steel mills loomed with their towering chimneys.
"Close to the residential areas," Rianor noted, his eyes darting across the landscape as he mentally calculated the acreage, proximity to the populace, road access, and potential for future expansion.
"Close to the factories as well," Elara added. "If the children study here, they can witness the application of technology firsthand. It won’t just be abstract theory."
Rianor inspected the access roads. The asphalt was already laid—wide enough for two carriages to pass simultaneously. The drainage systems on either side of the road appeared to be in working order.
"The location is strategic," he concluded. "Close to the people, close to the industry, and the infrastructure is already half-present. The ground is level; we won’t need extensive excavation."
Elara smiled. "So?"
"So, this is the one."
He pushed her wheelchair further into the center of the clearing. He stopped, looking around. At the eastern edge stood a massive, ancient tree that would likely need to be cleared. To the north sat the weathered foundations of an old structure.
"That tree will have to go," Rianor said, pointing.
"Agreed."
Rianor pulled a small notebook from his vest pocket and began to write. He drew a rough sketch of the site: the land’s dimensions, the position of the tree, the old foundations. Every detail was meticulously recorded.
"We build here," he said, still writing. "The main hall in the center, facing south. The athletic grounds to the east. The laboratories to the west. And the dormitories to the north, near those old foundations."
Elara peered at the sketch in his notebook. "You’ve already visualized the whole thing?"
"I’ve been thinking about it since the moment you suggested the location."
Elara didn’t reply; she simply watched him with a soft smile.
From a distance, the sound of steady footsteps on asphalt reached them.
Lucian approached, flanked by two guards. The Duke of Northreach wore a simple black cloak, devoid of ornamentation. His gaze shifted from Rianor to the vacant lot, then finally to the notebook in his son’s hand.
"Father," Rianor greeted, closing his book.
Lucian gave a curt nod. "What are you doing?"
"Mapping out the site for the Academy."
"Here?"
"Elara suggested it."
Lucian looked at Elara for a moment. His eyes were unreadable, offering only a brief, inscrutable glance. Then, he looked back at the empty field.
"The land is unused," he said. Lucian walked a few steps forward, observing the great tree at the eastern edge. "That tree must be felled."
"I’ve already noted it, Father."
Lucian turned his head, his eyes meeting Rianor’s. "Handle it yourself."
He turned and walked away, followed by his guards. There were no pleasantries, no long-winded lectures—only an authorization granted in three short sentences.
Elara watched Lucian’s retreating figure and smiled. "Your father is a man of few words."
"He is like that sometimes," Rianor said, reopening his notebook.
"But he trusts you."
Rianor paused his writing. He looked at his father, who was now quite a distance away. "A father can be like that. He doesn’t say much, but he notices the details."
"You’re like him."
"I talk much more than he does."
Elara laughed. "Only a little."
Inside the treasurer’s office, the mood was far more tense.
Rumina sat behind a fortress of massive ledgers. Her expression was already sour before Rianor even stepped inside. She knew—every time her brother arrived with that particular look of gravity, it meant a new project that required funding.
"What is it this time?" she asked before Rianor could speak, her pen already poised over a fresh page.
"A school."
Rumina let out a long, weary sigh. "I’ve already heard from Arvid. The location?"
"The vacant lot near the eastern gate. Father has given his approval."
Rumina nodded. "That land. I know it. It was once part of the expansion plan but was deemed a low priority." She flipped through a ledger, her finger landing on a column of figures. "Now, we talk costs. Construction. Faculty salaries. Laboratory equipment. The library. Furniture. Stationery. Textbooks. Not to mention annual operational costs—electricity, water, maintenance, cleaning staff, security."
Rianor scanned the numbers. The total was staggering.
"That’s just a rough estimate for the first building," Rumina continued. "It doesn’t account for technical setbacks, long-term repair reserves, or the cost of curriculum research."
"We could reduce—" Rianor tried to intervene.
"Reduce what? Do you want to build a school without a roof?" Rumina cut him off. "You know how cold it gets in Northreach. If the roof leaks, the children get sick. If the children get sick, the parents get angry. If the parents get angry, you deal with them. And then there’s wall insulation. Standard bricks won’t do; we need frost-resistant materials."
Rianor found himself unable to argue.
"Then there’s the Maglev project to the Emerald Union," Rumina added, flipping to another section. "You know the Maglev requires massive capital. But the returns will be even greater. With a rail line there, we can sell directly to our trade partners without the crown’s interference. That is a long-term investment."
"The Academy is the priority," Rianor insisted.
Rumina looked him dead in the eye. "I know. But don’t expect me to give you everything you ask for. We will recalculate. Find what can be trimmed."
Silas, Rumina’s assistant standing nearby, opened his own notes. "Lady Rumina, perhaps we could seek donors among the Northreach merchant class? Many of them have children who are in desperate need of a proper education."
Rumina nodded. "A sound idea. Note that, Silas. We shall invite the wealthy merchants to a summit next month. Tell them this is an investment in Northreach’s future—that their children will be the ones to lead it."
"As you wish, My Lady."
Rumina turned back to Rianor. "You could also use your personal funds if you’re so inclined."
"I’ll consider it."
"Consider it quickly."
Rianor smiled thinly. "Agreed."
At the Alpha Building, Arvid sat at his desk looking more disheveled than usual. His black hair was a chaotic mess, his eyes were sunken, and his expression was a cocktail of exhaustion and a burgeoning headache.
It wasn’t from working late. It was because of Rhea.
Rianor entered, pushing Elara behind him. One look at Arvid told him everything he needed to know.
"Are you alright?" Rianor asked, taking a seat across from Arvid’s desk.
Arvid looked up with hollow eyes. "Rhea wants monster meat."
"What kind of monster?"
"A Gorgon Alpha."
Rianor let out a laugh. A Gorgon Alpha was a high-tier monster that usually required a party of veteran adventurers to take down. Its meat was rare, exorbitantly expensive, and not something easily found in a local butcher shop.
"She asked for that?" Elara asked, her eyes wide with shock.
"She said, ’My stomach is demanding Gorgon Alpha meat. I don’t know why. It just is,’" Arvid said, imitating Rhea’s cold but lethal tone. "I told her it was hard to find. She told me, ’That’s your problem, not mine.’"
Rianor laughed harder.
Arvid glared at him. "You’ll feel this soon enough."
"Not yet. Elara isn’t pregnant."
"Not yet," Elara said with a smile. "But if I am, I won’t be like Rhea."
Arvid snorted. "That’s what they all say. Rhea wasn’t like this before. Once the pregnancy hit, her true nature came out."
Rianor patted Arvid’s shoulder. "So, you want to leave early?"
"Yes. Rhea wants that meat. I have to go to the Adventurer’s Guild, check the black market, or search wherever I have to."
"Or you could just ask Riven. His troops often encounter monsters at the border. Gorgon Alphas are rare, but they occasionally appear in the eastern mountains."
Arvid blinked. "That’s a brilliant idea. Why didn’t I think of that?"
"Because you’re exhausted. And perhaps a little terrified."
"I am not afraid of Rhea."
Rianor raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Arvid went quiet, then sighed. "Fine. Maybe a little."
That night, Rianor and Elara sat in their living area. A plush sofa, warm tea on the table, and a heater in the corner hummed quietly, circulating warmth throughout the room. It was the Thermal Mana Grid, one of the finest technologies Rianor had ever designed.
"Are you worried about Alistair?" Elara asked, breaking the silence.
Rianor looked at his wife. "I am."
"Since when?"
"Since Father told us about him in the Hexagon Hall. Since Nyx reported Solari spies in Sol-Regis. Since Aldric showed up at our wedding." Rianor sipped his tea. "Alistair won’t stay quiet. He’s plotting something."
"But you aren’t going to stop?"
"I can’t." He set his cup down. "There is an Academy to build. A generation to educate. If I stop because I’m afraid of Alistair, then he’s already won without drawing a sword."
Elara reached out and squeezed his hand.
"Are you afraid?" Rianor asked gently.
"I am," Elara admitted. "But I’m used to being afraid. I used to be afraid of Celeste. Afraid of my father. My mother. But I still left. I still endured. I’m still alive." She smiled. "Now I have you. So the fear isn’t as heavy as it used to be."
Rianor didn’t say anything. He simply squeezed her hand back.
Outside, the snow began to fall again—softly, silently. It covered the vacant lot near the eastern gate where, one day, tall buildings would stand and children would learn.
But inside the warm room, there were only the two of them. Husband and wife. Sharing the warmth.
"I’ll speak with Riven tomorrow," Rianor said. "I’ll tell him to tighten patrols at every border. If Alistair wants to play, we’ll be ready."
Elara nodded. "I’ll help Roland manage the intelligence network. We can expand the reach of Nyx and the Nightshades."
"Are you sure?"
"I can’t fight like Rhea," Elara said, her eyes sparking with determination. "But I can think."
Rianor smiled. "That is exactly why I married you."
Elara laughed. "Because I’m smart?"
"Because of many things."
"Name one."
Rianor looked at her. "You never give up."
Elara didn’t answer. She only held his hand tighter as the snow continued to fall outside, while inside, all was warm.
For tonight, that was enough.