Chapter 126: Building High Walls
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Wooden stakes were driven forcefully into the ground.
The tall and burly clay golem slowly lowered its fist, stepped to the right, and hammered down on the next wooden stake with great force.
Feeling the faint tremors from the ground, everyone's gaze was unconsciously fixated in a daze.
For most of them, it was the first time seeing the clay golem perform actions other than walking.
The display of raw power from the massive clay golem left everyone in shock and stirred some mixed feelings in their hearts.
While everyone was focused on the clay golem building the wooden walls, lunch was being prepared and distributed to the group.
Unconsciously, they all stopped wondering.
Why were they building wooden walls here?
While everyone was eating, Matthew had already controlled the clay golem to drive the first row of two-meter-long black wooden beams into the trench.
Soon, the second group, who had been ready for some time, began moving the 30-plus carriages into the enclosure.
The carriages entered the walled area, blocking everyone's view.
The carriage doors opened, and hundreds of lively figures jumped out.
All of them were cloaked, and the sunlight made them slightly uncomfortable.
Five hundred kobolds!
They had been teleported here along with Matthew.
Due to their small size, 20 carriages were enough to hold them all.
The large and imposing Gold-Fang was the last to step out.
His vertical pupils scanned the kobolds, and at his mere glance, the previously restless kobolds immediately quieted down.
Without waiting for Gold-Fang's command, the kobolds lined up to retrieve various tools from the carriages.
Then, they demonstrated an astonishing level of discipline.
Under the leadership of larger kobolds, they split into small teams and got to work under Gold-Fang's command.
Despite their small stature, the kobolds moved swiftly, wielding hammers and shovels with impressive speed.
In just over ten minutes.
The kobolds had dug a deep trench behind the walls.
Then, they quickly excavated a series of deep pits, extracting large amounts of dirt and piling it up behind the wooden walls.
The dirt piled higher and higher, and the pits connected to form underground tunnels.
Seeing the plan steadily advancing, Matthew slowly opened the door of the carriage and stepped out calmly.
His movements seemed to trigger a reaction, as the barbarian soldiers who had been resting in the nearby carriages also stepped out.
The fully armored barbarian soldiers, standing in the sunlight, exuded an overwhelming presence.
Those who had just finished eating curiously looked over.
None of them had even noticed when these barbarian soldiers and the mysterious Arcanist had joined the caravan...
Adam Smith stepped forward and called out in a clear, straightforward voice:
"Attention everyone, we are now hiring!"
"The wages are the same as in Bay Territory, so if you're interested, you can sign up now."
"Additionally, due to the heavy workload this time, there's an extra 50% pay bonus for all participants..."
As he spoke, the caravan's guards deftly pulled out several recruitment boards.
Some adventurers, still eating, glanced curiously at the busy clay golems and finally understood:
"Bay Territory is planning to build a camp here?"
"I think so. This spot is exactly a day's journey from Bay Territory. Building a camp here would eliminate a lot of dangers."
"Exactly. Don't be fooled by the calm Misty Marsh—once night falls, those fishmen will swarm in droves..."
"I've experienced that before, and I have no desire to go through it again..."
"The caravan came well-prepared. A lot of those carriages were loaded with construction materials."
"Of course they're recruiting workers; this is the lord's favorite thing to do."
"Haha, didn't we all get recruited once before?"
"With Bay Territory's construction speed, this won't take long. We'll probably reach Bay Village by tomorrow."
"..."
Hearing the adventurers' conversation, the pushcart workers and refugees finally realized what was going on.
They had seen the dangers of the wilderness at night firsthand, with many having narrowly escaped death.
They quickly struck up conversations with the adventurers, asking about Bay Territory and the current hiring situation.
When they heard that the average wage in Bay Territory was 20 copper coins a day, most were tempted.
They also learned that after a month of working as a commoner in Bay Territory, one could earn a contribution point.
With 100 contribution points, they could get a house to live in for free, and most people started making moves.
Lastly, they were told that those who performed well on the job could apply for the reservist soldier exam.
If they passed the exam and became reservist soldiers, they would earn 10 silver coins a month.
Everyone rushed forward at once but quickly lined up obediently under the guards' "scolding" to sign up.
After all, if you didn't follow the rules, you wouldn't get a chance.
No one dared to act out!
The guards, well-versed in recruitment, quickly registered everyone.
Seeing how obedient they were, and with no sign of the expected enemy attack, Adam Smith signaled to Captain Mellen with a glance and, escorted by four clay golems, left Matthew's side and approached the group:
"For this camp construction, you'll only need to do the most basic tasks. Consider it an early introduction to life in Bay Territory."
"And to ensure everyone has the strength to work, dinner will include meat for all."
Hearing that there would be actual meat to eat, rather than just the smell of it.
All the refugees' eyes lit up, and they began excitedly discussing it.
Adam Smith didn't interrupt their discussions, simply smiling as he watched them. Once they quieted down on their own, he continued:
"Starting now, follow orders and work hard."
"Those who work diligently will be rewarded, and those who slack off won't get any meat tonight."
Upon hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with excitement, and they eagerly shouted:
"Rest assured, Adam Smith! We'll work hard and make sure no one slacks off!"
Riding this wave of enthusiasm, Adam Smith sent them off to work immediately.
The first task was to clear the reeds surrounding the hill.
Adam Smith watched them closely and then glanced at Matthew as he approached, asking him:
"Which one is the spy?"
"Should we root them out?"
Matthew, looking at the obvious "hints," replied calmly:
"Why would we root them out? Without them, we'd have fewer people to do the work."
"Besides, if they don't send word of my presence here, how would the enemy know where to attack?"
As he spoke, Matthew waved his hand toward the sky.
Accompanied by a distant screech, Yaya, now with wings spanning over two meters, descended in a spiral.
Under countless astonished gazes, she landed gracefully.
The "star of the show" had arrived!