The echo of "My young master" seemed to linger, and a strange atmosphere permeated the air in the bedroom.
Arthur took two steps back.
Evelyn didn't move, the candlelight illuminating the dark red mark on her cheek used for disguise, her expression calm, she just quietly looked at Arthur.
Arthur broke the silence first, his voice once again controlled as steadily as ever, betraying no emotion: "There's no need to excavate the other four military forts yet."
"Use timber to occupy the high ground of the ridges and build mountain strongholds first."
"You go and design the irrigation ditches for them to ensure water sources."
Arthur exhaled. The amount of work required too much manpower, and most importantly, he had no money, so he could only build a family stronghold for himself first. But even building one would be terrifying. Back when Tywin Lannister besieged Craster's Keep, if the mine's waterways hadn't been properly constructed, his army wouldn't have been able to take down the three hundred people, including the old, weak, and women and children, inside the mine.
Arthur looked at Evelyn, giving his instructions: "First, excavate an underground mountain fortress capable of accommodating four hundred people for me."
"It must be the most perfect! Show me all the designs!"
Evelyn nodded slightly, finally having a chance to speak, her voice melodious but very gentle: "What will it be called?"
Arthur's lips curved slightly, revealing a hint of a smile: "The Lion's Den."
Evelyn's eyes were slightly red, and her reply was just one word: "Mm."
Arthur looked into Evelyn's slightly reddened eyes, giving her a gentle smile.
At the edge of the High Mountain, when the first batch of villagers, driven by terror and a desire to quickly move into safe and comfortable military forts, were mobilized to arrive with simple tools.
A huge, deep valley, surrounded on three sides by steep, humanly unreachable mountains, so tall that one could not see their tops, reaching above the clouds. There was only one narrow passable road, which clung to the mountain, with a deep cliff abyss on the other side. One had to be careful not to fall into the abyss while walking this road to finally reach the only surviving platform in the innermost valley.
When the leader told them they had to walk this path and then dig into the mountain, they were shocked.
To be honest, Arthur was also a bit shocked. This location was chosen by Evelyn. This woman was constantly thinking about how to make the fortress impregnable, almost to the point of madness.
It could only mean that the Brightmoon Mountains offered many extremely harsh environments for building impregnable castles and fortresses. If completed, this place could completely rival the Eyrie. And the Eyrie had a flaw, which was dragons, but here it wouldn't, because we live deep inside the mountain.
And the only remaining platform at the deepest part, which could eventually serve as the sole external space, would be used to build a small fortress that fills the entire area, leaving no room for anyone to stand.
Fortunately, Westeros had no dwarves, lacking experience in living in holes, otherwise this place would have probably been seized long ago.
He had stumbled upon a great bargain, just happened to meet someone with experience in building within mine tunnels and mountains.
"We... we? Live inside the mountain?...
"Really... or fake?"
"This road is too dangerous!!"
"And this deep pit is simply bottomless!!"
"Can we really live inside the mountain?"
The villagers discussed amongst themselves, but with a loud shout from Qiba Nana, the treasurer, everyone started moving first.
Arthur looked at Qiba Nana, the treasurer, who was directing, and Evelyn, who was debating the design with the old miner. It was truly comfortable to have capable people; one only needed to be a mascot here, without saying or doing anything.
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