Assimilate All Talents

Chapter 339 Rebuild and Reassure

"oi! move that to the side! we need to make space for the stone that's about to arrive!"

mannis, a well built, dark toned man, barked at one of his workers, who single handedly placed a large stack of ceramic tiles in an open area.

"yes, boss!" without delay, the worker lifted the stack and moved it to a better location. he glanced back at mannis, only to see that his boss had already turned his attention elsewhere, yelling at another worker for a mistake.

mannis wasn't your average builder. he was an architect renowned throughout the kingdom for his immaculate work and exceptional service. he had designed and constructed numerous buildings and even had the opportunity to collaborate with multiple guilds. rumor had it that anything he built could withstand the might of a-rankers.

though greatly exaggerated—he didn't even possess a law technique of his own—it spoke volumes about the respect his work commanded. with the destruction in the capital, mannis was among the first called upon to help rebuild.

many sent letters and even personal representatives to hire his construction company. most were turned away because someone even more important than wealthy merchants or nobles had requested his service.

while mannis managed his workers, a figure approached him.

"mannis, i presume?"

without turning to face the speaker, mannis replied dismissively, "no, i'm not taking any jobs right now. yes, i'll be available once this one is done, but with the number of requests i have, i suggest you hire someone else. larry! what did i say about using the rune lift as your personal chair?!"

the figure behind him let out a low chuckle. "i'm not here to hire you for another job. at least, not yet."

something in the man's tone gave mannis pause. he turned, ready to scold whoever was bothering him, but the words caught in his throat.

standing before him was none other than zaman secondhand, the esteemed commander of the royal knights.

mannis stiffened. though they hadn't officially met, he knew exactly who zaman was.

"c-commander zaman..." mannis straightened his posture and wiped the sweat from his brow. "forgive my rudeness, sir. i didn't expect... well, what brings you here?"

zaman gave a slight nod. "i happened to be in the area and wanted to check on the status of the wall reconstruction. rather than reading it in a report, i prefer to hear it directly from you. no need for formality, just speak plainly."

mannis hesitated for a moment before nodding respectfully. "of course. well, the wall's situation is... complex. the destruction wasn't just surface level. the battle between the a-rankers destabilized the foundation beneath. we had to bring in a few earth mages to reshape and compact the ground before we could even begin proper reconstruction."

zaman's gaze shifted to the crumbled palace walls. workers scurried like ants, clearing rubble, while two earth mages moved about, casting spells to compress and flatten the ground.

"and how long will this take?" he asked.

"under a week." mannis replied without hesitation.

"welcome back, commander." she greeted with a polite smile.

zaman offered a respectful bow. "your highness. i happened to see that the wall reconstruction had begun. the architect, mannis, claims it will be finished within a week."

valerie's eyes widened slightly. "a week? that's... ambitious."

"so i thought." zaman smirked faintly. "but he seems capable. if he succeeds, i can think of many projects that could use his skills."

valerie leaned back thoughtfully. "good. we need to show a fast recovery. the people are still on edge after the attack. the sooner the capital is restored, the sooner they'll feel safe." she tapped her chin. "and what about the other matter?"

zaman nodded. "it agreed to meet with you and will be here soon."

valerie's eyes brightened. "it didn't come with you?"

"about that..." zaman hesitated. "on the way here, it decided to explore the city. said it didn't get much time to do that last time. i tried to dissuade it, but it was rather adamant about having some fun."

valerie sighed. given who they were dealing with, she didn't want to push it. "alright. i'm calling them for a personal matter. as long as they don't cause trouble, it's fine. thank you for arranging this, even though it's not your responsibility."

zaman smiled. "nonsense, your highness. i'm at your service. by the way, most of the arrangements are done. have you prepared your speech?"

he referred to her inauguration speech for her coronation as queen. with the king's death and the recent vampire attack, the people desperately needed a beacon of hope. her crowning would take place as soon as the palace reconstruction was complete.

valerie nodded. "yes, though i haven't had the chance to practice it yet. i'll make time soon."

"good to hear, your highness." zaman bowed. "if you need anything else, don't hesitate to call on me."

"thank you, commander."

zaman gave a cordial bow and left, returning to his duties. alone, valerie leaned back in her chair and sighed.

feeling the exhaustion of recent days, she retrieved an energizing potion from her spatial ring and drank it.

once finished, she muttered, "hopefully it comes soon. i just want closure."

"closure? how do you expect me to help with that?"

startled by the sudden voice, valerie sprang to her feet, scanning the room. she couldn't see the source, but she knew exactly who it was.

"shadow crawler?!"