I built a manor in the Middle Ages

Chapter 213 Population Expansion Again
With the stones successfully transported back, Luke, no longer waiting, gathered his three stonemason apprentices and twenty-five construction workers to prepare for construction.

Where were the extra ten people? They were the ten refugees from the Telf Bridge, of course.

The tavern at the bridgehead has been completely repaired, and he personally rode a traveling horse to bring the disaster victims there.

This time, there was no need to deliberately avoid Berry's gaze; after all, there was a reasonable reason.

"Hey stonemason Saul, what did you just say? That it will take three years to build this church?!"

Inside the military tent, Luke sat on the floor, looking at Orso, who was no longer young and was at least in his thirties but was still an apprentice, and picked up his planning map incredulously.

"That's right, sir."

Thor nodded slowly with a tense expression. He had two deep nasolabial folds on his face, and his skin was sallow, like a piece of dusty wood. He looked rigid and dull.

"Building a magnificent Romanesque domed church takes this long. Perhaps we still don't have enough time, since we need to work on the limestone and plant some grapevines on the exterior walls for aesthetic purposes."

"stop!"

Luc interrupted Saul helplessly. He was only building a small church in a small village, not a holy diocese for the Bishop of Milan. Romanesque domes? He dared to build it, but even Hugo might not dare to approve his salary.

Seeing this, the two younger apprentices couldn't help but glance at Thor with a mocking look, then smiled humbly and said, "Sir, please don't mind Thor's nonsense. This fellow is obsessed with building the Roman Dome. We have a more suitable solution here."

He took the two people's plans, glanced at the small chapel with limestone as the foundation, sandstone as the filling material, and a combination of wooden beams and sand, and nodded in satisfaction.

How long will it take to build this church?

"With the current manpower, it will take about nine months."

The two craftsmen didn't know why Luc kept asking about the progress, but after calculating for a while, they still gave him a timeframe.

"What if we double the manpower?"

"Double it." The two exchanged a glance. "Six months, I guess."

"Six months. That should be enough time for spring planting."

Luc thought to himself, and finally made the decision: "Okay, let's proceed with this plan. Thor, you go down and assist them."

In stark contrast to the jubilant artisans, a dejected Saul lifted the curtain, and Luc shook his head.

During this time, he gained some understanding of stonemasons.

Unlike other industries, stonemasons have their own set of behavioral patterns and even their own guilds. The sign that a stonemason apprentice has completed his or her apprenticeship is that he or she independently completes the construction of key parts such as a vault, arch, or tower corner column.

Saul, who is in his thirties, has not yet completed any of the above tasks.

However, Luke had neither the interest nor the energy to accompany him in completing his apprenticeship.

Taking out a piece of mutton fat, Luke slowly and carefully applied it to his new chainmail. Berg was indeed worthy of his old lord; his chainmail was much more robust and luxurious.

Just as he finished applying the ointment and was about to pick it up and hang it up, Ryan's voice came from outside the military tent. After being allowed to enter, he saw Raoul, who claimed to be half a Norman, following behind him.

“My lord, please forgive my uninvited arrival. May I ask how your manuscript is progressing?” Raoul bowed respectfully. He had been waiting for Luc in David’s territory for more than twenty days, which was unbearable for a wandering poet. He had told the story he knew over and over again in the tavern. At first, he always got a delicious bread and stew for free, but now no one would even pay for a cheap glass of ale. He couldn’t wait to know a new story so he could immediately adapt it into a poem and travel the world again.

“I’m so sorry, Raoul, I’ve been so busy I almost forgot about it,” Luc said, getting up and rummaging through his bag. He pulled out a piece of linen and said, “Here you go, my friend.”

Raoul smiled as he took the linen cloth, quickly scanning it for lines of dense Latin text. As time passed, Raoul's smile faded, and his pupils grew wider.

"Is everything you're saying true?"

Raoul's mouth dropped open, his hand stopped pointing at the linen in the air, half-surprised and half-doubting.

He asked for a first draft of a story, but what he has in his hand now looks more like a polished epic poem?

The knight, whose family had been destroyed, wandered thousands of miles and, by divine will, slew the three-headed hound that plagued the region, achieving great merit and regaining his knighthood. He was again guided by God to fight against a devout ascetic and an evil, fallen bishop, and witnessed the ascetic's rotting corpse regain its flesh and blood. Still by divine will, he received a sacred wine in Aachen Cathedral.
Raoul's expression was incredibly complex; he even wondered if this was just the knight's ramblings.

"Of course it's true. You can ask Brother Lynn for confirmation anytime," Luke said without batting an eye.

"Alright. But I think I still need to make some changes. For example, instead of killing hellhounds, let's kill robbers who specialize in robbing and eating people, and heretics who plunder the church."

Raoul was skeptical, but finally spoke.

“Of course, that makes perfect sense.” Luc shrugged, then took out a money pouch and handed it to Raoul, who hesitated for a moment before accepting it and bowing.

"By the way, would you be interested in staying in David's territory for another six months? Or perhaps returning after six months? I think once you see this church built with your own eyes, you'll surely create other poems."

As he spoke, Luc patted his money pouch, and Raoul blinked.

After seeing Raoul off, Luke first gave the plantain to Ryan, asking him to search the surrounding area for similar plants. Then he had George ride one of the fast horses back to Knightsburg, as he wanted to brew a few barrels of hop malt wine first!
With stonemasons present, Luc didn't need to oversee the actual construction work.

The true significance of a contractor lies in integrating various resources.

However, Luc continued to observe the stonemasons at work along the camp.

Although his suggestion was not adopted, Saul still meticulously taught the laborers how to quarry and cut stones.

He kept hammering and pounding on the sandstone with a hammer and wedges. The thumping sounds were crisp and rhythmic. The shoveled stone fragments were blown up by the wind. Luc looked closely and found that Saul was not hammering randomly, but was chiseling left and right along the sandstone's grain.

The other two apprentices were measuring out the church's layout and calculating the load-bearing structure, respectively—these were the core skills of a stonemason.

With the three of them around, Luc was much more relaxed. Another half month passed, and when Georges delivered ten barrels of ale to the church, a figure simultaneously appeared at the end of the road near the Auvergne border.

"Knight Luke!"

The newcomer was one of Old Pons's attendants. He dismounted beside Luc and said:

"Sir Luc, my master said that the number of construction workers you requested is ready, and he hopes you can take over as soon as possible!"

"You've finally arrived!"

Luke punched his palm; the doubled number he wanted had arrived!
(End of this chapter)