Foundations
“What do you think? Do you feel up for it?”
“Of course! But… This building is only the first of many, right? This will eventually evolve into a sprawling farmland with several different sections, and it will need to all connect together neatly. It makes it a bit of a challenge to properly prepare for it all. Especially since this first building will have a big field attached to it. There will also be a need for alternative, empty fields, yes? Since cows will need to be taken away from spots where they have eaten all the grass”
Edrick had managed to get Haoyu out of Labyrinth Palace for a week, mostly so that he could meet his fellow wives, but also get an idea of what life at the residence would be like in the future, and introduce him to a certain architectural project that Anoteros was certain the Foppoof would love to tackle.
Namely, Fanqia’s project to start a farm.
The idea was to begin with high-quality, but ultimately mundane cows to get things started. Of course, this was a farm under Edrick’s ownership, and a dream-come-true for his first wife. Therefore, the farm had to be grand and the perfect place for the cattle to thrive, grow, reproduce, and the like.
Fanqia would be satisfied with much less, but that was because she was not only humble despite her status–Too humble, even–But also due to the fact that she viewed such things with her peasant-tinted glasses, instead of her noble eyes. With such an outlook, even a small farm would seem exceptional.
She needed to know her true worth, however. As his wife, she was expected to be more opulent… Of course, her farm project wasn’t currently the top thing on her mind with Bertian and Milda around, but Anoteros saw promise in her idea. She was also definitely deserving of a reward for giving birth to his offspring.
…Watching Haoyu fully focus on architecture was certainly a sight to behold. There was definitely something attractive about such a cute Foppoof being so passionate about his hobby and profession. He seemed not to even register anything else as he envisioned what the farm could look like once built.
It wasn’t just him using his mind either. His abilities earned through cultivation and a genuine talent for architecture allowed him to view yet-to-be-built buildings to get a better grasp of what they should look like, how they could be constructed, and if they adhered to the terrain–And of course, to try to get a grasp of how it could be built to accommodate future extensions.
“We’ll probably only have mundane animals here, so everything only needs to be built to contain cattle and the like. The protective measures will be handled through the material used and arrays”
“Protective measures? This place is already inside the Elt clan. What more protection could possibly be needed?”
“You can never be too cautious about such things, Haoyu… Besides, there are wild beasts roaming around freely in the wilds of my clan’s domain. They could be tempted with the easy prey if defences aren’t put in place to repel and discourage them”
“Ah… I see. I haven’t yet completed my curriculum on architecture that enhances the properties of associated arrays... But it could definitely be used in the construction, then. Is there any plan for how big it should all be, exactly? Will we stay confined to the plains, or will we expand into the surrounding forest by chopping down some trees?”
“Some trees will definitely be cut down. The forests nearby are technically considered a part of my personal territory, but I don’t want to remove too many trees. Especially not the wolf trees”
“Wolf trees?”
“It just means the bigger trees in the forests. They were probably the first to grow, and thus, the surrounding trees couldn’t get as large due to the presence of a wolf tree… They are probably the best parts of the woodland scenery directly around my residence. And a good view is essential, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, I definitely agree. The surroundings play a big role in making structures stand out. The presence or lack thereof of things in the direct vicinity can be of great help to make an architecture stick out more prominently”
Haoyu could only be in accordance with this sentiment. With his affection for building ruins and abandoned structures, he was well aware that lush vegetation and greenery overstepping their boundaries could be vital in truly making something look forsaken.
A ruin surrounded by neatly trimmed grass might work well to evoke a sense of unsettlement and uncanniness in certain scenarios, but most of the time, it would just ruin the sensation of old an architect could be trying to evoke.
“Alright then, I have a few ideas popping up inside my head. I’ve properly visualised the terrain, and I’ll be writing the blueprints, sketches, and some models. I’ve only built one farm in the past, and it was one with the theme that it had partly burnt down and been infested with monsters… I’ll do my best to make a proper one this time around!”
“You’re the best one for the job, Haoyu”
Edrick reached out and ran his fingers through his sixth wife’s hair, caressing the Foppoof’s dark-skinned face with his rugged and rough thumb.
“By the way, do you know about the progress on the Lodestones?”
“Sect Master Hulber told me that he had been able to produce a large stock of them. He was also able to get his hands on ones already created that had been sitting forgotten in storage rooms for a long time. He’s been working quite hard on this, and it seemed like you’ve accidentally ignited his creative genius in this regard”
“Mmh? How so?”
“I guess he hadn’t touched Lodestone creation properly in a long time. But now that he has been doing it intensively, he has been getting new design ideas and has been trying new things with them. I only know the basics of the basics for now when it comes to Lodestones, but I think you’ll be very satisfied once he is done!”
Anoteros hadn’t expected Hulber to get so caught up in it… But it was definitely a good thing for him. He planned on using many Lodestones in the future. Having an expert of them by his side would definitely help greatly.
Edrick and Haoyu exchanged a few more words until the patriarch pushed his wife’s hair behind his ear.
“Say… What do you think about having some fun right here? The sun is quite warm, and so is the grass…”
Haoyu squirmed a little.
“It- It would be so embarrassing! What if someone sees us like this? I… I think I would prefer if we did it at the residence”
Anoteros chuckled lightly.
“Aren’t you adorable? I’ll bid you goodbye in bed, then…”