Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 52: Topping Out the Castle

It was nearly dusk by the time they returned to Black Stone Town.

The entrance to the town, however, was much livelier than usual. From a distance, they could see many unfamiliar faces.

A crowd of people in ragged, weathered clothes had gathered there—men, women, young, and old. Most carried simple bundles on their backs, their eyes filled with the fatigue of a long journey and anxiety about their unfamiliar surroundings. Yet, they did their best to stand tall, as if to prove they still had the strength to work, their expressions tinged with a desperate hope for a stable life.

They were refugees, displaced by nearby wars or famines. Having heard that Black Stone Town was recruiting people and that its Lord was relatively benevolent, they had brought their families to try their luck.

A few guards were maintaining order, while a Civil Servant followed the plan Raylo had established for receiving refugees, handling simple registrations and calming them.

The group continued onward. To the north of town, the burgeoning form of Black Stone Castle had shot up, now a great deal taller than when they had left.

The sturdy stone walls had been built to their planned height. Massive scaffolding surrounded the stone fortress, where artisans and assisting townspeople were bustling about, performing the final procedures.

A final, massive log, destined to be the main roof’s crossbeam, was being slowly hoisted into place. Dozens of artisans and townspeople pulled in unison, their shouts of "HEAVE-HO! HEAVE-HO!" echoing as they worked to set it into the mortise and tenon joints on both walls.

"The Lord is back!"

Someone with sharp eyes spotted Raylo’s party, and a wave of greetings immediately erupted from the construction site.

"Topping out!"

As the massive crossbeam settled securely into its designated position, fitting perfectly, someone shouted excitedly, sparking a thunderous cheer.

According to the customs of the Thunder Dragon Duchy, the topping out is an extremely important milestone in the construction process. It signifies the completion of the main structure, with only the interior renovations and finishing touches remaining.

It was not only a celebration of their hard work but also embodied their hopes for a secure life in the future.

Raylo swung himself off his horse, handed the reins to a Knight, and strode toward the castle construction site.

He took off his Leather Armor, which was stained with the dust of the mountain roads and the faint smell of blood. An attendant immediately handed him a relatively clean set of the Lord’s everyday clothes to change into.

Mayor Buck, having already received the news, came forward to greet him with a cheerful grin, leaning on his cane. He was followed by several respected town elders, who were carrying ceremonial ale and freshly baked bread.

This was tradition. The topping-out ceremony had to be personally presided over by the Lord to pray for the building’s sturdiness and the household’s peace.

Raylo accepted the clay jug of ale and the coarse bread that nonetheless gave off a rich, wheaty aroma.

He walked to the base of the castle and, following the simple, time-honored ritual, first raised the ale high above his head. He then poured some onto the ground and sprinkled some toward the sky, chanting words of blessing to thank the earth for its support and the sky for its protection.

Subsequently, he broke off a small piece of bread and, in a symbolic gesture, offered it up to the massive, newly installed crossbeam.

Having completed the ritual, Raylo turned to face all the artisans and townspeople who had participated in the construction, as well as the onlookers whose faces were equally filled with joy. Even the newly arrived refugees were swept up in the fervent atmosphere, momentarily forgetting their fatigue and anxiety.

"You have all worked hard!"

Raylo’s voice wasn’t particularly loud, but in the now relatively quiet construction site, it carried clearly to every corner.

"Black Stone Castle was able to be topped out so quickly thanks to the sweat and effort of every single one of you! This castle will be our shared home, a shield to protect us from the storm and guard our peace!"

He continued, "Today is a day worth celebrating! As is customary, and to reward everyone for their diligent work, I have decided..."

Everyone held their breath, looking at their Lord with anticipation.

A reward was a traditional part of the topping-out ceremony and the best comfort for their toil.

"Every registered resident of the town, including our new friends who arrived today—so long as you decide to stay in Black Stone Town—will receive two pounds of wild boar meat per person in their household!"

"OHHH!!!"

"Long live the Lord!"

"We’re having meat!!"

The crowd instantly erupted in an astonishing cheer, even louder than the one for the topping out!

Two pounds of wild boar meat!

In this era of relative scarcity, when it was a rare luxury for an ordinary family to have meat, this was an absolutely generous reward!

While wild boar wasn’t as tender as beef or mutton, its real advantages were its sheer quantity and high fat content. It was enough for a family to eat well for several meals and replenish their much-needed energy.

The children were the happiest of all, jumping up and down and cheering, practically drooling.

The adults’ faces bloomed with smiles. They congratulated each other, their grateful gazes fixed on Raylo.

Even the newly arrived refugees, still anxious and uncertain, were stunned by this sudden surprise. They never expected to receive a reward from the Lord right after arriving in Black Stone Territory.

’Choosing to come to Black Stone Town might have been the best decision they had made during their time as wanderers.’

Ed, having already been given the signal, directed several Knights to carry over several large baskets filled with pre-portioned cuts of wild boar.

This was all from the hunting parties’ recent harvests. After being processed, some of it had been smoked for storage, while the rest was kept in reserve, perfect for this very moment.

The distribution began at once.

The Knights began calling out names from a roster provided by Mayor Buck.

"Old John’s family! Five people, ten pounds of meat! Here you go!"

A Knight said with a smile, handing a large, well-marbled piece of boar meat to an old man with a graying beard, whose face was flushed with excitement.

"Thank you! Thank you, Sir Knight! Thank you, my Lord!"

Old John carefully clutched the heavy piece of meat to his chest as if it were a precious Treasure, drawing a round of good-natured laughter from the crowd.

"Next, Pete’s family! Three people, six pounds!"

"Coming, coming!"

A young boy, watching the other families receive their meat, couldn’t help but swallow with a loud SLURP. His mother laughed and gave him a gentle tap on the back of the head.

"You little glutton! We’ll have your father stew it until it’s nice and tender when we get home!"

Amid another burst of good-natured laughter, the boy finally received his family’s share of the meat.

Mayor Buck slowly ambled over to Raylo’s side, leaning on his cane. The flickering firelight danced in his cloudy eyes.

"My Lord, look how happy they are," he said with emotion.

"It’s been so many years since Black Stone Town has been this lively... or this full of hope."

"This is just the beginning, Buck."

Raylo’s gaze swept over the crowd.

"We still have a long way to go to make Black Stone Territory truly safe and stable."

"Yes, yes," Buck nodded.

Raylo asked, "What’s the initial situation with the refugees’ settlement?"

"For now, they’re in a few vacant houses we cleared out on the edge of town and in some temporary shacks we put up," Old Buck said. "I’ve spoken with a few of their leaders. They all said they’re willing to follow your arrangements, my Lord, and work for food and shelter."

"Good."

Raylo nodded.

"More refugees will likely continue to arrive in Black Stone Territory in the near future. Have the Civil Servants do a good job of settling them. The development of Black Stone Territory depends on its population."

"Yes, my Lord!" Old Buck said.

The next two days in Black Stone Town passed in a busy yet orderly atmosphere.

The interior renovation work on the castle continued. The artisans’ CLANGS and BANGS echoed as stonemasons smoothed the walls and carpenters began crafting doors, windows, and the internal structures.

「That afternoon.」

Ed hurried to Raylo.

Ed’s expression was grim. "My Lord, a Knight patrol squad has reported back. On the edge of the forest about thirty kilometers northeast of the territory, they found some... unusual tracks."