The echo of the phrase "my little master" seemed to linger in the air, filling the bedroom with a strange atmosphere.
Solomon took two steps back.
Evelyn didn't move. The candlelight illuminated the dark red birthmark used for disguise on her cheek. Her expression was calm, quietly watching Solomon.
Solomon broke the silence first, his voice controlled and steady as always, betraying no emotion:
"For the other four Military Forts, don't dig into the mountains yet."
"Use timber to occupy the high ground of the ridges and build wooden stockades first."
"Design water channels for them to ensure water supply."
Solomon exhaled. The labor required for this project was too immense, and crucially, he had no money. So, he would build his home base first. But even completing just one would be terrifying. When Tywin Lannister besieged Castamere, if not for the poorly designed mine waterways, his great army couldn't have taken the three hundred people—including the old, weak, women, and children—inside the mines.
Solomon looked at Evelyn and issued his command:
"First, dig out a mountain underground fortress capable of holding four hundred people for me."
"It must be the most perfect one! Show me all the designs!"
Evelyn nodded slightly. Finally having a chance to speak, her voice was melodious yet gentle: "What is its name?"
The corners of Solomon's mouth twitched slightly, revealing a hint of a smile:
"The Lion's Den."
Evelyn's eyes reddened slightly. Her answer was just one word:
"En."
Solomon looked into Evelyn's slightly reddened eyes and gave her a gentle smile.
At the edge of the high mountains.
Driven by fear and the desire to move into a safe, comfortable Military Fort quickly, the first batch of mobilized subjects arrived carrying simple tools.
Before them was a massive, deep valley pit, surrounded on three sides by precipitous mountains unreachable by human power, stretching beyond sight above the clouds. Only one narrow, passable path existed. It clung tightly to the mountainside, with a deep cliff drop on the other side. Walking this path required constant caution to avoid falling into the abyss, finally leading to 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.
Honestly, Solomon was also a bit shocked. This location was chosen by Evelyn. This woman thought about how to make the fortress impregnable every moment, reaching a point of near madness.
It only proved that the Mountains of the Moon offered many incredibly harsh environments for building impregnable fortresses. If completed, this place could rival the Eyrie. The Eyrie had a flaw—dragons. But here, dragons wouldn't work because they would be living deep inside the mountain.
The only surviving platform in the deepest part could serve as the sole external space. Building a small fortress to fill this space would leave no foothold for enemies.
Fortunately, there were no dwarves in Westeros, and experience in tunneling life was lacking; otherwise, this place would have been occupied long ago.
He had picked up a huge bargain, happening upon a talent with architectural experience in mine shafts and mountain interiors.
"We... us? Live inside the mountain?..."
"Real... or fake?"
"This road is too dangerous!!"
"And you can't even see the bottom of this pit!!"
"Can we really live inside the mountain peak?"
The subjects discussed animatedly, but with a roar from Tax Officer Barna the Beggar, everyone started moving.
Solomon looked at Barna directing the work and Evelyn arguing about the design with an old miner. Having capable people was truly comfortable; he just needed to be a mascot here, saying and doing nothing.
The old miner was one of his subjects, said to have mined for over forty years with rich experience in underground operations. Originally conscripted without pay, Solomon eventually decided to give every subject who had worked as a miner a sum of money.
Evelyn, dressed in coarse clothes for easy movement, held a self-made rod ruler for measuring distance and was arguing with an old miner.
"No, this needs to be moved forward three meters." Evelyn pointed to a foundation that had just started digging, her tone calm but resolute.
"My Lady, I've mined for over forty years. Listen to me, starting the foundation here is the most stable and saves a lot of effort," the white-bearded old miner stopped his work, speaking with some dissatisfaction.
Several miners behind him echoed his sentiment, looking at the ugly Evelyn with eyes full of suspicion. This woman didn't look like she had ever been down a mine.
Evelyn didn't argue. She just drew a few intersecting lines on parchment with a quill, then held it out to the miners, displaying the content.
She pointed to the intersection of the lines: "You rely on perception; I rely on experience and calculation."
"Your method will put the entire load of the north wall on this weak point. The internal stress of the mountain will tear your foundation apart from here."
"According to my blueprint, the load will be evenly distributed to the rock layers on both sides. Do you want to save effort, or do you want to live?"
The miners' faces flushed red, wanting to argue—what do you mean experience? Have you ever been down a mine, woman!
But seeing Solomon walking slowly to stand behind Evelyn, his expression unchanging, they felt fear. They silently picked up their tools and moved the foundation forward three meters according to Evelyn's instructions.
"Thank you." Evelyn turned her head, looking at Solomon gratefully. She knew the miners obeyed because Solomon was standing behind her, backing her up.
From this moment on, no one dared to question a single word from this woman with the ugly mark on her face. Solomon's authority was her authority.
Five days passed, progress was slow. Solomon frowned as he walked onto a natural giant stone platform, looking at the ant-like crowd below and the sound of chiseling stone and chopping wood echoing through the valley.
"Lord Solomon!" Tax Officer Barna ran up, panting heavily. "Lord Solomon!"
"My Lord!" His voice was hoarse, mixed with dust and frustration. "It's too chaotic!"
"We must think of a way!"
Solomon turned to his Tax Officer and ordered decisively: "Go prepare some things for me!"
Inside the valley, the scene was indeed suffocating. After five days of excavation, cut square stones piled up like mountains, almost filling the narrow working platform under the craftsmen's feet. The blocked small path couldn't transport them out.
Outside the valley, on the precipitous "Thread of Sky" path, the scene was equally despairing. Much-needed building materials and tall logs were ruthlessly blocked by the bottomless cliff and the clogged path. Nothing could get in. It was chaos.
"Damn it! This is useless work!" A dust-covered subject put down his pickaxe, leaning against the stone wall gasping for breath. "The dug-out stones can't get out! The outside wood can't get in!"
The crowd began to murmur: "The stones under my feet have been piling up for a day!"
"Where are the people? Where are the people moving the stones out!!!"
"This damn place! How can a castle be built!"
"We haven't even had a bite to eat yet!!"
Excessive fatigue led to mental collapse. Doubt grew wildly in tired bodies, and the crowd began to riot.
Hearing these words, Evelyn's body trembled constantly. The situation before her exceeded her ability. She had thought of all the difficulties in construction and excavation, but she didn't expect to get stuck on the very first step of transportation.
Powerless! That feeling of powerlessness again!
70+ chapters are available now and daily updates! @patreon.com/AgentTwilight