Your Majesty, Wonders are Harmful to the Country!

After several days of experimentation and refinement, Anel's first version of the levitation magic circle was finally taking shape.

This news greatly excited Bruno, so he made a rare early morning trip, personally escorting Anel to the construction site with his soldiers. After all, a mage as willing to help as Anel was quite rare these days.

And so, when a heavy rock was inscribed with the levitation magic circle by Anel, the gathered serfs were completely stunned.

The massive stone, which originally required dozens of serfs to lift, now floated several centimeters above the ground under the influence of the levitation magic circle. With just a light push, it could glide two or three meters effortlessly.

Thanks to Anel's modifications, the levitation magic circle's various functions were now fully refined. Once the stone reached its designated position, all it took was for Anel to lightly tap a specific spot with his staff, and the heavy rock would instantly deactivate its levitation state and land precisely where it was intended.

Initially, Anel's design allowed the serfs to deactivate the levitation state themselves by touching a switch. However, to prevent workplace injuries caused by accidental activations, Bruno insisted on modifying the design to require Anel's direct intervention.

In Bruno's view, while this did make things a bit more troublesome for Anel, it wasn't like he had to pay him extra anyway. And if it helped prevent accidents, why not?

Bruno rarely visited the construction site himself. Aside from welcoming Master Andy, this was only the second time he had come in person.

The construction of the Hanging Garden was progressing well. With Anel's levitation magic circle assisting the work, the project was expected to be completed in just a few months. After all, the involvement of magic made everything far more efficient.

White Barrel, the stonemason overseeing the construction, took the opportunity to report on the project's progress to Bruno, particularly praising the contributions of the recently formed Ninth Production Team.

Since the arrival of the Ninth Production Team, they had consistently held the title of "Best Production Team," leaving Krell's Third Production Team to settle for second place.

"Labor is the source of happiness!"

"Labor sets me free!"

Watching the group of reformed ruffians tirelessly working in the distance, Bruno suddenly felt reluctant to let them leave.

These fifty men were an incredible workforce! Could there be any better laborers than this?

Not only were they highly efficient, but they also worked without complaint. They even competed to donate their savings and properties just for the opportunity to work harder—true believers indeed…

Bruno instinctively glanced at Anel, who was busy drawing magic circles nearby.

Maybe… he could trick the mage into joining them too?

However, that thought was quickly dismissed. After all, a mage was different from those former street thugs, not to mention that Anel was a noble himself. It was truly a pity…

At this point, Master Andy had already come to terms with the reality of being "invited" by Bruno. Even if Bruno allowed him to leave now, he probably wouldn't.

As a master sculptor, Andy's greatest wish was to create an artwork that would be recognized as a masterpiece throughout history. And in the Hanging Garden, he saw exactly that opportunity.

What a magnificent structure!

Ever since he had seen the blueprints, Andy had been working tirelessly, even choosing to sleep at the construction site.

For him, fame and recognition were already in his grasp, and his sculpting skills were acknowledged by many. What he lacked was a lasting legacy—a work that would cement his name in history.

His seven apprentices assisted him, handling the minor details, while Andy dedicated himself fully to his craft, striving to deliver his absolute best.

"Including food costs, we've already spent over five hundred gold coins this month alone…" Old Ford said with a pained expression after Bruno had finished inspecting the site.

Five hundred gold coins!

In the past, even Bruno's extravagant lifestyle wouldn't have burned through this much money in half a year.

"Only five hundred?" Bruno asked absentmindedly.

"My lord, if we exclude the income from sea salt production and sugar refining, the entire annual tax revenue of Idar barely reaches two to three thousand gold coins… But the expenses are far higher—whether it's military spending, maintaining the lord's castle, or… well, upholding your noble dignity, it all costs a significant amount of money," Old Ford advised, as always.

"No need to worry. You've seen the progress for yourself. In just a few months, the Hanging Garden will be nearly complete. Besides, once the sea salt and sugar industries reach full scale, why would Idar ever have to worry about a mere few hundred gold coins?"

"A few months, huh…"

Old Ford quickly did some mental calculations.

At five hundred gold coins per month, the total cost of building the Hanging Garden would likely reach nearly three thousand gold coins by the time it was completed.

Three thousand gold coins!

That was enough to fund a small elite army.

"Instead of worrying about cutting costs, think more about making money," Bruno continued. "Look at me just by casually using my brain, I came up with brilliant ideas like sea salt production. Do you think just anyone could think of that?"

Old Ford was momentarily speechless.

Despite his master's history of reckless spending, he had to admit that the sea salt and sugar industries were indeed game-changers that would bring enormous and sustainable profits to Idar.

"Speaking of new ideas, tomorrow, put up some public notices encouraging commoners and serfs to innovate. If anyone comes up with an idea that benefits Idar, they'll be handsomely rewarded. Commoners can receive large sums of gold, and serfs… well, they can earn their freedom."

Of course, while Bruno said this, he didn't actually expect much from the commoners and serfs.

After all, given the limitations of the era, expecting illiterate peasants or starving laborers to invent something revolutionary was pretty far-fetched.

But it didn't hurt to try. Posting a few notices cost nothing, and if someone actually came up with a useful invention, that would be fantastic.

As Bruno continued strolling around the site, he suddenly realized it was already noon. The sun was shining warmly overhead.

In the distance, spurred on by the tireless enthusiasm of the Ninth Production Team, the other serfs were working with great energy. The Ninth Team, in particular, could be heard chanting slogans like "Work hard to redeem your sins!"

Seeing this sight, Bruno couldn't help but sigh to Old Ford beside him:

"Building wonders is truly a joyful thing…"

"…"