NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Bianca
Day 21 of Landing
Population of Thornhill - 53
Three men, including Marek, his helper Christopher, and a prospective mason named Bruce, were standing around a dig site that Marek had identified as perfect for a well. The digging area was a lush depression that Marek said would be ideal. Wheelbarrows of bricks, previously used for the Captain’s signal fire, were placed near the stockpile I had designated, and I checked to ensure we had enough materials.
Stockpile #3:
Logs: 12
Bricks: 263
Planks: 59
Mortar: 23 lb
I withdrew my Stone Well card from my palms and examined it. The outline of the well appeared over the depression and the giant hole currently being dug by Slate. To remove Slate from the hole, I tapped my Familiar: Golem card, then tapped it again to reform him above ground. Meanwhile, Slate would remain in the hole while Bruce began lowering the bricks and mortar using a bucket and pulley system. I checked the Stone Well to see if it was ready to be built.
Stone Well Requirements:
Logs: 10/10
Bricks: 250/250
Planks: 50/50
Mortar: 20/20
Bucket: 1/1
With everything set, I left the boys to their work. Marek and his helper would build the wellhead using the logs, bricks, and planks I had provided. It was a big project that would take days to complete but would save valuable time for our water bearers and boilers.
Since we have stopped receiving new people, one of my many jobs besides making pottery was expediting and overseeing the many projects we had in town.
At the blacksmiths, Orion and Alex returned from their dungeon expedition with new loot for the two blacksmiths “brothers” to melt down into coins. Anika made a simple scale using a balance beam and two bowls to measure each weapon, the amount of coins produced, and the weight of the hilt or non-metal weapon byproducts. I thought it was unnecessary since I didn’t think the blacksmiths would pocket any coins, but I was reminded by our treasury secretary, Sophie, to trust but verify. Each time they produced coins for us, we would reward them with one coin each.
The copper coin itself was a simple design—the outline of an airplane on the head side, and a berry on the tail side.
That was how it would start: one copper coin for service rendered. Every member of the village got ten coins to start with. The excess coinage would be tucked into Sophie’s merchant cart, redistributed by me, and locked away with her special ability, Portable Wagon. For this service, Sophie would only charge the village one copper a week, which Orion said was too high.
Today was going to be a good day. With our economy getting underway, people were more eager to work. Aaliyah, who had previously been working with me to welcome the new arrivals, found herself without a task. She came to me for advice, and I suggested she either help Astrid with the animals or assist Anika with her herb gathering and drying. She decided to go with Anika.
Near the river, wash ladies Tiffany and Joycelyn were offering clothes-washing services for a copper each, and I took them up on their offer. I stripped down to my bare self and handed them my stinky clothes, a copper coin each, and used temporary clothing made by our seamstress Roza. The clothing looked like a burlap sack, but I couldn’t complain.
My next stop in my burlap sack, while the ladies washed my clothes, was to get a bite to eat. Fish was provided for free, for which I paid Herman and his two helpers, Super Nine and Vesper. With the newer nets looted from the pirate ship, we were bringing in fish by the boatloads. We had roasted fresh fish today, but I knew and smelled that they were smoking a whole lot of fish near the beach.
Orion had set up a small food stall after his dungeon dive, and I approached him to see what he was serving. He had a large Dutch oven with oil boiling, two pairs of sticks he used as chopsticks, and was frying potatoes and what looked like chicken pieces. After the bird pieces were done, he took them out and drizzled some honey with fermented wild garlic in it. A small crowd was gathering around during lunchtime, attracted by the smell of honeyed garlic bird and potatoes cooked in animal fat.
“Where did you get honey from? And all those potatoes?” I asked with amazement.
“Honey from Astrid and the potatoes come from Samar,” Orion said, sprinkling salt onto the fried potatoes and then chiffonading some wild chives on a log cutting board. “They both owed me favors, so I cashed them in.”
“Can I have a bowl?” I asked, and Orion returned my question with a knowing grin.
There were six empty plates in front of Orion that he filled with two pieces of fried scarlet fowl and potatoes. He then garnished the potatoes with his chives. The dish looked sooooo good. A line formed, and Orion announced, “Honey garlic fowl and twice-fried potatoes. One copper each. Only one copper each. Line up here, first come, first serve!”
At that, people just started grabbing plates, leaving one copper behind. I saw Marek, on his lunch break, push two people out of the way to grab two plates, arguing with Jesus and Larry. Orion pocketed his six copper coins and started cleaning up.
“Rye... old buddy. Can you do your friend a service and make me one of those? You know I am the mayor. I can offer you two coins,” I asked, coming over to Orion with my best puppy dog eyes.
“Sorry, mayor. First come, first serve. I have things to do but enjoy your day. Nice clothes by the way,” Orion patted me on the head before skipping away.
“OH come on, you have a dead bird right there,” I said, pointing to the plucked one he was carrying by its legs.
“I’m smoking it. It’s my provisions for the dungeon,” he said without looking back as he headed towards the smokehouse near the beach.
I sighed and grabbed the free plate of food offered by the government... well, me.
I’m getting so sick of eating fish.
Since Orion mentioned Samar’s potato harvest, I went to the farm to see how it was doing. James and Samar were laughing while picking the potatoes out of the earth. Samar’s daughter, Amina, was holding a basket alongside them. Another worker, Yu Li, a quiet, lanky Chinese woman who I hadn’t talked to much since she arrived, was on her break drinking some tea while munching on a stone-baked potato.
When the potatoes came out, they came in bunches like grapes. Unlike the potatoes I knew from Earth, they were small, almost fingerling-sized. The few big ones that came out, Samar would set aside, cut into quarters, and replant in the soil. It looked like she had a skill but didn’t show it. I guess she has her reasons, and I wouldn’t press her about it.
“That’s so amazing!” I said, coming over and marveling at their harvest, piles of potatoes stacked in wicker baskets. “Make sure you get all of it assessed by the council, and we’ll pay you for them.”
“Miss Bianca,” Samar shyly said, looking down, “I sold some already to Orion and others... I’m sorry. I know they are village property, but I can give you back the coins I received.”
“No no no... you did the work. You should get the coins, Samar. You and all the other farmers here, especially you, Amina,” I said, patting the young girl standing beside her mother on the head.
“We couldn’t have done it without Slate plowing and tilling the fields, Miss,” Samar said gratefully.
“As long as you are feeding us with something other than meat and fish, I’ll always be happy to send Slate over,” I beamed a smile. “Oohhh, what have you got there?”
Some flowery weeds that were in rows in the tilled field stuck out to me. I wondered what crop they could be since they didn’t look like wheat or flax.
“It’s wild mustard,” Samar answered. “It’s similar to the one that grows into kale and broccoli.”
“This thing? Wow...” I nodded and then pointed over to the stalks of wheat, “Is that wheat? Holy cow. It’s growing so fast. When do you think we can harvest it? I can’t wait for Orion to make me some bread or pasta.”
“Maybe a week or so?” Samar answered.
“We’ll still need a mill to mill that wheat, darling,” James smiled cordially. The guy oozed class for whatever reason. I don’t know if it was his British accent, his long parted chestnut-colored hair and thick beard, or the way he stood—he resembled a lord.
“You know what. I’ll get on that. After we finish our well and new mess hall. That’s our project. A mill,” I decided. “And I think we should celebrate, don’t you? After we harvest the wheat, we should have a festival, like a feast. You guys did so amazing here. We should all celebrate the harvest of the wheat.”
“An inspired idea by our gracious leader,” James said bowing dramatically. “That reminds me... do you think you can till more crop fields? Variety is the spice of life. I would recommend we plant barley and grapes next.”
“I think it’s a good idea too, for different reasons than James’s obvious want of beer and wine. Crop rotation. We’ll need a granary to hold the wheat while we plant rye or barley,” Samar suggested.
“I’ll see about it. Definitely. Slate is just so busy,” I said. “Who else did you sell potatoes to, Samar? Besides Orion.”
“Oh... the priest,” Samar answered.
So, like that, I went to see Father Gallagher. Father Gallagher was a Catholic priest who arrived during our most infamous day yet—the day of the pirate attack. He had seen the carnage of the aftermath and had been troubled since arriving here. When he met the Dealer, he received his class, Brewer, and a new purpose in his life. Despite the supernatural confrontation with the Dealer, his faith in God, well the Abrahamic god, remained unwavering.
Father Gallagher was placing a mash of potatoes, water, and honey in wooden casks recovered from the pirate ship.
“Vodka?” I asked the jolly red-headed priest, his pale face alight with tenderness and warmth.
“I’m calling it meadka,” the Father said before pulling out a “Yeast” card from his palms. His special ability, Fermentation Master, allowed him to control non-harmful bacteria or fungi like yeast and lactobacillus. Anika, upon hearing this, would ask him to produce penicillium fungus for her own uses.
“What’s in this?” I asked, sniffing a sour-smelling cask with an orange mash.
“Firecracker berry wine,” Father answered, wiping his hands and looking up from his work. “Mayor Thornhill, now that you are here, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Please call me Bianca, Father.”
“Very well then, my child. As the mayor, you oversee the construction of buildings, yes?” Father Gallagher asked.
“Mmm hmm... we are really booked right now though. I have Slate working on a water well and then walling up our mess hall. After that, we might build a mill.” I said sheepishly, I had an inkling of what he wanted.
“I understand the demands on you, Bianca, and the need to protect the body is clear. But the soul—” Father Gallagher’s voice softened, a quiet urgency in his words, “—the soul needs protection too. In times like these, a church can be a sanctuary, a place of peace in a world that feels so chaotic. Our community needs that kind of solace.”
"I... well..." I hesitated, wondering what Orion or the others would say. They'd probably think it was a waste of resources.
“It may not seem as important as other buildings, but after all these deaths and in this strange new world, the people in our community need peace and comfort. They need to know that God is with them.”
“I... I’ll see about it. I’ll bring it up during a council meeting.”
“The cost of constructing a building is 500 coins if I recall. I would ask for a loan to build it and then repay it with the coin I make from these spirits and the collections from the church followers. Bianca, I know the council favors pragmatism, but spirits are low right now. The people need respite, my child.” Father Gallagher’s calm smile reassured me. I had wondered why he didn’t get a Priest or Cleric class, but it seems God had another plan for him.
“Definitely. I’ll ask them. I just hope it’ll be a church that welcomes all who worship, not just Catholics.”
“I will try my best not to evangelize Bianca, and focus on our common beliefs. All those who worship the word of God will be welcome in my church.”
I nodded and then left, not sure what to do next.
“A church? Right now? We still don’t even have proper roads,” Orion said, shaking his head in disbelief.
“What a surprise... the edgelord is anti-religion,” Sophie remarked tapping a finger on her chin, smiling teasingly at Orion, who glared at her. “I think it’s a great idea, Bianca. You know what they say, the opiate of the masses~”
“I’ve talked to others. Marek and his family are Catholics. Marek said he’ll construct the church for free if Slate helps him. Herman is a Baptist as well. There are a lot of Christians in this community,” Ethan said with a tone of agreeableness, hinting that he might be one too.
“What about us non-Christians?” Anika asked with worry plain on her face.
“It’s not entirely fair, I know,” I said, glancing at Anika with a mix of sympathy and resolve. “But it’s what most people need right now. Father Gallagher has a point—we need more than just survival. We need hope.”
Anika frowned, clearly unconvinced, but nodded slowly, the tension lingering in the air.
“Are you a Christian?” Orion asked me, raising an eyebrow with slight suspicion.
“I was. I mean... I guess I still am. I was a Presbyterian. I kinda... well,” I felt embarrassed as if he was judging me, but Orion seemed strangely understanding. “I didn’t go to church much after high school.”
“No doubt those liberal colleges brainwashed you away from God,” Sophie clicked her tongue. “I’m a Catholic too, so I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“After the mill is completed, I think I’ll build it. Nothing big or grand like a cathedral. Just a small church for people to go to. We can definitely use it for other things. I hope that’s okay,” I asked, mainly to Orion and Anika, who seemed most opposed to the idea.
Orion shrugged looking bored. “It’s your village. If you think it’s best for the community, then do it. Having Sundays off might be good for people.
Anika glanced away, her voice soft with uncertainty. “I just hope it doesn’t divide us.”
In the back of my mind, I felt part of me wanted the church to prevent Sloane’s actions. If she believed that Clark was in a better place, maybe... Why didn’t I talk to her? I’ve been so busy. I’ll talk to her soon. I’d spent so much time focused on keeping us alive, but I wanted to think more about what makes life worth living.
We finally reaped our harvest. The rowboats and nets have brought in more fish than we know what to do with. The farms were producing crops. Soon, Astrid would have eggs and pork for us.
Now we needed to focus on keeping people happy, making them want to live on.
My last visit of the day was to the graveyard. It was the one area of our village I didn’t want to build or plan on building, yet it grew. Six graves now marked our losses: Bryden, Captain Alvarez, Copilot Kestral, Joseph, Miguel, and Clark. As I placed flowers on each grave, a heavy resolve settled in my chest—this was the one place in our village that wasn't allowed to expand. It had to stop here. We can’t afford to lose anyone else. Never again.