I Build a Modern Shelter in Fantasy World

"Gideon? Wait! Baron Gideon?" asked one of the guards, shocked.

Without another word, one of them stepped inside the textile factory to call for Hector. Gideon kept waiting outside. He would only enter if Hector invited him.

The guard went up to the second floor of the fairly large textile factory. He walked past several staff rooms, startling the employees when they saw him heading toward the director's office.

The door was knocked lightly. Hector, who was handling paperwork, lifted his head in surprise and looked straight ahead. His secretary also turned, noticing the guard rushing in.

"What is it?" asked Hector.

"Report, Sir Hector. Lord Gideon has come to visit," explained the guard.

Hearing Gideon's name left Hector visibly shocked. He turned and ordered his secretary to pack up the important documents and store them safely. Hector did not want Gideon to see the results of his business, knowing it could affect his life later.

Hector's secretary nodded, tidied up the files, and stored them in her office. Hector rose from his chair and stepped toward the guard so he could be escorted to the front yard of the factory.

It did not take long. Hector and his guard arrived at the front of the factory. His focus went straight ahead, clearly seeing Gideon standing alone at the factory gate, waiting for him.

"Lord Gideon," greeted Hector warmly.

Gideon smiled lightly. The two of them shook hands firmly in front of the gate, their eyes fixed on each other.

"I didn't expect you to visit my small factory," said Hector.

"A fine and large factory," praised Gideon.

"Come in."

He nodded and stepped inside the factory with Hector at his side. When the factory doors opened, he clearly saw dozens, even hundreds of people weaving or sewing cloth inside.

They worked diligently, obediently, and in an orderly manner. Gideon carefully observed all of them.

"Is your business doing well?"

"Of course. Without your approval, my factory could never have run the way it does," explained Hector.

"You agreed to our deal. You're the one who kept this factory alive."

"Thank you for your humility, Lord Gideon."

The two of them did not stop on the first floor, which was filled with sewing machines and unused cloth scraps.

They continued on to the second floor, the floor for administration and offices. That was where all the finances, business strategies, and company meetings were conducted.

Gideon saw several staff members, neatly dressed in the same factory uniforms. Hector did not hesitate to introduce each of them to Gideon, who only listened and smiled as he greeted them.

"You have a solid staff structure. I'm impressed."

"Thank you. Everyone works together to run this factory business," said Hector.

The company tour ended in Hector's office. The door opened, showing the man's tidy workspace, with a wooden cabinet full of files, a long sofa, a work desk, and a bulletin board covered with company notes.

Gideon entered and felt like he was in Viviene's office. Hector opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle of wine, something he always kept ready in his office for moments like this. Of course, Gideon did not refuse.

"What brings you to Dergon, Lord Gideon?" asked Hector.

He extended his glass, letting Hector pour the drink into it. "Winter has ended. The ice has melted, and the rivers are flowing again. I came here with my team to deal with the problems here."

Gideon and Hector clinked glasses, taking the wine down in a quick sip. The wine tasted the same as what Gideon had at the Baron's residence, familiar on his tongue.

Hector listened closely. He had known that eventually Gideon would come to Dergon, though the exact time was uncertain.

Lucky for him! He had already carried out Gideon's request: building a wastewater reservoir. That way, Hector and his business would be safe from being shut down by Gideon.

"Of course you know the other reason I came here, don't you?" asked Gideon, staring sharply at Hector.

"The wastewater reservoir you asked for has already been built and is in use. But there's one problem."

"What is it?" asked Gideon.

Hector went silent. He could not explain it in detail, so instead he invited Gideon to go to the back of the factory, where two wastewater reservoirs had been built. Gideon did not mind following him.

Carrying their wine glasses, they headed out of Hector's office toward the north. The location was quite far, but since they were talking, the walk felt shorter. Hector acted friendly and relaxed toward Gideon.

The back door of the factory opened, showing a worker carrying a bucket of dye waste to dump into the reservoir.

Gideon looked at it. The reservoir was quite large, like a swimming pool, with a depth of two to three meters.

"Look, Lord Gideon."

Gideon stepped closer to the wooden fence, leaned over, and clearly saw the waste level reaching about half a meter.

Hector had ordered his workers to build two reservoirs of equal depth, but they were still only using the first one.

The second reservoir would be used once the first one filled up. Gideon could already calculate how it would go.

"How long does it take to reach this level?" asked Gideon.

"About two to three months, Sir."

"If the limit is three meters, then you can drain it after 18 months."

"That's the problem, Sir," said Hector. Gideon turned to him.

"What?"

"You can see it below, Sir."

Hector explained the situation to Gideon, especially about the settled and liquid textile waste, as well as other chemicals.

Gideon understood. The method was almost the same as water purification, but it had to be done more thoroughly because the water in the reservoir was clearly contaminated with fine chemical particles.

From Hector's explanation, Gideon quickly knew what advice to give him, which was about a middle water channel.

"You should make a channel in the middle. When the level rises, the waste will settle at the bottom, while the water rises above."

"Over time, the water will flow into the channel. You need to make sure the channel is filled with charcoal, sand, stones, and other materials to filter the water."

"Once the water flows through the channel, it will be collected in the second reservoir," explained Gideon.

He stepped over to the second reservoir and showed it to Hector. Gideon explained clearly what had to be done with the second reservoir.

"Grow more water plants like water hyacinths, reeds, and other aquatic plants to absorb the chemicals naturally. If the water level is sufficient, you can move it elsewhere, either to bury it in the forest or something similar."

Hector fell silent, clearly understanding Gideon's explanation. The advice was easy enough for him to grasp, and he was glad that Gideon was not making a big fuss about the wastewater reservoirs.

"But I didn't break our agreement, did I?" asked Hector.

"No."

"You kept our agreement. Good work, Sir Hector."

"Thank you, Lord Gideon."

"If you listen to me, I might even allow you to start another business besides textiles. Of course, I can work with you, not as a Baron, but as someone who wants to do business," said Gideon, pleased with Hector's decision to build the two reservoirs.

Hector beamed with joy. He lowered his head and said that he could not wait to do business with Gideon. Whatever unique business idea Gideon had, Hector would support it.

"Of course. I would be honored to do business with you, Lord Gideon."

Gideon smiled, gave Hector a light pat on the shoulder, and raised his glass with him. "There's still plenty of time. Relax and enjoy your current business, Sir Hector."