Reborn as the Failed Lord with my Resource Gathering System.

All eyes were on Gatty. He stood atop one of the colossal towers, holding a thick rope that was attached to the structure's main intake lid.

Two other workers were positioned on the remaining two towers, ready to pull their own ropes once the signal was given.

At the base, every worker who had contributed to the construction stood as a group, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and nervous excitement. They were ready to witness how the project would unfold after days of relentless, back-breaking labor.

Dorian, Maria, and Seraphina stood at the very front, their gazes also fixed on the towers.

"I have run double-checks on the rotators and added a magic circle to the crystals coded for mana sustenance. You have my word, it's ready, Lord Dorian." Seraphina turned to him, a proud, brilliant smile on her face.

How could she not be proud? She knew how hard everyone had worked, and she wanted nothing more than for this to be a success—something Dorian would be proud of.

"Turn it on then," Dorian replied, his voice calm.

He had been in the shoes of these workers once, a long time ago in his former world. He remembered the feeling, whether it was a CEO opening a new branch or launching a new product to the public.

Even though he had been dating one of the richest girls in the world, he was still just an employee. As such, no matter how hard he worked, the people who did zero work would always be the ones standing in front of the cameras.

People like him were relegated to the background, cheering along, clapping for the lazy billionaires who did nothing but steal ideas for their own fame.

Things were different now. He was no longer just an employee. Right here, right now, there were people willing to build and bleed to make sure his ideas worked, to see them perform to their very best.

A small smile grazed his lips. 'I guess this is officially my first-ever project, launched by me and no one else.'

Suddenly, Seraphina raised her hand and gave Gatty a sharp thumbs-up, signaling that he was free to start the windmills.

"Alright, boys, you heard the lady! Let's drop this bad boy!" Gatty roared.

"Drop it!!!" the others echoed.

One by one, they pulled the ropes they had been holding, yanking the heavy lids from the containers and letting them fall to the ground with a thud.

Just as quickly, they all began to descend from the towers, climbing down the ladders as fast as they could.

Slowly, the system began to work.

At first, the wind from outside was gently drawn toward the small, shafted openings in the towers. Upon getting in, it was guided by the volcanic ash plates toward the first magic crystal.

Once contact was made, the crystal flared to life, amplifying the wind and sending a much greater force down to the next crystal in the chain.

This chain reaction continued, building in power and velocity until it reached the last stop. Then, the immense buildup of wind burst out of the vents at the bottom, pouring into the mining ground like a hurricane.

Thankfully, Lili and the crawler had been secured inside their wooden shelter and were unharmed by the violent torrent.

Standing outside the mining hole, everyone could feel the ground rumble beneath them, their eyes fixed on the entrance as a deep, roaring sound began to emanate from within.

Then, it happened.

Poof!

A huge plume of dark, toxic mist shot out of the mining hole, launching straight into the air with so much force that it momentarily blotted out the sky, turning day into twilight.

Everyone who watched had a smile on their face. The project was a success.

Seraphina was so overjoyed that she took the opportunity to hug Dorian's arm, all while staring daggers at a stoic Maria. The rest of the workers erupted in cheers, watching as the dark mist escaped the hole and formed a massive mushroom cloud in the sky.

People from the village could see this as well, and because they knew what was happening, they couldn't help but cheer alongside the workers. No matter their distance or location, those who saw the dark mist knew Lord Dorian had succeeded and began screaming with joy.

James and Stella Aurelian were no exception. They watched from their windows, a proud smile on their faces, knowing their son had performed yet another miracle for the barony.

His name, "The Barony's Miracle," made even more sense with every passing day. Their son really was a miracle for their people.

…

That evening, the windmills were left running, as Dorian explained it would take at least three days before the entire mine was clear of the dark mist. Even then, they would need to keep the wind running, as the toxic air would continue to form as long as the dragon mana remained.

Of course, the wind would not be as intense.

As such, everyone returned to their homes for a well-deserved night's rest.

Dorian was the first. The moment he got into the mansion, he headed straight for his room.

Maria and Seraphina were standing right outside his door. Seraphina carried a tray of food in her hand, knowing Dorian had not had anything to eat.

"Umm… Should we go in? Lord Dorian looked pretty tired earlier." Seraphina looked at Maria with bubbly eyes. "Mariaa~ what should we do? He can't go to bed on an empty stomach, can he?"

Maria sighed after looking at Seraphina for a moment. "I don't even understand why you insisted on bringing him food. I told you I would take care of that."

"Yeah right. You just wanted to spend some time alone with him so he can think you care about him more."

Maria flinched, her cheeks turning red. "How can you say such a blatant lie with a straight face?"

"If you're telling the truth, then you wouldn't mind me tagging along."

Maria sighed again. "Do what you want."

Just as she leaned forward, about to grab the doorknob, a voice called out to them from the end of the hallway.

"You two, please come here for a second. I need to have a word with you."

The two ladies turned their gazes to the voice, and there, they could see Stella standing there, a calm smile on her face, with a maid behind her.

...

[A/N]

I am not proud of this chapter; I'll need to work on my weakness here, but I promise to make up for it with the next chapter, if you know what I mean. *Wink.

In any case, the project is complete; please don't forget to show your support. I appreciate you reading this far.