Chapter 54: Ch 54: The Chancellor of The Surface

With Felix officially appointed as the Chancellor of Surface Affairs, he now commanded over hundreds.

Humans, flying beasts, and mixed-blood followers moved under his authority, all of them newly settled on the Dune Desert Island.

The once lifeless land was changing rapidly.

After flattening the tall dunes, they were reinforced with stone and hardened sand.

Then they used wooden frames for foundations of the buildings they were about to build. Yes, wooden houses. Cement or high level Earth manipulators didn’t exist at this time.

Nevertheless, they were doing whatever they could to build the City of Dunes.

Felix stood atop a rocky outcrop, arms crossed.

His sharp greeen eyes surveyed the bustling activity below.

He seemed a little dissatisfied by the speed and inefficiency.

“Alright, listen up Men!” he shouted all of a sudden, attracting everyone’s attention.

“This city isn’t going to build by itself. You need to follow the layout plans exactly. First build wide roads, then residential blocks. And I don’t want any cramped slums here.”

Hearing him, a middle-aged man with sunburned skin and calloused hands stepped forward.

He had once been a civil engineer on Earth.

He rolled up a map, then said carefully,

“Chancellor Felix, We’re using the Earth-style zoning you approved.

Residential areas will be at the downwind, storage and livestock to the east, and watchtowers on elevated dunes for high visibility.”

Felix knew he wasn’t a master at engineering, so he nodded his head a little.

“Good. But make sure the central district is reinforced. This island might look peaceful now, but in this world peace never lasts.”

“Clang, clang, clang!”

Nearby, groups of workers hammered, lifted, and shaped materials.

Fortunately, the flying beasts were there to carry the heavy stone slabs from distant cliffs.

The earth-element adventurers placed these slabs to the ground until they were as hard as bedrock.

Not far from the construction zone, the atmosphere was entirely different.

“Newbies, Form up !”

A sharp command echoed across the sands.

Following the command, rows of new recruits snapped into place under the blazing sun.

Most of them were adults of both genders. They were training hard. But the young men and women among them were really in high spirits.

Their faces were dripping with sweat, yet a contended smile spread across their faces.

In front of them stood several battle-hardened captains, their armor scratched and worn.

“Freshers, this is the Spearhead Unit,” one captain barked. “You are not here to look pretty. You will be the first to clash with the enemy.”

Among them, a nervous young man raised his hand.

“Speak!” the captain barked.

“Captain, what if we panic in real combat?”

The captain strode forward and slammed the butt of his spear into the sand inches from the recruit’s feet.

“Then you die. Or worse, you get the person beside you killed,” he said flatly

Another captain appeared, folding the magical wings behind her back.

She added gently,

“But if you train properly, you will survive. You will be able to protect your home and loved ones. And most importantly you will earn the right to stand under Aquabyss’ banner.”

“Captain, can we also hope to meet Lord Aegis?” another young man inquired hopefully.

“You may. Now, get back to training.”

The recruits eyes lit up with excitement.

Felix watched the training from a distance, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Not long ago, these people were scattered, fearful, and leaderless.

But now? They were building a city.

They were training an army.

They were preparing for a future that would not wait for them.

He exhaled slowly, muttering to himself:

“You eminence, you’re building an empire in the sea, and I’ll make sure the land doesn’t fall behind.”

“Oh, my Chancellor, why aren’t you accompanying the three phoenixes today?”

Felix turned around at the sound of the voice, only to see a gorgeously dressed, red-haired woman approaching him from behind. She wore a seductive smile on her red lips, and the way she swayed her hips made her intentions all too clear.

Felix’s eyes briefly glanced over her voluptuous figure, but he remained calm. This calmness in the face of beauty, he had learned from Aegis. He was a loyal man. His heart belonged to the future wife he had yet to meet.

“No, Ayla. I didn’t join them because His Eminence was personally leading the front, and he ordered me to stay in charge of the island,” he replied firmly.

Ayla, who was a strong adventurer herself, laughed by the young chancellor’s obvious rejection.

And yet she didn’t back down.

“Fufu, our Chancellor is really close to the Sea God, isn’t he?” she teased, her fingers lightly tracing over his chest.

“Anyway, since you’re free, would you like to take some rest in my quarters? I feel so alone—”

Her words were cut off as Felix swiftly removed her hand from his chest.

“Then go to your husband’s place, woman. This isn’t the time to rest,” he said coldly.

Felix’s cold reply caused Ayla to pause. The playful smile was vanished.

Even though she quickly regained her some of her composure, she was frustrated nonetheless.

She continued,

“Felix, you always have such strong resolve, don’t you?”

Saying that she stepped back and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“I wonder how long that will last… before you start to feel the pressure of being… the Chancellor.”

Felix srill remained unaffected by her charm and seduction.

His expression stayed stoic.

“I don’t need to explain myself, Ayla. I have responsibilities to this land, and those come first.”

He turned his attention else, signaling that the conversation was over.

Ayla watched him for a little longer. There was little admiration, but more frustration in those eyes

She wasn’t used to being so easily dismissed, especially by a young man who was now so important to the future of Aquabyss.

“Well then, my dear Chancellor. It seems I’ll have to find another way to amuse myself,” she replied sarcastically.

Felix gave her a small nod.

“Do as you wish, Ayla. Just make sure the workers and the soldiers stay focused. We have more pressing matters.”

As Ayla walked away, her hips swaying with each step, Felix couldn’t help but feel a little doubt in his chest.

He had learned to ignore distractions, but why does his heart still feels itchy?

Looks like he needed to temper his will more. Only then he can remain focused.

Other matters can wait.

And far away, Aegis was working on expanding the empire.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep