7. Construction


    Mercurius spent the day gathering coins, only for Mardonius and Salutius to splurge 200 on 40 workers, and then another 200 gold coins on another 40. 100 workers total, with all the problems that caused. Iron and wood from the Northern Kingdoms and Balna were sold to Raja markets as well as the nomads, who gave them Raja coins as well as Uruq gold coins in abundance. 20 or so workers were tasked with building housing, not only for the trio of God of Trade devotees but also all the workers who now resided in Mercurius’s Barony.


    Where there was nothing, the God of Trade has made something. Mardonius thought, nearly crying in the process.


    The sound of the construction was heard everywhere, timber being cut, cement being made, rocks being smacked into place. Mercurius imported expensive marble in massive blocks that the workers put into place.


    “It has to be marble! I don’t accept anything else other than marble!”


    “Alright, alright,” Mercurius muttered under his breath, “deity thinks money grows on trees.”


    “I gave you an ability that can make money flow. Use it!”


    Mercurius imported tonnes of marble, actually making a loss for the day. 1700 gold coins dwindled to 1500 gold coins, nonetheless iron and wood kept the budget relatively stable. He disappeared, sold spices and tea, sold iron and wood and then went to the money changers to pay in Balna gold coins. The money changers were a bit suspicious of this merchant who always gave foreign currency but they nonetheless complied. Mercurius bought marble mainly from Hitara, selling them wood and iron, to make the difference. The Raja states and Zhong’s thirst for wood was insatiable. By the end of the day Mercurius had made their gold reserves sit at 1550. Another 500 gold coins were dispersed to the 100 workers who were also given food, wine, washing water as well as drinking water, and had built themselves outhouses and basic protection from the cold.


    “This money we can use to buy clothes for us, and maybe for our families,” a common refrain from many.


    “This Baron pays well,” a man said, “incredibly well. Then again he is a merchant, so I suppose he has the means.”


    Many wondered where the money came from. Many more were impressed by it.


    Mercurius slept in the camp this time, waking up to the sounds of women and children. The builders had brought their families along, migrating on wagons with tales of the gold that had accumulated. They were mostly Church of Light people, but they had no idea they were building a temple to a pagan god. The gold mostly shut them up, but there was murmurings among them.


    “Is that merchant lord building a palace or something?” One man piped up.Stolen novel; please report.


    “Well, if you have all that money, why not?” Another worker said, “I’ve never met anyone as generous as him.”


    “By the God of Light, we are blessed!” A woman said clasping her hands together.


    “Hey aren’t idols forbidden in our religion,” one curious builder asked, “why have they got statues?”


    “Each worker got 10 gold coins,” a man said, “let the lord do what he wants, we are hardly clergyman.”


    There was a smattering of disagreement, some workers being Church of Truth, they pressed the other way, producing a rowdy argument that nonetheless died down soon enough.


    “Having to pay extra taxes to those curs irritates me,” a man grumbled.


    “Enough of the religious talk!” A woman said.


    Mercurius continued getting imported marble, getting slightly over the required amount, accounting for any errors or mistakes in construction; exporting wood to the Hitaran markets to fiscally compensate. He appeared, disappeared, reappeared to much confusion among the workers. The temple construction took its time, but the workers were highly motivated due to the pay, and the women who had come even helped out as well. Steps were laid out, pulleys pulled up the blocks, and oil lantern fires were made so that workers could continue even when it was dark. It was hardly the biggest religious building out there, but it was coming along.


    Mercurius spent the night among two women. The inn in Marston was welcoming to him, he bathed with them, and slotted both women on top of him. They giggled as he spewed cum inside of them. All the day’s stress that was bottled up inside of him splurged into their loins. He gave them some coin for their troubles, and they pocketed it, before giving him joint head. Vulcana’s pink tongue was covered in his cum, Lara likewise, this made him even hornier. He smacked both of them in a doggy-style, hammering in his cum, his penis convulsing in another ejaculation. Vulcana squeezed his penis to shoot out more rapidly, and more rapidly it did. After at least a few hours of this, they washed, and then had sex once again, after which Mercurius laid in bed. Ending the process with a blowjob, clasping Lara’s head, feeling the both of them hungrily clasping him.


    “Well Baron, it is nice to see you again,” Vulcana said, clasping her belly, “I think your child is in me, I think I am getting married soon, so we will have to stop this, sorry.”


    Mercurius stared at her in awe for a few good seconds and then nodded.


    “No problem,” he said, “good luck.”


    “Thank you Baron,” Lara said graciously and with a big smile.


    Again he woke to repeat the same process. Buying marble, selling spices and teas to the west, selling wood and iron to the Zhong, Raja states and nomads, and even Hitara. Hitara he found out had a particularly bad drought, so his focus turned to their market in particular, the amount of wood they could get was insufficient, arrows and ships were needed and Mercurius provided the necessary wood in massive quantities. He made up for earlier deficits, bringing his total gold to some 2000. Albeit some 400 gold was given as a donation to the workers. 4 gold each. By mid afternoon after selling copious amounts of wood to the Hitaran markets, 20 Hunaran travellers came to the new construction and helped putting the marble in place. A statue was put in place in the middle of the temple, a small plaza inside with a well and some newly planted trees. The structure had columns and a rooftop, despite this it took a while for the structure to be perfected, the builders beginning to build their own houses in the shadow of such a structure. Salutius and Mardonius gave out the coin and the dole of wine and food. The wives and children looking at the glittering metal with astonishment.


    It won’t be long now, and they will either convert, or cause a riot or something. I hope they don’t blab to the authorities, otherwise this will get very very complicated.


    Mercurius spent the night alone, the gold again dwindled down to some 1500 gold pieces, he didn’t bother standardising the currencies, realising that gold was gold.


    Who knows whether I’ll even be a Balnan lord anyway. I just needed a base somewhere. Afterwards. Well we’ll see what happens afterwards.