Chapter 140: Breaking Ground Part 1
The following week dawned bright and clear over the Kingdom of Belfast.
Unlike the quiet celebration at Oriel Estate the previous evening, the capital awakened with an energy that had not been felt in generations. Word of the Royal Charter had spread across Helmarte almost overnight. Although only government officials and senior merchants knew the finer details, one fact had already become common knowledge among ordinary citizens.
The Crown had entrusted Baron Ernest Teucher with leading the largest public works project in the kingdom’s history.
Every corner of the capital seemed alive with speculation. Merchants unlocked their storefronts before sunrise while discussing what the announcement would mean for business. Carriage drivers traded rumors as they waited for passengers, craftsmen abandoned their usual conversations in favor of debating the coming reconstruction, and laborers gathering at hiring squares spoke excitedly about the thousands of jobs expected to appear over the next several years.
No one truly understood what six billion riels looked like.
Yet everyone understood one thing.
The kingdom was about to change.
Inside Oriel Estate, Ernest had been awake long before sunrise. Unlike the previous morning, there was no opportunity to enjoy a slow breakfast. The day’s ceremony would begin early, and every minute had already been accounted for.
Roland entered the dining room carrying a leather-bound notebook beneath one arm.
"Good morning, Master Ernest."
"Morning, Roland."
"The royal carriage arrived twenty minutes ago. The Prime Minister wished to inspect the ceremonial grounds before the guests arrived."
Ernest set his coffee down and nodded.
"So they’re early."
"It would seem so, sir."
Roland flipped open his notebook before continuing. "The schedule has been finalized. His Majesty will arrive at the reconstruction site at nine o’clock. The Prime Minister is expected at eight-thirty, followed shortly by members of the Royal Council, the Merchant Guild leadership, representatives from every ministry involved in the project, the Royal Engineers, members of the press, the city magistrates, and approximately three hundred invited guests."
Hollen nearly choked on his tea.
"Three hundred?"
Roland offered a polite smile.
"That is the current estimate."
Hollen slowly lowered his cup and rubbed his forehead.
"This isn’t a groundbreaking anymore."
He let out a weary sigh before shaking his head.
"It’s turned into a festival."
Anna laughed softly as she buttered a slice of bread.
"I suppose rebuilding the capital deserves one."
Victor looked toward Ernest with an amused smile.
"You’ve become quite popular."
"I’m beginning to regret that."
The table erupted into quiet laughter before everyone returned to finishing breakfast.
Afterward, Ernest went upstairs to change into his formal attire. The palace had prepared an elaborate ceremonial uniform decorated with gold embroidery and enough medals to satisfy generations of nobles, but it remained hanging untouched inside its wardrobe.
Instead, he chose something considerably simpler.
A tailored dark navy suit bearing only the insignia of House Teucher.
No medals.
No ceremonial decorations.
Just a crisp white shirt, a black tie, polished leather boots, and the silver crest of his family pinned neatly to his lapel.
When Ernest descended the staircase carrying a leather tube containing the master infrastructure plans, Hollen stopped mid-conversation and blinked.
"You’re actually going to wear that?"
Ernest glanced down at himself.
"What about it?"
"The palace spent weeks preparing your ceremonial uniform."
"I know."
"And you’re not wearing it?"
A faint smile crossed Ernest’s face as he adjusted the cuffs of his jacket.
"Because today isn’t about politics."
He lightly tapped the leather tube tucked beneath his arm.
"It’s about engineering."
For a moment Hollen simply stared at him. Then he burst into laughter.
"I suppose only you would attend the biggest ceremony in the kingdom carrying blueprints instead of a sword."
Ernest shrugged.
"My weapon happens to be better at building cities."
Victor chuckled from behind him.
"And considerably less dangerous."
Ernest looked over his shoulder with the hint of a grin.
"For most people."
The convoy departed Oriel Estate shortly afterward under heavy royal escort. Mounted cavalry rode ahead of the procession while additional guards secured both flanks as they traveled toward the eastern district of Helmarte.
They had not even reached the reconstruction zone when Ernest noticed the crowds.
Thousands of citizens lined both sides of the avenue behind temporary wooden barriers erected during the night. Parents lifted children onto their shoulders for a better view, while others climbed atop wagons and nearby stone walls in hopes of catching a glimpse of the ceremony.
Some had certainly come to see their king.
Many, however, had come for someone else.
The young baron who had promised to rebuild their city.
As Ernest’s carriage rolled slowly through the avenue, voices drifted through the open window.
"That’s Baron Teucher."
"He’s much younger than I imagined."
"He’s the one who built Oriel."
"I heard he’s the inventor of electricity."
"They say every street will have underground water pipes."
"My brother already applied for work."
"So did mine."
The conversations blended into one another until they became a constant murmur surrounding the convoy.
Hollen watched the sea of people outside and smiled.
"I don’t think they came for His Majesty today."
Ernest remained silent as his eyes wandered across the countless hopeful faces watching the procession pass. He could see the anticipation in their expressions long before the project had even begun.
They weren’t looking at a noble.
They were looking at opportunity.
A steady work and a higher wages.
A future that seemed brighter than the one they had known.
As the carriage continued toward the reconstruction grounds, Ernest tightened his grip on the leather tube resting across his lap. The weight in his hands was insignificant compared to the burden settling on his shoulders.
For the first time since accepting the Royal Charter, the scale of his responsibility truly became real. A title could be granted with the stroke of a pen, but the hopes of an entire kingdom could not. They had to be earned, one bridge, one road, and one district at a time.