The sun beat down on the vast expanse of the excavation site, but the usual stench of the capital's lower districts was notably absent.
In the distance, workers hauled treated lumber and pulled heavy wagons, their movements synchronized like a well-oiled machine.
The roads had been blocked off, creating a perimeter around the massive trench that scarred the earth—a deep, jagged wound destined to become the kingdom's lifeline.
At the center of the terrain, near a diverted stream where horses dipped their heads to drink, Dorian sat on a flat rock.
He wasn't acting like a Duke. He was buried face-first in a holographic blueprint only he could see.
"This plan is surprisingly detailed," Dorian murmured, his finger tracing a glowing blue line on the interface. "I didn't expect the workers to account for soil density and subterranean water flow quite so meticulously. The System usually cuts corners."
