Afterword Chapter 17: A Former Townsperson Discusses the Future with His Wife

After dinner that night, I returned to our room and broached the subject with Ana.

"Hey, what kind of town do you want ours to be?"

"Oh? Hmm... I suppose a town where the people can live with smiles on their faces would be best. What about you, Allen?"

"For me... I think I'd like a town where no child has to go hungry. I want to create a place where even commoner children aren't forced to work, where they can actually study and play with their friends. That's the kind of life I want for them."

Hearing that, Ana smiled softly.

"That sounds lovely. I'm sure there are children among the commoners with hidden talents just like you, Allen. It's important for them to have a place where they can hone those gifts."

"Yeah."

"To achieve that, we'll need a Knight Order to protect the citizens from monsters."

"Right. And proper city walls, too."

"Yes."

"We'll need to keep hygiene in mind, too. We have to build proper water and sewage systems."

"True. But what will we do for a water source? Being so close to the sea might make wells difficult."

"Then we'll have to build a dam upstream and pipe it in from there, I guess."

"I hope we can find a suitable spot."

"Yeah, good point..."

"Don't worry, Allen. I'm sure it will be fine. There was a river flowing nearby, remember?"

She didn't have any real evidence to back that up, but when Ana said it with such confidence, I found myself believing her.

"Once the town is built, I want Jerome, Melissa, and Ciel to come visit."

"Yeah, definitely. They really helped us out with that whole Moon Magic Grass business."

"Yes."

I could see them clearly in my mind's eye. I bet Jerome is still being bossed around by Melissa, acting as a human toy for that mischievous little Ciel. Ciel only ever acted that way with him, after all.

"I wonder if Jerome and the others might move to our town?"

"Hehe, that does sound fun. But..."

"I know, I know. They're right in the middle of raising a kid."

"Yes."

"In that case, we need to build a proper airport so we can visit them easily."

"That's a good idea."

"If possible, I want to make it a legitimate airport with a crosswind runway, too."

"Crosswinds? What do you mean by that?"

Ana looked at me with a puzzled expression. Ah, that's right. I haven't explained the concept of crosswinds to her yet.

"Well, you see, a Glider is safest when it's facing directly into the wind during takeoff and landing. If it isn't, the wind can toss you around, which could lead to a serious accident."

"I see."

"Exactly. Plus, if we can get more people flying Gliders eventually, they'll be useful for things like disaster relief and general travel. Cultural exchange would flourish. Though, I suppose there's always the risk of them being used for war."

"Yes. But that's not the only reason you want this, is it?"

Ana gazed directly into my eyes, a gentle smile playing on her lips. ...Man, I'm no match for her. She sees right through my ulterior motives.

"Well, yeah. Flying is just plain fun, isn't it? I want as many people as possible to experience that for themselves."

As I laid bare my true feelings, Ana continued to look at me with her usual kindness.

"Oh! I've got it! If we offer flight tours in the Glider, it could be a huge draw for tourists!"

"Hehe, you're right. Let's aim for that eventually."

Ana's face broke into a wide, radiant beam. She slid closer to me.

"Allen."

"Ana..."

Her face, as beautiful as a goddess's, drew nearer. Without a word from either of us, our lips met.

"Allen, it's getting late."

"Yeah."

Holding each other close, we headed to bed.

The following week, it was time to meet the architects. Our goal was to select a lead architect from among the group to head the project.

As we waited in the reception room, there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Ana called out, her voice clear and commanding.

The door opened immediately, and a well-dressed man of average build stepped inside. He kept a respectful distance before offering us a courtly bow.

"Thank you for coming. You may stand at ease."

"At once!"

At Ana's dignified command, the man straightened up. The butler standing at her side began the introduction.

"This man's name is Filippo. It is said that he is without equal, particularly when it comes to the construction of domes."

"I see. Please, Filippo, take a seat."

"Yes, My Lady!"

Filippo sat across from us and began pulling out several documents.

"I am Filippo. By the grace of Your Majesty's prestige, I have overseen numerous architectural projects centered in Wiechen. My specialty lies in ecclesiastical architecture; I pride myself on the fact that no one can rival my work with domes."

"I see. And what sort of buildings have you worked on previously?"

"Right here, please."

He presented the documents to us.

"For example, the great dome of the Third Church in the Wiechen West District is one of my most significant large-scale projects. I combined numerous sculptures with a ceiling height that rivals even that of the Great Cathedral..."

Filippo continued to talk up his past projects with great enthusiasm. However, it quickly became clear that while he excelled at massive, individual structures, he had zero experience in urban planning or designing an entire town from scratch.

"I see. Thank you for the explanation. Allen, do you have any questions?"

I shook my head, and Ana gave a small nod of agreement.

"Filippo, thank you for coming today. May we keep these documents for review?"

"Of course! I look forward to your favorable reply!"

We watched as Filippo bowed himself out of the room.