Chapter 22 — A Problem in the Middle of the Path
Charlie then looked at Razan and asked, her voice carrying a mixture of curiosity and excitement as the wind brushed past them across the empty, leveled wasteland:
— Razan, what are you planning to build here?
The ground beneath them was still warm from the recent destruction. Broken structures, piles of debris, and the distant rumble of the golem working created a bleak atmosphere. Razan looked at her seriously, the faint glow of his draconic eyes reflecting the dusty red sky of the Pride Ring, and said:
— I'm going to build something that will change people's lives. Something that helps many people and that no one can live without.
Charlie leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, like a child waiting for a secret to be revealed:
— What? What? What?!
Razan paused dramatically, letting the silence stretch for a moment. The wind carried dust between them as he finally said:
— A strip club.
Charlie stared at him, completely frozen for two seconds, her face turning into the perfect image of embarrassed disappointment. Razan couldn't help it — seeing her expression, he burst into laughter.
— Sorry, you were so excited about what I was saying that I couldn't resist teasing you. What I'm going to build here is a hospital.
Charlie released a long sigh of relief, placing a hand on her chest:
— You almost killed me from shock! I almost thought my first friend was going to turn into a pimp like Valentino.
Razan smirked slightly, shaking his head as he kicked aside a broken piece of concrete:
— Well, I could never even dare to think about going to a strip club. It's impossible for me.
Charlie tilted her head like a confused puppy, her voice full of genuine curiosity:
— Why is it impossible?
Razan crossed his arms and looked at the horizon, where the Hell sky flickered with orange cracks like molten glass:
— Well, since I'm a dragon, my nose is super powerful. Even in my daily life it's already difficult to deal with a bunch of awful smells… so going to a nightclub is just impossible for me. All those smells mixing together… I would get sick instantly.
Charlie blinked:
— Isn't there a way to turn off your sense of smell?
Razan raised an eyebrow.
— Why would I do that? It's like… if you see too well, would you stab your own eyes and make yourself blind just so you don't see well?
Charlie puffed her cheeks.
— You have a point…
At that moment, the ground trembled lightly. The enormous golem made of wood moved with heavy, rhythmic steps. Jon, Carla, and Robert were standing on its massive hand. The creature lowered them gently, its fingers leaving small craters in the soil as it placed them on the ground.
Jon dusted off his clothes as he approached Razan.
— Sir, we leveled the entire place and created the foundation structures. Now we can start the construction. But we have a problem: this is a very large area for only a hospital. So does the sir have any plans to build anything else? If you do, just let us know and we can design all the necessary projects.
Razan looked over the vast cleared terrain. The area was enormous, stretching so far that the ruins at the edges appeared blurred by distance. He thought:
He's right… this space is huge. In the show, the Pride Ring is a gigantic place. Compared to countries like Australia or Brazil, it wouldn't be too far off. And looking at this destroyed area, which is the size of a large city… If I build a hospital in the middle of nowhere, no one with even a bit of intelligence would come to a hospital in the middle of an abandoned city…
He exhaled slowly, then inspiration struck him like a jolt.
I've got it. I'm going to build a city here. Let's call it the City of Healing. And as for the residents… I'll save the people who aren't total garbage using Adam's Extermination. While he kills the sinners, I'll save the ones who didn't do anything too bad. I'll keep recruiting until the city becomes lively.
He massaged his temples.
Ah, damn it… it was supposed to be just a hospital, and now it turned into a whole city…
Razan then looked at Jon and asked:
— Your experience with designing city plans?
Jon sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his neck:
— Sir, even with the help of the Wood Release you granted us, it still takes a long time for a project this big. After all, you don't just want a hospital anymore… you want an entire city.
Charlie gasped dramatically, taking a step closer:
— You're going to build an entire city now? Why?
Razan pointed around at the emptiness, where the wind whistled through bent metal beams and half-buried skeletons of buildings:
— Well, no one will come to a hospital in the middle of nowhere, right? But if it's a city with many attractions, that's a different story.
Charlie raised her finger like a teacher about to correct a student:
— But where will you find people to live here? Without people, it's just a ghost town.
Razan looked at the crimson sky, where floating debris drifted lazily like ash clouds:
— Well… every year Adam comes down to do the Extermination, right? When that happens, I'll rescue the people who didn't commit anything too serious and offer them a place to stay here. And who knows—among people who aren't that bad, in a nicer environment, where you don't have to worry about being killed because someone didn't like your face on the street… maybe they might consider improving. And maybe even achieve redemption.
Charlie's eyes glowed as if Razan had just said the most hopeful thing she had ever heard:
— I want to help! I want to be part of this project!
Seeing her enthusiasm warmed something inside him.
— Alright. You're my first friend in this place, so I don't mind letting you help.
Charlie blinked, then tilted her head:
— And that girl who saved you? Isn't she your first friend?
Razan smiled softly, the image of Loona flashing in his mind like a flame in the dark.
— Well… she's the most important person in my life.
Charlie clasped her hands, squealing:
— How romantic…
Razan turned back to his workers:
— I can't wait that long. If I asked you to design all the city projects—buildings, hospital, water park, amusement park, movie theater, and all that—how long would it take?
Jon pulled out a wooden clipboard made with his Release ability:
— Sir, with our strength physics… four hours, if we work together.
Razan nodded.
— If I build the entire city myself, how much time would the three of you need to finish the small details? Like asphalt roads, power cables, and other finishing touches?
Jon answered:
— Sir, if you manage to build the entire city and leave only the finishing work to us, we can complete it within one week.
Razan sighed deeply, sounding like someone accepting an unavoidable fate:
— In the end, I'm the one who's going to do all the heavy work…
He then pointed at Jon:
— You can start drawing the plans, Jon. Because I'm going to raise this city today.
— Yes, sir.
Jon used his Wood Style to create a smooth wooden table, and the three workers immediately began sketching structures, districts, and layouts with intense focus.
Razan opened a portal, the air crackling with energy, and dumped piles of materials onto the table — blueprints, metal, enchanted paper, specialized drafting tools.
Charlie stepped beside him again:
— What can I help with?
Razan smiled at her enthusiasm:
— Well, I might have forgotten some entertainment buildings for the people who come to the city… so, if the princess could give Jon and the others some suggestions, I, Razan, would be most grateful.
He placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly like a medieval knight addressing royalty.
Charlie giggled and curtsied dramatically:
— It will be my pleasure to help this knight.
She rushed to Jon's group, already pointing at locations for parks, cafés, gardens, and leisure areas.
Razan finally lay down on the ground, staring at the sky where the red clouds shifted slowly like drifting smoke.
This day is going to be long…