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However, it’s easy to deceive others but extremely difficult to deceive oneself.

Especially since Grayman’s personality was inherently more responsible and sensitive.

Just the thought of his plan going awry and causing casualties in the soon-to-be-rebuilt Crimson Citadel during winter made his heart sink.

Therefore, when he returned to his tent office, he was completely dejected under the psychological strain.

This change was keenly perceived by his assistant who brought him a cup of tea.

The assistant assigned to Grayman was a pair of sisters born into a merchant family in the city. They were supposed to live a life of luxury, but the Astral Realm disaster destroyed everything. Fortunately, their mother was still alive.

Indeed, these two young ladies were the daughters of Blanche Palen Fedo, the lady who had been appointed as the Logistics Commander under the Count of Kadman.

They inherited their merchant mother’s acumen, and their mother was quite pleased to see her daughters get along well with the warriors under the count’s command.

As for whether this was another “investment” by a shrewd businesswoman, it’s hard to say.

However, after spending several days together, the Palen sisters found that Grayman was not as uncouth as the rumors about mountain folk suggested. In fact, he was more gentlemanly and gentle than most men.

“My lord, do you have something troubling you?” Palen’s elder sister walked slowly behind Grayman, skillfully massaging his shoulders while softly asking.

Because the Computation Bead was already equipped with a mind microphone plugin, Grayman could understand his assistant’s soft whisper. He let out a mournful sigh, covering his eyes with both hands, and said:

“I received a new mission from Lord Murphy. Well, he didn’t berate me as harshly as I imagined, calling my design a pile of…ahem, unsavory things.

He even corrected my mistake thinking, but even after modifying my approach, the design and planning I have to undertake is extraordinarily difficult.

I’ve never had any understanding of construction on such a large scale before.

Alas, one only regrets lacking knowledge when the time comes to use it.”

“You said the same thing when you were planning for the camp,” Palen’s elder sister covered her mouth and laughed.

She leaned down and encouraged him near his ear:

“You always seem to lack confidence in yourself, but in reality, the entire camp knows that you are an educated and talented person. We were able to use these spacious and comfortable tents because of your wisdom. Everyone now calls these travel tents ‘gray tents’ to commemorate your help.

You are already more outstanding than most people I’ve encountered in my twenty-odd years of life.

You should have more confidence in yourself.”

“I am nothing,” Grayman’s face flushed red from being so gently encouraged by the cute blonde girl.

Especially the soapberry fragrance from Palen’s elder sister’s hair and the soft mound pressing against his shoulder from her chest made him panic and straighten his body.

It wasn’t that he disliked such intimacy, but the pure-hearted young man simply didn’t know how to handle such a situation.

He gestured with his hands and said:

“In our, ahem, I mean, in our unique mountain folk tribe, there are many, many people more outstanding than me.

Look at my companions.

They are valiant and skilled in battle, even daring to draw swords against elite Black Iron Rank enemies, but I am too frail. I can’t even lift a heavy shield.”

This wasn’t Grayman talking nonsense.

With his pitiful 2 Strength, he truly struggled to handle frontline combat. However, this guy was also considered an “oddity” among the little players.

With his other attributes very balanced, Grayman’s Charisma was a whopping 7!

What does this mean?

Roughly equivalent to three and a half Murphys with his sagacious and martial prowess combined.

Of course, in this game, Charisma didn’t mean he was particularly handsome but rather a comprehensive quality encompassing demeanor, comportment, expression, and excellent first impressions.

In any case, it’s clear that Grayman’s 7 Charisma played a significant role in earning the respect of the entire camp of survivors, not just his contributions.

“You shouldn’t compare yourself to your warrior companions, my lord. Your strengths lie not on the battlefield, but in the responsibilities Lord Murphy has entrusted to you, which I believe your other companions cannot fulfill.

But you can.”

The gentle Palen sister patiently encouraged:

“You just lack a bit of courage and confidence, but I think this is a gift of humility. Even my mother has never met someone as outstanding yet humble as you.”

“Ah, I didn’t know you were so good at flattering people when we couldn’t speak before.”

Grayman felt a bit embarrassed from being praised so nicely.

He kept waving his hands, while the tent curtain was subsequently lifted, and Palen’s younger sister burst in excitedly, carrying a box.

Four years younger than her sister, the short-haired Palen’s younger sister presented the box like an offering, placing it on the table in front of Grayman.

She said:

“Mom sent the first batch of food supplies from Bataxin City, and she was heavily praised by Lord Murphy and Baroness Miriam. Mom also brought this back for us.”

As she spoke, Palen’s younger sister opened the box and took out an exquisite pair of round-framed glasses. The special markings left on the frames indicated they were a halfling’s work.

Although such accessories were not rare in Shaldor Port, in the Transia region, they had always been pursued only by wealthy merchants and nobles.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t used to not wearing glasses, my lord?”

Palen’s younger sister picked them up and, under Grayman’s astonished gaze, reached out and put them on his nose bridge. The familiar weight in the game made him instinctively adjust the frames.

Although his severe myopia had been corrected to normal vision in the game, and he didn’t need glasses to aid his observation, this…

Ah, the familiar feeling seemed to return all at once.

“They suit you perfectly!”

The Palen sisters appraised him from both sides, complimenting Grayman.

The latter shook his head, his thoughts complex. This was probably the first time in his life that he had received a gift from girls, and it was happening in a game, of all places.

Truly bizarre. No wonder so many shut-ins liked having 2D wives, who could resist this?

“We believe you can accomplish the mission Lord Murphy has given you, for it is something only you can do.”

Palen’s elder sister took Grayman’s hand very seriously and said this to him.

“Mm-hmm, I believe it too! You’re the best, my lord!”

Palen’s younger sister grabbed Grayman’s other hand. The warmth from their hands made the young student’s heart race. He withdrew his fingers as if avoiding something, saying:

“Um, I need to rest for a bit. Could you two help tidy up the blueprints? After I wake up, we’ll start the new planning.

I’ll just sleep for a while, just a while.”

He retreated to the bed as if fleeing and logged out of the game.

“The lord always sleeps so soundly. You can’t wake him up even by shaking him,” Palen’s younger sister commented.

Her sister shrugged, glanced at the snoring Grayman on the bed, and chuckled softly, saying:

“He’s so cute, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, a bit silly, but really capable. Much better than the tutor Mom hired before. But Mom just said that Lord Murphy plans to make Bataxin City her knight’s fief. After some time, we’ll be going there to live with Mom too. Sister, should we tell Grayman this news?”

“Hmm, let’s wait a few days.”

——

“Ah, this is killing me.”

On the hard board bed in the dorm, Heaven’s Chosen Grayman took off his game helmet, let out a long breath, and vigorously patted his face to calm himself down.

Grabbing his hair, he said to himself:

“Stay cool! Stay a little cooler! You bastard, they’re just paper people. Right, no different from those other paper wives you’ve pursued before. Get normal, you’re a man with dozens of paper wives yourself.”

“What are you mumbling about over there?”

His self-talk amused his roommate, who was busy with design work opposite him.

Compared to Leading Pigeon and their six-person room, Grayman’s dorm was much better since it was a graduate student dorm, a two-person room with decent surroundings.

His bespectacled roommate, engrossed in a project and not turning his head, teased:

“Not to say anything, but you’ve been acting a bit strange these last few days. I even heard you sleep-talking while wearing that weird helmet last night, saying weird things like ‘Palen sister’ and ‘don’t do that, little sister’? Tell me honestly, did you join some strange cult?”

“I told you, it’s just a game. Didn’t you fill out the survey too?” Grayman said awkwardly, scratching his head as he opened his laptop to search online for the information he needed.

Typing away, he put his glasses back on and continued:

“The forums have been saying a new batch of slots might be released. If we’re lucky, we can play together, bro.”

“Oh, spare me, will you?” His roommate wailed:

“Our supervisor is coming back to the country in a few days, and he’ll definitely want to see our progress during this time. You’re playing games all day, I wonder how you’ll pass the inspection! I’m busy here, haven’t finished this city planning diagram. You play first.”

“What’s so interesting about that?”

Grayman sneered and said:

“Even if you make it, no actual construction crew would use it. You haven’t been to the site. It’s just an imaginary target. Your mentor will say you have too much imagination if he sees it. Hey, why don’t you help me instead? My design will be truly applied to the game scenery, although it’s admittedly a bit crude, but at least it’s practical.”

“Never mind, you won’t believe me even if I tell you.

Wait until you take off your helmet, buddy. I’ll show you my ‘masterpiece’ in the game. But I have a question, you know, about this Khrushchyovka…”

“Ah? You’ve started studying this heretical stuff?”

His roommate was startled, turned around, and stared at Grayman in shock.

“What kind of game are you playing that would feature something so lacking in aesthetics, designed purely for practicality? And didn’t you say it was a world of swords and magic before?

Since there’s no concrete, what are you planning to use for the foundation?

And what will you use for the load-bearing columns? Don’t tell me you’re planning to use wood? You might as well take inspiration from North American log cabins then, at least those are practical.”

“They indeed don’t have concrete or cranes,” Grayman said, squinting his eyes.

“But they have magic. I heard Lord Murphy guarantee that their mages can reshape stones, not inferior to concrete in terms of structure and stress resistance. I’m wondering, if that stuff can be used on a large scale, could we replicate a functional building in the game?

Something like a tube house apartment building.

And incorporate central heating into it.”

“You’ve really gone mad! Utterly obsessed,” his roommate exclaimed, taking off his glasses and shaking his head.

“I know the game has all sorts of weird steam tech, and those halflings in the game’s setting seem quite adept at boiler work. But they don’t have anything like radiators. Don’t underestimate the casting process, if we have to hand-forge them, winter will arrive before we can make enough for thousands of people.”

“Didn’t you say you weren’t interested in the game?” Grayman squinted.

“Yet you seem quite familiar with the forums, even knowing about the steam tech. Tsk, you pretentious guy. Listen to me, my idea is to use wooden boards to construct the main floors, then use a cement pouring and pile-driving technique, letting those Spirit Mages reshape stones and pour them into the reserved channels.

Once the spirit energy dissipates and the stones reshape, the main structure is completed, and we can pre-bury pipes in the channels.

Then all we need is one big boiler.”

“Damn! You really meant central heating!” His roommate’s interest was piqued.

He dragged a chair and sat next to Grayman. The two engineering students sketched out this unique construction approach on the table, even selecting the pipe materials in advance and starting 3D modeling using professional tools.

However, as their discussion grew more heated and excited, a deep voice suddenly came from beside them:

“What are you two doing? Whose drawing is this? Why is it so strange? And most importantly, are the bathrooms in this weird building you’re designing shared? Then why did you lay out the drainage parameters as if they were independent bathrooms?

Have you two ever lived in a Khrushchyovka?

No, have you even seen one before?”

“Huh?”

Grayman turned to see a white-haired man in his 60s, pushing up his glasses to examine the sketches on their table, holding a briefcase under his arm.

He had the demeanor of an old-school intellectual.

“Professor? Weren’t you still in Germany?”

“Oh, there was that pandemic outbreak recently. The situation in Europe got a bit strange, so the conference was canceled. I came back early.

Never mind me for now, look at the drawings!

Tell me, what’s the deal with this weird building? Why does it say ‘no concrete’ on the side? If not concrete, what were you planning to use?

Stones?”

“Ah, this, Professor, it’s quite complicated to explain. To put it simply, we took a job from a game company to complete a city model in their game and supervise the construction process as site supervisors.”

His roommate gave Grayman a sidelong glance, then briefly repackaged their involvement in the game, leaving the old professor dumbfounded.

“Game companies are so casual these days? With the shoddy level you two can’t even build a proper pigsty, they dare to hire you? Ridiculous.”

“Ahem, let’s not talk about that for now,” Grayman hurriedly changed the subject.

He took out a roll of design drawings from under the cabinet and spread it on the table, saying to his mentor:

“This is the draft made by that game company earlier, designed with a medieval fantasy background. According to the story, it has existed for 400 years. Professor, take a look at this drawing…”

“Hmm, this drawing looks quite skillful. The main body is a European-style castle, probably Germanic in style, right? Expanding outward from the castle as the center, a standard medieval city design.

But there’s an issue with this drainage system. Why is it layered? And there are clearly two empty areas not drawn on the bottom, one inside and one outside the city, both quite large. They must be underground cavities, perhaps natural caves?

Is this a water source?

What’s the outer terrain like? Hmm, interesting.”