Chapter 28: Cold Drinks
Soon, Riku arrived back at the designated church constructed site. The villagers were already hard at work, with Lila, Barou, and Lysaria helping them as well.
The church's skeleton was quickly taking shape.
Timber beams rose like ribs, anchored into the freshly dug foundation. Villagers moved with a mix of sweat and pride, stringing pulleys, lifting bricks, mixing lime with rhythm.
Barou stood at the front, bellowing instructions with both hands on his hips.
"Watch that angle! No one wants a tilted steeple!"
Beside him, Lysaria knelt over the chalk markings drawn into the dirt — checking the alignment of the altar's base with precise care. Her Vestal robes were pinned up to her knees, smudged with lime dust and earth, but her focus never wavered.
"No," she murmured, adjusting a stake, "this needs to be shifted five inches north. The morning light won't hit the center otherwise."
"Five inches?" Barou groaned. "We just buried that post!"
"I am sorry, I think I made a mistake. We will have to dig it up," she said softly.
Watching them work, Riku allowed himself a small smile before slipping away quietly.
He had something else to finish.