Burp! Iron Hammer let out a loud burp, then scratched his head sheepishly and set down the basket of bread.
Claire stepped forward and asked, "Are you full?"
The Minotaurs rubbed their round bellies and flashed broad white teeth. "We're full! We haven't eaten this much in a long time. When we were fighting, we often had one meal but no idea when the next would come."
The troop they had once belonged to had nearly been eaten bankrupt by them. Iron Hammer still suspected that the humans had captured him because his herd ate too much, so the beastmen had abandoned them on the battlefield.
"Now that you're full, it's time to work." Claire joked, "If you don't work well, don't expect to eat this much again."
"We'll definitely work hard, Master!" Iron Hammer promised, patting his chest.
"Call me Lord or Viscount," Claire said. She still did not like being called Master. Even the maids at the Baronial Manor called her Young Lady or Viscount.
Though Iron Hammer did not understand what Young Lady or Viscount meant, he copied her words and taught the Minotaurs behind him. At last, they shouted in unison, "We'll definitely work hard, Viscount!"
The roar from so close by nearly made Claire's ears ring. Rubbing them, she led Iron Hammer and the others to the construction site. The workers who were still busy stopped what they were doing when they saw these twenty-odd hulking creatures and stared over curiously.
Claire looked around. Having these Minotaurs lay bricks was clearly impractical. Leaving aside whether they knew how, the bricks were not even as large as their palms. They looked like toys in their hands, and asking them to stack them one by one would truly be making things difficult for them.
Claire's gaze finally settled on the larger construction materials. Pointing at the marble intended for door lintels and pillars, she asked, "Can you try lifting this?"
"I'll do it!" Iron Hammer shoved aside the Minotaur who had stepped forward and walked alone toward a block of marble.
Claire looked over as well. The marble was a full three or four meters long and as thick as a child could wrap their arms around. By visual estimate alone, it weighed over a ton.
If these workers had to carry it, it would take at least five or six people, and transporting it would be extremely inconvenient.
Yet Iron Hammer simply tucked it under one arm at his waist and lifted the entire block with ease. Judging from his expression, he was not straining at all.
Claire's eyes lit up. Those one hundred Gold Coins had truly been well spent.
"Where should I move it, Viscount?" Iron Hammer turned his head.
"Move it here and put it on top of this!" the architect immediately shouted from the side.
"Okay!" Iron Hammer strode toward him, each step landing with a heavy thud.
The other Minotaurs did not idle around either. They ran over, hoisted up the larger and harder-to-move building materials, and placed them one by one according to the architect's instructions.
If they were caught not working, they might not get a full meal.
When things finally grew a little less busy, Claire called over the architect. "With them joining in, how long will it take to finish?"
The architect made a rough estimate, then said, "Simple buildings like the hospital can be completed within three or four days. Buildings like the school will take longer, but they can still be finished within a week."
Claire nodded and waved him away, then called for Regan.
"Remember to make more food." Claire glanced at the hardworking Minotaurs. If there was not enough, these honest cattle would go hungry.
Regan nodded and wrote it down. He was now the viscount territory's administrative officer, so naturally these trivial matters fell under his responsibility as well.
"Keep watch here. I'm heading back to the manor first." Claire had not forgotten that there was still a Half-elf among the slaves she had bought. That was her real objective.
"Take care, Young Lady," Regan said respectfully.
Claire did not dare open the Half-elf's iron cage. The slave merchant had said when introducing her that she had a fierce temperament and was not as obedient as the Minotaurs, so Claire had kept her locked up. She directly cast a Levitation Spell and carried the huge iron cage up to the sixth floor.
The Half-elf was very quiet. Even while Claire carried her up to the sixth floor, she did not make a single sound. She only curled up in the corner of the iron cage, lowering her head without saying a word.
It was just noon, so Claire instructed Yuna to prepare an extra lunch, then personally carried both meals upstairs.
When the lunch was brought into the room, the Half-elf finally reacted. Her beautiful eyes at last moved away from herself and settled on the food in Claire's hands.
Claire found a low table, placed the food on it, moved it beside the iron cage, then dragged over a reclining chair to eat with her there.
Yet as Claire went through these motions, a thought suddenly popped into her mind: Why does this feel like I'm taming a hawk?
She shook her head, tossed aside the random thought, and pointed at the food on the table as she said to the Half-elf, "Eat. Can you understand me?"
Whether the Half-elf understood Claire's words or was drawn by the scent of the food, she slowly edged over from the corner of the cage.
At first, she glanced at Claire warily, but in the end she could not resist the smell of the food. Before she realized it, those strangely shaped dishes had already entered her mouth.
The instant she bit into the braised pork belly, Claire clearly saw a gleam flash through her eyes. She no longer looked as though everything in the world had nothing to do with her.
Claire smiled and said nothing more, simply sitting there and eating with her.
Soon, the Half-elf finished her portion of meat, while her bowl of rice remained untouched.
"You eat it like this." Claire picked up a piece of meat with some rice and demonstrated for her.
However, the Half-elf looked at her empty plate, then looked at Claire and tilted her head, seeming to say that she had no more meat.
Claire simply gave her half of the braised pork belly she had left. The Half-elf then imitated Claire and began to eat. Slowly, she took a spoonful of rice with half a piece of meat, chewing lightly and swallowing gradually.
After the food was finished and Claire removed the table, the Half-elf did not curl back into the corner. Instead, she watched Claire with her beautiful, lively eyes. That meal had clearly brought the two of them much closer.
After tidying up, Claire gave her a friendly smile. "Hello!"
The Half-elf tilted her head again, not quite understanding Claire's gesture.
"Oh, right. I forgot you don't speak the Common Tongue."
Claire then tried communicating with her in Magical Language, but all she got in return was the same curious expression.
"So you don't know Magical Language either." Claire scratched her head helplessly.
Human Magical Language had originated from the Magic Incantations of elves and dragons, while the Magical Language of dragons and elves had originated from the gods. Claire had thought that if the Half-elf knew magic, then even if she did not know the Common Tongue, she should at least understand Magical Language.
"Seriously? Don't tell me I have to learn Elvish too? The price of hiring a doctor is getting way too high."
Claire sat back in the reclining chair and continued thinking of a solution, but a casual glance revealed the book she had traded for yesterday night, sitting on the table.
Her eyes immediately lit up. "Lan Zhao said this can establish a connection with pets and convey emotions between the two sides. Maybe I can use it to communicate with this Half-elf. There's no harm in trying."
With that thought in mind, Claire calmed herself and walked over to the Half-elf. Following the method described in the book, she slowly drew out a thread of mental energy. The thread drifted toward the Half-elf's forehead. The Half-elf merely looked at it curiously and did not dodge.
The thread smoothly entered her body. The instant it did, Claire felt as though something inside her mind had suddenly opened, linking her and the Half-elf together.
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