For a week we were preparing.

The duke asked me to train his soldiers but I outright refused. I am not a drill sergeant, neither I have desire to share modern combat tactics so easily. The results of a doctrine shift can be devastating, for both sides of the change. If the enemies are defeated easily, it will make those people wage wars, if their military is not yet wiped out after having to adapt to a completely alien tactic that is not compatible with the contemporary warfare.

Instead, we focused on assisting the reconstruction efforts.

Since the city is built of wood, and only few buildings are stone, it was decided to raze the more damaged buildings and repair only the barely damaged ones.

We have modern knowledge of construction, and we have a super-powerful bulldozer, the so-called tank.

“It’s hooked!” (J)

‘wrrRRRUUUUM’

The tank pulled, and the remnants of a building folded like a card house. Then the workers began sorting the wood scraps. The usable wood was carried away, and it was now our turn.

The tank pushed the remaining rubble into a pile. The workers would either burn it, or use it to fill the craters.

“This site is clear. Next is number 17.”

The next house was hit by a couple of mortar mines and had its side crumbled.

After Jester tied the towing cable to a pillar, the tank pulled the cable to break everything down completely.

While the fuel costs were high, the results were great. The productivity was ridiculously high in comparison with the speed of workers. By the time we arrived here, the workers’ brigade managed to disassemble a house and only started work on another one. Meanwhile, we scrapped 16 buildings.

“Watch out!” (J)

‘Crash’

The house folded but one of its corners remained standing.

There is nothing that can’t be solved with a crowbar and a certain mother.

“Listen, people, don’t stand on the rubble when the corner is being broken. It may fall on your heads!” (O)

I led a group of workers to break the corner.

After the men cut a pillar of the corner, the construction screeched and was pulled down by the broken wall’s weight.

“Good job, people! Just a house left and we’ll start working on the new houses.”

An hour later I took a couple of carpenters to the place where we stored the usable wood.

“So, look here.” I drew a blueprint of a frame.

We will be building the carcass houses. Four simple wooden frames mass assembled here, a hay isolation, wooden planks for the walls, and thatch roofs. All of the houses would be the same but it should help with providing housing for the people who live in tents and crowd in abandoned houses.

Valencio already agreed to this plan and provided the carpenters.

After I finished explaining how the frames should be done, they started working. The next day we had enough frames to build four houses. These initial houses will be built by ourselves to show the workers the construction technology, then they will be doing everything by themselves.

“What the f* are you doing? Don’t you see it’s crooked?!”

“IF YOU KNOW SO MUCH, THEN HOW ABOUT YOU HELP?!” (J)

“As if I would be anything but an obstacle. Stop whining and lift the damned thing!”

My poor idiots were trying to put a frame in place, however, the damned thing was not perpendicular to the already installed frame.

“How’s it looking now?!” (J)

“Move it a bit to yourself!”

“Now?” (J)

“Move it more!”

“NOW?!” (J)

“SHUT UP. Keep moving it to yourself!”

“Now…?” (J)

I checked the angle, and beckoned the workers.

“Nail it to the other frame. Make sure the angle is right, otherwise the house will be crooked and it will be a nightmare to build it.”

‘Knock, knock, knock’

“B*, dolgo yeshe?! U menya spina bolit!” [F*, how long it will take? My back hurts!] (J)

“Terpi, kazak, atamanom stanesh.” [Endure it, cossack, and you'll become an ataman.] Old man and I smiled.

‘Knock, knock, knock’

“It’s done, Miss.” The foreman reported.

I shook the frame and nothing happened. Nothing here means everything is perfect.

“Good job. How ‘bout installing the next frame by yourselves?”

“Aye.” The workers started installing the frame, while we sat down and relaxed.

“It’s not that bad. I like this rural life.” (O)

“I guess so. I can’t help feeling that we will start moving soon.”

“That explains the drills…” (J)

“As if I wouldn’t keep drilling you.”

“Haaa… Those guys aren’t half as bad, are they?” (J)

“In comparison with you~?” (O)

“Screw you, old farts~!” (J)

We will need to replenish the fuel, and stock on ammunition. The food and water would also be of use…