MTLNOVEL Chapter 293: Igloo Settlement
Aside from the white ice, there was nothing but more white ice.
He called over Ryu Hyunwoo, remembering that he was an Earth-type ability user and might know the answer to his question.
"Can you take a look around and see if there's any place suitable for building a shelter?"
"Mr. Kim, do you want to build a house?" Ryu Hyunwoo was momentarily stunned. "Here? There's no shelter around, it's too cold and it's not a good place to live."
Kim Haru shook his head. "It's not for me. I want to build a temporary resting place."
Ryu Hyunwoo followed Kim Haru's gaze to the workers.
They had been chiseling at the hard ice with all their might, and some were already exhausted.
But everywhere was just cold ice, and if they simply sat down, it would likely be colder than standing.
So, most people who took a break just leaned on their tools for a moment.
Ryu Hyunwoo immediately understood why Kim Haru wanted to build a temporary resting place.
"If that's the case, any spot along the bank will do," Ryu Hyunwoo said.
Kim Haru looked around for a while, then realized how foolish he had been.
Had the cold of winter frozen his brain too?
He could easily build an Igloo using the ice they had chipped out.
He could even have a Water-type ability user to help him.
After all, it was just a temporary resting place, so as long as there was a spot warm enough to sit, that would be good enough.
Without hesitation, Kim Haru got to work.
There were a few idle people around, perfect for the task.
He found the Caeruleus Draco Squad. "Are you all tired of standing? Can you help me out?"
The members of the Caeruleus Draco Squad were discussing whether they should move some chairs from Buyeo Town when they heard Kim Haru wanted to build an Igloo for resting.
Even though he didn't offer wages for the task, they immediately agreed to help.
It was all for the people under their care, after all.
They couldn't be less considerate than others.
The Caeruleus Draco Squad had no shortage of Water-type ability users.
The people chipping at the ice, who had been doing it haphazardly at first, now carefully cut the ice into even blocks.
Everyone worked together, and with the help of the Unmelted Frost Bamboo Tree, by evening, the Igloo was already completed.
The appearance of the igloo motivated the workers under Kim Haru to work even harder.
According to Kim Haru's arrangements, the work would began every day at 9 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m.
After work, the workers could return to Buyeo Town to rest.
The Lunch and dinner were provided by Kim Haru, who hired additional staff from the Pyeongseong Safe Zone to handle the meal preparation.
An open kitchen was set up near the east gate of the Pyeongseong Safe Zone, where meals were heated and delivered to the workers.
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Kim Haru made sure that these workers, who are constantly exposed to the ice and cold, could enjoy warm and hearty meals.
In order to facilitate this, he even employed a spatial hamster from the Hamster Tribe, providing it to the cooks to carry ingredients.
When the Hamster Tribe heard that Kim Haru needed their help, they were so eager to assist him that they almost refused to accept payment.
Still, Kim Haru paid them according to their agreement.
However, what surprised Kim Haru was the news he received early the next morning.
Gang Yuwon informed him that the ice workers had brought all their belongings to the riverside near the east gate and intended to settle in the igloo instead of returning to Buyeo Town.
"Everyone has moved here?" Kim Haru asked, puzzled.
Gang Yuwon nodded his head repeatedly. "Yes. Yesterday, we built just one igloo as a temporary resting place. Now it's not enough for everyone to stay. Some members of the Caeruleus Draco are already picking spots to construct more igloos. Mr. Kim, should we send them back?"
Kim Haru thought for a moment. "Check if their work efficiency is affected. If it's not, let them stay."
He reasoned that the distance between Buyeo Town and the riverside was quite far.
In such cold weather, forcing the workers to traveling back and forth seemed unreasonable.
Since the igloos were built as temporary shelters anyway, turning them into longer-term housing wasn't a problem.
"Also, remember to notify Mr. Moon Baein," Kim Haru instructed Gang Yuwon. "If the he has some concerns, they should be sent back."
After all, the riverside's proximity to the Pyeongseong Safe Zone might pose security risks.
Gang Yuwon immediately agreed. "I understood, Mr. Kim. Oh, by the way, the workers said they're grateful for your kindness in letting them stay. To show their appreciation, they've decided to start work an hour earlier in the morning and finish an hour later in the evening. They assured me this won't require extra pay from you."
"Alright. Just remind them to stay safe," Kim Haru replied.
He had no reason to refuse their voluntary offer to work overtime.
After personally overseeing the first day of operations, Kim Haru delegated the supervision of the site to Gang Yuwon and the other Delta Squad member.
Being a Fire-type ability user, Gang Yuwon was better suited to handle the cold conditions.
In case of frostbite or other emergencies among the ice workers, Gang Yuwon's abilities could provide timely aid.
However, the need for emergency interventions was rare.
The Core members of the Caeruleus Draco Squad also moved from Buyeo Town to the riverside along with the workers.
After the initial igloo construction phase, most of them found themselves with little to do besides assisting Kim Haru with ice excavation and ensuring their team members stayed out of trouble.
If someone accidentally broke ice at the wrong spot and fell into the water, the Caeruleus Draco Squad would immediately pull them out.