Chapter 89: The Down-and-Out Architect

Dixiya, who was chatting heatedly with Dina Zeda, naturally had no idea what Luo De and Sha Zaman were researching.

Consequently, when she went out.

She was also surprised at how good their relationship had become.

"What were you and the old master talking about just now?"

Walking along the road, Dixiya asked curiously.

The last time I saw Sha Zaman, his attitude toward Luo De was visibly poor, to the point that even Dina Zeda said a couple of things to him.

Luo De's reply was simple: "Just exchanging information about our conditions."

"Exchanging conditions?"

"Oh, you mean Ke Lai and Dina Zeda?"

At first Dixiya wondered what illness Luo De could have, but then she realized they must have been talking about Ke Lai and Dina Zeda.

"What a pity."

"Ke Lai's illness is kept in check with Archon medicine; if it were ordinary medicine, the old master would gladly spend his entire fortune to treat Dina Zeda."

Dixiya sighed, her face also growing somewhat dim.

Luo De's judgment was correct.

Even Hu Ma Yi had already exhausted his finances treating Dina Zeda.

But given Dina Zeda's condition, at most she only has a few years left.

If during this period they still can't find a cure, then they can only.

Looking at Dixiya, whose face now bore a hint of sorrow.

Luo De scratched his head, not knowing how to comfort her.

He couldn't just say he knew the future Great Merciful Tree King would sacrifice himself, eliminating the danger of forbidden knowledge throughout Xu Mi Cheng.

Just like that.

In the silent atmosphere, the two walked from Hu Ma Yi's middle-level district down to the lower city.

Xu Mi Cheng is a very special city.

Because it was built relying on the tree, Xu Mi Cheng's districts are faulted, with each level connected by a series of steps, thus dividing the city into upper, middle, and lower tiers.

Without a doubt, the upper district is the Academy's territory.

Including Nadixa's Palace of Purity, all of which are located here.

One could say it enjoys the best living environment in all of Xu Mi Cheng and the advantage of being closest to the gods.

The middle district is where Xu Mi Cheng's officials, nobles, and wealthy merchants reside.

Those entertainment venues and luxury shops that cater specifically to the rich for leisure and shopping are also gathered here.

As for the lower district,

This area is mostly frequented by traders and common folk; the goods sold are mostly good quality and inexpensive, and there are also branches of the Adventurers' Association and the Grand Bazaar located here.

However, aside from the Academy's strict daily management that prohibits outsiders from entering,

there are no restrictions on movement between the middle and lower districts, and no edicts or unspoken rules forbidding commoners from entering the wealthy areas.

This is a place where Luo De's view of Xu Mi Cheng has improved somewhat.

At the same time, it is also where he holds the Academy in even greater contempt.

Those wealthy and powerful people never speak of looking down on commoners, yet under the leadership of the Great Sage, the Academy's members will proudly declare that those lacking knowledge are unworthy to debate with them.

Of course.

Not all Academy students are that arrogant; some even live in destitution, to the point where getting a meal is a problem.

For example, the scholar that Luo De and Dixiya met at the Lan Bade tavern in the lower district just now.

He was a blond youth wearing a white shirt and a red cape; even though his face was covered with unkempt stubble, it could not hide his natural handsomeness.

The only downside.

When encountering this guy, one doesn't even know how long he's gone without washing his hair; his nicely colored long hair is messier than a bird's nest, his body reeks of strong alcohol, his white shirt is stained with many wine spots, and at mealtime this drunkard shamelessly occupies a seat and snores loudly.

The reason Luo De and Dixiya noticed him.

Because today at noon the Lan Bade tavern was unusually busy—not even the downstairs seats, the upstairs private rooms were all full.

Looking over the whole tavern, only this one seat remained.

"Sorry, customer, I'll go wake him up right away."

Seeing this, the tavern owner Lan Bade hurriedly apologized and went over to shove the youth a few times.

If it were someone else,

if there were a drunkard hogging a dining spot at mealtime, the owner would surely fly into a rage and kick the drunk out.

But Lan Bade did not.

Although he was also anxious, he didn't resort to violence to drive him away; he simply gave the youth a normal-strength push a few times, saying, "Mr. Ka Wei, Mr. Ka Wei, wake up, we have guests here—would you like to go home and rest first?"

Ka Wei.

Luo De indeed hadn't mistaken him.

This disheveled drunkard really is that unlucky fellow Ka Wei.

Unlike the Ka Wei of impression who always kept his attire neat and made himself look handsome and dashing,

the current Ka Wei has nothing to do with the words "handsome and dashing."

This is also why Luo De initially thought he looked familiar but didn't dare confirm it.

On the other hand,

The dazed Ka Wei rubbed his eyes.

Still somewhat hazy from his hangover, he heard Lan Bade repeat the earlier words, then he finally came to, his previously bleary-eyed look instantly clearing; he staggered to his feet and repeatedly bowed to Lan Bade, saying, "Sorry, sorry, I disturbed your business—I'm leaving, I'm leaving."

He was talking.

He didn't stop moving either; before leaving, he used his own sleeve to wipe the table clean, removing all the stains he had made.

Luo De watched Ka Wei's departing back thoughtfully, paying extra attention to the grass-green Vision on his waist.

He has a Vision.

Yeah, that's right.

Bankrupt Ka Wei.

Looking at his current state, he must have only just gone bankrupt.

Speaking of which.

This guy is also a total jinx.

As the Academy's Wonderful Theory faction's most outstanding graduate in recent decades, Ka Wei's talent was early recognized by the Lofty architectural circle, and everyone hailed him as the glory of the Wonderful Theory faction and Lofty's most outstanding young architect.

But he is merely such an excellent architect.

But he ran into trouble while building a traveling palace for Duo Li.

Exactly, it's Duo Li again.

While constructing the luxurious palace named Kasazalai Gong, in pursuit of his artistic vision, Ka Wei ignored Duo Li's reminder and insisted on building the palace on the cliff's edge.

However, when the project was seventy percent complete, a dead zone silently formed beneath the palace, and overnight it completely destroyed the palace that Ka Wei considered his greatest artwork.

What's worse,

Because it was a mistake in the engineering design's site selection, Ka Wei bears full responsibility.

That is to say.

Not only was his carefully designed artwork destroyed, but he also bears full responsibility for the project's destruction.

At the same time his ideals were shattered, he also had to bear an astronomical amount of debt.

However, what Duo Li did not expect was.

Things have already come to this.

Ka Wei's first thought was not compensation, but desperately begging her to let him stay and finish building the Kasazalai Gong.

Normally speaking.

Given Duo Li's personality, she definitely could not agree to this.

The destruction of this palace can be described as a heavy loss; for Duo Li, who values Mora more than life, this loss has already kept her awake for many days.

But after a round of arguments.

Duo Li ultimately agreed to this and even lent him a large sum of money to help him realize his ideal.

【Architecture is ultimately just business; only ideals are priceless.】

This is what Dolly said back then.

For Ka Wei's ideal.

Dolly chose not to stop him anymore, letting him spend all his savings plus piled-up debts, successfully building the artwork he envisioned in his mind—the Alcazaraza Palace praised by everyone.

Speaking of which.

This is still the reason Luo De dared to ask Dolly for money using his already activated but nearly useless Vision back then.

If Luo De hadn't known that Dolly wasn't as cold-hearted as she appeared, he wouldn't have proposed such an absurd and unfair deal.

As for Ka Wei.

After bankruptcy, he completely fell into decadence.

At least he is still in a state of decadence now.

However, try to think from his perspective.

Ka Wei's current debt—just the principal plus interest he has to repay each month amounts to nearly one million Mora. Put that in the desert, that money would be enough for Luo De to expand his experimental fields several times over, and he has to repay that much every month, not knowing how long it will take to pay it off.

If it were someone else, they'd probably have already given up and lain flat.

"If Dolly hadn't waived a sum of money for him, he'd probably have to work for Dolly for the rest of his life."

While eating, Luo De was still thinking about Ka Wei's matter.

That guy is an absolute idealist.

At the same time, he is a top-tier architect, standing out even among the whole of Sumeru.

If such a person could go to A Ru Cun to help.

"Tsk, the timing isn't great—if we ask him now, hiss—"

Just thinking about Ka Wei's terrifying debt makes Luo De's scalp tingle involuntarily.

If you want to hire Ka Wei long-term, the minimum salary is one million Mora per month.

Not to mention Luo De.

Even the whole of A Ru Cun couldn't afford that money.

And Luo De suddenly got the idea to hire Ka Wei because, in the dream world, Nadixa asked him to help with a favor.

"The desert is also part of Sumeru."

For a long time, due to the Academy's deliberate cultivation and indulgence, the conflict between desert and rainforest has become increasingly severe.

Nadixa is also aware of the desert people's dire living conditions.

Therefore, after being scolded by Luo De into waking up, besides the Academy needing rectification, another urgent problem to solve is the currently chaotic desert region.

For this purpose.

She is willing to let Luo De exchange his precious knowledge for Mora, and also willing to expend her already limited divine power, solely to simulate the various things Luo De proposed that would benefit the desert.

After doing all this, her request is just one.

"Your experience in A Ru Cun is very important; in the future, when governing the desert, these experiences will serve as extremely valuable reference."

In short.

Nadixa's point was that before she truly escapes her cage, Luo De should make good use of his identity in A Ru Cun, fully reform and govern A Ru Cun, and accumulate valuable experience for the later desert management.

Ah—

Forget it, let's talk about it tonight; anyway, this guy will surely come drink again, so try chatting with him.

It simply won't work.

Just hire him on a short-term contract to help out in the village.

(End of chapter)