Chapter 78: Real estate planning in small towns

"Mission accomplished. Reward: A new species of mushroom."

"Task: Being a knight requires not only courage and wisdom but also the ability to protect one's life to fulfill one's maximum potential. Learn Marcus' complete set of archery skills. Reward: A black pearl from the depths of the sea."

Upon finishing the logging task at Thorns Ridge, the Smoke Quest promptly updated.

The new variety of mushroom was undoubtedly growing somewhere in Mushroom Village, waiting to be discovered. Liszt had the patience to wait for it.

"What is this 'black pearl from the depths of the sea'? I'm not quite sure, but pearls are not cheap in the market and are popular accessories among the nobility. Black pearls must be even more valuable, fetching a good sum of money," he mused, desperate for cash as he was on the verge of being unable to pay his workers.

"Learning archery from Marcus has long been on my agenda. Starting tomorrow, I'll officially begin my archery training... But tomorrow won't work since Marcus needs to go to Coral City to fetch his family. So let's start the day after tomorrow. First, I'll send the merchant convoy to Tulip Castle to buy me a bow and arrows."

On Coral Island, only a few noble households were allowed to sell weapons. Liszt, being a direct descendant of the Tulip Family, could easily purchase them in Tulip Castle without any hassle.

The next morning.

The newly established Flower Town merchant caravan, led by the seasoned businessman Grandet, consisted of three merchants, six carriage drivers, and seven apprentices. They set off for Coral City with six castle-owned horses, each carrying packs of seafood, along with pots and firewood for cooking on the spot.

Marcus rode his dapple-gray horse alongside the caravan, providing protection as they journeyed.

In his absence, the knight training was temporarily entrusted to Squire Karl Hammer, the only squire who had already sensed the aura of the Breath and was on the brink of cultivating his Battle Aura. The other three squires showed no signs of such progress yet.

As for the young knights, after a period of ample food and rigorous training, their bodies were beginning to develop muscle. Philip Wool and Xavier Manure, both physically fit enough to meet the Knights Academy's admission standards, had started sensing the Breath and were poised to cultivate their Battle Auras soon.

Blair also joined the caravan, heading to fetch his family to settle in Flower Town. Gort and Isaiah, whose families were either unwilling or unable to come, remained behind to maintain the town's administration, overseeing ongoing projects like road construction, the expansion of Oyster Village, land reclamation, and the planning of a new significant endeavor.

"Gort, Isaiah, the town needs to be reorganized. Marcus and Blair's families will arrive tomorrow, so you must prepare suitable accommodations for them promptly. They're large households; they can't continue staying at the administration building."

"Your Excellency, please rest assured. I considered this last night and have already rented two houses adjacent to the administration building for Marcus and Blair's families to reside temporarily," Gort replied with increased respect. He had pledged allegiance to Liszt for the sake of his impending illegitimate child.

This act of loyalty meant that Gort had become Liszt's subject.

No longer was it a relationship based solely on noble ranks and teacher-student ties.

"I'm glad you've considered the matter ahead of time," Liston expressed his satisfaction with Gort's current attitude. "Now, let's talk about the town's planning. In roughly three months, a group of five hundred slaves and freemen will be settling in Flower Town. The outposts need to build more houses to accommodate them, and the town itself must expand."

Gort had long known that Liston intended to engage in slave trading. Hearing this, he asked directly, "How will these commoners be distributed? How many slaves will there be?"

"Assuming no unforeseen circumstances, there will be four hundred slaves to work the fields in the outposts. As for the one hundred freemen, most of them are artisans. We'll allocate some land for workshops in the town."

Liston unfolded a crude map of the small town. On the only street that existed, he drew a line horizontally with his finger. "We'll construct another road, making the layout of the town into a cross shape."

"This is no small project. Three months might not be enough time."

"We'll start construction first," Liston said, not being an expert in precise budgeting or long-term planning. Many of his decisions were made on the spot. "The streets must be spacious. The four quadrants divided by the cross will serve different purposes. The west will be designated as the commercial district, where we'll build an exchange market and a vegetable market in the future."

The societal development in this world was rather backward. Cities were like clusters of dilapidated houses crammed together without any notion of planned zones.

But Liston didn't want to follow this pattern. "The south will be the industrial area, where we'll move establishments like mills, slaughterhouses, and blacksmith shops. The north will be for the slaves to live, while the east will be for the freemen. Additionally, further west in the commercial district, closer to the castle, we'll plan a residential area for the nobility."

Categorizing people into different classes is highly unethical.

Yet, such is the nature of societal structures; nobles can't coexist with commoners, and freemen have nothing in common with slaves.

After pondering over Liszt's words, Gort couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Grace, your perspective is truly unique. It has broadened my horizons. I never thought that a city could be built this way. With clear divisions, even merchants from afar won't have trouble finding where to conduct business."

Isaiah was slower to catch on, but upon hearing Gort's explanation, he also appreciated the benefits of urban planning, "My eyes have been opened as well. Flower Town will become a jewel of Coral Island!"

Liszt smiled slightly, "The most important point is that we need many public toilets. I don't want to see anyone, not even a three-year-old child, relieving themselves anywhere in the town!"

He then added, "Signs must be hung outside every shop, and noticeable ones outside each toilet. There should also be signs at road entrances. Whoever visits Flower Town in the future must adhere to the rule of no open defecation!"

This issue had left a deep impression on him.

Just a few days ago, during the Seafaring Festival, one of the knights accompanying the Earl had casually relieved himself more than ten times around his castle in just one afternoon!

For many knights, this was considered normal; they would defecate wherever they pleased.

However, Liszt forbade it. He didn't wish to accidentally step in feces while strolling through his stable grounds.

As locals, Gort and Isaiah were not bothered by such matters; they had engaged in similar practices before. However, Liszt had already given his orders.

They nodded in agreement, "My lord, please rest assured. The sanitation of Flower Town will be our top priority."

Suddenly, Liszt recalled something, "Oh right, Isaiah. My young knights can't read a single word. I hope to employ you as their literacy teacher, instructing them in common script so that they at least possess basic reading skills." Since Flower Town didn't have a Knights Academy, he had to personally hire teachers.

To this, Isaiah didn't hesitate, "Isaiah is willing to serve."