“First, let’s hear from Zetros and the others who’ve been managing this city. What improvements or complaints do they have about the city?”
Panamera said, and Zetros and the others looked thoughtful for a moment. After a few seconds of silence, an older man, who introduced himself as Thomas, spoke up.
“...Well, this city was completed about forty years ago. Some parts of the stone pavement are damaged, and there are cracks and fissures in the walls. Those areas should be repaired.”
“Hm, we’ll fix those. Anyone else?”
After adopting Thomas's suggestion, Panamera looked to the others for more input. With one person taking the lead, the others soon began to share their thoughts.
“There are many buildings that have deteriorated, and some of the houses have leaking roofs. Also, there’s the issue with the sewage system, which, after years of use, has a terrible stench and sludge buildup…”
As the others spoke up, a nervous-looking man with a serious expression opened his mouth. I believe his name was Baratt.
“As for the budget, we had received a decent amount from the Yellenetta Kingdom as a crucial point of defense, but now, the budget has been reduced by about ten percent. While city repairs are important, if we are to run the Cayyenne Knight Order… I mean, the Cayyenne Knight Order, we might need to redistribute the budget.”
He seemed to be concerned about the budget for large-scale repairs. Having administrators in charge of various fields was useful, as it brought in ideas from many perspectives. I was considering increasing the number of administrators in Ceat Village as I listened.
“Don’t worry about the repair budget. And I’ve already taken into account the current situation of the citizens. As for taxes, I’ll exempt them for a year.”
“A year?”
Panamera answered lightly, and Baratt furrowed his brow slightly, appearing somewhat uneasy. With a smile, Panamera nodded.
“Rest assured. The taxes on the citizens will be lower than they were under the Yellenetta Kingdom. However, when large profits are made, the taxes will be higher. The trading companies will be most affected, but with Bell-Rango Trading Company and Mary Trading Company involved, things should be fine. Both are good companies.”
Panamera casually reassured everyone, and while it wasn’t enough to completely ease their worries, the mood did seem a little lighter after hearing her words.
Once she saw that, Panamera turned her gaze to me.
“So, Viscount Van, what do you think? How would you improve this city… No, let me rephrase. If you were to settle here permanently, what would you want to do?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, I answered with the vague ideas I had been considering in my head.
“Well, this is a common issue in fortress cities, but due to being surrounded by walls, the space tends to get cramped. With the increasing population, more shops opening, and other factors, I feel the narrowness might negatively impact convenience. Do you have a map?”
“Yes, here it is.”
Zetros, apparently having prepared it beforehand, quickly spread a map on the table. I looked at it and pointed to the city gates we had just passed through.
“Specifically, I’d like to widen the main street that leads from the gates. I’d connect it straight to the castle, then build a road around the castle to connect to the other side’s city gate. Along the main street, I’d place slightly taller shops and inns, and for the residential areas, I’d rebuild them into two-story buildings, or perhaps four families per building.”
I spoke casually while pointing out the details on the map.
“I’m not sure how it looks now, but by dividing the city into districts, we can make the distribution more efficient, and unnecessary movement will be minimized, making the city more livable. I’d like to have commercial districts, barracks and adventurer zones, residential areas, and industrial zones. Also, I’d like to convert this square into a park with a large bathhouse and a fountain. Since it seems like you’re drawing water from the river, I’d set up water-lifting and boiling facilities outside the city and create several storage tanks. As for the sewage system, I believe you’re drawing water from the upstream of the river, and if that’s the case, we could rebuild the intake facilities and then modify the sewage system as well.”
I explained the general ideas I had in mind. Listening to me, the city administrators appeared stunned. Meanwhile, Panamera was nodding enthusiastically, looking incredibly pleased.
“Hm! This is a wonderful plan! We should also consider repairs to the city walls, gates, and the castle!”
“The city walls and gates will only be repaired on the surface. As for the castle, I’d only change its appearance and layout a little, nothing too drastic.”
I replied, and Panamera’s face suddenly fell in despair.
“…What about the bathhouse and toilets?”
“Oh, that’s fine.”
Upon hearing this, Panamera visibly sighed in relief.
When the conversation paused, Zetros spoke up.
“...Forgive me. I believe Viscount Van’s plan is excellent. The city will become more livable, and the residents will surely appreciate it. However…”
“It will take money and time,” Thomas continued, taking over for Zetros. He looked seriously at Baratt.
“How long would it take?”
Thomas asked, and Baratt narrowed his eyes sharply.
“...It’s nearly a complete rebuild of the city. Realistically speaking, it might be faster to create a new city elsewhere. We’d need to secure the workforce, level the land, set up the water and sewage systems, then build the castle and the main roads, followed by the surrounding buildings. The city walls should be built first to avoid damage from magical beasts, so all these things would need to be done simultaneously… The shortest estimate would be five years. Depending on the workforce and resources, it would require between 100 to 500 platinum coins.”
Baratt answered, and Raison, a knight in the order, cleared his throat before speaking.
“I’ve heard that Viscount Van used remarkable fortification techniques during the recent battle. Could we use that same technology for this?”
“No, the work involved in quickly building a fort on the battlefield is different from constructing a city.”
“But for construction, I’m sure you have the most advanced techniques at your disposal.”
“Ugh…”
Although we weren’t on the front lines, Bellville must have heard some rumors, as he seemed more receptive to my proposal than the others.
Panamera, watching this interaction with amusement, opened her mouth.
“Well then, as for the construction period and costs, it seems no one has objections to Viscount Van’s proposal?”
Panamera asked, and though everyone exchanged glances, no one raised any objections. Satisfied, she turned back to me.
“You’ll take care of it all, won’t you?”
“Eh, all of it...? Let’s stick to the water intake system and the sewage. As for the castle, walls, and gates, I’ll focus on those for now.”
“I refuse.”
“But you can’t just refuse.”
“Do it all.”
“I’ll tackle the rest next year, I promise.”
“No, do it all now.”
After that back-and-forth with Panamera, I sighed involuntarily. Seeing her smile so brightly as she said, “No,” I gave up on negotiating.
“…Alright, I’ll do it. But, I’m going to work at my own pace. And, please help gather the materials and everything else.”
“Oh! You’ll do it! Thank you, boy!”
Panamera grinned like a blooming flower, clearly thrilled. With that much joy, I felt like I had no choice but to try my best. Smiling wryly, I returned her grin.
No comments:
Post a Comment