Ch.140New Food

“How much have we collected so far?”

“Quite a bit. About 43% of the required amount?”

“That’s a fairly good trend.”

After the previous disciplinary action, the thoroughly frightened guilds began sending “voluntary donations” without any prompting, and these funds were steadily accumulating for the construction of paved roads.

The sudden focus on paved roads was because once redevelopment finished, the population would surge again, and eventually the city walls would need to be demolished to accommodate this influx. When that happened, Amurtat’s weak inter-city road network would be utterly incapable of handling the explosive increase in logistics.

Particularly, the southern swamplands had such soft ground that they were practically hell for coachmen. I reminded myself that one essential condition of an advanced nation was the construction of a paved road network covering the entire country.

And now, with just one act of brutality, we had secured 43% of our target amount in one go. The remaining funds could be collected gradually and discreetly.

But first, we needed to address the ongoing redevelopment.

“How is the redevelopment progressing?”

“Since purchasing the land at fair value, there’s been nothing particularly concerning. There are ongoing conflicts about occupancy rights, but… that’s an issue between the company and residents. Of course, anyone breaking the law will face severe consequences.”

The aide said this while handing me a parchment with several lines underlined.

The parchment contained a brief summary of how the redevelopment was currently progressing.

To summarize briefly, the southern region had declined rapidly due to population loss after losing its growth momentum, but the current redevelopment was striving to create distinctive features different from other areas by constructing various recreational facilities and outdoor markets selling monster entrails, byproducts, and herb-infused liquors.

“A monster byproduct market… that’s a good idea.”

“Men will pay any amount if you tell them something is good for virility or prevents hair loss.”

“Haha. No man could walk past herbal liquor without stopping.”

As the saying goes, seeing is coveting—unique marketplaces selling such local specialties tend to leave strong impressions on visitors.

And in this world without social media, rumors were the only thing that spread, so the more rumors circulated, the better it was considered.

“The redevelopment will be completed soon.”

“But the power struggles will continue for years.”

“A sad reality.”

Where there’s money, there are vested interests, and where there are interests, there are conflicts.

I had no intention of overlooking abuses like collecting excessive fees from market merchants or imposing quotas. The subordinates should live their lives as they see fit.

I sincerely believed this as I emerged from the incomprehensible flow of text and carefully folded the parchment before handing it back to my aide.

*

“This is just here for show. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Among the workers, almost none believed the supervisor’s words.

It was clear that if they didn’t put at least one copper coin into that gleaming donation box bearing the royal emblem, they would surely lose their jobs.

In the end, the workers were exposed to the state’s intangible violence and had no choice but to submit to its oppression.

“Argh…! My hard-earned money!”

The hand dropping two silver coins trembled violently.

For those who lived day to day, a lump sum was always necessary, and regularly giving away such large amounts would inevitably impact their livelihoods.

“Mmm~! Good! Very good! Everyone’s loyalty to Lord Tiberius is truly admirable!”

The supervisor laughed as he took the donation box away under the pretext of organizing the contributions, and soon the emptied box returned to its place.

Now, that donation box would be filled again, and the supervisor would have the opportunity to embezzle part of the money under the guise of management and supervision.

In the midst of guild restructuring, while some talented individuals had been discovered, the purge of field workers had led to an influx of lower-quality personnel.

But then again, Amurtat was neither a corruption-free nation nor a particularly merciful one.

It was simply a slightly more powerful country with more people and more resources than other nations.

*

Meanwhile, Pale Harbor had completed its expansion and was now welcoming visitors from the north and east with unprecedented prosperity.

The towering watchtowers and observation posts built on cliffs gave visitors confidence in Pale Harbor’s safety, and in this world, “guaranteed safety” was an extremely powerful selling point.

Because of this, Amurtat’s navy, still in its infancy, maintained its purpose without question, and instead of fighting sea monsters, they patrolled the coast and occasionally dealt with merfolk to establish their presence.

The expanded docks and shipyards saw hundreds of ships coming and going daily, becoming the northernmost lifeline for coastal nations, and occasionally trading vessels from the distant west made their way there.

As a result, despite the expansion, the harbor once again became a suffocating space crowded with ships and people of various races, but no one complained about this.

More people meant more goods, and more goods meant more wealth.

And in this world, few refused prosperity and wealth, especially merchants who crossed thousands or tens of thousands of kilometers of dangerous seas.

Along the vast eastern coast where Pale Harbor continued to extend, countless ships were setting sail today as well, contributing just as much capital to Amurtat.

*

Year 41 of the Amurtat calendar.

As the southern redevelopment got on track, economic indicators began to rise across the board.

The ambitiously planned byproduct market was particularly well-received—adventurers were happy to dispose of waste products and receive good money, while citizens eagerly purchased decorative items or unverified monster parts believed to enhance virility, such as phalluses or testicles not commonly found in restaurants.

“Do you have any manticore tails here?”

“Manticores are in mating season right now, so supplies are limited. They’re particularly ferocious at this time, with combat power increased by a level or two… our shop doesn’t handle them.”

“Oh no! I really need it for making medicine…”

“If you’re desperate, why not try the auction house? You can buy it cheaper than placing a request.”

“There’s an auction house too?”

“Haha. Of course there is.”

The market also had an auction house attached, with more than five spatial storage terminals installed to prevent byproducts from spoiling while being auctioned and traded.

I had actually agonized over whether to build spatial storage terminals, but decided to go all out and create five dimensional rifts since we were already spending money.

At first, I thought it was excessive spending, but seeing how the market and auction house were operating now, it seems to have been a good decision.

“Brother~ You look tired, why not rest a while~ I’ll give you a good price~”

“Sorry, I have business today. See you later. Later.”

“You’d better come before I become a grandmother~”

The red-light district, another pillar of the economy, was also proving its worth with daily visitors, sometimes even surpassing the market’s daily sales.

No matter how few entertainment options existed in this world, this seemed excessive. Curious, I investigated behind the scenes, and the results were quite interesting.

While there were villages in the southern swamplands, there were no settlements large enough to be called “cities,” and consequently, those stationed there were only adventurers or researchers… in other words, men.

If they were very young or old, it might have been different, but in the middle of the humid, musty swamplands, there was nowhere to satisfy sexual urges.

Especially in the dangerous swamps where even men struggled to take care of themselves, large-scale prostitution was unthinkable.

However, this didn’t stop them from eating, and so these vigorous young men, having satisfied their hunger, excretory, and sleep needs, could only become increasingly frustrated by their unfulfilled desires.

While the skinny researchers might not have minded, the muscular adventurers full of vigor had limited options—either sharing “camaraderie” with each other, pleasuring themselves into the air, or inserting baby slimes into knotholes in trees.

But now, with a nearby outlet suddenly available, they brought all their unused money and thoroughly opened their faucets.

Terrifying indeed, the male libido!