CHAPTER 42: LARGE POPULATION GROWTH

Luke chose a location related to the water region and built a dam, then created a place that he would keep constantly moving to prevent the water inside from becoming polluted, filling it with exactly ten thousand gold pieces worth of water.

This dam contained exactly 100 million cubic metres of water, which was constantly in motion. No one was allowed inside. After sealing it off with his special earth magic, Luke transformed the earthen wall into special mythril and stones from the Tholien Mountains, just as he had done when the city was still a village.

The area was nearly 100 metres long from the ground and, with its water-filled interior, stretched horizontally for nearly two kilometres.

This amount of water could comfortably supply nearly one and a half million people for a year, calculated based on each person using 200 litres of water per day, per person. This was an astonishingly large quantity.

It was the only massive and usable water centre currently existing in the world.

One hundred million cubic metres equates to exactly one hundred billion litres of water.

This alone was enough to illustrate the sheer magnitude of the quantity.

Nevertheless, it was crucial for survival. This two-kilometre-long area directly ensured the safety of thirty individuals from a population of over three hundred elves.

The only way to enter was for Luke to use inventory assistance to open this nearly eight-metre-thick stone area, which could withstand even a Wyvern attack.

Thus, neither bacteria nor any living creature could enter this sealed dam.

It was a sterilised, drinkable, usable, and accessible water area from every home.

Even though only about four hundred people lived in this ’ghost’ city, it was perhaps the most comfortable place to live in the world.

And this population of nearly four hundred would double in just three days.

When those three days passed quickly, Kevin rushed into Luke’s study. The old man said with a calm expression, "My lord, Elvis was not lying," and that was enough for Luke.

Zoey, who was with him in the study, put on her armour, and Luke put on his coat and fedora hat and left the study with Zoey and Kevin.

Cilla was following them closely, completely in Luke’s shadow.

Luke soon reached the city walls and saw a vast crowd stretching as far as the eye could see.

Thousands of people were lined up with their horse-drawn carriages, and some seemed to have walked hundreds or even thousands of kilometres to get there.

Many hunters accompanied many people.

The Hunter’s Guild seemed to be very busy.

When Luke arrived at the city gate, everyone near the gate was literally kneeling on their knees. This was only natural.

In front of them stood both a Hiera—and this Hiera was directly the Light of the Empire—and a Wirgo. Not kneeling would have been considered a crime.

Luke told them to get up and then turned to Kevin and said, "Gather everyone’s information, and if there are people who have the gifts I told you to find, hire them and pay their rent for a full year."

Kevin smiled and nodded immediately.

Kevin immediately got to work, and Luke turned to Callum and said, "If there are people you think could be soldiers, regardless of what their gift is, you know what to do. Don’t force anyone, but make it clear that they will have special privileges and a salary."

Callum immediately nodded, said, "As you command, my liege," and then went to Kevin’s side.

Immediately after that, recruitment began in the city. Many elves, half-humans, and, of course, humans were recruited into the city. Each of them was taken by the elves under Luke’s command to be placed in groups in the residential areas.

The smile on Zoey’s face seemed to energise everyone. It had been quite some time since everyone in the empire had seen Zoey and Luke together.

Everyone was happy to see the duo known as "The Two Divas."

Hours passed, and the deeds were brought to Luke by Cain, who had managed to learn everything properly.

The deeds had been shown to the people who had begun to settle into their homes. Luke was aware that each of them had come here to live. Though it would be incorrect to say everyone.

Those who wished to live there permanently were given a full deed, and two copies were signed by them. The deed was given to Luke, the lord of Selene City, with one copy intended for the leader of the family who would live in the house and the other to be kept directly by Kevin.

The system was properly established, and by five o’clock in the evening, a total of six thousand three hundred ninety-seven people, nearly a thousand families, and seven hundred forty-three individuals living separately had been settled into their homes.

Callum sent those who were eligible to be soldiers and had accepted this role directly to Zoey along with another group of elves, and the young woman, fulfilling her duty as the lord’s wife, placed each person in the homes built near the city’s military area.

The homes near the military were much more luxurious than the typical two-story homes. This was just one of the luxuries Luke wanted to provide for the soldiers.

These soldiers would receive a monthly salary of twenty silver coins, which was four times the salary limit in the capital, literally four times the size of five silver coins.

No one who had anything to do with the military or war would refuse such an offer.

Upon hearing the news that they would be living in a city where water was free, it became impossible for any of them to refuse this offer.

However, by the end of the day, when the clock struck midnight, exactly three thousand six hundred and two soldiers had been settled into the houses next to the military base with their families, and the title deeds had been signed and stored in the same manner.