CHAPTER 473: CHAPTER 451: LABOR IS THE NOBLEST

Sharet was quite lucky; the Insula Apartment he was in was right next to Mansion Street, which was a street perpendicular to Central Avenue.

Looking up at this Insula Apartment with an Ancient Aier style, he felt as if he had returned to a thousand years ago.

Unlike those old insulas, the insula apartments in the nearby neighborhoods were newly built later, which can be distinguished by the beige walls.

The sand dissolved from white sandstone is different from the volcanic ash mortar of the past, not to mention the uniquely dark orange tile roofs.

Rapids City also has houses with three or four floors, but they are different from these, being single residences. This courtyard-centered, circular design was something Sharet was seeing for the first time.

His wooden-bottomed leather shoes tapped on the hard floor tiles, and Sharet instinctively looked down, surprised again.

Unlike Rapids City or Joan of Arc Castle, or any city Sharet had seen, the roads here were divided into pedestrian paths and horse paths, with a total width of about three fathoms (6 meters).

The pedestrian paths on both sides were about three cubits wide (1.5 meters), and there was a horse path in the center, about one and a half fathoms wide (3 meters).

The pedestrian paths could be used for stalls or walking, while the center horse path was for animals, and animals were not allowed on pedestrian paths.

The pedestrian paths were paved with stone tiles, while the horse paths were the common compacted dirt roads, slightly raised in the center to facilitate rainwater and sewage flowing into the drainage ditches.

On both sides of the dirt road were open drainage ditches built with stone corner scraps, about half a meter deep, covered with temporary cedar lattice panels.

This was Vite’s reconstruction of the insula drainage system, presumably in preparation for the rainy season in August and September.

Outside each insula apartment, there was a built public dry toilet, with specialized waste collectors processing it into farm fertilizer to sell to the countryside.

Anyone caught relieving themselves on the pedestrian paths would not only be fined, but also face whipping.

These open drainage ditches would continue along to the insula’s gate, entering the courtyard, which also had a drainage ditch along the courtyard’s path.

The citizens living in the insula apartment were required to pour their domestic sewage, like bath and face wash water, into the drainage ditches.

At this time, there was no concept of separating rain and sewage; it was all directly discharged into the sewage pond, then directly into the adjacent Parra River, finally flowing into the outside swamp lake.

According to Mr. Boritz, one block here has nine insulas, with 80-100 households living in each, and the Hundred Households Captain or Block Captain resides in the central insula.

It’s said to embody "equality" in the Holy Path, despite possible differences in social class, everyone lives similarly.

No matter the income, the Pope’s Palace ensures everyone has a place to reside.

Of course, the Pope resides in the Mechanical Palace, which doesn’t seem consistent with the concept of "equality," but there is a profound reason behind it.

The ownership of the Mechanical Palace belongs to the Holy Father and the believers, who equally own it, while Horn and the Saintesses have the right to use it.

Though it’s a mansion, it ultimately belongs to the believers; the Saint’s Grandson sets an exemplary model by not leaving any assets, which is admirable.

"Speaking of which, Mr. Boritz, I’ve always had a question: What exactly is the Holy Path?" Sharet remembered the various different sights along the way and couldn’t help but ask Boritz.

"First of all, I need to correct you on something." Boritz raised a finger, "Outside, you can call me ’Lord,’ I won’t mind too much, but once on Autumn Dusk Island, what do you call me?"

Recalling the rules told by some monks back in Joan of Arc Castle, Sharet suddenly understood: "Comrade, ah no, Sir."

"You are not stupid; calling me comrade or sir is fine, ’Lord’ is something I can’t bear." Boritz slowly led a group of people to the entrance, turning around amidst the curious gazes of other citizens, "What exactly is the Holy Path? This is currently being discussed at the Pope’s Palace, a topic even ordinary believers can’t touch.

But I can tell you about the purpose of the Holy Path, it is salvation.

This world is heading towards the abyss, the advent of a thousand-year catastrophe, the purpose of the Holy Path is to save it, save our world, delay the arrival of the final judgment.

You can regard the Holy Path as the emergence of the ’True Gospel’ from the ’Previous Gospel Book’ and ’Later Gospel Book,’ for a more concrete representation, turn around and look."

The two hundred or so refugees from Rapids City turned around, facing Mansion Square.

At this moment, Mansion Square was also a large construction site; Truth Cathedral, City Hall, Night Watch Hall, and Red Mill Grand Theater were all engulfed in rising dust.

Even the square itself was still under construction.

But from its embryonic form, one could roughly tell it was a rectangular square, and at the center of the square stood a massive statue, which Sharet guessed to be the Saint’s Grandson.

The area around the statue was paved with red tiles, forming a square, with four gold-painted stone pillars standing at the corners.

"See, those are the Four Pillars of the Holy Path: Civilization, Fraternity, Equality, Liberty; and at the very center is the core of the Holy Path—Labor.

We believe only labor creates value, only labor can change the world; labor is a person’s calling and instinct.

It’s only due to the devil’s exploitation and plunder that labor is distorted to become painful.

Remember one thing when you come to Autumn Dusk Island, unlike those nobles who exploit and plunder without labor, in the Savior Pope Country territory, labor is the most noble!"

Is labor the most noble?

Blinking, looking at the four stone pillars, Sharet felt something blocking his throat, rendering him speechless.

For a long time, there’s been a saying circulating in the Empire’s realm, that there are three types of people in this world: Sword Holders, Book Bearers, and Cultivators.

Both Sword Holders and Book Bearers always regarded labor as the lowest form, primarily meant to support the former two.

Both Sword Holders and Book Bearers believed a man must either exploit or seize; honestly tilling the land was seen as the task of the foolishest and most cowardly.

Artisans were considered a kind of Cultivator, though they felt proud of their labor’s outcome and the passion they invested.

They secretly criticized knights’ vileness, lack of foresight, and inability to understand their achievements and contributions.

But this notion wasn’t recognized by the nobles; instead, it was deemed rightful, as if artisans owed them.

Though they generated most of the society’s wealth, they didn’t receive due respect, which was craftsmen’s deepest resentment.

Is there really a place where labor is the most noble?

Amid Sharet’s daze, Boritz had already led them to the door of the insula allocated to them and took out a bunch of keys from his satchel.

"Watch the numbers and patterns on the keys; your Ten Households Leader will guide you to recognize the rooms one by one. Don’t lose the keys; changing locks is at your expense."

Standing behind Boritz, this burly-faced, leg-disabled old soldier’s Ten Households Leader supported himself with a cane, exposing the gear medal on his collar, grimly nodding at the refugees present.

"Mr. Boritz," a refugee raised his hand calling, "When do we start working?"

"Hold on, get used to the local climate and environment for these three days, then someone will come looking for you." Boritz said this while instructing something to the Ten Households Leader, not turning his head.

"Then Mr. Boritz, are there guilds here?"

"Didn’t I tell you someone will come looking for you? What’s the purpose of going to a guild?" Boritz turned his head, "Autumn Dusk Island does have guilds, but the guild leader isn’t elected by you; it’s appointed by the mayor of City Hall.

Currently, the town is short on houses, there’s no place for you to establish a guild hall. Don’t entertain any crooked ideas."

After speaking kindly and charmingly with the old soldier, Boritz blew a whistle, pointing out 8 families and several bachelors, including Sharet.

"You’ll live in this room." After instructing Sharet and others, Boritz waved at the remaining refugees, "The rest, don’t move; later I’ll take you to the next location."

Turning his head again, Boritz cleared his throat and finally said, "These days, read and understand the rules and laws.

Remember not to wander around tomorrow afternoon; the Pope is expected to arrive, possibly inspecting and receiving, don’t forget."