CHAPTER 543: CHAPTER 522 NAGAMI’S CONFUSION (PART 2)

"This is Sour Melon Town, are you sure you’re not mistaken?"

Seching, who had calmed his earlier anger, looked at the neat brick houses before him and fell into deep thought. Something was amiss, very much amiss.

He had been to Sour Melon Town before, but the town before him was vastly different from the one in his memory.

The old Sour Melon Town was just a small rural town with barely over a thousand people, filled with wooden huts, not even comparable to Mayo Town.

The old low huts had been replaced with wooden board houses, and the bumpy dirt roads were smoothed with black cinders and gravel. Seching stamped hard and found it neither loose nor too hard.

"What material is this, mortar?" Seching couldn’t help but ask Mira.

Mira proudly introduced, "This is peat cinder, extracted from clay, making the remaining soil extremely hard. Combined with the miracle of turning mud into stone, it achieves this effect.

However, this is just the temporary road left behind after the southward campaign against Jinhe Town. The real road should be made of mortar."

"A road paved with mortar? What does that look like?"

A clear female voice sounded, and Mira helplessly glanced back at Nagami, "It’s like a road paved with stone slabs, flat and hard."

Seching looked at the road beneath his feet; this temporary road was already so fast; if walking on such a stone slab road, wouldn’t they practically fly?

"Paved with stone slabs." Nagami, dressed in leather armor, couldn’t help but exclaim, "How much money would that cost? Even the Pope wouldn’t be so wealthy."

Mira gave this noble lady a helpless glance but didn’t say much.

"Hey, did you hear what I said?"

"....."

"You haven’t answered my question just now, did you hear me?" Seeing Mira ignoring her, Nagami snorted coldly, shaking her seven or eight small braids, and spurred her horse to catch up and question, "You’re really acting, do you know that..."

"Nagami Andor Ulinots!"

Hearing her father call her full name, Nagami pressed her lips tight but said no more.

Seching instead spurred his horse forward, ready to apologize for his little daughter.

Though Mira seemed to be merely a Knight, he stood behind His Majesty Saint Sun, who had never lost a battle since the uprising.

Seching was not afraid of trouble but didn’t want to provoke Saint Sun over such a small matter.

Mira didn’t wait for Seching to speak and proactively smiled and explained to him, "Count, look over there, the house with smoke coming out, that’s the rural mortar workshop and brick kiln.

During the previous battle of Pavia, many War Monks retired due to disabilities and joined the Defensive Army. Many of them are Alchemist Priests who would make mortar themselves in the villages.

Besides, Daze Village is a source of mortar and peat, the proximity making transportation and prices very cheap.

The current market price for mortar is 40 Dinars per ton, and building 1 kilometer of mortar road takes about 650 tons, roughly 220 gold pounds."

Dinars per ton, is it that cheap? In the Norn Kingdom, it’s 65 Dinars per ton!

Seching instinctively wanted to say it aloud but forcibly held back, as that would make him appear ignorant.

"Oh, that’s how it is." Seching nodded, pretending to understand while continuing forward without revealing anything.

Though he pretended to understand, the dozens of North Mountain Boar Knights behind him displayed an expression of "totally oblivious."

But they walked a few more steps, just entering the residential core area of the town, only to see the original houses in the town being demolished.

Laborers swung large hammers to knock down houses, masons removed nails and components, seven or eight mules pulling at the framework, and upon command, a house collapsed into dust.

The residents, having piled their luggage aside, clapped both crying and laughing as the house collapsed.

These houses, though wooden frame and clay walls, appeared well-maintained from the outside and could last for decades more, far from needing demolition.

Seching moved his body forward, but his head turned toward the demolition site, and finally, he couldn’t help but ask, "What’s wrong with these residents? Their houses are demolished, why are they so happy?"

"You mean this?" Mira stopped his steed, "This is the municipal renovation movement His Majesty initiates, where each town must build churches, City Hall, and other structures, leaving space for workshop construction.

The workshops can be set in the outskirts, but municipal buildings must be placed in the town center, leading to the demolition of the residential areas.

They laugh because, besides compensating with new brick houses, the Salvation Army provides compensation of 3-5 gold pounds per acre based on land price differences..."

"Doesn’t that mean they get a good house for nothing and even get 2 or 3 gold pounds?" Nagami scratched her ear, thinking she misheard.

"Yes."

"This Saint Sun is so wealthy." Nagami saw those smiles on the commoners’ faces, "Golden pounds handed to commoners for free, what a waste."

"You can’t really say that." Whether it was Nagami’s illusion or not, Mira’s voice carried a subtle meaning, "If there weren’t new houses and towns, where would there be space to accommodate the influx of laborers?"

At this point, Seching’s mind stirred, and he coughed as if casually, "Were the new houses strictly calculated based on the relocated residents?"

"Not really; we cleared the village ruins north of Sour Melon Town and plan to connect them with the town, setting up the workshop area there, so more will likely be built."

"Ahem, how many years will it take to complete? What’s the cost?"

"Depends on the situation; it might take around two to three years to complete." Mira led Seching and others around the dusty construction site to a quieter place, "As for the price, I’m not really sure, but I’ll check the Truth Newspaper later—they should have it written there."

Seching held back from asking what the "Truth Newspaper" was, nodding with a relaxed face, "Then I’ll trouble you to check. If there’s anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to ask."

For this kind of insider information, it likely required spending some money, and even if it didn’t, it certainly meant owing someone a favor; Seching would prefer spending a bit.

"You’re an honored guest, how could I take money from you? It doesn’t need much—oh no, it doesn’t require money at all." Mira waved his hand, indicating it wasn’t necessary.

Following behind Seching and others, a North Mountain Boar Knight gazed at the sword sheathed at Mira’s waist and, holding back all the way couldn’t help but ask, "Sir Mira, if you don’t mind, may I ask about your income?"

Seching watched Mira’s expression, ready to scold the knight and protect his own if Mira got angry, but he was curious about this question too.

"Me? I get 2 gold pounds per month, and my past war spoils are about ten gold pounds. I also had shares in a workshop in Rapids City, but I sold them."

Mira didn’t disclose his complete income; by the end of a year, he had over 30 gold pounds in immovable assets like warhorses, houses, and spoils, with over 20 gold pounds in cash savings and bonds.

But this wasn’t the usual case, and he felt it inappropriate to give the North Knights too high expectations.

"That almost matches the annual income of a Knight from the plains, even more." A Mountain Boar Knight said enviously.

"That’s quite normal; day wages in Red Maple Village are generally high. Take laborers, for instance; non-skilled workers earn 1 Dinar a day, skilled workers earn 1.5 Dinars, with lunch included.

If there’s a chance to pass selection into the army, new recruits start at 2 Dinars, veterans with military service at 4 Dinars, officers at 6-8 Dinars, and cavalry has a 2 Dinar subsidy..."

Seeing Mira about to continue, Seching, disregarding his face, hurriedly interrupted him, "Ah, is that the house we’ll be staying in?"

"Ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem—" From among the cavalry guards behind Seching, the sound of intermittent coughing rang out, with a hint of urgent anticipation.

It was Nagami who turned around and glared at them, causing them to reluctantly lower their heads.

"The compensation is—oh, right, that’s the courtyard where you’ll be staying." Standing with Seching and his group before a half-acre courtyard, Mira nodded to Seching, "That’s where you’ll rest tonight. I’m staying right next door to you, so if you need anything, feel free to come find me at any time."

"Then I’ll trouble you, if I can be of any help, please let me know, no need to hesitate."

"You’re a noble guest, how could I take your money? There’s no need for much money, oh no." The series of responses shows Mira’s reflection and possible hesitation.