Red Nose Blacksmith Shop

Red Nose Blacksmith Shop

Zhang Heng had no idea that Blade of Balance was divided over whether to accept him.

Of course, he was not particularly concerned about that. He had finally set foot on the streets of ancient Rome and could see for himself what this ancient empire was like.

Ancient Rome had many similarities to modern society, such as its astonishing urban water supply and drainage systems—some of which could still be used in modern times—and its outstanding achievements in architecture. What many people might not have imagined was that as early as the first century AD, Rome was already troubled by population growth and insufficient land. To solve the housing problem, they had no choice but to build many high-rise buildings.

The most famous of them was a building called Happiness Building, which Zhang Heng could see right now. It was a full ten stories tall. Even among later residential buildings, that was hardly short, so it was difficult to imagine how those living on the top floor climbed up and down every day without elevators.

Like Rome's Oriental Pearl Tower, it rose high above the center of the city.

Of course, such a towering Happiness Building was only an exception. The apartment buildings inhabited by commoners along the streets were not nearly so exaggerated, but they were generally four or five stories tall. Every additional floor brought in a great deal more rent, so apartment owners were intensely enthusiastic about adding floors. Naturally, however, this also created major safety hazards.

For one thing, the buildings themselves were certainly less stable than the reinforced concrete structures of later generations, so news of another collapsed building was common. Those buried beneath the rubble could only consider themselves unlucky. Moreover, there were no fire ladders in this era. Once