A Day in Port Nyanzaru

Port Nyanzaru.

Upon entering the city, many people couldn't help but show a look of surprise on their faces.

It wasn't that what they saw was particularly breathtaking, but rather that everything was too orderly. The roads were smooth and clean, with drainage ditches dug on both sides, and vacant plots of land nearby, some already planted with flowers and grass. Although this city wasn't as large as Fallen Falling Leaf City Falling Leaf City, its roads were actually wider, seemingly having only recently split into two. From this, one could sense that the city's inhabitants had made arrangements long ago.

Wide roads, clean ground, and tidy houses.

Even the Half-Elf, who were somewhat particular about their living environment, had to admit that this was the cleanest, tidiest, and most Order city they had ever seen or imagined.

Perhaps what those sailors said was true!

My Lord Soren is truly a germaphobe, with strict requirements for Order. I've heard that if you urinate or defecate anywhere in Port Nyanzaru and get caught, you'll not only be fined but also hung up and beaten! Otherwise, the habit of people from other places relieving themselves in any dark corner wouldn't have been forcibly changed so quickly.

Regardless of how people in this era view it!

Soren would never tolerate anyone urinating or defecating in his city. He built so many public toilets, and if anyone dared to do so, he would cut off their "tools" (toilet tools).

Rows of brick and tile houses line both sides of the neat and spacious road.

Some of these houses were already occupied. Each brick house wasn't large, with only about two rooms, but the layout was quite reasonable, with a two-meter-long plot of land in front for planting. The southern part of the city had more residents, mostly Commoner, while other areas were quite spacious. Many houses were empty, seemingly reserved spaces. No one was allowed near the Barracks, and the City Lord's Residence was also off-limits to ordinary people, but the square was open to all.

The Guard told them which areas were off-limits and restricted zones, and then settled them in a housing complex.

This is not about allocating houses. This is the wealth of Port Nyanzaru.

Soon, clerks arrived to register their names. Their original families remained the same; they would be given a meager daily allowance, barely enough to survive. But if they wanted better food, or to own a house and a family, they had to work. No one in this world can live off hard work!

Everything in Port Nyanzaru is built on Order.

There are many kinds of jobs.

Those with skills can choose their trade. Bricklayers, craftsmen, and blacksmiths have an advantage in this regard, as do women with sewing skills. Even if you don't have any skills, it's okay; you can do manual labor or work as a farmer. The daily wages aren't much, a maximum of ten Copper Daler, but some of the payment is in grain. Alternatively, you can work for free, recording your work as points. These points, called ' Work Point,' can be exchanged for houses and land.

Although he had just arrived, George quickly discovered that all the indigenous people here kept records of Work Point.

It seems that very few people choose currency as payment!

land.

Upon hearing those two words, George's eyes instantly burned with fervor.

For someone of his Commoner birth, nothing was more attractive than land. If he could acquire a piece of land, his Elder Sister would have someone to rely on for life, at least she wouldn't have to worry about going hungry. Obtaining a land deed required the approval of the City Hall. All land in Port Nyanzaru belonged to the City Lord, and private individuals could only purchase it in two ways: one was by using Work Point earned through labor, with a portion payable in currency after reaching a certain standard; the other was by using Military Merit earned in battle, with a portion payable in currency after accumulating a certain amount of Military Merit.

You can't buy land here with money alone. Countless people in the outer Port Nyanzaru want to buy a piece of land here but can't!

This island is not small.

However, the land all belongs to my Lord Soren. Although the Port Nyanzaru is very large, it has now been almost completely divided up by the Temple of Wealth, the Temple of the Sea, and the Chamber of Commerce Guild.

Soren firmly held the reins on the second phase of the development of Port Nyanzaru; without his orders, no one could continue to expand the land!

There is a plain outside this city.

Large numbers of Slave had already dug irrigation ditches, connecting them directly to the island's River Goddess. The land, originally intended for initial cultivation, was supposed to be quite barren, but thanks to some kind of magical 'fertilizer,' this year's harvest looked promising. Currently, one-third of the land outside Port Nyanzaru has become privately owned, mostly acquired through Military Merit and Gold Daler's bribes, with only a small portion obtained by foremen, officials, and ordinary Commoner.

I've heard that many pirates are saving up money lately, planning to combine their Military Merit and personal savings to acquire several dozen acres of land.

In the past...

This was something pirates would never even dream of. Their spoils and rewards were usually spent gambling in taverns or on women. It was said that a pirate named ' Steven ' started it all, first exchanging his Military Merit for houses and land, then bringing his mistresses over. The sight of him with his wife and children inspired many older pirates, and many pirates around thirty years old began exchanging their savings and Military Merit for land and houses. (Chapter <Steven's Day>)

Military Merit in Port Nyanzaru is very valuable!

There are special clerks here who are responsible for counting Military Merit. Any Military Merit points can be directly exchanged for Gold Daler, but it seems that no one does this yet. Military Merit can be exchanged directly at the City Hall, but the one responsible for crossing off Military Merit is not a human, but an Steel Golem. Its task is to count all changes in Military Merit.

The Work Point points earned from labor were few, so Warrior might be able to exchange a house after a few battles, while an ordinary person might need to work for two or three years.

George assessed his own skills and felt that he might be able to earn some Military Merit.

I've heard that the scribes are planning to change the recording method, converting all Work Point points into Contribution Point. This is to recognize a person's contributions to Port Nyanzaru, and upon reaching a certain level, they may be granted the status of ' Honorary Citizen,' enjoying higher status and conveniences in many aspects. Port Nyanzaru currently has no nobles; even the pirate Boss cannot be considered nobles. His Excellency Soren seems to have no plans to bestow noble titles for the time being. The maintenance of the city is entirely the responsibility of officials and the City Hall council.

Officials are officials, but officials are not nobles.

In this unfamiliar yet vibrant city, George saw many novel but even better systems!

A day has passed.

George and his family were quickly settled in. Since they were registered as a family, George, his Elder Sister, and two other survivors from the village were assigned to live in the same house. The living conditions were a bit cramped and crowded, but they were quite content with their current situation. The City Hall provided them with some basic necessities, which would be enough for them to get by for a while.

In Port Nyanzaru, everyone believes in achieving everything through their own hard work!

So the next day, George found himself a job. Although he possessed good combat skills, joining the army required passing an exam and making certain contributions in Port Nyanzaru, so he planned to do manual labor for a while. After all, he was an advanced Warrior, much stronger than other adult men, and earning double the food and Work Point a day wouldn't be a problem. Originally, he intended for his Elder Sister to stay home and take care of the children, but this stubborn woman refused. She had learned tailoring and insisted on supporting herself.

Half-Elf all have some skill.

They are much more dexterous than other humans, so finding a job is not difficult for them.

There are too many quests in Port Nyanzaru!

A large number of houses are still under construction, a large number of daily necessities need to be made, a large number of building materials need to be transported, a large amount of land needs to be reclaimed, a large number of irrigation ditches need to be dug, and so on.

Almost everywhere needs manpower, and the demand for labor is stronger than in any city.

George found a job moving timber.

Because this job is piecework, you can earn 1 Work Point point by moving 50 logs a day. One Work Point point can be exchanged for a pound of grain, enough to feed a family.

"Drink!"

George growled and hoisted the log, as thick as an adult's waist, onto his shoulder. While others would need two people to carry a log, he carried it all by himself with remarkable speed, thanks to his strength. The log weighed about three or four hundred pounds, and if he hadn't been naturally strong and hadn't received Warrior training, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle it alone.

In just one morning, George carried the load back and forth sixty or seventy times. Although he was a bit exhausted in the afternoon, he still managed to collect over one hundred and twenty pieces. The foreman in charge of registration looked at him with considerable surprise, then nodded to indicate that he could rest. He ate lunch and dinner at the construction site: cheap black Bread with fresh fish soup, which seemed to be shark meat; anyway, it tasted pretty good. For George, being able to eat meat was already quite satisfying.

It was dusk.

George exchanged his work points for a pound of grain and then returned to his lodgings with one Work Point point.

"If we eat at the construction site every day and are careful with our food, this amount should last for half a month. Tomorrow I should be able to get three Work Point points, and one work point can be exchanged for ten Copper Daler. Maybe the day after tomorrow I can buy some fabric to make clothes for my Elder Sister's child."

As George walked, he muttered to himself, "What a novel way to count."

The others had already returned to the crowded courtyard.

Although they had been busy all day, the laughter of children could be heard everywhere. Most people chose to exchange their Work Point for grain, and carrying the heavy load of grain, they felt much more at ease.

As long as they work hard enough to eat and support their families, they can feel satisfied and happy with this kind of life.

Because they don't ask for much!

...(To be continued~^~)