How to Develop the Economy

Thomas felt like an important man. As soon as the baker heard that Thomas hadn't been able to buy household supplies because the market was closed, he contacted a merchant he knew and arranged for the goods to be delivered.

Within half a day, everything in the house was in order, and they had hired a widow as a cook.

Pavel had run into a small problem. Because the railway system was prioritizing shipments of aid grain to the Duchy of Weissen, freight capacity was tight. He was told that his motorcycle and other goods, which he'd shipped by rail, would take several more days to arrive.

Seeing this, Thomas took the initiative and invited his new friend to stay at the place he had just settled into. Pavel gladly accepted and moved in with nothing but his lightweight military backpack.

Once they were settled, Thomas sent a telegram home asking his wife to come, while Pavel told his friends that his plans had to be adjusted slightly.

After leaving the telegraph office, the two decided to wander around the city and get their bearings.

However, Budweis City was in the grip of an unprecedented "sanitation campaign."

On nearly every major street, workers were hard at it.

They scrubbed building facades and roadways with stiff brushes and soapy water, trying to strip away decades of grime and moss.

Some old, neglected cobblestone roads were torn up and replaced with new ones, inevitably sending dust into the air.

Shops along the streets were also required to clean their windows and signs until they gleamed.

The extensive work made many roads difficult to pass, and the air was filled with a strange smell of soapy water, dust, and sweat.

Thomas and Pavel had hoped to explore the city, but they hadn't gone