Theus wearily settled back into his office.
Over the past six months, he had spent most of his time working in Blood Port, while Alexei managed matters in Castel.
Blood Port was in a period of rapid development. Logically, Castel still had plenty of room to grow as well, but it had a major problem—there simply were not enough people.
Castel's islanders numbered only so many. It was too large for a town, too small for a city, and as an earldom...
Better not mention it.
No matter how much Theus improved efficiency or promoted education, Castel's few thousand people could hardly achieve anything significant. So he placed his focus on Blood Port.
During this time, Castel invested heavily in Blood Port. Factory output and profits were secondary; the main purpose was to ensure a steady influx of people.
These people had received basic education and could enter industrial production. As a result, Theus put the greatest effort into establishing all kinds of schools.
As the first batch of literacy class students graduated, Blood Port began constructing factories, and these people could gradually take on simple jobs.
They also spread word of the factories' rules, benefits, and treatment, attracting large numbers of free citizens.
Some came for Leo, some for knowledge, some for opportunities to rise, and some for the rare fairness offered by the system.
By then, Blood Port was already prepared. The first shipment of cement had been used to build the docks, while the second was used to build schools.
Castel's large-scale construction naturally drew a great many people. When they learned that what they were building was schools, the excitement became even more intense.
Theus had long since spread the word: literacy classes would remain free forever, while advanced classes charged only modest fees. If a