No one could match A Ke's speed over the sea.
On the day before the New Year festival, Liszt first traveled with A Ke to Iron Hoof Island. After landing, he switched to riding Rio and headed straight for Iron Hoof City, where he presided over the city's New Year festival celebrations.
Since taking over Iron Hoof City from the Sapphire Family, Iron Hoof City Advisor Gortai, Iron Hoof City Administrator Blair, and Iron Hoof City Knights' Order Commander Garcia had barely managed to keep the largest city on Iron Hoof Island running. The first things to do were register the population and survey the farmland.
Unfortunately, they had found no trace of any elf bugs. The Sapphire Family had picked the place clean before the handover.
There was not even a single master-level craftsman among the city's residents. Evidently, they had been transferred away by the Sapphire Family long ago as well. Aside from stonemasons, carpenters, blacksmiths, tanners, and tailors, there were few craftsmen of other trades, and most were merely worker-level craftsmen employed in workshops.
In the end, most of the population consisted of serfs who made their living farming.
To ensure these people did not starve, Gortai and the others had no choice but to purchase grain from nearby cities, then arrange work for the laborers and serfs—work relief was the advanced governance policy Liszt had introduced. Food would not simply be handed out to serfs; they had to work to receive it.
Since the farmland was to be gradually leased out and Iron Hoof City's leading industry would be trade, the serfs' work was to clean up the city.
Taking advantage of the winter, they would first clear away all the filth of human and animal waste, then demolish some vacant wooden houses and build latrines.