Chapter Twenty-Four: A Day in Modo
Modo City.
As they walked into this city, many people’s faces were filled with amazement.
It was not that what lay before them was particularly breathtaking, but rather that everything they saw was too orderly. The smooth and clean roads flanked by well-dug drainage ditches, with some vacant land already planted with flowers and grass. Although this city was not as large as Leaffall City, the roads were surprisingly wider, seemingly recently split into two paths. From this point, one could feel that the city’s master had long had plans in place.
Spacious roads, clean surfaces, ordered houses.
Even the half-elves, who had some standards regarding their living environment, had to admit this was the cleanest, most orderly city they had ever seen or could imagine.
Perhaps what those sailors said was true!
My Lord Soren truly had a cleanliness obsession and maintained strict requirements regarding order. It was said that if one were caught urinating or defecating in public at Modo Harbor, not only would they be fined but also face a public punishment! Otherwise, the bad habits of those from other places who could relieve themselves in dark corners would not be quickly corrected.
No matter how people in this era viewed it!
Soren would absolutely not allow anyone to relieve themselves in his city. He had built so many public restrooms that anyone daring to do so would face severe consequences.
Along the neat and spacious roads were rows of brick houses.
Some of these houses already had occupants; each brick house was not very large, only about two rooms, but the layout was quite reasonable, with two meters of land in front to plant something. The southern part of the city had more residents, mostly civilians, while other areas seemed rather empty. Many houses were vacant, appearing to be reserved spaces. The military camp area was off-limits to others, and the lord’s residence was also a forbidden zone for ordinary people, though they could freely move around the square.
The guards informed them which areas were off-limits and designated them to a set of houses.
This was, of course, not a housing allocation. It was wealth belonging to Modo City.
Soon, someone dressed as a secretary came to register their names, and their previous families remained unchanged. They would be allotted barely enough food to survive each day, but if they wished to eat better or to possess a house and a family of their own here, they had to work; no one could gain anything without hard work!
Everything in Modo City was established on order.
There were various types of work available.
Those with skills could choose to apply their trades. Masons, craftsmen, and blacksmiths had the advantage in this regard, and women with sewing skills also held an advantage. If one did not possess any skills, they could still do manual labor or farm. The daily earnings from labor were not substantial. The highest was ten Copper, with a portion of food offered as payment. They could also opt not to receive currency, instead accumulating points known as “work points,” which could be exchanged for housing and land.
Though newly arrived, George quickly noticed that the original inhabitants were all keeping track of work points.
It seemed few people chose cash as payment!
Land.
Upon hearing these two words, George’s eyes instantly burned with enthusiasm.
For someone born into poverty like him, nothing could be more appealing than land. If he could obtain a plot of land, his sister would have security for a lifetime, at least no longer having to worry about hunger. To obtain a land deed required the recognition of the City Hall. All land in Modo City belonged to Lord Soren, and those aspiring to purchase it had only two options: one was to acquire work points through labor, reaching a certain standard before being allowed to pay a portion with currency. The second option was to use military merit to purchase, allowing for a portion to be paid with currency after accumulating a certain amount of military accomplishments.
Land in this city could not be bought solely with money; outside Modo Harbor, how many people wished to buy a piece of land but could not!
This island, while not small, had all its land owned by My Lord Soren. Modo Harbor, despite its large area, had been nearly divided among the Temple of Wealth, Ocean Temple, and the merchant guilds.
The second phase of development for Modo Harbor was firmly held in Soren’s hands, and no expansion could continue without his orders!
There was a plain outside this city.
Numerous slaves had long since dug irrigation channels connecting directly to the island’s river. Although the land was supposed to be barren at first cultivation, due to some magical “fertilizer,” this year’s yield looked promising. Currently, one-third of the land outside Modo City had become privately owned, with the vast majority exchanged for military merit and Gind, while only a small portion belonged to foremen, officials, and ordinary civilians.
It was rumored that many pirates were saving money, preparing to pool military merit and private funds together to buy a piece of land.
If it had been in the past.
This would have been something the pirates would not even think of; the spoils of war and rewards they gained were either spent on gambling in taverns or on **. It was said that a pirate named “Steven” had led the way, first exchanging military merit for a house and land, and then bringing over his mistress. The scene of his wife and children together had inspired many older pirates, and those around thirty years old began to take out their savings and military merit to exchange for land and houses. (Chapter “A Day in Steven.”)
Military merit was very valuable in Modo City!
There were dedicated secretaries responsible for tallying military merit, and any merit points could be directly exchanged for Gind, but it seemed no one had done this yet. Military merit could be directly exchanged at the City Hall, but the process of canceling merit was not done by humans, but by an Iron Golem whose task was to track all changes in military merit.
The points from labor were quite low, meaning a warrior might earn enough through a few battles to acquire a house, while an ordinary person might need to work for two to three years.
George assessed his abilities and felt he might be able to earn some military merit.
He had heard that the secretaries were planning to change the recording method, intending to convert all work points into contribution points, which would acknowledge an individual’s contributions to Modo City. After reaching a certain level, one might gain the status of “honorary citizen,” enjoying higher status and conveniences in many regards. Currently, Modo City had no nobility; even those pirate leaders could not be counted as nobles, as Lord Soren seemed to have no plans to confer nobility yet, and the maintenance of this city was entirely the responsibility of officials and the City Hall council.
Officials are officials, but officials are not nobles.
In this strange yet vibrant city, George saw many innovative yet superior systems!
A day’s time passed.
George and the others were soon settled in, as they belonged to the same family during registration. George and his sister, along with two other surviving villagers, were assigned to live in one house. The living conditions were somewhat cramped, but they were quite satisfied considering their current situation. The City Hall allocated some rudimentary supplies, barely enough for them to get by for some time.
Modo City advocates that everything must be achieved through one’s own hands!
So, the next day, George quickly found a job for himself. Although he had good combat skills, joining the army required assessment and a certain degree of contributions in Modo City, so he planned to do labor first. After all, he was also an advanced warrior, with strength greater than that of other adult men. Earning double the food and work points in a day was not a problem. Initially, he intended for his sister to stay at home and take care of the child, but that stubborn woman refused. She had learned tailoring and insisted on supporting herself.
Half-elves generally possessed some skills.
They were far more dexterous than other humans, so finding work was not difficult.
Modo City had too many tasks!
Numerous houses were still being constructed, many daily necessities needed to be made, building materials required transport, a lot of land needed to be cultivated, and many irrigation ditches needed to be dug, and so forth.
Almost anywhere needed labor, with a demand for workforce more robust than any other city.
The job George found was transporting timber.
Because this job was piecework, moving fifty logs a day would earn him 1 work point, which could be exchanged for one pound of food, enough for a family to be well-fed.
“Ha!”
George growled, flipping a log about the size of an adult’s torso onto his shoulder, while others had to team up to carry one. He relied on his strength to carry it quickly alone. Each log weighed around three to four hundred pounds; without his natural strength and training as a warrior, it would indeed be difficult for a single person to manage.
In just one morning, George carried sixty or seventy back and forth. Although his stamina was a bit lagging in the afternoon, he managed to meet over one hundred twenty moves. The foreman responsible for registration looked at him in surprise, then nodded to indicate that he could take a break. Lunch and dinner were both eaten at the construction site, with cheap dark bread paired with fresh fish soup, made from what seemed to be shark meat; in any case, it tasted quite good. For George, being able to eat meat was already very satisfying.
In the evening.
George exchanged for one pound of food and saved a work point before returning to his home.
“If I eat at the construction site every day, saving a bit, these rations will last for half a month. Tomorrow I should be able to get three work points; each point can be exchanged for ten Copper, and perhaps the day after I can buy some fabric for my sister’s child to make clothes.”
As George walked, he muttered to himself, “What a novel counting method.”
In the cramped courtyard, others had already returned.
Though they had worked all day, the sounds of children’s laughter could be heard everywhere. Most people chose to exchange work points for food, carrying heavy rations, which made them feel much more at ease.
As long as they worked hard, they could fill their bellies and support their families; with such a life, they felt satisfied and happy.
Because their demands were truly not high!
………………(To be continued ~^~)
