Chapter 46 (2/2)

The seafood to the east of Flower Town had never been developed or contaminated. One could capture fish easily.

“Mr. Goltai, have you started hiring fishermen?” Liszt wiped his sweat with the handkerchief that Marcus gave him.

He had been used to the service of a valet. It was quite enjoyable to have someone help him.

Goltai, on the other hand, could only wipe sweat with his own handkerchief. “The clerks are announcing your request in the villages. Only the old, the women, and the little children are to be selected.”

“That’s right. All that is needed in fishery is patience. It’s only reasonable to send the unqualified farmers to go fishing. However, you must inform that that they must not eat raw seafood.”

Medical technology was highly undeveloped in this world.

The nobles were barely ill thanks to combat aura, so they did not have any motivation to study medicine. Liszt could only make his subjects take precautions.

“They’re lucky to have you. Liszt, you have a unique charisma.” Goltai flattered him.

As a grown man, Liszt was not excited by the adulation. He simply ordered, “Do not stop crafting the ironware, but don’t exhaust the blacksmiths, either. Improve their wages from five coppers to six, and those of the apprentices to two.”

One copper a day for the apprentices and five coppers a day for the masters were Liszt’s previous offers.

It was already very generous. The baron was too wealthy to exploit the small folk now.

The Red Blood Sword on his waist alone was worth more than a thousand gold coins.

That meant more than a hundred thousand silver coins, or more than ten million coppers.

Besides, Flower Town belonged to him. His subjects’ money equaled his money, as he could levy taxes however he wanted to.

“Six coppers a day. What a bunch of lucky blacksmiths,” Goltai murmured.

Then, he entered the workshop and shouted, “Mr. Blacksmiths, his lordship has decided that your salary will be raised to six coppers a day. Your apprentices will earn two coppers a day. Work hard! You can’t imagine his lordship’s generosity!”

“Wow!”

“Six coppers a day?”

“His lordship is the best!”

“Praise his lordship! Old Jack will build ironware for his lordship forever!”

“Two coppers a day for the apprentices? Heavens! My parents will be exalted!”

The complaints about the heat in the blacksmith’s shop were replaced by excitement. They all promised to work hard to repay their generous lord.

Liszt shook his head at the cheers inside.

He was unwilling to exploit the serfs partly because he was merciful and partly because it could motivate the serfs to work harder. He preferred creation to exploitation. Only by a reasonable distribution of resources and an improvement of productivity could he make the best use of the small population of this small town.

“My lord, are you going back?”

“I’m going to the tailor’s to check the gloves, towels, and masks for the fishermen. I hope the products are qualified.” Liszt cracked the whip on Fire Dragon.