CHAPTER 458: CHAPTER 436: AFTER THE GENERAL MEETING, A SMALLER MEETING (PART 2)

"The council rules have been set, so we can certainly begin the main topic," Horn’s voice echoed beneath the dome of the Five-Colored Paradise Mountain mural.

Seeing the main topic at hand, the elite citizens and councilors present all sat upright and tense.

"I know you need to adapt to these rules, so let’s start by implementing the rule of speaking by raising hands," after announcing this decision, Horn turned to the next page of his notes.

"Due to the rapid territorial expansion, the internal administrative divisions of our Savior Pope Country are still quite chaotic, without clear subordination relationships.

Therefore, I’ve given Rapids City the status of being under the direct jurisdiction of the Saintess, directly subordinate to the Pope’s Palace, on par with a county.

As for Saintess Catherine’s Meigedi Commerce Association, after our negotiation, it will be split into the original Meigedi Commerce Association and the Saintess Bank.

Details of these changes will be written into a pamphlet to be distributed to everyone, which will also include the appointments of City Hall officials."

Upon hearing about the appointments of City Hall officials, the entire meeting became even quieter, with everyone straining to catch every word.

"On behalf of the Saint Master, Holy Tree, and Holy Father, I bestow upon Saintess Catherine the position of Rapids City Governor, appoint Mitney as the envoy for external affairs for Rapids City, appoint Carl as the Night Watcher squad captain of Rapids City, appoint..."

As Horn announced the names, monks brought from Joan of Arc Castle recorded the names and corresponding positions, distributing them to the first row of people at the tables and benches.

These elite citizens gathered around, closely inspecting the chart before them, breathing a sigh of relief.

This essentially retained Catherine’s prior team, and their City Councilor seats were preserved, Horn did not dissolve the council.

For the occasional vacancies in City Hall, Horn would insert some members of the Saint Father Order, but their numbers were within the council’s acceptable range.

"... Before the end of military control, Catherine’s governance will lead the city councilors, City Hall members, and Meigedi Commerce Association members to Autumn Dusk Island for training and observation in stages..."

The affairs of Rapids City were a tangled mess, and Horn couldn’t handle them all at once; he needed Catherine, familiar with the area, to manage the entire city.

However, to ensure his control over Rapids City and avoid it becoming a liability, Horn still had to mix in some extra elements.

Sending Catherine and others to Autumn Dusk Island for training was intended for ideological and political reformation of these people, and to weed out unqualified members.

During this time, Horn would also send monks from the Saint Father Association into Rapids City.

These monks would not participate in the reconstruction and daily operation of Rapids City; they had one sole task.

That task was to record every City Hall meeting, personnel movement, and decree issuance, and send these reports to Horn on time.

"Due to demographic changes, after military control ends, we also need to redraw district boundaries and re-elect city councilors. Do any of you have objections to this?"

"None."

"It’s a natural course of action."

Seeing that Horn had no interest in meddling with the city council elections, the councilors present breathed a sigh of relief.

Subsequently, these elite citizens asked some questions regarding usury, taxes, city council powers, and judicial matters.

But Horn deferred all to Catherine, who stated they would be discussed later, and she would have a detailed one-on-one discussion with the Saint’s Grandson.

"We’ve finished discussing administrative issues, haven’t we?" Horn adjusted the notes in his hand and turned to ask those present.

Everyone shook their heads in unison, indicating they had no further questions.

Horn pulled out another stack of notes and placed them on the note pad: "Then let’s have Governor Catherine talk about the current refugee and reconstruction situation in Rapids City."

In the complex gaze of the citizens, Catherine adjusted her glasses and stood up:

"Due to the church army setting fire to buildings in the port district and engaging in street battles with the wizards, the entire port district has turned into ruins..."

"The most dreadful issue at the moment is the destruction of Rapids City’s internal and external water supply and drainage systems; water channels, wells, and drainage outlets have been deliberately damaged, making reconstruction a lengthy endeavor..."

"Our granaries were burned during the decree evacuation, and purchasing and gathering food from surrounding areas cannot maintain the current balance..."

"Based on the assessment by Meigedi Commerce Association staff, with the current food reserves and infrastructure in Rapids City, it will lead to an overflow of five to eight thousand residents in the city."

"Five to eight thousand?!"

Upon hearing this number, the citizens present visibly froze; struggling to manage one or two thousand refugees was already challenging, let alone five to eight thousand.

The main issue is that these residents have signed a ten-household joint guarantee agreement and their names are on the city’s tax register.

To revert these people with permanent city residences to a refugee status, transforming them from urban dwellers to wilderness nomads, the resistance to this is evident.

Yet, Rapids City can no longer accommodate them, and the damaged water supply system implies plague and disease, while the damaged granary indicates famine.

Unless the Salvation Army forcibly drives them out...

The elite citizens immediately looked at Horn with eager eyes, but the Saint’s Grandson maintained an enigmatic smile and did not speak.

"Governor Catherine, how should we handle these refugees?" A shareholder from the Meigedi Commerce Association raised his hand to ask.

"I can answer that question for you." Horn gestured at him, "The Meigedi Commerce Association will invest fifteen thousand gold pounds, jointly with the Pope’s Palace, to establish the Saint Hammer Monastery, for rebuilding houses and infrastructure.

Rapids City’s City Hall needs to uniformly acquire the citizens’ original housing land use rights and transfer them to the Saint Hammer Monastery, which will be responsible for the entire project."

"The Saint Hammer Monastery will be a monastery directly affiliated with the Pope’s Palace, and it will sign contracts with City Hall to help us repair the water systems, and rebuild houses, streets, and the entire port district," Catherine said while jotting down notes with a quill, "Within three years at the earliest, the port district can be restored to its former state."

"Your Excellency." Another elite citizen raised his hand.

"Please speak."

"Rebuilding the ruins, that’s going to be a massive expense, and we don’t have as much available timber around as before..."

"Ha ha, don’t worry," Horn couldn’t help but laugh, "We won’t be using timber, wasn’t the memory of the recent fire profound enough?"

"What do you mean?"

"Mortar, the new districts of Rapids City will be built with mortar, rubble, and bricks, just like on Autumn Dusk Island.

As for materials, you don’t need to worry about that.

Our mortar workshop on Autumn Dusk Island can produce over a thousand tons of mortar each month, and the thirty brick kilns near Mayo Town produce between 450 to 600 tons of bricks each month, amounting to around 130,000 pieces.

These building materials will be more than enough for you."

Horn confidently stated: "We will rebuild a section of housing at very low prices and re-plan the entire Rapids City. At that time, one street in Rapids City will be impressive enough to shock the whole Leia Kingdom.

A project of this magnitude will undoubtedly require a large labor force, which means at least half of the overflow population of eight thousand can earn a living as construction workers and masons."

"Genius!" The artisan from the Stonemason Guild almost jumped off his bench to kiss Horn.

This grand infrastructure project meant the stonemasons were in for a huge profit, as city planning and housing design always required their expertise.

Previously, after the war, everyone had little money, taking small repair jobs bit by bit. But now, here comes a large contract, no longer having to worry about food and drink.

"But this can only cover small-scale, low-level laborers. You know, for ordinary artisans, becoming construction workers or laborers is a real demotion," a voice lamented, this time from the Dyeing Guild and the other artisans voicing their concerns.

"For those who can’t find work or whose workshops have been destroyed, I can provide an alternative," Horn replied. "The Pope’s Palace will issue a public notice, recruiting related artisans for rebuilding efforts, primarily around the Holy Hammer Monastery, approximately 800 to 1,000 skilled workers. We will establish the infrastructure, repair the drainage system, and rebuild homes, streets, and the entire Port District," he added with a smile, knowingly.

The Meigedi Commerce Association will co-invest with the Pope’s Palace to fund the construction of the Saint Hammer Monastery to rebuild homes and infrastructure.

During the training period, orders placed with the Meigedi Commerce Association will also be used to support the basic infrastructure of Rapids City.

Citizens looked at each other with complicated expressions as Catherine adjusted her glasses and stood up:

"Because the church army set fire to buildings in the Port District and engaged in street battles with the Wizards, the entire Port District has become a wasteland... The most frightening thing is that the water supply and drainage systems inside and outside of Rapids City have been damaged; the channels, wells, and drains have been deliberately destroyed, and rebuilding them would require a lot of time..."

"Our granaries were set on fire during the departure order, and purchasing and gathering food from nearby can’t maintain the current balance...

According to the evaluation by the Meigedi Commerce Association staff, with the current food reserves and infrastructure, at least five thousand to eight thousand residents within Rapids City will become displaced."

"Five thousand to eight thousand?!"

The citizens present were visibly stunned at the number. They had trouble dealing with one or two thousand refugees, let alone five to eight thousand.

The crucial point is, these residents have signed a mutual ten households insurance agreement, and their names are on the city’s tax register.

To revert these people with established homes in the city to the status of wanderers, turning them from city inhabitants into rural migrants would clearly face significant resistance.

But, Rapids City can no longer accommodate them. The damage to the water supply system implies possible epidemics and communicable diseases, while the destruction of the granary foreshadows famine.

Unless the Salvation Army forcefully drives them out...

The elite citizens promptly looked at Horn with anxious eyes, but the Saint’s Grandson maintained that impenetrable smile, saying nothing.

"Governor Catherine, what should we do with these refugees?" a shareholder from the Meigedi Commerce Association raised his hand to ask.

"I can answer that question for you," Horn signaled him, adding, "The Meigedi Commerce Association will inject fifteen thousand gold pounds, jointly establishing the Saint Hammer Monastery with the Pope’s Palace to rebuild houses and infrastructure.

Rapids City’s City Hall will need to acquire the usage rights to the citizens’ original homes and land and transfer them to the Saint Hammer Monastery, which will handle the reconstruction of infrastructure.

"This can only cover a small scale of low-level labor force, you know that for ordinary artisans, becoming construction workers is a step-down, you see, reduced pay," Horn continued, as he extended his hands widely, "The current predicament is unprecedented."

"""

"Now that the rules of order have been set, we can, of course, begin with the main topic." Horn’s voice reverberated under the dome of the Five-Colored Paradise Mountain mural.

Seeing that they were entering the main topic, the elite citizens and councilors present all sat upright in their seats with a serious demeanor.

"I understand you have to get used to these rules, so let’s first proceed by implementing the rule of speaking up by raising your hand." After announcing this decision, Horn first turned the page on his notepad.

"Due to the rapid territorial expansion, the internal administrative divisions of our Savior Pope Country are still somewhat chaotic, without clear hierarchical relationships.

Therefore, I have given Rapids City the status of being under the direct jurisdiction of the Saintess, reporting directly to the Pope’s Palace and being equivalent to a county.

As for Saintess Catherine’s Meigedi Commerce Association, after our consultation, it will be split into the original Meigedi Commerce Association and the Saintess Bank.

These details will be written into a brochure which will be distributed to everyone later, and this brochure will also include the appointments of the City Hall officials."

Upon hearing about the appointments in City Hall, the entire meeting room became even quieter, with everyone pricking up their ears for fear of missing a single word.

"On behalf of the Saint Master, the Holy Tree, and the Holy Father, I grant Saintess Catherine the position of Rapids City Governor, appoint Mitney as the Foreign Affairs Envoy of Rapids City, Carl as the Captain of the Night Watcher Squad, appoint..."

As Horn announced names, some monks brought from Joan of Arc Castle transcribed the list of positions and corresponding names, distributing them to the first row of people at the tables and benches.

These elite citizens gathered together, gathered around, gazing at the chart before them, with a sigh of relief.

It essentially retained Catherine’s previous team, along with their city council seats secure, and Horn had not dissolved the City Council.

For the occasional vacancies in the City Hall, Horn would insert some members of the Saint Father Order into them, but their number was within acceptable limits.

"... Before martial law ends, Governor Catherine shall lead the City Councilors, City Hall members, and Meigedi Commerce Association members in batches to Autumn Dusk Island for training and observation..."

The administration of Rapids City was in complete disarray; there was no way Horn could manage everything himself, so he needed a local like Catherine to handle the city affairs.

However, to effectively maintain control over Rapids City and prevent it from becoming a liability, Horn still needed to dilute its composition.

Sending Catherine and others to Autumn Dusk Island for training was aimed at politically and ideologically reconstructing these individuals and weeding out unqualified members.

During this period, Horn would also dispatch monks from the Saint Father Association into Rapids City.

These monks would not participate in the rebuilding or day-to-day operations of Rapids City but had one sole task.

That was to record every city hall meeting discourse, personnel movements, and issuance of decrees, and send these reports to Horn on time.

"Due to demographic changes, after military control ends, we will also need to rezone neighborhoods and conduct re-elections for city councilors. Any objections to this?"

"No."

"It’s only natural."

Seeing that Horn showed no desire to interfere with the city council elections, the city councilors present collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Subsequently, these civic elites inquired about certain matters regarding usury, taxes, city council powers, and judicial issues.

However, Horn deferred all these to Catherine, who said they would be discussed later, and she would personally have a detailed conversation with the Saint’s Grandson.

"Have we finished discussing the administrative issues?" Horn adjusted the notes in his hand, turned to those present, and asked.

The crowd shook their heads collectively, indicating they had no other questions.

Horn pulled out another stack of papers and placed them on his notepad: "Then let’s have Governor Catherine talk about the current refugee and reconstruction situation in Rapids City."

With a complex look from the citizens, Catherine adjusted her glasses and stood up:

"Due to the church army setting fire to houses in the port district and engaging in street battles with the Wizards, the entire port district has become a wasteland..."

"Currently, the most frightening issue is the destruction of the water supply and drainage systems both inside and outside Rapids City; the water channels, wells, and drainage outlets have been deliberately damaged, and reconstruction would take a long time..."

"Our granary was set on fire during the decree evacuation, and acquiring and mobilizing food from the surrounding area cannot sustain the current balance..."

"According to the evaluation by the Meigedi Commerce Association personnel, with the current food reserves and infrastructure, at least five to eight thousand residents within Rapids City will be displaced."

"Five to eight thousand?!"

Hearing this number, the citizens present were visibly taken aback. They couldn’t handle even one or two thousand refugees, let alone five to eight thousand.

The most crucial thing is that these residents have signed a ten-household joint security agreement, with their names in the city’s tax register.

To demote these residents with established city homes to refugee status, turning city dwellers into nomadic outcasts meeting resistance is quite imaginable.

Yet Rapids City could no longer accommodate them, as the damaged water supply system spelled potential plagues and epidemics, and the destroyed granary meant famine.

Unless the Salvation Army forcibly expelled them...

The civic elites immediately looked to Horn with hopeful eyes, but the Saint’s Grandson maintained a reserved smile, saying nothing.

"Governor Catherine, what should we do about these refugees?" a shareholder of the Meigedi Commerce Association raised his hand and inquired.

"I can answer that for you," Horn motioned to him, saying, "The Meigedi Commerce Association will inject fifteen thousand gold pounds and jointly establish the Saint Hammer Monastery with the Pope’s Palace to rebuild houses and infrastructure.

Rapids City’s City Hall will need to uniformly acquire the usage rights to the original housing land of the citizens and transfer it to the Saint Hammer Monastery, which will be responsible for the entire construction project."

"The Saint Hammer Monastery will be a monastery directly under the Pope’s Palace and will sign contracts with City Hall to help us repair water systems and rebuild housing, streets, and the entire Port District," Catherine said, writing on paper with a quill pen, "In three years at the earliest, the Port District can return to its former glory."

"Your Eminence." Another elite citizen raised his hand.

"Please go ahead."

"Rebuilding the ruins, that’s going to be a massive expense, and we don’t have as much available timber as we used to nearby..."

"Haha, don’t worry," Horn couldn’t help but laugh, "We won’t be using timber; wasn’t the memory of this recent fire deep enough?"

"What do you mean?"

"Mortar. The new districts of Rapids City will be constructed like those on Autumn Dusk Island, using mortar, gravel, and bricks to build the neighborhoods.

As for the materials, you have nothing to worry about.

Our mortar workshops on Autumn Dusk Island can produce over 1,000 tons of mortar per month, and the 30 brick kilns near Mayo Town can produce 450 to 600 tons of bricks monthly, roughly 130,000 pieces.

These construction materials will be more than enough for your needs."

Horn stated confidently: "We will rebuild the housing at very low costs and redesign the entire layout of Rapids City, so much so that one street in Rapids City could astonish the whole Leia Kingdom.

Such a massive undertaking will definitely require a significant labor force, meaning that at least half of the overflowing population of eight thousand can earn their living as construction workers and masons."

"Genius!" One of the artisans from the Stonemason Guild almost jumped off his bench to kiss Horn.

This major infrastructure project meant these masons were guaranteed to make a fortune, as city planning and house design always required their skills.

In the past, after the war, everyone had no money and could only take on small repair jobs little by little. But now it’s great; a big contract comes along, and they’re completely worry-free when it comes to their livelihood.

"But this can only cover a small scale of low-level laborers. You know, it’s wasteful for ordinary artisans to become construction workers or laborers."

While the stonemason guild members sang praises, the people from the Dyeing Guild, Woodworker Guild, and Leather Guild were left lamenting.

They were all artisans skilled in leather tanning, dye formulation, and woodworking—and while they could work as construction workers, that would be a last-ditch option.

"Don’t worry, those of you who can’t find work or whose workshops have been destroyed, I do have an alternative for you. At least we can accommodate three thousand citizens," Horn pointed to the center of the map on the table, "Here."

"Autumn Dusk Island, are you talking about Blackbone Swamp?" Upon seeing the mark on the map, some knowledgeable merchants turned pale.

It was a fearsome swamp filled with wild beastman bandits and giant spiders; when did a city emerge there?

Although this would solve the refugee and rubble reconstruction issues, a look of worry clouded the eyes of the artisans present, fearing that if they were relocated there, it would mean the end.

"Don’t worry, we won’t force you; the Pope’s Palace will issue announcements to recruit related artisan talents, about 800 to 1,000 people, in three batches, and with their families, there will be approximately two to three thousand people."

Horn spread his hands: "At least I can guarantee you will get similar work there as you had before and receive wages only slightly lower than what you had before; consider it yourselves."