Published: January 15, 2026
Raizon was suddenly left alone...
Unfortunately, he had now been renamed Bellville...
"First, let's hear the opinions of Zetros and the others who have managed this town. Since you have lived here, are there any points for improvement or complaints?"
When Panamera said this, Zetros and the others each showed expressions of deep thought. After a few seconds of silence, a middle-aged man who introduced himself as Thomas spoke up.
"...Well, this town has been completed for about forty years. Some of the cobblestones in the town are chipped, and there are cracks and fissures in the castle walls. Perhaps these parts should be repaired?"
"Hmm, let's fix those then. Anything else?"
Adopting Thomas’s opinion, Panamera asked for further input. Thanks to one person taking the lead, others began to voice their opinions one after another.
"The buildings have also deteriorated in many places, and some houses have leaking roofs. There's also the sewage issue, which has become quite foul-smelling and muddy from years of use..."
As everyone voiced their opinions, a nervous-looking man spoke solemnly. If I recall correctly, his name was Barat.
"As for the budget, until now, we have received a considerable allocation from the Yelinetta Kingdom since this town was a key point for national defense, but currently, the budget has been cut by about 10% compared to before. Renovating the town is an important matter, but considering the management of the Grosser Knight Order... no, the Cayenne Knight Order, I think a redistribution of the budget will be necessary."
Hearing about the large-scale renovation, it seemed his opinion was mindful of the budget. Having administrators for each sector meant opinions came from various perspectives, which was convenient. I thought to myself that perhaps Seato Village should increase its number of administrators a bit as I listened.
"Don't worry about the renovation budget. Also, I anticipated the current situation of the residents. Taxes will be waived for one year."
"One year?"
Panamera replied casually, but Barat furrowed his brow with some concern. Panamera smiled and nodded in response.
"Rest assured. The taxes imposed on each resident will be lower than they were under the Yelinetta Kingdom. Instead, taxes will be higher when a large profit is made. The commercial guilds will be most affected, but both the Bell Rango Trading Company and the Mary Trading Company will be involved. Both are good guilds."
Panamera said this lightly, trying to ease their worries. Though their anxiety wouldn’t vanish so easily, just hearing Panamera’s words seemed to brighten the atmosphere a little.
After confirming this, Panamera turned his gaze toward me.
"So, Viscount Van, what do you think? How would you improve this town... no, let's put it differently. If Viscount Van were to live here permanently, what would you want to do?"
Suddenly asked such a question, I answered with the vague plans forming in my mind.
"Well, this is a common problem for fortress cities. Because they are surrounded by walls, they tend to feel cramped. There are various reasons, like population growth and increasing shops, but I feel the narrowness negatively affects convenience. Ah, do you have a map?"
"Yes, here you go."
Zetros apparently had one prepared and immediately spread a map on the table. I looked it over, found the gate we had just passed through, and pointed at it.
"Especially, I want to widen this main street that leads from this gate. Make it straight to the castle, lay roads to surround the castle, and extend the main street to the opposite gate. Then, along the main street, place some taller shops and inns, and rebuild residences as apartment-style buildings... no, two stories or more that can house about four families."
I lightly explained while pointing on the map.
"I don’t know how things are currently, but by dividing the town into districts, distribution becomes efficient, and needless travel is reduced, making life easier. So, I want to create commercial zones, barracks and adventurer zones, residential districts, and industrial zones. Also, I want to remodel this plaza into a park with a large communal bath and a fountain. It seems water is drawn from the river, so outside this area, we’ll build pumping and boiling facilities and several reservoirs. As for sewage, water is drawn from upstream and returned downstream, right? If so, I’ll redesign the water intake system and renovate the sewage system as well..."