Chapter 130: The Arson Attack

Perias’s water supply system was normalized in less than a month.

A massive sand filtration bed had been created in the water treatment plant, and clean water free of any floating particles flowed through the pipes.

The ceramic pipes buried inside the aqueduct were Adam’s work.

Ceramic could break easily, one might think?

However, the chance of damage was actually quite low.

By making them thick, their durability had increased several times over.

Moreover, since they were completely sealed from the outside, there was no risk of the water becoming contaminated.

In the past, rainwater would flow into the exposed pipes and turn the water into dirty sludge.

“Now that the water and sewage system is done.”

I approached a massive pit in the southern part of Perias.

This place was the waste disposal site, which also served as a recycling facility.

Of course, it did not sort waste as diversely as modern Korea.

They simply buried everything except metal.

Since scrap metal could be melted and reused.

“May I know the current daily processing volume?”

“G-Good day, Your Grace… I mean, Mr. Mayor! What brings you here?”

The site manager looked startled when I suddenly spoke to him.

He had not expected me to come all the way here myself.

If I wanted policies not to end as empty promises, I had to check on them personally.

It was a very obvious principle, yet many rulers failed to do so.

They think everything will run smoothly just by giving orders, without realizing that the flatterers around them are blinding their eyes.

I lightly waved my hand toward the surroundings.

It meant they should continue working without minding me.

Then I quietly looked at the site manager.

“Ah, yes. You asked about the processing volume? We are currently handling a little over 80 tons per day.”

“How long can this disposal site last?”

“It should be fine for about a year. The pit is incredibly large.”

“Report to me immediately when it starts filling up. We will dig a new one below it.”

“Yes!”

The pit for the waste disposal site was also a joint work by Adam and Shugl.

This one had been much easier.

They simply had to dig straight down.

Since the land is so vast, we can handle it this way.

It was something unthinkable in Korea.

There simply were not many open spaces that large to begin with.

Besides, opposition to such hated facilities would have been intense.

“How is the collection side going? Are people properly putting out their waste?”

“Ah, yes. Of course. Everyone is piling it up on carts by themselves. The number of people dumping garbage anywhere has decreased significantly.”

Along with installing the disposal site, we had strengthened enforcement. At first, hundreds of people were caught each day.

After imposing heavy fines, the effect appeared immediately.

“Good. Keep maintaining it like this.”

“I will do my utmost!”

“Do not work until you die. Just be responsible without injuring yourself.”

“Pardon?”

The site manager looked momentarily confused.

I had appointed the most passionate person among the large number of sanitation workers I hired as the person in charge.

As a result, Harvey, who came from the slums, had been promoted.

Naturally, the bureaucrats did not look at him favorably.

There was neighborhood discrimination in Perias, similar to how people distinguished between legitimate and illegitimate children.

As long as he does the job well, what does it matter?

Such standards meant nothing to me.

Having lived under constant discrimination due to his status, Harvey looked deeply moved.

“Keep up the good work.”

I patted his shoulder lightly and turned around. Behind me, I heard a choked sob.

“Khk! I will work even harder, Mr. Mayor!”

“I told you not to overdo it.”

I smiled gently and left the waste disposal site.

The next place I visited was the fire department headquarters.

Perias was famous for its sturdy outer walls.

However, most of the buildings in the city were made of wood.

Once a fire started, it would quickly spread to neighboring houses and cause massive damage.

But it was impossible to replace all buildings with stone right away.

So what was the solution?

The only way is to extinguish fires as quickly as possible.

And nothing was better than water for putting out fires.

One might ask, why not just carry water from the reservoirs installed throughout the city using buckets?

That would take far too long.

We needed to spray large amounts of water at high pressure to suppress fires instantly.

That was why I had designed the water pump carts.

One could call them the prototype fire trucks.

It was a mechanical pump that had been introduced even during the Joseon Dynasty. I simply made it much larger.

The carts were pulled by horses.

Several people would operate lever-like pumps in a seesaw motion, shooting water out at high pressure.

“They look reliable.”

I smiled contentedly as I looked at the line of water pump carts parked at the fire department headquarters.

I had spent quite a lot of money, but it did not feel wasteful at all.

This would save many lives, and that would ultimately benefit me.

“Eh? M-Mr. Mayor, you are here?”

While I was watching them fill the pumps with water, someone came running out in a hurry.

It was Viscount Nashvil Patton, the Fire Chief.

We did not have a deep personal connection. I had recruited him because of one particular rumor.

A thorough man of principles.

He was famous for having no flexibility.

When I was in the north… no, when the original Abel Carius was active in the north.

Viscount Patton had received a letter from his lord, Marquis of Vallisieta.

The order was to immediately withdraw the troops dispatched to the northern legion.

It was a command with clear political intent.

Because he had not participated in battle directly, Marquis Vallisieta had not received much recognition for his contributions.

He issued the recall order as a protest against the emperor.

However, Nashvil Patton had replied like this:

“Our homeland is in crisis. How could I abandon my comrades and return? I will fulfill the full service period as promised.”

Viscount Patton never broke his convictions and was eventually driven out of the Vallisieta territory.

He even lost his title, but he never considered it a dishonor.

Because he believed until the very end that he had made the right choice.

That was why I snatched him up before anyone else could.

I even restored his viscount title using my authority.

He is worth that much.

A man who always keeps his word.

Such talent is rare anywhere.

“Nice to see you. Have you been well?”

“Thanks to you, Mr. Mayor, I have been living with my shoulders straight these days. When I brought home my salary, my wife’s nagging decreased significantly.”

Viscount Patton’s words were only half-joking.

He had land he rented out, so his family had never starved.

It was simply his way of expressing joy at being able to do righteous work.

Has he become less rigid with age?

It was possible.

The image of the cold, strict field officer was nowhere to be seen now.

But when a critical moment came, this man would definitely act according to his principles.

“There have not been any fires yet, correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“How are the shifts organized?”

“We have four teams working in two shifts, with watchers on the watchtower 24 hours a day.”

“How do you communicate with the scene?”

“For urgent or simple matters we use flags. For detailed information we send messengers. At night we use light signals by covering and uncovering flames.”

The fire department was an organization that had only been established for a month.

They trained frequently, but they lacked real combat experience.

Still, looking at Viscount Patton’s eyes full of enthusiasm, I felt he would handle any situation well.

“Make sure to coordinate well with the Aramid Church as well. If priests are dispatched to the scene, we can save even more people.”

“Yes, Mr. Mayor.”

“I will take my leave now.”

“Would you not like to have some tea at least?”

“How could I hold up someone as busy as you? As long as you work hard, that is enough for me.”

“As expected of you, Mr. Mayor. I will devote this entire body to crushing every fire that appears! Hahaha!”

Nashvil Patton laughed heartily.

I also let out a small smile.

I really had chosen the right person.

After visiting the fire department, there was not much left for me to do.

“Not having any trials is so nice. My head does not hurt either.”

—Why don’t you just resign from the Chief Justice position and only be the mayor?

At Shugl’s comment, I seriously considered it for a moment.

But I soon shook my head.

“No. If someone else takes that seat, I do not know how they will ruin everything.”

Had the same thing not happened in Delriat?

After leaving the position empty for a few months, everything had gone back to the way it was.

If you do not manage things, they become like those villainous alley restaurants.

“Let us rest for now. I have been working too much lately.”

The sun had not even set yet, but my mind was filled with only one word: off duty.

I opened the window and lay down on the bed. Suddenly, the fire station near the workshop district caught my eye.

I installed one near our house first since it is the most important, but will we ever need to use it?

On impulse, I had brought in as many as ten water pump carts.

It did feel somewhat excessive.

With this area and population density, three or four should have been enough.

“Still, it is better to be well prepared.”

Disasters could happen at any time in any form.

Eventually, I fell into a deep sleep without even eating dinner.

It was quite unexpected.

To have captured dozens of people who had set fires and were trying to flee.

Of course, it was not entirely impossible.

The culprits were ordinary people, while Cordell McNeil was a knight who had trained in aura.

Moreover, he was a Black Agent who had also mastered assassination techniques.

Something like that would be easy for him.

The important thing was why these bastards had set the fires.

“I would like to interrogate them myself, but that would go against the law, so I will hand them over to the security forces.”

“Will you? But do you not have anything else to say?”

“What more should I say here?”

“You know… something like ‘well done’ or ‘good job’… Hahaha!”

Ah! You are craving praise?

Honestly, giving a few words of lip service was not difficult.

I nodded willingly and was about to open my mouth.

But then a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Ah, Sir McNeil.”

“Yes?”

“By the way, why were you there at that time?”

Would not a normal escort knight be more alert at night?

Dangerous things like assassinations usually happened at night.

Cordell McNeil shrugged and answered.

“I was on my way back after finishing a party?”

I should scold him instead of praising him.

I do not even really need an escort.

Besides, I am in a bad mood.

This guy really seems to party every single day.

“This will not do. I will speak to His Majesty and request a change of escort.”

“Huuuung! Please, anything but that! I do not want to lose such a sweet position!”

No.

Do not change it.

Go away.