Information Gathering

Melvin was now writing down the improvements he could do for this country. The first one was the economy, it relied heavily on slavery and the taxing system.

Though Melvin noticed that this country was more desperate than he anticipated. He thought he needed to gather as much intel as possible.

He decided to check the libraries but even that cost him some hefty cash. He stomped his foot as he made his way inside. Since the librarian was a beauty he decided to forgive it.

The library was found in the upper district. Its name was the knowledge templar and it was a property of the church. It had marble pillars that supported a flat stone roof, its building structure reeked of a roman vibe. It looked clean and presentable.

Melvin spent his time reading most of the books. He even thought it would take him days just to get a piece of satisfactory information.

Regardless, he wrote the information he gathered. For their transportation of goods, they use horse-drawn carriages. Due to the distance from the source, which was to cross the wild valley transportation was considered expensive.

There was no sewerage system but only a canal. Though it wasn't maintained well and clogs were occurring from time to time.

Melvin decided to walk to the lower district. It was found on the outskirts of the capital just inside the most outer wall.

It was filled with torn-down clay bricked houses. People starving on the streets were a common sight. Worse the canal was close to the slums and it emitted a bad stench.

People getting sick due to the odor and poor hygiene was more common in these areas. It looks like the upper class doesn't care about the people here. The two districts were like two different worlds.

As Melvin walked by, he could see the people on the sides coughing, they looked weak and exhausted. They haven't eaten for days it seems.

Some people saw him and got surprised. One boy crawled to him. His eyes were lifeless. "Just a piece of bread. I beg you." His arms were frail and thin as a twig. His cheekbones were already protruding.

It ached Melvin's chest. He then gave a smile.

The boy's father got startled. "Mel, don't get close to a nobleman. He might kill you for touching him."

It seems some noblemen were too entitled that even one touch from someone of the lower class would warrant their death. Melvin sighed. He crouched and placed some coins in his arm. "Hey kid, what do you want when you grow up?"

The boy was wondering. "Can I grow up?"

With these conditions, the mortality rate was low. With the constant threat of diseases, famine, and wars, he estimated that it would be around 30. That was why people were keen on reproduction since only 1 out of 4 children were able to live in their adulthood. Melvin had some ideas about it.

"Sure you can. Just wait a little longer."

The boy's father was surprised that he just casually talked with his son.

The boy couldn't believe his eyes with the gold coin on his palm. He shuddered at the sight of it. "Pa-papa look!" He even forgot his hunger, stood up, and went to his father.

Melvin saw that the boy had 6 siblings, and all of them were no younger than 10. Though after seeing the gold coin, they got more excited and they felt as though their lives were rejuvenated.

Life was tough out there.

For now, he enjoyed watching them. He noticed that the youngest which was a girl was coughing harshly. It doesn't even bother the family as if it was normal.

With the lack of medical skills during this period, he could only rely upon the doctors thought they were still far away. The church managed to cure some of the ailments thanks to the placebo effect.

Melvin decided to visit check the crops the other day. It was on the market stalls, corns, carrots, legumes, and lettuces were present. However, the corns only had fewer kernels, the carrots were relatively smaller as well as the other vegetables.

It crossed on Melvin's mind that the seeds of the medieval period were lacking compared to the modern seeds. The modern seeds went through generations of artificial selection.

The livestock also only had fewer yields and had slower growth as well. The meat they harbored were wild boars. It was the main source of meat in the country. The breeders also had a hard time handling these creatures. Not to mention their growth rate was slow, about a year for them to mature.

Not to mention, removing the fur was difficult for the caretakers and their food consumption was demanding.

Only the nobility and the upper class had the privilege to consume them.

Melvin smiled as he wrote it down since there were spaces for improvements. For some reason, Melvin had a feeling there was a reason for the heavy taxation.

As he walked further on the eastern side of the middle district, he came across a giant warehouse. Workers and crafters were bustling around, working their assess off.

Inside the warehouse, were 7 giant wooden ships seen mostly in pirate movies. They weren't complete however. There weren't any sails yet and its chassis was still seen.

Melvin never thought he could see one in front of him. "I want to ride this one someday."

The workers in this area were probably shipwrights. However, there wasn't any ocean or sea nearby which baffled him.

"So, what brings a nobleman here? Is it tax season yet?" It was a chubby and short old man. He had a scruffy beard as he drank some rum on a mug.

Melvin denied it. "By the way, why did you bother to build it here? I don't see any oceans around?"

"Pretty far. The shores are dangerous and there aren't any cities there."

"Then how do you transport this vessel across the land?"

The old man sighed. "We just let the Heart Mad Fleet take care of it."

"Heart Mad Fleet?"

"Don't tell me you don't know, those bastards have been requesting more ships than we could build. They are also requesting more iron ores from us."

Melvin thought this was an interesting case he needed to look into. He went into the library and gathered information regarding the Heart Mad Fleet.

It seems they were plunderers on the southern sea. They were giant people about twice the height of an average Sillian citizen. They descended from Hav race. They were skilled in close-range combat and handling heavy melee weapons.

Most of their weapons ranged from clubs, hammers, and heavy halberds. As large as they were, they disliked wearing heavy armors thus they only wore leather and animal skinned armors even during wars.

They were cold and merciless, they even find pleasure in torturing their enemies.

Their presence on the southern sea explained why the Trimperial haven't launched an attack on Rezgareth yet.

In exchange for the protection, however, most of the iron ores were exhausted from the kingdom and the shipwrights worked nonstop to meet their demands. It was painful for the citizens of the kingdom, but they were able to live in peace.

"Lord, your time is almost due." Said the young librarian lady.

"Ugh." Melvin smacked his tongue. He noticed that the candle for his reading time in the library was running out. He then placed 5 silvers just so he could read further. "3 more candles!"

Returning to the warehouse, he heard that the Heart Mad Fleet had no schedule when they would arrive. Though 15 ships and 5000 iron weapons should be prepared when they return because otherwise, this country would go down under flames. Not from the Trimperial but the Fleet.

The deprivation of iron caused the Kingdom to switch to lead with their utensils and furnitures. Melvin was aware that lead was poisonous thus it increased the risk of diseases for the citizens.

Melvin now realized how deep the problem for this kingdom. With a serious look, he continued writing it down.

This kingdom however had no problem giving out their iron ores since, inside the 2nd ring, only the veil spiders were the problem. And they wouldn't be able to cross the wild valley thus they were safe.

As he read further, he noticed that there were seasonal rains, thus the land used to be fertile. There was a wide river called Shinogoan River that dried out on the western area. The river used to give moisture to the air and soil and carried the essential nutrients across the land.

Right now, however, it went through a process of desertification. On the bright side, they were no longer touchable from the veil spiders.

Melvin then felt his stomach grumbled. He could feel himself bursting at any moment. He returned to the apartment as quickly as he could.

"Shira! Where is the bathroom!"

Shira was currently combing Celine's hair. They were close to the window.

They were surprised to see Melvin acting frantically. "Huh? Sir, what's wrong?"

"I think I might have eaten something." Melvin would almost fall from his knees yet he held it in. This was such a bad time.

Shira stood up and went close to Melvin. "Yes sir, I'll guide you where it can be found."

As the two walked, Melvin noticed that Shira was still stiff. He disliked that she would often act scared around them. He was used to talking casually even with his subordinates when he wasn't at formal gatherings. He thought Shira needed to act comfortable on him as well.

He then patted her back. "Come on loosen up, no need to act so formal around me when I'm not at work."

Shira lowered her head. "Sir, what does being free mean?"

"That means being able to do things you want without being restricted by anyone. I mean true freedom doesn't exist, we might get restricted by the consequences or the people around us. Sorry if that sounded complicated."

"It's fine, I just wanted to know if I can also live normally." Shira then became shy. "You see... Umm, I want to buy a house... And I want to become a full-time and respected scholar." She then closed her eyes afraid of Melvin's judgment.

Melvin was baffled to see her thinking like a normal person. He then smiled. "Small thing, I can help you achieve those things."

Shira then glowed. She was even happier. She grabbed Melvin's arm and led him to the bathroom.

However, when Melvin arrived, his eyes widened. Around him were toilets which were occupied by several other men. The distance was only about a meter. It was a public bathroom without any enclosures.

Nude men were just walking around casually, then placing their bottoms on the toilet seat.

Melvin could hear some of the noise and pick up some of the smell. He then yelled. "What the hell is this?!"