AWDC Chapter 45

With water flowing through the waterways, the village had changed even more dramatically.

Having finished the desert development for the time being, I moved on to the next task.

I set up a water supply system. First, I built a water purification plant on a hill on the outskirts of the village, and from there, I ran water pipes to each household.

The desert settlers were still few, and the amount of domestic wastewater was small, so the water in the waterways was not polluted. However, the number of settlers would increase rapidly in the future, and the water in the waterways would naturally become polluted by domestic wastewater. There would probably be no inconsiderate people who would discharge sewage into the waterways, but even so, the water would become considerably dirty downstream. It wouldn’t be long before it became so polluted around Toriholi Village that it would be unsuitable for drinking water. That’s why I rushed to set up the water purification plant.

The water purification plant used a natural filtration system using gravel. As the water slowly passed through the sand layer, microorganisms in the sand layer would remove bacteria and other harmful substances. This method had a proven track record of purifying water from the Thames River in London for drinking water, so I was confident in its hygiene.

Because the water was always flowing and being replaced, it was safer than well water. Clean water could be produced without any special chemicals, so it was inexpensive.

The disadvantage was that it required a large area, but in this village, there was plenty of vacant land, so it wasn’t a problem at all.

This water could be sent to every house in the village using water pipes.

“This is a great help. I don’t have to go to the well to draw water every day anymore,” Cathy said, overjoyed.

“Really, Toma is amazing. He makes such convenient things for us. It’s a great help.”

I often received food and other things from Cathy, and I was always in her debt.

“A man living alone probably doesn’t eat properly,” she would say, and she often came to check on me.

So, I was happy that she was pleased with the water system.

“No, no, I’m always in your debt, so I’m glad if this makes you happy.”

“It helps us that Toma does things that are useful to the village. You probably just eat at the Mulan Inn when you’re in the village, right?

Then, don’t hesitate and have dinner at my house.”

Indeed, I was busy with work and didn’t have time for housework, so I hardly cooked. I spent most of my evenings at the pub.

I gratefully accepted Cathy’s invitation.

After the design of the water supply facility was completed, the next thing I started working on was the government office and the school.

As the population increased, problems arose with治安, the environment, and sanitation. I didn’t even know who came from where and when.

I thought it was urgent to create a government office and organize a population census and family registry.

Furthermore, even if I were to let people settle in the desert, if I let them do so arbitrarily, land disputes would inevitably arise in the future. From now on, I had to create land divisions and a register to clarify land ownership.

I proposed to the lords that they create a government office to manage these things.

“What you’re saying is valid, but who do you think can create ledgers and documents?”

The lord’s point was indeed sharp. Only a limited number of people in this village could read and write. No, not just in this village, but in this world, many people couldn’t read. There were probably only a handful of people in this village who could create documents for the government office.

John and Jim had finished the waterway construction, and their role as construction supervisors was over. But now, a large number of settlers were entering the desert. The two of them had to keep an eye on the problems that would arise in the vast settlement area.

Ladapole and Krim were professionals and not suited for government office work. My coworkers, Sulke and Kent, could read and write by imitating what they saw, but they probably weren’t reliable enough to create documents.

“Roy, isn’t it about time we called George over here?”

George, the second son of the Keene family, was traveling between the village and the capital as a liaison.

“That’s right. We want to get information from the capital, but building a government office has also become important.”

When the population was less than 1000, the lord’s and Roy’s memos were sufficient. However, considering the acceptance of settlers, it would be necessary to create a government office and manage documents. Roy also considered the importance of the need for a government office and obtaining information from the capital.

“The situation in the capital is not yet urgent. We also have connections with the Midland Dukedom. We’ll get information when something happens. After all, let’s call George back here and have him participate in the establishment of the government office.”

“Understood. However, since we want as many people as possible, I think we should invite someone from the capital who can work in the government office.”

“That would be good. Contact George right away.”

“Um, I agree with putting in government officials, but I think we should also consider education,” I immediately proposed another thing.

The workload of the government office could be handled by a small number of people for a while, but considering the population influx, it would be a matter of time before it overflowed. Before that happened, I had to create an organizational structure for the government office.

In order to create an organizational structure, it was necessary to educate the villagers so that they could be appointed as personnel.

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Only a limited number of people in the village can read and write, so they can’t be appointed as government officials. So, if we build a school and teach the children to read and write, they can be useful.”

“Even if we teach the sons of farmers to read and write, will they be of any use?”

“When Sulke and Kent started making paper, they couldn’t read or write either. Now that they can read, they can handle paper orders and other things smoothly.

Even farmers’ children can learn to read and write quickly if they are taught. Even if they don’t become government officials, if they can read the notices at the government office, the public will be thoroughly informed.”

I strongly argued for the necessity of a school to the lord and Roy.

“I understand that a school is necessary, but who will be in charge of teaching? Are you willing to become even busier?”

The lord again hit the nail on the head. In this world, everything had to be started from scratch. In the current situation where there were no government offices or schools, it was necessary to start by training people.

I insisted on establishing a school, even if it meant increasing my own workload and becoming a little busier, and I got it approved.