A clearing was made in the refugee camp, and thousands of figures crowded together, chattering.
Brin and Lucien led soldiers through the crowd to maintain order.
Olivier stood on the temporarily erected platform.
His voice was a little hoarse from prolonged shouting: "According to the previous arrangements!"
"Those with skills stand at the designated positions in Cross Town!"
"Those who were once fishermen, join the queue heading to Riverbend Town!"
The crowd was separated by an invisible hand, then reassembled.
The refugee families heading to Cross Town and Riverbend Town received the tools Arthur had promised to divide, which had been obtained from the House Ryger's land.
They gripped the cold tools tightly with their rough palms, exempt from head tax and any other taxes. Everyone's eyes gleamed as if they could already see the roofs of their new homes.
And the 170 refugee families assigned to charcoal production, along with the 67 refugee families assigned to rabbit breeding, were also exceptionally excited.
Although they did not receive land and knew nothing about charcoal burning or rabbit breeding, they learned a surprising piece of news: Lord Arthur would pay each family a monthly wage.
While not as much as farming, the advantage was that no taxes were required, meaning the entire wage was theirs.
The time for departure had arrived, and the local soldiers began to shout loudly. Throughout the crowd, scenes of farewell unfolded.
Villagers from the same village, now separated, embraced tightly, promising to write once they had settled in their new homes.
Teams of people, fresh blood, carrying the farming implements and tools divided by Arthur, full of hope, embarked on their journey of reconstruction in different directions.
Arthur and Olivier stood on the temporarily erected platform, overlooking this vibrant scene.
Olivier's gaze fell on the distant figure of the stout merchant, Hubbard, who was standing with his hands on his hips, loudly scolding the servants moving goods.
His brows furrowed tightly: "Lord Arthur, this person… this Hubbard is a greedy merchant to his bones, even if he has a little cleverness."
Olivier's voice was very low, filled with worry.
"You are entrusting such an important matter as the Lord's monopoly to him, I'm afraid… it will lead to endless troubles. He will certainly try every means to line his own pockets."
He looked at Arthur's profile and continued.
"You should find someone more honest, more loyal, and more reliable to be in charge. Relying on such a person is truly not a wise move."
Arthur's gaze shifted from Hubbard. He watched the stout man, sweating profusely from directing his servants, even personally pushing a disobedient cart.
The original person for this task was Bethen, but for some unknown reason, he left and was never heard from again. There are so few capable people in Westeros; finding someone who can count and read is like finding gold in the ocean.
He smiled, not denying Olivier's judgment. "You are right, he is indeed greedy, and his greed is undisguised."
Arthur's tone was calm, as if he were discussing something unrelated to himself.
"But Olivier, in Stinkfort, my ancestors always said that the water is too clear for fish."
He turned his head and looked at the impeccably dressed, rather handsome middle-aged man beside him, with a depth in his eyes that Olivier found hard to comprehend.
"As long as he can fully establish this Lord's monopoly system and make it operate efficiently…"
"I don't mind if his hand skims a few Gold Dragons from it."
Arthur's voice was clear and forceful, every word startling Olivier, making him feel that the Lord before him was not of his current age, but more like an old man in his forties or fifties.
"Professional matters should be left to professionals, and his greed will motivate him more than anyone else to do this job well."
"Because the larger this system is built, and the smoother it operates, the more Gold Dragons he will be able to skim."
Olivier opened his mouth but found himself unable to utter a single word. He was once again shocked by Arthur's unconventional approach, focusing only on results when it came to employing people.
In his understanding, a noble's consideration for his subordinates should always prioritize loyalty. Yet, Arthur seemed to place "ability" and "loyalty" on equally important footing, even knowing how to harness a person's desires to serve his own ends.
Watching Hubbard relentlessly whip the servants he had brought, Arthur felt a surge of emotion.
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