Death's Favorite Child

15. Good Lord (2)

For the next six months, the Barony went through a revolution. The railway had arrived in this corner of the fantasy world. When the route for the first village was complete, they had the opening. Countless people fainted at the sight of the 'horseless carriage', and it took several weeks to get people using it. Soon, more than half the villages were connected, and the 'railway stations' became the centre of each village. Trips that would take a whole day would now be completed in less than an hour. The magic train could easily reach 10-15 times the speed of a horse-drawn carriage without the need for stops and resting. The fare was free for residents by showing their resident cards.

"Brother, today they connected the fishing village?" Helena asked. She was home again on vacation from school.

"Yes, will you come?" asked Daniel, only to get an enthusiastic nod. Helena loved the sea, but it was too far to go there frequently.

Starting today, people would be able to get fresh fish every day. The Barony's economy has been exploding. Aunt Secilia could barely catch up -- she already had ten people in her group. The advent of a faster and safer transportation system increased commerce. People started moving to the villages and commuting to Fini. Adventurers would flock to the town since the new train would take them to the Endless Forest in 30 minutes. There was fresh produce in the market every day!

The new agricultural techniques that the Lord introduced started paying off, and the territory was now self-sufficient and exporting products. Magical devices were everywhere, and the Lord paid for the crystals to operate them. Lighting in the streets, baths with running hot water, the train, wards to fend off magical beasts, and many more.

No one knew that the crystals used in all the magical devices were actually recharged crystals from the secret facility near the Endless Forest. With the ability to restore 100 small or 20 medium crystals daily, the Lord produced more crystals in a day than the adventurers hunted in a week. The number covered all the territory's needs and exported the rest through a merchant in the Capital, the father of a friend of Helena's from school. The income from the crystals was all invested in the Barony, allowing for unprecedented development of the area.

"Brother, this is amazing. I wish Father were alive to see you and our territory," said Helena leaning on her brother's arm while the train crossed their territory.

Irrigation projects were under development, transforming arid areas into bountiful land. Fertilizers, both natural and synthetic, were used as instructed by the Lord. At first, people revolted. The use of excitement or the use of minerals in the precious fields was unheard of. Yet, nobody dared to refuse. The first year, people thought it was just a coincidence that the yield doubled. The second year, they didn't say anything. Now, everyone was praising their genius Lord.

The Barony funded housing projects in every village and Fini, eliminating homelessness. All residents, as long as they were working, underage, or seniors, had the right to live in a house and use the public amenities. Bathhouses, public restrooms, and parks were created to improve hygiene and provide entertainment. Running drinking water was already available in Fini, and many wealthy merchants received the 'hot water extension' for services to the Barony -- usually, heavy investments in the territory industry. With all the development, the new farming areas, and the new businesses, there was work for everyone, and they were paid fairly and on time.

"The sea, brother! Look, it's endless!" Helena cheered along with many other passengers. For some of them, it was their first time seeing the sea.

'Captain, this is where we will put the sea resort. We'll build a marina to protect the fishing boats, some restaurants, a pier, an ice cream shop, ...' Jon went into urban planning mode in Daniel's mind.