Roland swiftly wrote down a series of texts on the paper with his quill pen.
Before coming here, he spent his days drawing mechanical blueprints on the computer, believing he would rarely need to write by hand again. Little did he know, he would soon be reverting to this ancient method of note-taking.
Two documents lay on the table, outlining his upcoming plans.
The first is the large-scale production of sulfuric acid, with new equipment already manufactured by Anna and Soroya. The lead reaction vessel has been replaced with a more robust and reliable iron casing, internally coated with a corrosion-resistant layer, and is three times larger than the previous experimental version.
Given the current inability to collect or purify production emissions (primarily sulfur combustion and nitrogen oxides from leaks), Roland has strategically located the facility south of the industrial park, away from both the Chishui River and residential areas. The company plans to construct a factory enclosure around the reactor and install a chimney to elevate the emission stack.
Since boosting sulfuric acid production is crucial for scaling up concentrated nitric acid production, getting the equipment operational is now the top priority. The official directive instructed Kemoschuir to select a team of apprentices for sulfuric acid mass production, while Barov needed to recruit reliable local workers for auxiliary tasks. The first phase of the chemical plant required approximately 100 workers in total.
The second is to build a public health system.
Frankly, Roland was not well-versed in this field and knew nothing about modern medicine, yet this did not prevent him from devising a rudimentary plan that met the current needs based on common sense.
The primary function of this department is public education and awareness campaigns. It covers essential topics like boiling water before drinking, cooking meat thoroughly, understanding disease causes and preventive measures, and distinguishing between parasites and microorganisms. With its growing authority, enforcing compliance has become effortless. However, to truly make people understand the importance of these practices, dedicated education efforts are crucial. A single lecture won't suffice—repetition is key. Like slogans displayed in fields, repeated explanations will gradually instill acceptance.
The second measure was to encourage childbirth. With limited municipal staff, the city government opted to temporarily integrate family planning into public healthcare rather than establishing a separate department. Population remains the most scarce resource in this era, and having more children is naturally ideal. Nana Wa's expertise effectively addressed challenges like childbirth risks, ensuring a near-100% survival rate for postpartum women. To prevent the abandonment of female infants and the practice of "having children but not raising them," the government implemented detailed subsidy and penalty policies. These included slightly higher subsidies for female infants compared to male infants, installment payments, and penalties for abandoning infants, such as fines and imprisonment.
The final responsibility pertains to fee collection. Beyond fertility treatments, the medical facility will charge fees based on the amount of Magic Power consumed by Nana Wa, which serves both to alleviate the young girl's financial burden and to establish a foundation for future hospital operations. The first department head, Roland, has already identified the candidate: Nana Wa's father, Viscount Tegu Pien.
The third document is the one I'm currently drafting, which is the most complex and ambitious of all the plans—the Border Town development plan.
The project involves the town's own expansion and the implementation of merging Changge Fortress. A series of general laws will undoubtedly need to be enacted to govern the people of both areas, with the judicial system and public security framework also requiring reinforcement. To ensure these provisions are flawlessly drafted, Roland's personal insight alone would be insufficient. He plans to first draft a preliminary version, then refine the details in discussions with Barov, the municipal director.
After finishing the opening section, he stretched his slightly stiffened wrists and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window.
The weather was gloomy today. The sun had not risen in the morning, and by afternoon, the sky was already overcast, as if a heavy rain was brewing. A slightly chilly autumn wind swept through the castle's back garden, carrying the rustling of the olive grove.
Just then, a dark spot appeared on the horizon and headed straight for the castle.
"It's lightning." The nightingale's voice came from behind.
"Looks like they're heading to the hidden forest to forage for mushrooms again," Roland chuckled. When there were no reconnaissance missions, Lightning and Maxie's training involved free-roaming flights, so skipping lunch at the castle was routine. They'd often forage for bird eggs and beehives in the woods or hunt up odd little creatures to roast. After all, the ultimate form of explorers would inevitably transform into Baymax.
Moreover, even though bird's-nose mushrooms mostly grow on trees, he can't help but recall the classic tale of 'the little girl picking mushrooms.'
"Your Highness, your... smile seems a bit odd." "Hmph, I've got a funny little story for you. Would you like to hear it?" "What?" Roland cleared his throat. "Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved picking mushrooms while counting them... wait." The shadow grew larger. Unexpectedly, the figure didn't dart past the castle but descended sharply, charging straight toward the office's floor-to-ceiling window. Roland froze in shock. He reached out to open the window, and the lightning bolt shot straight into the room without hesitation.
"Your Highness!" she cried excitedly as soon as she landed, "I've found a Witch!" "A Witch?" Roland asked curiously. "Where?" "In the stone tower of the Hide-and-Seek Forest," Lightning pointed to Maxie, who had just flown into the office. "She can testify!" "Goo!" Maxie tilted her head back.
"Stone Tower?" He furrowed his brow. "What exactly happened? Tell me in detail." After hearing Lightning's account, Roland couldn't help but gasp. This guy was audacious—braving to revisit the ancient ruins of Devil's existence with just a pigeon. But what was even more terrifying was the discovery of a Witch sealed within the ruins. Or perhaps an ordinary person trapped by a Witch... Either way, this was utterly inconceivable.
"What's that for?" "This is it—I found it on the table behind her," Lightning said. He pulled a palm-sized square metal box from his pocket, which at first glance resembled a makeup mirror. When he lifted the lid, a red gemstone was embedded inside. As she flicked the trigger beside the gem, a frantic woman's voice suddenly rang out in everyone's ears.
"Save me..." Roland shuddered. The voice drifted between near and far, eerily haunting. Had he heard such a cry from the dark basement, he would have bolted without hesitation.
"The gem holds Magic Power," Nightingale revealed, marveling. "I can detect faint vortices of Magic Power, just like those in the Witch's body." "Well, it seems to be a Magic Power recorder capable of continuous operation. The possibility of the other being the Witch has increased." "Are there other such stones in the stone tower's basement?" "I didn't examine them closely—the room was flooded in many areas," Lightning shook her head. "All I wanted was to return quickly and tell you this." "Don't do that again, especially venturing into dangerous places without permission," Roland patted her head before turning to Nightingale. "We need to summon all members of the Witch Alliance and Iron Axe to the office. The search for the ruins may need to be expedited."