Chapter 202 Sedyon City! (extra)
202 Sedyon City! (extra)
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Extra.
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City of Sedyon. Recently, this city has become synonymous with a place where great talents emerge. Moreover, this city gained popularity due to its vibrant design and equally developed infrastructure. The influence of merchants, who were interested in financing the city, played a significant role.
Hence, more buildings emerged, along with...
The Entertainment District.
"Let's drink to love, my brave brothers!" exclaimed a man dressed in purple and narrow trousers, with a scabbard on his belt. He looked like a warrior, most likely he was one. After all, it was a bar in the Entertainment District of Sedyon, already famous for its good security and abundance of entertainment. For many people, these places became like home, as they spent 90% of their time here.
Casinos, brothels, bars, and strip clubs. The nightlife here was bustling, and everyone who left here always came back. Because Amarantha had a good strategy at hand for attracting visitors.
But, putting aside the most famous and already well-known facts, it's worth mentioning that Sedyon also became a home for many people who lost their homeland and came here to settle forever. Thus, due to the policy of equality, many beastmen and ordinary people coexisted together, and any manifestation of racism and deliberate oppression of minorities was punished by imprisonment and high fines.
Not everyone could afford to pay the fines issued by the knights under the mayor's control. Because the minimum fine amount is One Silver Dragon Stone, which constitutes 1/4 of the salary of ordinary people. Thanks to this, few in their right mind took steps like violating the city's internal laws.
High prices and laws directly prohibiting racism and other prejudices were planned by Adam primarily for his benefit. Firstly, he gets money from fines, and at the same time, reduces the number of violators. Moreover, having in mind the goal of building an entire country, he wanted to quickly get rid of racism and other prejudices that could harm the cohesion of the people.
"After all, it's much easier to train a wild beast in childhood than in adulthood," thought Adam.
***
The city was divided into districts, and the Entertainment District was mentioned first. But there were other districts, such as:
Central District.
Trade District.
Residential District.
"Affluent" District.
And finally, the main district – Adam's estate was located there.
"What an interesting city!" thought a merchant named Drilisis.
Drilisis hailed from Varasima and came here after demons seized his country. Unfortunately, he had too few means for a good life. However, with the help of the kindness of Mayor Sedyon, who provided jobs and settled refugees in dormitories, he was able to get back on his feet and move to a wealthier district in a reasonably good house.
After weeks of hard work and establishing connections, Drilisis could finally afford to take a day off and stroll around the city. And now, he was in the city square, holding a tourist map in his hand.
The city square was more of a recreation area, with various memorials. There were inscriptions on stones detailing the city's construction, and there was a bulletin board. The square had fountains that lit up in all the colors of the rainbow, and at night, there were various performances.
"So many people around the square... probably selling ice cream again today!" muttered Drilisis, taking a deep breath. He turned and started walking towards the trade district, grumbling irritably, "Never manage to buy that new treat. There are so many people there, it's unbelievable."
The ice cream had become a sensation for the residents of the city of Sedyon, who had never seen anything like it before. Its cool effect with various flavors instantly captivated both children and the elderly. For many workers, it became a routine to get ice cream to escape the heat a little.
Unfortunately, supplies were limited, and consumers increased, so not many could buy it. Besides, Drilisis didn't want to take away a portion from children, as it seemed very uncultured from his perspective.
"Here's the trade district."
A person unaware of the district names would immediately guess which district it was. There was always noise and commotion here, with many stalls and tents of traders selling their goods. In the most elite places were prestigious shops, such as "NYR" Ricky, where there was a long queue.
"This is Mr. Ricky's store... as always, so many people here," Drilisis admiringly muttered when he saw the influx of people wanting to buy the new clothing line.
There were three such stores in the city. One in the trade district and the other two in the affluent district. Yet, it was still not enough for the wealthy, who were eager to buy the new clothing line. Often, they spent half of their savings on it.
"With my income level, all I can do is dream of buying clothes from NYR," Drilisis thought, sighing disappointingly.
However, it couldn't be said that he was greatly upset by this, as he found all this fuss about clothing too amusing and unnecessary. But he couldn't express his opinion openly; the aristocrats and the wealthy would simply crush him.
In the sphere of aristocracy and the wealthy, it was essential to have a beautiful appearance and expensive clothing. Ricky undoubtedly provided both. Considering that all major stores collaborated, when buying from Ricky, you could go to the cosmetics store Handsome's Kiss and get a 5% discount. Thanks to this move, the flow of people continued.
"All this for the pleasure of the rich. I'm not particularly eager to buy clothes for myself and then end up living on the streets because of their exorbitant prices," Drilisis thought, beginning to walk toward the residential district.
The residential district of Sedyon consisted of ordinary two-story houses where ordinary people lived. There were dormitories of both middle and low-price categories. But the difference between them was, of course, enormous.
In any case, the residential district of Sedyon was equipped with all conveniences – lighting, security, grocery stores, and public services. There were many pharmacies, cafes, and restaurants. So far, no one had strong complaints about their life here because they received all the amenities.
"What nostalgia. I lived in this dormitory," Drilisis muttered with a smirk, looking at a rather cheap dormitory building.
Adam provided a one-month deadline, so those who couldn't gather enough funds for a house were forced to settle in low-level dormitories, where cockroaches were often seen, and the food was mediocre. However, no accusations could be directed at him, as these dormitories were not owned by the city management but by businessmen.
In simpler terms, the city management didn't take responsibility for the living conditions in these places. So, people who were dissatisfied with their living standards could only return with disappointment. Because when asked to settle elsewhere, Ekaterina would respond, "NO!"
Adam had one position: "help at the beginning and then wait for the benefit." Although these words didn't convey his point of view too well, Ekaterina understood the task well. Refugees were provided with good conditions and given jobs, and their task was to save up for their own house or simply move to another dormitory after the deadline.
It was a so-called assistance with the desire to get something in return. If someone couldn't return what was spent, they wouldn't be treated kindly. It caused discontent, a lot of discontent, and the problem still wasn't solved because Adam didn't want to compromise on this issue. His official message was:
"Either work and earn money, or don't count on a good life."
And, of course, this didn't particularly diminish the discontent. However, with this statement, he put a significant end to the matter, so the dissatisfied had only to work.
"In this matter, I agree with the mayor, but I also have my grievances," Drilisis thought, sighing.
The mayor's position was clear. He didn't want to spend a lot of resources on those who couldn't bring any benefit to the city. However, Drilisis believed that a one-month deadline was extremely short, and a newcomer to the city couldn't adapt and gather the required amount in time. This mainly applied to those who weren't accustomed to such work.
As a businessman with sought-after skills, he became an accountant at Dragon's Hoard, and his salary was 100 Gold Dragon Stones per month, allowing him to live well and afford leisure without worrying about tomorrow.
"Despite the impression that this city leaves as a little paradise where all your dreams can come true..."
In reality, Sedyon is a place where they grow beasts according to the laws of the jungle. Drilisis was sure that the first impression, "status doesn't solve anything here," was the most erroneous opinion.
Finally, the wealthy district. Perhaps the dream of all residents of the city of Sedyon. Anyone who enters there will feel secure. The entrance is only from one side, and in each house, there are emergency assistance and protection spells. Moreover, the streets are checked around the clock by city guards who don't miss even the slightest sound.
There were many grocery stores, bars, and restaurants. And all of this was free! Well... conditionally free.
Residents of wealthy districts indeed have the opportunity to take products from the store for free, go to a restaurant, and leave without paying the bill, but... all this pleasure costs 450 Gold Dragon Stones, and few can afford it. However, considering that there are customers, this peculiar subscription is in demand among people, which surprised Drilisis.
In his opinion, it was much easier to just pay for the product and be done with it. However, the thinking of wealthy people is completely different...