Chapter 177 The Gathering Crowd
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It has been over a week since the banquet was held in the capital, and now I am overwhelmed with an unprecedented amount of documents in front of me.
”Neil, here are additional documents.”
”Oh, are more people coming?”
”Yeah, this one is the usual interview transcript, this one is an application for business permission, and this one is an application for permission to construct a store. And here is a letter from the construction firm regarding the land they want to build on…”
”Wait, wait! I can’t fit any more on my desk! Just put the less important ones on the floor for now, starting with the letter.”
”Understood.”
Following the instructions, I placed the less important documents on the floor and turned to Lewya, asking a question.
”Hey, is there any sign that more people will be coming?”
”Well, Diana said that it might continue for a while longer.”
”Please spare me… I can’t handle it alone anymore.”
”I’m sorry, I wish I could help.”
”Oh, no, I’m not blaming Lewya… Sorry, I just vented because I’m busy.”
I apologized to Lewya and leaned back in my chair, massaging my body to relieve the stiffness. I had been sitting all day, going through documents since morning, and my joints made cracking sounds as they loosened, making me feel somewhat relieved.
”How about taking a break?”
”No, I can’t. I haven’t even finished yesterday’s documents.”
”But you look exhausted, and if you push yourself too hard and collapse, it will be a big problem.”
”If I really think it’s dangerous, I promise I’ll rest.”
”Really? If you collapse now, it will be a big problem for the settlement. Please prioritize your health.”
”I understand.”
As for what is happening in the settlement, five days ago, five carriages and about twenty people arrived. We thought it was just a few small-time criminals targeting the elves who had sneaked in, so we approached the group cautiously.
However, it turned out that they were a group of merchants who had come to the settlement for business. They were not all from the same firm, but rather a group of individuals from different firms who decided to travel together for safety reasons.
When we asked why they had come for business, they said they had heard rumors about the banquet held in the capital and came to the settlement. However, as we listened to their stories, it seemed that the content of the rumors had changed.
The rumors had spread that “His Majesty the Emperor has high expectations for the settlement in the Count Atmiras’ territory and is providing financial assistance.” While it was true that His Majesty had expectations for magic tools and we had received some assistance regarding the elves, we had not received any financial aid, so the rumors were slightly different from the truth.
There were also people who came because they were interested in the items shared at the banquet. Some of them had known about alcohol and beauty products but had not ventured into selling them because they were unsure if they would sell well.
However, after His Majesty shared them at the banquet, their popularity increased, so they hurriedly came to the settlement. And of course, the presence of the elves was also significant.
Some people came to the settlement after hearing that it was connected to the elves, but it seemed that the elves themselves were not the main purpose. They seemed to be seeking the overflowing good fortune that the elves brought.
In this world, there is a widespread belief that if you can see an elf at least once in your lifetime due to their rarity, you can obtain immense wealth. It is widely recognized that the settlement caught His Majesty’s attention and received his expectations thanks to the good fortune brought by the elves.
Based on these rumors, the merchants believed that the settlement would develop significantly in the future, so they hurriedly came to establish their shops before the land was filled. Moreover, it seems that this group is not the end, as they were the first wave that came without waiting for the rumors to be verified.
It was said that similar people would continue to flock to the settlement in the future. And as the words went, people who wanted to do business in the settlement continued to gather, and in the end, a total of eighteen firms approached for negotiations that day.
Of course, it couldn’t be settled in just one day, so the next day, similar people came to the settlement, and we were busy dealing with them. However, while that was happening, Diana and Mei returned from the capital, so the four of us gathered to discuss countermeasures.
At that time, the people coming to the settlement were mostly merchants and their escorts, but it was expected that more and more people would come in the future, just like people calling for others. It became impossible to handle everything, so in the end, Diana would interview the people who came to the settlement at the entrance, compile the information into documents, and then those selected documents would be passed to me for final checks.
Initially, only the documents that Diana selected were coming through, so I thought it became much easier compared to the first day. However, the amount gradually increased day by day, and there were also documents that didn’t go through Diana.
Diana is in charge of selecting the newcomers to the settlement, compiling their names, occupations, reasons for coming to the settlement, and conducting interviews. If they are merchants, they also submit applications for permission to do business together.
As for additional documents sent by people who have already passed Diana’s check, they are brought directly to me. In other words, as the number of people passing Diana’s check increased, the number of documents that came to me also increased, to the point where they couldn’t fit on my desk.
”Sigh… I wish I had about five more assistants just for now…”
”Have you asked for support from your family?”
”I already contacted them, but my father said he wants to finish his work in the territory before coming to the settlement, so he doesn’t have the capacity to send anyone here. He’ll bring some people when he comes to the settlement, so until then, I have to manage with the current situation.”
”So, it means we’ll be like this for another week or so?”
”For now, we have to somehow reduce the quantity, even if we can’t handle everything… Hey, how’s the situation outside? Is there any frustration because permits aren’t being granted easily?”
”No, I haven’t heard anything like that.”
”I see…”
I felt a little relieved by Lewya’s words. There was a possibility that she was lying to prevent me from pushing myself too hard, but for now, I decided to believe her words.
”Thank you, talking to Lewya made me feel better. Please go back to work too.”
”Yeah, it was a good distraction for me too. Well then, excuse me.”
After seeing off Lewya as she left, I directed my gaze towards the pile of documents in front of me. Seeing no sign of them decreasing, my mood, which had just recovered, started to sink, but I slapped my own cheek to motivate myself and took on the challenge of the mountain of documents.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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