Chapter 299: HR is the problem
We moved on to discuss the problems and other inconveniences within the island. The point that taking baths would be troublesome was dismissed. They were bewildered with the lifestyle that was totally different from what they had been used to up till now, and that they wouldn’t return to the life of having to draw water. They also claimed that they no longer feel itchy, and that the waterways made the place cool.
「Bath, laundry, bed…so magnificent, no matter which it is. 」
Fadah apparently changed his beddings daily, probably because he found the straw bed unbearable.
The mattresses are made in Marina by the craftsmen I hired through Soleil. We currently have them on the beds of the main castle and in the high-end inns. Orders are coming in, but it’s expected to be really expensive, so it’s not something that anyone can get their hands on.
We’re renting the beds with mattresses to anyone who wants one since there’s only a limited number of them. The rental fees are deducted from the wages. Soleil and Auro told me that they bought their own, and I guess Fadah will be buying his too.
I wanted to make the mattresses more widespread, but the materials are too costly, or maybe it’s just that objects are basically expensive in this world. Labor cost is surprisingly cheap, though. The folks working here are supposed to have higher pay with perks like snacks and lending them money to pay for rental equipment charges, but I realized that it’s still pretty low.
「As of now, our immigrants are the humans living in the town. They have petitioned to raise the limit of immigrants so that their relatives could also come, but we still prioritize those who have technical skills. We are in need of farmers to cultivate the land, but this task proves to be quite difficult. 」
Auro explained.
Most of the feudal lords squeezed their workers dry as much as they could, so they’re pretty much captives that have barely enough to live and not die. If people try to recruit them, those nasty lords would set the soldiers on their heels. The workers are also left in a state of ignorance and without any means of getting information, so unless there’s a severe famine or drought, they probably wouldn’t even consider the idea of relocating from their land.
「Why don’t we do it like this first — the residents pay part of their taxes through labor service, and maybe have them plough and till the land? Fields need people working on them at all times after all. There are seasons when only a few people are required to work on it and times when large groups are necessary. 」
We can use labor service for different jobs like the twice-a-month cleaning of the waterways, cleaning of the plaza and roads and other stuff like that. Hiring a garbage collector and janitors can also work, but I’m trying to instill good cleanliness habits, so…
We’re still in the trial period, with lands and houses being leased to the residents and permanent residency isn’t being granted except for the islanders who originally lived here. Residents are usually treated as the fief lord’s possessions although not to the extent that they’re slaves. Still, I can’t get used to that sort of thinking.
「I’ll try to think of a way to deal with the agriculture issue. 」
Back when the island development was still in the early stages, I was guilty of running away from social interactions and ended up hanging out with Dinosso during those times. Couldn’t help it, this world’s way of thinking is just way too different from mine.
We then discussed related matters to the sales of the dyed goods, such as the bigwigs visiting Nalluahdid, how there weren’t enough craftsmen and so on. The gender ratio was unbalanced because there were more men than women when the population boomed, so they informed me that they wish to recruit more women that will work in the inns and restaurants.
Those are urgent matters so I told them to just do how they see fit, making the crowd lively. It was decided that the main focus would be on the dyeing industry of the island, as well as the production and sales of mattresses and lanterns outside the island — with Soleil’s company as the intermediary. The plan is to sustain the business with the tax revenue from tourists.
Naturally, taxes would increase with the surge in the population of residents, but I don’t want the island to turn into another Nalluahdid where everything seemed like canned sardines with how cramped that place is.
Fortunately, the dyed items turned out really well and the colors were fantastic after soaking in clean, cold water. They also gained brand recognition, so they fetched a hefty sum.
I instructed Soleil to continue the business and tasked her to find someone who would manage the 『Fae’s Bough 』.
「Leave all the business matters to me! I’ll definitely make sure that we’ll be in the black after six months no matter what, mark my words! 」
Soleil is busy with stuff like negotiations and diplomatic dealings, so recruitment will mainly be Auro’s job.
That means the number of weirdos will rise…
Seems like the Changelings are coming soon, apparently.
Mailman-slash-express-courier-slash-errand-boy, scribes, chimney sweep, and folks who can teach general subjects (they don’t have to be scholars) — there’s a lot of vacant job positions with ongoing recruitment and development.
We have to do something regarding the manager of 『Fae’s Bough』before the spirits come flocking here and start with their naughty pranks.
Since Auro will be the one recruiting, the chances that someone who’ll vent their frustrations alongside Soleil will come is extremely low.
I left many tins of candy for the sweet tooth folks and pie stuffed with shrimp gratin for those who crave food other than sweets then I returned back to the inn in the fortress city.
I wanted to buy livestock here and raise pigs and cows on the island, but that place is too small. At any rate, I’ll just make sure I’ll have enough meat to distribute during a festival. Fief lords who don’t give meat during festivals are treated as stingy masters, apparently.
Maybe I can stock more goat milk too, since kids also need them, particularly when mama goats don’t produce milk.
「Why the long face, thinking about stones again, are we? 」
I was seriously mulling about such things when Dinosso teased me. Hey, I already forgot all about the Go stones!
「Eh, where are Retze and the others? 」
「Dean and Chris are at the brothels, Retze is out there snooping for intel. 」
「Again? I thought they went home already. 」
Those two are really diligent – in a different way from Retze, that is.
「Both of them are also involved in gathering information this time. We thought Roza-dono’s group was lying low, but they are just waiting for the fake hero to open the so-called Fae’s Path, apparently. Retze-sama got wind that they already found the specific place. 」
Ah, right. I forgot I was gonna block that!
Notes
_______
T/N: *Japan has this work culture concept where companies provide their employees with snacks and refreshments. It’s meant to enhance the working environment and motivate them. As for charging fees for equipment rental, the company lends necessary equipment to employees for a certain fee. I’m not sure if it’s common practice, though. I think the concept is to cut back on unnecessary usage and the company can efficiently manage its resources while making sure the employees have what they need to work. I read somewhere while looking this up that a Japanese company (I forgot the name) reportedly charges 100 bucks for using the conference room to cut back on the unnecessary meetings.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thanks for the treat.