"So much has changed."
Looking at the bustling city center, Garrett couldn't help but marvel at the transformation.
Compared to Wayfort, there were far more people in Dale. With enough resources and housing, they had imdiately settled in and ford a fully functioning city, operating all its facilities smoothly.
There was no shortage of rchants in the market, no shortage of guards on the walls, no shortage of residents in the houses, and no shortage of children playing in the streets.
This was the current state of Dale.
rchants, yes, there were plenty of them here.
Unlike Wayfort, the residents of Dale still maintained their traditional lifestyle and systems. They managed their wealth according to established practices, keeping it flowing as a dium of exchange.
Although monetary transactions were still in circulation, the baseline quality of life here had clearly been elevated, almost to what used to be the upper limit.
Even though it was quite different from Wayfort, this city had managed to ensure that even people with modest productivity or less industrious habits could live comfortably, while those who were hardworking or took on additional responsibilities could live even better.
Bard was not the kind of person who would hoard imnse wealth and let it rot rather than share it. Nor was he the type to keep good things hidden, fearing others might use them to improve their lives.
Only evil dragons behaved that way.
And neither he nor Garrett, both of whom had participated in slaying a dragon, had been corrupted by such greed.
They had been touched by dragon's blood, but had not beco dragons themselves.
They weren't concerned about their wealth flowing from their hands, of course, that didn't an recklessly scattering it to the winds and letting people gather it at random.
Instead, they distributed it according to need, allowing it to circulate reasonably, without causing chaos.
"My lord, this is for you!"
As he walked, observing the scenes along the roadside, suddenly a child ran up and handed sothing to Garrett.
It was a small box wrapped in brightly colored paper.
"What's this?"
Garrett crouched down, curiously asking the child while gently patting his head.
"A gift I made myself!"
"You just need to pull this little string, and it'll pop open with a 'bang,' and you'll see what's inside!"
"Alright."
Garrett smiled and said, "Thank you. I'll open it carefully. I'm quite eager to see what's inside."
"Mm!"
The child nodded happily and ran back toward his ho.
Carrying the small gift box, Garrett asked around a bit, turned a few corners, and found where Bard lived.
"You really picked an unremarkable place."
"As long as it's livable."
Bard opened the door and welcod Garrett inside.
The place he lived in was no different from the residents' hos, just an ordinary small house. If no one pointed it out, no one would guess that this was where the steward of Dale, the dragon-slaying archer Bard, lived.
"Didn't your ancestors leave a great hall at the highest point of the city? Why not live there?"
That building at the highest point of Dale, calling it a hall felt like an understatent. A more fitting word would be "palace."
"It's not completed yet."
Bard shook his head and said, "And there are still residents without proper hos. How could I justify spending ti on that grand building while they lack shelter? We can address that once their lives are secure. Also, I'm rely the steward of Dale. Even if it were finished, you should be the one residing there. This small house suits perfectly."
Garrett shook his head. "Even if you say that..."
"I haven't really done much apart from claiming the territory."
"Don't say that, Garrett."
Bard looked surprised. "Haven't done much? No, you've done more than enough."
"The tall, sturdy city walls; the thousands of iron golems protecting the city; the enchanted seeds that grow rapidly; and that incredible construction magic that cuts and transports building materials efficiently... All of the material prosperity here was practically created by you. I rely handled so administrative duties on top of that foundation. Honestly, anyone else in my place wouldn't have done it much differently."
"All right," Garrett interrupted, sowhat reluctant to continue listening.
"Don't sell yourself short. Soone else? Try replacing yourself with Alfrid and see what happens."
"Just live there already, I've got my own place, and that so-called hall doesn't even impress ."
By now, he had co to understand sothing.
Bard was a man of virtue and capability, but he seed to lack personal ambition.
No... that wasn't quite accurate. It wasn't that he had no aspirations. Before the war began, he had intended to seek the position of Master of Lake-town. It was only because the previous Master kept suppressing the process that it never materialized.
The reason he now seed sowhat unmotivated was simply because the people around him were too capable.
If Dale had no ruler, he would willingly take the lead.
But now that soone legendary, superior to him in every way, was present, he simply wanted to take things easy.
"Are you really content with that?"
Garrett sat by the table in front of the small hearth, asking Bard across from him.
"This was your ancestral legacy. If Smaug hadn't suddenly co and destroyed everything, you would have been the rightful lord of Dale. But I just said one thing, and you handed over the inheritance of this land."
Bard shook his head again.
"I relinquished it willingly. And even if I hadn't, what could I have accomplished with it? No matter how prosperous it was in the past, at the ti, it was rely ruins, I couldn't have done anything aningful with it."
"Rather than clinging to the right to a ruined city, it's better to entrust it to soone who has greater need of it and can make better use of it."
"Not sure about 'greater need,'" Garrett muttered. "But I can probably make use of it, sure."
The only reason he claid ownership of Dale back then was because the situation had been urgent... If he truly wished, he could construct cities like this one at any ti.
After a pause, he said, "Lake-town and Dale... these two places are closely connected. They really shouldn't remain separate."
"Then why not unite them?" Bard suggested casually.
"Great idea. From now on, you'll be the Governor of both."
"Pardon?"
"You'll be the direct administrator of both territories."
"Very well then."
Bard accepted the role.
If it had been anyone else casually assigning such a significant responsibility, he might have raised so objections, but Garrett... Serving under him wasn't so bad.
In fact, even the forr Master of Lake-town had once managed to earn his temporary allegiance through eloquent words.
With that man, he had always felt sowhat reluctant.
But now?
This felt entirely appropriate.
He nodded.
And just like that, the governance of an entire region was settled in a few words.
From that point forward, Lake-town was officially part of Garrett's domain. And not long after, its residents learned how to "fish" using so rather peculiar-looking rods.
Aquatic products would remain its local specialty.
It was a big matter, but neither of the two treated it as such.
Garrett genuinely didn't consider the land particularly significant. Bard was simply accustod to such developnts.
At that mont, the newly appointed Governor looked at Garrett and suddenly asked:
"By the way, I've been curious, what's that item you've been holding?"
"Gift box. A kid gave it to ."
Garrett lifted the small box in his hand and shook it gently.
"Ah, that one."
Bard nodded in recognition.
"That's a traditional toy from Lake-town. Just pull the string, and the wrapping and the box inside will spring open. Usually, they contain small sweets or other little keepsakes. Judging by the sound, I'd guess this one has—"
"Stop!"
Garrett quickly cut him off.
"If you tell , it won't be a surprise. Let open it myself."
"Of course."
Bard blinked innocently.
Garrett let out a sigh and said, "There really aren't many people as calm as you. If everyone could value their ho more than gold and power, this world would be a much better place."
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