Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 265: Pioneer and Receive the "Well-off" Three-Piece Set
Sandra and her group were arranged to rest overnight at the territory guesthouse, and then early in the morning they were dragged by Egno to the city hall to register their identities. Chris, one of the guarantors, also skipped work for half a day to accompany them.

"Little Sandra, do you think that Pioneer Territory is different from other cities you've been to in the South Territory?"

When Egno heard Chris ask this, he couldn't help but roll his eyes helplessly. This guy was going to start showing off again.

The young hybrid was quite honest. After looking around for a while, he scratched his head and said, "That's quite different. Not only is the entire territory pristine and clean, with not a single speck of feces on the ground, but many of the things I've seen along the way are completely new and unique."

He pointed at a bicycle that passed by the crowd and said in amazement, "For example, this alchemical mount that looks like a metal frame is obviously not a living thing, but it can move forward rapidly on two wheels just by the rider's legs. It's simply amazing!"

Another half-elf beside him stared up at the barrel-shaped iron towers rising tall behind the row of concrete houses and exclaimed, "What are these giant iron towers for? Why is there one every other row of houses? They appear to be made of sheet iron. What noble lord wouldn't use wrought iron to make weapons instead of wasting it on building something like this?"

Chris immediately shook his head proudly. He had also participated in the design and manufacture of the water tower and the warm water supply system. He had to brag about it in front of these little bumpkins from the southern border.

"This is called a high-pressure water tower. It's a civilian facility that uses alchemical instruments to directly extract river water, filter it, and heat it. Any house equipped with this water tower will have instant access to boiling hot water simply by turning on the water valve. Even in the wilderness winter, there's no need to worry about the water source freezing."

Sandra then remembered that they had seen that kind of brass water valve in the bathroom of the guesthouse. Because no one knew how to use it, no one dared to try it. Now they realized that hot water could flow out of it.

Egno looked at the slightly embarrassed expressions of his fellow tribesmen and said with a reassuring smile, "Throw away those backward life experiences of the past. This is a completely different new home. Believe me, before long, you will all love and enjoy life here."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but exchange a glance with Chris. For some reason, when they were introducing the territory to the newcomers, they felt an inexplicable sense of pride and joy in their hearts, as if they were showing off their important experimental inventions. They felt both satisfied and proud.

……

After completing their identity registration at the service window of the city hall, seven or eight timid young half-elves sucked their punctured fingers and each received a small card that shone with a soft fluorescent light.

"Take good care of your ID cards and always carry them with you in case of inspection. If you lose them, come here as soon as possible to apply for a new one. Whether you rent a house or collect your salary, you rely on this small document." Egno never tired of reminding his fellow tribesmen repeatedly, consciously shouldering the responsibility of an elder to take care of the younger generation.

Like him, many of these young half-blood elves were orphaned early on. Since birth, they have been hiding and living in seclusion in various places in the southern border because of their half-blood identity. Some of them have even been arrested and detained for long periods of time by the Federation, and their lives have always been very difficult.

"Mr. Egno, we don't have the money to rent a house right now, but don't worry. We made plans when we came here. We will build a shed outside the city as a temporary shelter and move in when we have money..." This group of young people held their identity documents that represented their acceptance into this territory and discussed excitedly, with smiles of anticipation and satisfaction on their faces.

They did not think that after being accepted by the lord through Egno's relationship, they would naturally rely on their fellow clan elders, but planned to make a living here by relying on their own efforts.

Egno felt a pang of pain in his heart, and quickly raised his hand to stop their discussion. He said gently, "Don't worry, we've already arranged accommodation for you. We wouldn't want you to live in the wilderness outside the city. Come with me... I'll take you to the apprentice apartment!"

...Sandra looked at the three or four-story gray concrete house in front of her and was so surprised that she didn't know how to start.

"Magic building? Is this a magical building like the Mage Tower? Are we qualified to live here?"

"Mr. Egno, the job you mentioned in your letter is to serve as an experimental assistant or apprentice for a certain spellcaster in the territory?"

"The golden tree is above! There's more than just one. Look, there are two identical buildings behind. Oh! There are gardens in front and behind each building. These plants are grown by the catalysis of magic!"

"Even the private estates of noble lords aren't as beautiful and comfortable as this place... I can't believe we can live here."

Egno listened to the young people's exclamations and couldn't help but smile.

"Alright, alright! Everyone, please be quiet. From now on, you will be Potions apprentices. The territory will provide you with housing free of charge. It's in this building right in front of you. Each of you will have a single room with a private bathroom. The two buildings behind it will house magic apprentices and alchemy apprentices respectively. Once you get familiar with them, you can interact with them more often. They are all very friendly."

Everyone cheered upon hearing this, but Sandra looked a little worried. She approached Egno and asked cautiously, "Mr. Egno, you've provided us with a place to stay for no reason. Don't that mean we don't have to work for the Lord?"

"Of course you have to work, and study at the same time. You only need to work with me in the Magical Botanical Garden for half a day every day, and spend the rest of the time studying at the Spellcaster School. Mr. Chris and I will also serve as teachers at the school."

The youngest half-blood elf asked timidly, "Then...will we still get paid for our work?"

"Of course. Although it's not as much as what the soldiers in the army have, it's enough for you to eat whatever you want, buy some new clothes, and improve your quality of life."

"I...I want a bicycle that I can pedal quickly with my legs."

Egno led the young people into the lobby on the first floor of the apartment building and said with a smile, "We'll have bicycles. There's a special store selling them in the market area. You can buy one for just 300 gold yuan. Apprentices can get discounts and pay in installments by showing their ID cards."

"You know, a bicycle is one of the three standard items of well-off equipment for the people of the territory. Not just you, almost everyone wants to own one."

“What is the three-piece set of Xiaokang?”

Egno pointed to the brass metal pipes mounted on the wall and said with a smile, "The heated water supply in the house, the lightweight and fast bicycles, and the magic lights hanging from the roof—these are the three essential elements of a comfortable life in the Frontier Territory!"

(End of this chapter)