The two gentlemen in the same carriage had a very detailed understanding of Beldyran, one of whom had his own property there, and the other's son lived there all year round. After they learned the purpose of Jenkins' trip and the possibility of becoming a real nobleman, they enthusiastically introduced the city to him.
This is useful, and while Jenkins isn't planning on wandering around town, at least he can "travel" around town this way.
In the end, the train arrived at the capital two hours late, which is considered very punctual. Carrying the suitcase and saying goodbye to the friends I just met, I walked out along the passage dedicated to the VIP carriage, and the carriage marked with the holy emblem of the sage had already stopped there.
When the Church of the Sages set the location of the Holy See in the local area, it was just an empty plain. At least before the disintegration of the ancient Shikali Empire, the significance of the town of Beldyran was only a holy place in the hearts of the believers of the sages.
The ancient Hikari Empire was finally divided up by its three grand dukes, and the Fidetictli Empire, which occupied the central part of the continent, had to withstand attacks from the northern and southern kingdoms at the same time, despite its superior location.
In those war years, the royal family had to seek help from the church to stabilize the situation. In the end, I don't know what kind of agreement was reached. In short, the capital was finally set on the side of the small town of Beldyran.
The town ceased to exist, and the capital of the new kingdom rose on the plain.
Beldiran Railway Station is in the north of the city, while the Holy See is in the south of the city. It was still midnight when the carriage drove Jenkins through the city.
Compared with Nolan City, Beldyland's air condition is not bad, and it has taken the lead in setting up gas stove lamps on the main road. The dim light illuminates the quiet road. This scene makes Jenkins feel a little sad for some reason.
Even though Jenkins' identity could not be disclosed at will, the priest who greeted him still had a high status. This should be an old man who is older than the old bishop of Norland Diocese. Although he is wearing the most common priest's robes, he looks very luxurious.
"First rule out that this is not the Pope. I have seen his oil paintings."
He thought silently in his heart, because after getting into the carriage and introducing each other, the old man kept looking at him with a smile and didn't speak, which made the carriage with only two people awkward.
"Beldyland seems to be warmer than Nolan."
As usual, conversations with men begin with the weather, conversations with women begin with what the other person is wearing.
"Really? This may be because Nolan is closer to the sea."
The so-called Mandarin does not exist in the Kingdom of Fidetictli, and the old priest's accent is heavier than Nolan's accent, but he can still hear clearly.
"The municipal construction of Beldyland is really good. I mean, compared to Nolan, installing street lights for the main road is really the right choice."
"You're quite right, but the money is going to come out of taxes and the distribution of that money has been a bone of contention for MPs for years."
He stretched out his hand and pointed to the lampposts standing on the dark and empty streets: "You see, even many citizens think that since there is no need to travel at night, why spend this gold pound."
He is right. Although the steam industry has promoted the development of all aspects of society, the night life of ordinary citizens is still limited to their homes. Only those who occasionally travel at night and encounter accidents know how precious the light at night is.
"It doesn't have to be paid by the kingdom."
Jenkins hugged the cat and stared at the thriving city with Chocolate. The steam industry has left a heavier trace here, and thanks to the worship of steam machinery, the decoration style of the house is also very metallic.
Only the familiar burnt smell and the faint haze in the air made Jenkins feel like Nolan here.
He and Chocolate, one is "Country Boy" and the other is "Country Cat". They have never seen such a big scene.
"If the kingdom doesn't pay, is it necessary to raise donations? This is indeed a good idea, after all, no one needs lights at night..."
the old man asked thoughtfully.
"No, no, no, please don't treat municipal construction as a pure investment. You see, these lampposts are standing here, and anyone who passes by can see them. If the kingdom allows merchants to post their product information here, wouldn't it Not everyone who walks by can see it? Merchants will figure this out sooner or later, maybe they already did, so laws are needed to protect the interests of legitimate posters before the lights are erected."
The old man raised his eyebrows.
"If you really want to use this method to raise funds, it is best to clearly explain the useful life of the lamppost advertising space, so that it can continue to function. Of course, for the management of illegal postings, the content restrictions of advertisements, The specific contract management and other details are very complicated. But as long as you want to do it, public construction has never been a game of simply playing with gold pounds. The times are different, and if you want to earn gold pounds, there will always be a way.”
"Is this what you thought of?"
The old priest was stunned for a long time before asking in surprise.
"Yes."
He blushed and nodded, which was regarded by the other party as a sign of humility.
"And far beyond that, churches can invest in that as well."
He looked at the small piece of ground under the gas lamp, even though it was early winter, there were still moths flying there.
"We don't need to engrave holy emblems or scriptures on it. We just need to engrave some holy scriptures that are familiar to the people in the most conspicuous places. This will give us another excuse to 'enhance the cultural construction of the royal capital'. Once Look, watch it twice, watch it for a year in a row, you can always remember the content of the street lamps in your heart, which is much more worry-free and money-saving than public preaching.”
The old priest was already looking at him in awe. After a long time, he closed his eyes and lowered his head, facing Jenkins and drawing the holy emblem on his chest.
"I have known for a long time that the choice of a sage is never wrong. Saint William, you are the incarnation of a sage in the world, and you are the saint who came to the world."
He said in a trembling voice.
"Please don't say that. Everything in this world has its own value, and all I can do is see it in advance."
Jenkins explained in a panic, regretting that he had said so much just now. His biggest fear is that someone will hold him too high and then have to participate in some troublesome stuff.
"If you also go into business, no one in this world can compete with you."
"No, no, no, I will never do business. I have a greater pursuit."
He said reverently, and then laughed himself.
The old priest also smiled with satisfaction.