Chapter 949: The Future of Witches
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
The new Sleeping Spell was not just a single building, but a residential district of nearly 7000 square meters.
As a key construction zone, it was not only equipped with water and heat supply, but the buildings were four-story frame houses that utilized the fully-tested concrete-pouring technology. The interior plan was exactly the same as that of the Witch Building.
Apart from that, Roland also established in the middle of the neighborhood a two-story conference hall for the Sleeping Island witches to organize activities.
On the first night that migrants arrived in Neverwinter, their welcome banquet was conducted here. And now, half a month later, the hall was once again packed full of witches.
Under the gaze of the audience, Tilly walked on to the podium and announced the recruitment order from Roland Wimbledon, as well as a brand-new salary system.
"... Work arrangements will be like this. 30% of the revenue brought in by witches shall be granted to the Sleeping Spell. This money will be used to improve everyone's lives, expand the scale of the district, and for other necessities," she spoke fervently with a slight smile. "It may seem, on first impression, that I've been undercut by my elder brother. After all, you may know that when we were in Sleeping Island, we collected all of the commission paid by the Fjords' merchants, but in reality, they took the opportunity to put forth several conditions, such as making sure we purchased their grains and products at high prices, and thus the money we obtained at the end of the day was heavily reduced. There aren't as many strings attached over here."
"This amount that Roland is offering will certainly exceed our income in Sleeping Island. Plus, the work will generally require nothing except magic power, and there won't be any excursions to dangerous places. Hence, our work lives will be much easier. On comparison, it's clear that I didn't get undercut, and I can even be said to be the one taking advantage instead."
Her words induced soft bursts of laughter from the listening crowd.
"But!" Tilly abruptly raised her voice. "There's more reward which I haven't mentioned. In the past, no matter how much money we received from the Fjords' merchants, the money had to be pooled because of how destitute Sleeping Spell was. In the end, the only things handed out to everyone were bread, cotton, and other such common things."
"But now, everyone will receive substantial rewards and not a bunch of intangible numbers. It'll be up to each person to decide how these rewards are used. Please open the envelopes on your tables now."
Molly had long noticed the envelope marked with a Graycastle High Tower stamp but had held off from touching it. She wasted no time tearing it open at the instant Lady Tilly made the request.
"Is this... Gwent, the new card game?" Shadow, who was sat beside Molly, bent her head over curiously.
"Take a look at your own." Molly turned her body sideways to block the latter's sight.
"Gee."
The envelope contained a palm-size paper which could not be any more glossy on appearance, yet that felt uneven on touch. Although it could be bent easily, it did not leave creases like normal paper.
Molly knew she liked the paper from her first sight of it.
It was, quite simply, a work of art.
Although it was much alike the Gwent cards which were popular within the Witch Union, she could tell the difference between them. It was extremely exquisite in design; the patterns on it were not just gorgeous and colorful, but also highly intricate, as if the lines were drawn using threads of hair. More than simply filling up space, they formed a variety of images and words.
For instance, on the front side of the paper was a High Tower and Spears emblem, while the rear side displayed a high mountain being shone on by the rising sun. Under each image were written the captions "Issued by the Graycastle Royalty" and "For exclusive use by witches", while the four corners of the paper were inscribed with three "10"s and an unknown symbol.
The thing that Molly was fond of was that the images on both sides would reflect golden light when the paper was rotated slightly, as if the patterns were lined with gold.
"Uh... I guess it isn't a Gwent card." Shadow had also discovered the paper's uniqueness. "I remember that the numbers on the cards were all on the same side."
"Is this a gift from His Majesty Roland?"
"But Lady Tilly clearly said that this is a reward."
"Oh... yours is the same as mine?" Orbit came over from the other side of the hall and joined in the conversation.
"Everyone's should be the same."
"What does this symbol mean?"
"Not sure, but I seem to have seen it somewhere..."
A flurry of whispering voices emerged in the conference hall. The witches were all fascinated by these lovely pieces of paper they had just obtained. It was only when Lady Tilly began to speak again that the discussions abated.
"The thing you're holding is called a note. It has the same function as coins, the difference being that this type of note is only given to witches and can only be used by witches."
"Lady Tilly, you mean that it's a gold royal made of paper?" Someone asked.
"You may understand it that way. But it can be used to buy certain things which are hard to purchase with gold royals." Tilly nodded. "For example, the 10 yuan note that everyone's holding can be used to obtain a full bottle of Chaos Drink or five servings of strawberry ice cream in the Castle District."
Molly began to salivate irresistibly.
She still fondly remembered the few types of delicacy she tasted at the welcome banquet; they were above anything she had ever imagined. In particular, the latter's rich pink color, soft texture, and luscious flavor seemed to bring together the finest descriptions she could conceive of. When compared to it, the salty fish soup of the Fjord Islands could not even be called food.
And now, this beautiful piece of paper could be used to redeem a whopping five portions of the delicacy she could never forget.
Judging from the fervent reaction of the crowd, she was not the only one who was hugely excited about this.
"And, of course, there'll be more than just food to redeem, such as things to wear and use. Any new goods produced in Neverwinter will be first available in the Castle District's shops." Tilly continued aloud. "To put it simply, notes will be your reward for responding to this recruitment drive. The amount that you receive will also be adjusted according to your number of working hours. I should, however, point out that it isn't a living necessity. Even those who choose not to work will be well looked after. It can more accurately be seen as a prize that adds a little extra to life. Thus, whether or not to accept recruitment shall be left to each one of you to decide."
Surprisingly, a boisterous discussion did not ensue. All of the witches continued to place their attention on Lady Tilly, perhaps knowing that their leader had more to say.
"But, my sisters, this matter isn't only about enjoyment." Tilly slowed her tone. "Remember the unfair treatment we faced after our awakenings? At that time, most of us had the same thought - that it would be good enough for there to be a place where witches may live together with normal people."
After a short pause, she continued in an assertive tone. "So, this concerns the future of all our sisters. There won't be a better opportunity to allow more people to understand us."