"The transformation is absolutely remarkable."
Gazing across this bustling urban landscape, Levi couldn't suppress a profound sense of amazement at what had been accomplished here.
Compared to Roadside Fort, Dale housed far more people, creating a completely different dynamic. With sufficient resources and adequate housing available, they had immediately formed a thriving city upon settling in, efficiently managing all essential facilities without missing a beat.
The marketplace buzzed with active merchants conducting honest business, the city walls were properly staffed with vigilant guards, every house sheltered contented residents, and children's laughter echoed through streets that had once known only desolation.
This represented Dale's remarkable current state.
Merchants, yes, there were quite a substantial number of traders operating here now. Unlike Roadside Fort's unique economic system, Dale's residents had maintained their traditional living habits and commercial structures, carefully balancing the wealth in their hands according to generations of accumulated experience, allowing currency to flow naturally and serve as a reliable medium of exchange.
Although monetary circulation and conventional wealth trading remained fundamental to daily life, the baseline standard of living had obviously been elevated dramatically. What had once represented the upper limits of prosperity for most people now served merely as the minimum acceptable threshold.
Despite numerous differences from Roadside Fort's more revolutionary approach, this place had also managed to ensure that even those with lower productivity and the occasionally lazy could live comfortably, while the diligent and industrious could achieve genuinely prosperous lives.
Bard wasn't the type of leader who would clutch enormous wealth jealously and refuse distribution even if it rotted unused in storage. Nor was he the kind of ruler who would hoard opportunities and resources, fearing that others might use them to improve their own circumstances.
Only evil dragons behaved with such destructive selfishness.
Neither Bard nor Levi, these two participants in dragon-slaying, had been corrupted by the fell beast's influence. The dragon slayers had been stained with dragon blood but had not transformed into dragons themselves.
They didn't mind their wealth flowing outward to benefit others, though certainly not through mindless scattering like coins thrown skyward for random collection. Rather, they distributed resources thoughtfully according to circumstances, allowing wealth to circulate reasonably without overwhelming existing systems.
"Lord, this is for you!"
While walking and observing the vibrant roadside scenery, a young child suddenly ran toward him, eagerly extending an item from his small hands.
It was a small box wrapped in brilliantly colored paper, clearly crafted with considerable care and attention.
"What might this be?"
Levi crouched down to the child's eye level, asking with genuine curiosity while gently patting the boy's head with paternal affection.
"A gift I made all by myself!" the child announced with obvious pride.
"You just need to pull this little string here, and it will 'pop' open with a surprise, then you can see what's hidden inside!"
"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful."
Levi smiled warmly and replied: "Thank you so much, young man. I'll open it very carefully when the time is right."
"I'm tremendously looking forward to discovering what treasures you've hidden inside."
"Mm!" The child nodded enthusiastically and scampered back toward his home, practically glowing with satisfaction.
Levi, carefully cradling the precious gift box, asked several residents for directions, navigated through a few winding corners, and eventually located Bard's modest dwelling.
"Your residence is remarkably inconspicuous," Levi observed with mild amusement.
"As long as it provides adequate shelter and comfort, that's sufficient for my needs," Bard replied pragmatically.
He opened the wooden door and welcomed Levi inside with genuine warmth. His living space proved no different from any other resident's quarters, just an ordinary small house furnished with practical necessities. Without specific directions, no visitor would suspect this was where Dale's deputy administrator, the legendary dragon-slaying archer Bard, actually resided.
"Why don't you occupy the grand hall your ancestors constructed at the city's highest point?"
The imposing structure crowning Dale's peak deserved more than the simple term 'hall.' A more accurate description would be 'palace,' befitting the rulers who had once commanded this prosperous realm.
"It remains unrepaired after decades of neglect," Bard explained with practical reasoning.
"And there are still residents without proper homes. How could I justify having them waste precious time and resources on that massive building? Such luxury projects should wait until every citizen's basic needs are completely satisfied."
He paused thoughtfully before adding: "Besides, I'm merely Dale's deputy administrator. Even if it were fully restored, you should be the one residing there as rightful lord."
"My current accommodations suit me perfectly well."
Levi shook his head with gentle disagreement: "Although you say that with conviction..."
"I haven't truly fulfilled any lordly duties except claiming territorial rights for administrative purposes."
"Don't diminish your contributions, Levi," Bard responded with obvious amazement.
"Haven't done anything? No, you've accomplished far too much for any reasonable person to manage."
"Those towering, impregnable city walls, over a thousand iron golems protecting our safety day and night, miraculous seeds that grow with supernatural speed, plus that extraordinary construction magic that can harvest building materials and transport them with impossible efficiency..."
"Virtually all the substantial wealth and security here was created through your efforts, while I simply performed routine management based on these incredible foundations."
"Honestly, almost anyone else could have achieved similar administrative results."
"Enough, enough." Levi couldn't endure more self-deprecation.
"Stop belittling yourself so unnecessarily. Anyone else? Try replacing yourself with Alfrid and see what disasters unfold."
"Just occupy the hall when I tell you to. It's not as if I lack comfortable accommodations elsewhere. That ancestral hall isn't worthy of my personal attention."
By this point, Levi had reached a clear understanding of Bard's character.
The man possessed both virtue and genuine talent but seemed somewhat deficient in personal ambition. Actually, that assessment wasn't entirely accurate either. Bard didn't truly lack aspirations. After all, before the war erupted, he had intended to participate in Lake-town's mayoral selection process. Those plans had simply been derailed because the corrupt Master had been actively suppressing all opposition.
He appeared somewhat passive now only because the people surrounding him possessed overwhelming capabilities. If Dale lacked strong leadership, he would willingly step forward to guide his people. But since a living legend whose abilities surpassed his own in every conceivable aspect already occupied that role...
Bard preferred to relax and support from a comfortable distance.
"Are you genuinely content with this arrangement?"
Levi settled at the small table beside the crackling fireplace, studying Bard across the modest space.
"This represents your ancestors' proud legacy. If Smaug hadn't suddenly descended to destroy everything, you would be Dale's rightful lord at this very moment."
"Yet with just one casual sentence from me, you surrendered this territory's inheritance rights without hesitation."
Bard shook his head with quiet conviction: "That was my own deliberate choice. Besides, what could I possibly have accomplished even if I hadn't relinquished those rights? Despite past prosperity and glory, that was history. Only ruins remained when you arrived, and I could have done absolutely nothing meaningful."
"Rather than fussing over inheritance rights to devastated ruins, it seemed far wiser to transfer them to someone who genuinely needed them and could make infinitely better use of such resources."
"I wouldn't claim to need them personally, but I can indeed make productive use of territorial authority when circumstances require."
Claiming ownership of Dale had only been necessary because the situation had been somewhat urgent during wartime. For settlements like this, Levi could construct numerous examples whenever practical needs arose.
Levi considered the broader implications thoughtfully before speaking: "Lake-town and Dale... these two communities are intimately connected through history and geography. They really shouldn't remain administratively separated."
"Why don't you merge these locations under unified governance?" Bard suggested with obvious practicality.
"Excellent proposal."
"From this moment forward, you'll serve as the Governor of both territories."
"Huh?" Bard's eyes widened with surprise.
"The direct administrator responsible for both communities and their surrounding regions."
"Alright." Bard chose to accept this expanded responsibility without further hesitation.
If some random person had casually decided such a monumentally important matter affecting thousands of lives, he would definitely have raised serious objections and demanded extensive discussion. But Levi possessed proven judgment and extraordinary capabilities.
Following his administrative arrangements had consistently produced beneficial results for everyone involved.
In fact, even Lake-town's notoriously corrupt former Master had once gained Bard's temporary loyalty through nothing more than flowery rhetoric and empty promises.
Facing that duplicitous politician, he had felt considerable reluctance and moral compromise. But now, serving under Levi's clear vision and genuine care for people's welfare...
This arrangement felt remarkably satisfying and purposeful.
Bard nodded with growing confidence in the decision.
A major administrative matter involving the jurisdiction of an entire populous region was thus decided through just a few minutes of rational conversation.
From this day forward, Lake-town would also fall within Levi's territorial scope, and residents there would soon learn to "fish" using somewhat unusual-looking fishing rods that defied conventional understanding. Various aquatic products would remain their economic specialty, but enhanced through mysterious means.
The matter carried enormous significance for thousands of people, yet neither leader's reaction seemed particularly dramatic or stressed.
Levi genuinely didn't consider territorial expansion his primary concern, while Bard had simply grown accustomed to witnessing remarkable changes implemented through decisive leadership.
At this moment, Dale's newly appointed chief governor looked at Levi with obvious curiosity and suddenly asked: "Speaking of which, I'm somewhat intrigued by what you've been holding in your hand throughout our conversation..."
"A gift box, presented to me by a thoughtful child."
Levi held up the small decorated container and shook it gently, producing a faint rattling sound.
"Oh, that particular style," Bard said with immediate recognition.
"That's a traditional specialty toy from Lake-town. You simply pull the string to simultaneously open both the decorative packaging and the box concealed inside."
"Usually these charming toys contain small candies or other commemorative trinkets that children treasure."
"From my experience listening to the sound it makes, judging by the distinctive rattle, what you have there should contain..."
"Stop!" Levi quickly interrupted with obvious alarm.
"If you reveal the contents, there won't be any delightful surprise remaining. Please let me discover it myself through the intended experience."
"Alright, my apologies," Bard replied with an innocent expression.
Levi sighed with gentle amusement and said:
"But people as naturally composed and selfless as you are truly rare treasures in this world."
"If everyone could value their homeland's welfare over personal gold and political power, Middle-earth would be an infinitely more beautiful place for all."