After the tournament, Witte returned to the Citadel to continue his studies, all the while remotely managing his various businesses. The financial situation of Storm's End gradually improved. It couldn't compare to the accumulated wealth of Highgarden and the Westerlands, but it was a complete transformation from before.
Storm's End was originally just a military fortress, but now it was a city. Renly had already submitted a request to Robert to name the new area outside Storm's End as Storm's City.
Previously, there was only the castle and a few houses where the populace lived. Now, based on the blueprints Witte had provided, Renly was building the first outer wall. Inside, he planned an industrial zone directly belonging to Storm's End, including raw material warehouses, production areas, worker rest areas, logistics areas, and barracks. These areas were separated by independent walls and were known locally as the Storm's City Industrial Zone.
Outside this area, there were also plans for residential areas, commercial areas, and industrial zones for other merchants. An industry inevitably spurred other industries. With the establishment of the Storm's End clock and the chocolate factory, other merchants also built their own businesses nearby, including transportation, lumber, blacksmiths, and sugar refineries.
The wages for workers in the Storm's City Industrial Zone were generally higher than elsewhere, and the various managers were knighted by Renly. After work, these people also lived and settled in Storm's City. These high-income earners also needed to consume, which further stimulated other service industries, such as hotels, grocery stores, clothing stores, entertainment areas, and markets.
The entire Storm's City grew larger and larger, necessitating the construction of an outer wall for protection. Fortunately, it was surrounded by the sea on three sides, which saved a lot of money on wall construction.
Witte also planned a supporting drainage system. Storm's City was built on a cliff overlooking the sea, and without any chemical pollutants, wastewater could be directly discharged into the sea. The fish caught in the sea in recent years had also become much fatter.
The roads built within Storm's City were very wide, with green belts on both sides. There were also squares and parks in each small area for people to relax. The only downside was the strong wind, which made it impossible to plant trees. They were currently cultivating wind-resistant coconut and palm trees imported from Dorne, but it would take several years for these trees to mature.
Witte had achieved a lot academically at the Citadel, earning him some respect. After discussions with the current leadership, the Citadel opened up a new academic rank for craftsmen: Technician, Senior Technician, Engineer, and Grand Engineer. Apprentices had no title.
This academic ranking was for workers who specialized in a single discipline, such as architecture, metallurgy, or medicine. They didn't need to swear an oath to abandon their names, but they had to pay for their own exams, and the Citadel wouldn't help them find work.
Storm's End sent the blacksmith, Ser Donner Noyne, and his apprentices to the Citadel to take the exams. Donner, having been taught by Witte, had already qualified as an Engineer. Most of his apprentices had also become Technicians. His apprentices worked at the clock factory, and he was planning to take on a second group.
In Witte's fourth year at the Citadel, after discussions among the administrators and doctors, they decided to skip the Maester title and grant him the Archmaester title directly after he took his vows. If he weren't so young, they felt they could even grant him a Doctorate.
However, a letter from King Robert brought Witte back to King's Landing.
Witte knew that he had relied on copying knowledge from his previous life. Being just a regular university student who studied mechanics, he had deduced a lot using common sense from his previous world, achieving results through repeated experiments and the passage of time. Now, besides his knowledge of mechanics, he had reached the limit of his accumulation. In the future, he could only provide some directional guidance.
Therefore, Witte voluntarily dropped out, joining the ranks of dropouts from the higher universities, and went to fight for his ideals.
"I wonder what you wanted to talk about, meeting me in a place like this?"
"We're discussing things that aren't meant for the light of day. What do you think about Witte coming to King's Landing?"
"It's best to stay away from him. He's not like anyone else you know."
"I don't know him at all, so how can I stay away? I just want to serve the King diligently. I heard the Hand of the King is about to decide on a new Master of Coin, and I think I've done a good job in Gulltown."
"They say that Lord Baelish can turn one Gold Dragon into two with a flick of his wrist."
"I take that as a compliment. I don't care about the votes in the Small Council, I only care that I've lost some money recently, and I don't even know how much."
"The Master of Coin position goes to the most capable. It just depends on whether anyone else surpasses you."
The streets of King's Landing no longer stank. Witte's suggestion to Robert had been to fix the city's sanitation. Robert originally thought it wouldn't cost much, but the reality of building new drainage sewers, hiring farmers from outside the city to haul away waste, and constructing waste removal carts proved to be a considerable expense.
Robert, who was usually extravagant with his spending, wanted to cancel the policy. However, he was met with opposition from all the nobles in the city. No one wanted to return to the days of the pervasive stench. Robert himself didn't want to smell it either, so the policy was maintained and became a fixed expense for the kingdom.
Witte was ten years old this year. As the king's younger brother, he could still live in the Red Keep until he reached the age of sixteen. After returning from the Citadel, he had suggested to Robert that Barristan teach him swordsmanship. Now, he read in the library every morning and trained in the training grounds in the afternoons. Sometimes, he also discussed academic matters with Maester Pycelle. He always carried a book with him, looking every bit the scholar.
Three-year-old Joffrey ran away whenever he saw Witte. This was because Witte had once seen Joffrey urinating in the garden and flicked him on the forehead, giving him a bump. He had run crying to Cersei to complain. Cersei looked at Jaime; both were helpless. Should they flick him back? Cersei, at this point, was still relatively sane and only considered it a childish prank.
Witte was reading in the library, his eyes glancing at Pycelle.
The Archmaester's chain, made of twenty-four different metals, didn't seem to weigh him down, as he wore it around his neck every day. This man's knowledge was certainly not a problem; he could easily serve as a Royal Advisor.
But as a transmigrator, Witte knew Pycelle's background very well. This man had long ago violated the Maester's vows in private. Once he had broken it, there would definitely be a second, a third time… wait, finding women to sleep with but not marrying them didn't count as taking a wife, right? This loophole in the vows had not been changed for so many years. Was it intentionally left by the Citadel?
Witte looked at Pycelle. His hair was white, but he was still going strong, a match for Old Walder Frey.
Tywin had been Hand of the King for twenty years. House Lannister's influence in King's Landing ran deep. Witte needed to find a way to get the Citadel to replace Pycelle. Seemingly harmless in his daily life, Pycelle would stab anyone in the back at the first opportunity.
After a break for lunch, Witte went to the training grounds to receive training from Barristan. It wasn't every day; Old Bar's primary duty was as Captain of the Kingsguard, and he had a lot to do. He only taught in the afternoons three times a week.
Witte had known Barristan since childhood, and now he was his disciple. After they became familiar with each other, Witte called him Old Bar. Barristan's hair was completely white, making him seem old compared to Witte. He soon accepted the affectionate nickname, but he still got angry when others used it.
Witte arrived early. Only some Gold Cloaks were training. He was following his usual routine, holding a large book in his left hand, while practicing single-handed swordplay on a wooden dummy with his right hand, multitasking. After a while, however, he saw Robert arrive with Queen Cersei and little Joffrey, along with all seven members of the Kingsguard.
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