"In fact, if your wooden token is damaged, making a new one yourself isn’t a big problem, as long as you carve the exact sa number from the original token onto the new one. This number corresponds to the information recorded when you registered with the Agricultural Departnt.
However, if you forge any other number and once it’s suspected, compared against the records of the Agricultural Departnt, proving you are not who the record says you are, you will have violated the tribe’s decree and will face severe punishnt!"
Emrich’s warning made many quickly put their wooden tokens close to their bodies, and so looked at the numbers on the tokens repeatedly, feeling that these strange symbols were filled with mystery.
Emrich led them to the Civil Affairs Departnt courtyard next door for registration.
The registration room was similar to the Agricultural Departnt, with rows of wooden shelves piled with papyrus and wood boards. The Civil Affairs Bureau also used the newly made paper.
However, the registration process was relatively simple. A subordinate just wrote down Gowes’s na, his Reserve Tribe mber number, and the registration date, then solemnly said: "Gowes, you joined the tribe and beca a Reserve Tribe mber on March 5th, the second year of the Nix Tribe’s establishnt. Please rember this day well.
If all goes well, in three years’ ti, you will beco an Official Tribe mber of the Nix Tribe, owning 50 acres of land! Of course, if during these three years, you make significant contributions to the tribe and earn rewards, shortening the ti for you to beco an Official Tribe mber, you would return here to register again!
Work hard, Gowes, I hope you can soon beco one of our Official Tribe mbers! Co, put your handprint here first!"
The Civil Affairs Bureau subordinate’s words were very encouraging. After hearing Emrich’s translation, Gowes couldn’t help but beco serious. He dipped his finger in so ink, took a deep breath, and pressed his handprint firmly on the paper.
When everyone finished registering and ca out of the Civil Affairs Departnt courtyard, most people’s spirits had noticeably changed from before because hope for the future had been planted in their hearts.
After leaving the Civil Affairs Departnt, Emrich took them into the Finance Departnt’s courtyard. They were no longer received by departnt subordinates, but by Chief Officer Gaius, who greeted them with a smile: "Emrich, you’ve co here today to receive supplies for your new Skodisqi compatriots, right?"
"Yes, there are seventy-three in total. They’ve completed the registration at the Agricultural Departnt and Civil Affairs Departnt successively and received their tokens."
"Then follow , you’re here at the perfect ti. The Pottery Workshop opened several kilns these days, producing a large batch of pots and bowls, so your new compatriots won’t have to receive rudintary wooden bowls and cups anymore."
"That’s great! Are there any linen sheets?"
"Unfortunately, there aren’t any... No way around it, the Aldeans grow too little flax, barely enough for themselves, and they’re unwilling to sell it to us. Pigeris has already suggested in a eting, ’allowing tribe mbers to offset so of their land taxes by submitting flax,’ hoping to encourage tribe mbers to plant flax. I believe by next year our Weaving Workshop will use flax to weave cloth. For now, they can only collect a small amount of wool, and the woven blankets are quite valuable and cannot be given to Reserve Tribe mbers...
However, you don’t need to worry too much. It’s spring now, the nights aren’t that cold, and with hearths, you can sleep well without a sheet."
"You’re right." Emrich replied and casually asked, "Gaius, every ti you lead the way personally, why don’t you let one of your subordinates do this simple task?"
"They’re busy! Since we settled here, we’ve been building various facilities, constantly receiving new materials such as wood, stone bricks, and cent into the warehouse, and constantly sending out materials for consumption. My subordinates are busy recording and verifying these materials every day, fearful of making mistakes!
Now that the market has opened, we also have to verify the comrce tax records sent by the Comrce Departnt daily, keeping us extrely busy. I’m the only one with a bit of free ti, so..." Gaius shrugged, looking rather helpless.
From Emrich and Gaius’s frequent interactions, it seed that this Chief Officer of the Finance Departnt was a considerate and hardworking superior, though Emrich also heard others say that Gaius was perfunctory and indifferent to his work when in Italy and was not favored by the leader. His current diligence was to make up for past mistakes.
Of course, Emrich was not foolish enough to share this view with Gaius. He was curious and asked, "I’ve been busy in the hospital recently and wonder what things can be bought at the market now?"
"The first things sold in the market were various furniture made by the Furniture Workshop. Subsequently, the Weaving Workshop put various straw shoes, baskets, and bags made of reeds and straw for sale, along with a few woven wool blankets and cloths. Now, the Pottery Workshop is also selling its products in the market... These items are very cheap, so many tribesn go to the market to buy things. It’s getting quite lively there; you should really check it out!"
"Is everyone still buying on credit notes?"
"Of course, everyone has no money now and can only write credit notes, paying back with grain after the autumn harvest. However, these credit notes are increasing, and we, the Finance Departnt, are responsible for them, which is very exhausting!"
"Indeed, every departnt has it tough now." Emrich sighed, "But on the flip side, it’s also a great thing! It shows our tribe is vibrant and developing rapidly!"
"Ha ha, you’re absolutely right!"
...
The two continued chatting as they walked and soon reached their destination.
This place was once where the Segestica people stored war materials, and has now beco the warehouse area of the Finance Departnt. Because of this, a simple wooden fence was built around it, with soldiers guarding the periter. The central area of the warehouse used to be a large open space, but now it’s full of timber piles. There are four tall, long storerooms around it.
Gaius led them to the outermost storeroom, whose door was open with a long wooden table blocking the entrance. A person sat behind it, stood up to greet Gaius as he approached.
"Arisacus, another batch of Reserve Tribe mbers have co today. Please help them collect their supplies."
"Sure." Arisacus glanced at Gowes and the others, then entered the storeroom, laboriously pushing out a large wooden basket filled with pots, followed by another basket filled with bowls.
anwhile, Emrich had already lined up the tribesn, with Gowes standing at the front of the line.
After pushing out a basket of straw shoes, Arisacus returned to his seat and said in halting Illyrian, "Give your token."
Gowes complied.
Arisacus examined the token carefully and, after confirming the other person’s na, wrote down the na and number on a piece of paper, then took a pair of straw shoes and a wooden spoon, along with a pot and a bowl, placing them on the table.
Then he said, "These are the items issued to you Reserve Tribe mbers by the tribe. Check them well for any issues. If there aren’t any, put your handprint on the paper."
This Nix Tribe actually gives supplies... Gowes was a bit taken aback as he looked at the items on the table: although the shoes were woven from straw, they were finely made; the pot and bowl glead black and smooth to the touch, with no obvious flaws. The pottery walls were thick, feeling heavy when held... clearly not crudely made cheap goods.
"This pottery looks pretty good!" Emrich’s praise sounded in his ear.
"Of course." Gaius picked up the conversation, complinting, "Don’t be fooled by the fact that the Pottery Workshop was established not long ago; these potters are making pottery here for the first ti, but they’re the best potters from Sarabia. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have brought them here.
When they delivered the pottery, they specifically ntioned that the soil here was suitable for making black pottery. They still need so ti to explore further to create better pottery.
Since the tribe is in urgent need of pottery now, they have to make it quickly to et the tribesn’s needs. Later, when there’s more ti, they will let the bottle painters paint patterns on the pottery blanks for firing, creating real pottery art...
The pottery they sent is relatively simple; the truly beautiful and complex pottery has been sent to the market to sell. We’ve strictly reviewed the pottery sent here, sending back any with chips or cracks, so you can be completely assured."
Having been slaves in the Pannonian Tribe for more than a decade, these Skodisqi people always worked barefoot and ate communally using a single spoon from a pot. Now that they owned their shoes and utensils, they felt quite moved.
Soone imdiately put on the straw shoes, walking back and forth in front of the storeroom, continuously saying, "So comfortable, so comfortable!"
Only Gowes remained silent.
Emrich noticed and walked over to say softly, "How is it? The Nix Tribe treats its Reserve Tribe mbers fairly well, right?"
Gowes hesitated a mont and said, "...They just want us to work hard."
Emrich said no more, took his leave from Gaius, and concernedly asked the tribesn, "Are you tired?"
"Not tired! Not tired!" The tribesn, still excited after receiving their goods, all shook their heads.
"Originally, I should have taken you to the Reserve Tribe mbers’ residential area, but many of you are injured, and I see so injuries are quite severe, so we must treat you imdiately. Therefore, I’ll take you to the hospital first."
"Sage, will you treat our wounds?"
"Sage, what is a hospital?"
...
The tribesn asked in succession.
"Follow , you’ll find out soon." Emrich didn’t want to waste ti explaining further and quickly led them to a relatively large courtyard.
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