’Instead of letting people inquire amongst themselves privately,’ Marcus Monroe thought, ’it would be better to set up proper stalls for open and aboveboard trading. That would be much easier to manage.’
Once they had a proper trading district, they would also need to build an entertainment district and a lodging area.
People from other bases wouldn’t just leave immediately after a transaction. Besides, some deals couldn’t be settled in a single day. If they stayed, they would need lodging, food, and drink. Naturally, they’d also need entertainment during their downtime, like gathering in small groups for a drink.
All in all, Bloodfall could earn some extra money on the side!
Lastly, there was the training ground.
It wouldn’t require much of a setup, but it would take up a significant amount of space.
Marcus Monroe tallied up all the areas that needed to be built or renovated and quickly had his subordinates draw up blueprints. As he looked them over, he felt more than ever that the base was too small.
But now wasn’t a good time for expansion.
The base was in a valley. If they were to expand upon the original foundation, their only option would be to push into Flatridge. But doing so would be equivalent to dismantling their own natural barrier, which was not a good idea.
So after considering it for a while, he gave up on the idea.
However, the surrounding mountains couldn’t be left idle. In addition to planting, he also chose some locations to carve out numerous warehouses, which was a good way to save space.
Only after he had arranged everything properly did he show the blueprints to Paige Summers.
After looking them over, she laughed. "I knew this wasn’t a small project, but from the looks of it, you’re planning to give the base a complete makeover! Then again, with this layout, it really does look much more legitimate."
Marcus Monroe raised an eyebrow. "Of course. We had fewer people before, so it didn’t matter if we just muddled through. Not anymore. If we’re going to do this, we have to lay a solid foundation. That way, even if our population grows, there won’t be any major issues as long as everyone follows the rules."
Paige Summers shrugged. "I have no doubt you’ll handle it well."
Sitting at the table, she propped up her elbows. After thinking for a long while, she suddenly said, "Do you think... Lucian isn’t coming back because we’re managing too much of the base’s affairs? Maybe he feels a bit uncomfortable but finds it hard to say anything, so he’s staying away to avoid it?"
The corner of Marcus Monroe’s mouth twitched. He looked her up and down. "If he were the type to think that way, I would’ve stopped caring long ago. He’s your friend—don’t you know what kind of person he is?"
"Oh, come on! It was just a random guess. Otherwise, why won’t he come back?"
"He has his own reasons for not returning. Don’t let your imagination run wild; it’s not good for you!"
Paige Summers let out a chuckle.
"You think I’m being petty? Well, it’s all your fault. You won’t let me do anything, so I’m bored all day. It’d be harder *not* to let my mind wander!"
Marcus Monroe pulled her into a helpless embrace, gently stroking her belly. "But my mother said the first three months of pregnancy are the most critical. You absolutely can’t get tired!"
Paige Summers watched him with amusement. He had been so busy lately, running around for everything. He was still his usual serious self outside, but he became much softer after coming home. His care for her was exceptionally meticulous; he wouldn’t tolerate her feeling even the slightest discomfort.
It wasn’t just with her; he was very good-tempered with Wendy Lowell, too.
He took all her advice about precautions during pregnancy to heart.
She would have found this impossible to imagine in the past.
’Sure enough, men who are about to become fathers gain a greater sense of responsibility. He’s matured so much.’
Of course, she loved it.
However, she had never been a delicate, pampered girl. Perhaps she was just used to being busy, because suddenly relaxing made her feel restless all over. She had actually wanted to suggest he didn’t need to be so cautious several times, but whenever she saw the concern in his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to say it. She could only be patient.
"Alright, I’ll listen to you. Thankfully, the first three months are almost over. After that, I really don’t want to spend my days just eating and sleeping!"
Marcus Monroe nodded. "Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t. Once the base renovations are complete, you’ll have more than enough to keep you busy."
That seemed to have placated Paige Summers.
Since the changes concerned the entire base, Marcus Monroe still had a message sent to Lucian Chapman.
A reply came back quickly, telling him to handle everything with full authority and that Lucian himself had no objections.
Marcus Monroe smiled.
Remembering what Paige Summers had brought up, he questioned the messenger in detail about the recent situation in Southreach and with Lucian Chapman.
"...It will probably take some time for Maisie Joyce to truly secure the City Lord’s seat. The Clan Leaders of both the Woods and Forrest Families were killed, and that’s not something that can be easily smoothed over. While nothing has broken out into the open, those two families have already allied in private. The thing is, they didn’t have designated successors, so they’re completely leaderless. They probably don’t have what it takes to defeat Maisie Joyce. On top of that, it looks like Colin Koenig has been won over. He’s already treating Maisie Joyce as the City Lord."
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