Chapter 135: The Roads of a Growing City

The reopening of several construction projects brought renewed activity to Althoff City, but it also exposed a problem that had been growing alongside the population.

There were simply too many people trying to use the same roads.

Every morning, farmers entered the Central Market with wagons of produce, merchants transported goods between warehouses and shops, and construction teams moved timber, stone, and bricks toward unfinished districts.

Residents traveling to work competed for space with delivery carts, while the occasional livestock herd created delays that could stretch across entire streets.

For a city that had once struggled to attract merchants, the congestion represented an encouraging sign of prosperity.

Unfortunately, prosperity did little to comfort a wagon driver trapped behind twelve other wagons.

Mara Kest discovered the full extent of the problem when she arrived at the Central Market shortly after sunrise and found a delivery cart blocking an intersection. Its rear wheel had sunk into a damaged section of road, preventing several heavily loaded wagons from passing.

"How long has this been happening?" Mara demanded, approaching the workers attempting to free the wheel.

The driver, a broad man with a weathered face, wiped sweat from his forehead before answering. "Nearly half an hour, Mistress Mara. I was bringing roofing tiles to the eastern construction sites when the wheel dropped into that hole. We’ve tried lifting it twice, but the load is too heavy."

Mara examined the damaged surface with a deepening frown. The road had been repaired several times, but constant wagon traffic and recent excavation work had weakened its foundation.

"Unload enough tiles to lighten the cart," Mara instructed. "I’ll send a crew to repair this section temporarily. Until then, direct the other wagons through the northern crossing."

By the time the obstruction was cleared, Mara had already decided that the city’s road improvements could no longer be treated as scattered construction assignments.

They needed a coordinated approach.

Later that morning, she met Talia inside the Administrative Hall, where a large map of Althoff City covered most of the conference table.

"The Central Market is becoming a bottleneck," Mara explained, marking the damaged intersection. "We keep repairing individual streets, but the traffic returns faster than we can strengthen them."

Talia studied the map thoughtfully. "Because the problem isn’t limited to road quality. Our busiest routes carry several different kinds of traffic, and almost everything passes through the Historical Core or Central Market. We need to distribute movement more efficiently."

She traced the major connections between the Historical Core, Residential District, Industrial District, and Warehouse District. Several routes existed only as temporary roads, while others had been designed before the city’s rapid population growth.

"The Warehouse District should have a more direct connection to the Industrial District," Talia continued. "Heavy freight shouldn’t need to travel through crowded commercial streets simply to reach workshops."

Mara nodded. "And the Residential District needs reliable routes to the market and employment areas. Workers shouldn’t spend half their mornings navigating construction barriers."

Their discussion was interrupted by Edric Sorn, who entered carrying a bundle of drainage plans. He examined the markings on the map before giving Mara a suspicious look.

"Please tell me you haven’t decided to pave all these roads immediately," Edric remarked.

Mara folded her arms. "Good morning to you too, Edric. And no, I haven’t forgotten that water apparently needs permission from your Department before anyone can build a street."

Edric ignored the teasing and spread his plans beside the city map. "Several of these routes still require drainage channels and water connections. If Construction lays permanent surfaces before my teams finish their work, we’ll have to excavate them again."

Talia examined the overlapping plans. "Then we’ll divide the improvements into sections. Your Department completes the underground infrastructure first, Mara’s teams prepare the road foundations afterward, and permanent surfacing follows inspection."

"That arrangement would be acceptable," Edric replied, visibly relieved. "Provided nobody changes the schedule without informing me."

Mara gave him a pointed look. "That applies to engineers as well."

By midday, the three officials had prepared a coordinated proposal identifying the city’s most important transportation routes.

Raymond received them in his study shortly afterward.

"Your Excellency, we recommend prioritizing five principal connections," Talia explained, spreading the revised map across his desk. "The Historical Core to the Central Market, the Central Market to the Residential District, the Industrial District to the Warehouse District, and the main routes connecting those areas to the city’s existing entrances."

Raymond examined the highlighted roads. "What about smaller neighborhood streets?"

"They’ll continue receiving maintenance and necessary improvements," Mara answered. "But the principal routes must come first. They’re carrying most of our commercial traffic, and their condition affects nearly every other construction project."

Raymond nodded thoughtfully. "Then proceed. However, I don’t want half the city closed to traffic at once. People still need to reach their homes, shops, and workplaces."

Talia smiled faintly. "We’ve already accounted for that, my Lord. Each major route will be divided into construction sections, with temporary access maintained wherever possible."

"Excellent," Raymond replied. "And please make sure the merchants know about closures before their wagons arrive and discover a trench where the road used to be."

The work began the following day.

Construction crews assembled along the designated routes, removing damaged surfaces, leveling uneven ground, and preparing foundations for stronger roads. Edric’s teams worked ahead of them, inspecting drainage channels and completing water connections before the road builders advanced.

The newly available bricks proved useful for selected drainage structures and supporting works, while stone from the western quarry supplied sections requiring greater durability.

Progress, however, was anything but smooth.

Near the Central Market, merchants complained that temporary barriers were discouraging customers. In the Residential District, several families objected to the noise beginning before sunrise. Delivery drivers frequently ignored posted diversions, only to discover that the streets ahead had been excavated.

Darric, Captain of the Althoff Watch, eventually assigned additional patrolmen to the busiest intersections.

"Your Excellency, my men have spent more time directing wagons than dealing with ordinary disturbances," Darric reported when Raymond visited the Central Market. "Yesterday, two merchants nearly started fighting because neither wanted to reverse his cart through a narrow street."

Raymond watched a patrolman guiding pedestrians around a construction barrier. "I suppose that’s one way to discover whether our Watch has sufficient patience."

Darric smiled wearily. "Their patience is being tested thoroughly, my Lord."

Raymond continued through the market with Mara, speaking to several shopkeepers whose businesses faced the construction works.

Elsa, the baker, greeted him from behind her counter, where trays of freshly baked bread filled the shelves.

"Your Excellency, I’m glad the roads are being improved," Elsa said, gesturing toward the workers outside. "But customers have been complaining about the dust. I’ve had to keep my windows closed throughout the morning."

Raymond glanced toward the excavation. "That’s understandable. We’ll arrange for the crews to control the dust near occupied shops whenever practical. How has business been otherwise?"

"Busy, my Lord," Elsa answered with a smile. "Those construction workers eat enough bread to feed a small army. If they could finish their work without covering my doorway in dirt, I’d have nothing to complain about."

Mara promised to adjust the barriers and improve access to the bakery. Raymond also instructed the construction supervisors to coordinate deliveries and particularly disruptive work around the busiest market hours.

These were small adjustments, but they mattered.

A city could not simply stop functioning while its infrastructure was rebuilt. Every street served people who depended upon it, and every construction decision affected businesses, households, and workers beyond the immediate project.

Over the following days, the Administration introduced clearer road closure notices, designated freight routes, and coordinated delivery schedules. Corvin arranged for heavy construction materials to travel along selected roads during quieter periods, reducing congestion around the Central Market.

Meanwhile, Edric’s insistence upon completing drainage first began producing visible results.

Newly finished road sections featured improved surfaces and properly connected drainage channels. Wagons traveled more smoothly, pedestrians found safer crossings, and merchants gradually discovered that the temporary inconvenience had produced genuine improvements.

Even Mara admitted that the coordination was working better than she had expected.

"The engineers are still slowing us down," she told Raymond during another inspection, "but at least they’re slowing us down before we waste money."

Edric, standing nearby, responded with an expression of exaggerated patience. "You’re welcome, Mistress Mara. I shall consider that the highest compliment Construction has ever offered my Department."

Raymond laughed as the two officials resumed discussing the next section of road.

That evening, he returned to the manor and found Alaric waiting with an updated development report.

"Your Excellency, the latest departmental assessments have been compiled," Alaric announced, placing the document upon Raymond’s desk. "The accelerated construction program has begun producing measurable results across several districts."

Raymond opened the report and examined the completed works, active projects, and revised schedules. Roads, drainage, residential construction, warehouses, and public facilities were all advancing.

Then he noticed the overall completion assessment.

His expression brightened.

The city’s development had progressed considerably since the Administration began coordinating its efforts.

And for the first time, completing Althoff’s ambitious first-stage plan no longer seemed like an impossibly distant goal.