How to Survive in the Roanoke Colony-Chapter 197: Dawn of Commerce (2)

So he just needs to pay for it. Well, as long as he's not obstructing people's passage by setting up in the middle of the road.

"But word has spread, and not just this carpenter but others also want to open shops in that area one by one. Should we leave that to them as well?"

"Well, if that's the case, let them handle it themselves..."

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"..."

"..."

"Nemo?"

"Wait a moment, please."

Something, a briefly ominous feeling, passed through me.

What is this? It's a sensation I haven't felt in a very long time... it's been so long that I almost can't remember if I ever had such a feeling...

"Then if I announce that people are allowed to build shops as they see fit..."

"No, that won't work."

Ah.

I remember now.

This is that feeling.

That chilling sensation I felt before I moved to the countryside.

That sensation I acquired while living in a commercial residential building in Tokyo, a city of unplanned development and traffic congestion.

Roads are jammed like the world's largest parking lots, yet actual parking spaces are nowhere to be found. Cars without destinations circle around like zombies before illegally parking on the street. The nearby residential area is poorly organized. The already narrow road feels even narrower due to illegally parked cars. Some bastard parked his car right in front of the stairs leading to my studio apartment...

"We can't just let them do as they please."

...I just prevented a terrible future hundreds of years from now.

No, even without traffic congestion from vehicles, if shops pop up haphazardly in crowded areas, it will naturally become chaotic.

Plus, if shops appear, more people will crowd in to visit them, and the congestion will increase proportionally.

Even thinking just a few years ahead, it makes sense to organize things now.

I solemnly declared to Manteo:

"Well then, let's build a 'commercial complex' first."

There will be no unplanned development in my settlement...!

Anyway, screens and temporary walls were set up around the port facilities in Chesapeake, and as people worked busily, two appropriate large buildings emerged within a few months.

I added Lexan panels in an arcade format above the walkway between them, allowing sunlight to pass through while providing shelter from rain and snow.

Behind these buildings, I created a road for carriages to transport various goods...

Ta-da!

A neat, orderly shopping district emerged.

For reference, I borrowed the structure from 21st century Japanese traditional markets.

I designed it to accommodate 10 shops in building 1 on the left and 10 shops in building 1 on the right, and they filled up instantly.

After all the shops were occupied, I formed a management group to handle the maintenance and repairs of the buildings independently... so there was nothing left for us to do.

The major construction project was adequately completed in about 5 months.

While going to see the bustling shopping district with Eleanor, I suddenly became curious and asked:

"But we haven't issued any currency, have we? What do they use for transactions?"

"Don't we already have currency? There are 100-livre chips that we exchanged when trading with the French."

100 livres?

100 livres would require several kilograms of silver coins, wouldn't it? Even in gold coins, it would be more than just one or two. How do they use such high-value currency in daily life?

Upon hearing Eleanor's words, I observed a nearby flower shop. The shop owner handed something to a customer, scribbled something in a notebook, nodded, and said:

"You bought 0.002 Othello worth. Do you remember how much you have left?"

Huh?

"I bought dishes worth 0.04 Othello at that pottery shop, so now... I only have 0.01 Othello left? I should go to the exchange soon."

The customer and flower shop owner had this strange conversation before parting ways.

Looking at another shop, I saw customers and shop owners deeply engaged in calculations, writing things down while conversing.

"What is this 'exchange'?"

"It's difficult to explain simply... Oh, there's an exchange at the end of the street! Would you like to go see?"

This time, I looked at the exchange building Eleanor pointed to. People were lined up in front of a temporary building about the size of a couple of containers.

They were murmuring loudly among themselves. With people crowding all around, I didn't feel like going there right away.

"It's fine, Eleanor. Let's look around elsewhere first."

Saying that, I quietly entered a carpenter's shop. The carpenter, not noticing me, was engrossed in something.

"Seven statues at 0.132 Othello each, so the total..."

"..."

"Plus nine at 0.167 each, and at 0.053 each... Done!"

The shop owner, seemingly finished with calculations, whistled to call his son who was dozing in the corner. When the son came running, he handed him a paper and pointed toward the 'exchange' we had just seen.

"Go to the exchange and say this is the amount Sir James Powell ordered."

"Ah, okay! I just need to mention this number, right, Father!"

"Don't forget to tell the receptionist our shop name too!"

...Oh.

I didn't expect this.

I think I have a slight idea of what that 'exchange' building does.