FL - Chapter 42: Solving the Sanitation Problem

The conditions were harsh, but Louis was not about to let sanitation problems threaten his territory's future.

"First, we build latrines." Louis swept his gaze across the assembled craftsmen and laborers. "We'll construct multiple public latrines in every residential zone. Begin your preparations."

The craftsmen obeyed, though more than a few wore puzzled expressions.

Build latrines?

Wasn't that just digging a hole?

Louis did not waste time explaining. He led the men out to choose the sites himself.

He chose locations far from water sources, away from the main roads through the residential areas, and situated downwind.

That would keep them from contaminating drinking water or disrupting daily life.

He employed the alternating dual-pit method.

Each latrine had two pits side by side, separated by roughly three feet. Each pit was at least six feet deep and about two and a half feet wide.

The first pit would be used for six to twelve months, then sealed and left to rest. This allowed the contents to ferment into fertilizer. Then the second pit would be activated. The cycle would continue, alternating between the two.

To make the settlers truly obey the new regulations, Louis even arranged something special.

He commissioned illustrated "Ten Commandments of the Privy" and had them hung on the walls of every latrine.

Since the vast majority couldn't read, he had them done as simple, straightforward picture diagrams.

Things like: "Do not relieve yourself anywhere," "Cover the pit after use," "Do not throw garbage in the latrine," and so on.

He issued a severe ban: "Everyone must use the latrines according to the rules. Violators will be heavily punished."

When the new rules were first enforced, many settlers were baffled. They'd grown up doing their business wherever they pleased. It had never occurred to them that going to the bathroom needed rules.

But no one dared object. They might not have understood the purpose behind it all, but they believed one thing absolutely. Whatever the lord said was right.

Building the latrines was only the first step. The next focus was water treatment.

Louis frowned and pointed at the rivers near Crimson Tide Territory on the map. "We can't let people keep fetching water from the river however they please. We need to build a water purification system."

He sent men to take samples from several faster-flowing rivers, ultimately selecting the cleanest water source.

Here, they constructed a stepped sand filtration pool, using a three-layer filtration method to purify the water.

The first layer was coarse gravel, which would trap sediment and large particulate impurities.

The second layer was packed with fine sand, which adsorbed suspended matter in the water, making it clearer and cleaner.

The most crucial layer was at the top: crushed birch charcoal. This not only removed odors from the water, but could also filter out some pathogens, making the water far safer to drink.

Louis watched the first batch of purified water run into the storage barrels. It was clear enough that he could nearly make out the fine sand below.

He scooped up a cup, confirmed there was no unusual odor, and finally nodded. "Good. This water is drinkable."

To guarantee water quality, he even assigned several trusted soldiers and stewards to inspect the water daily and report immediately if they detected anything out of the ordinary.

The settlers crowded around to see for themselves. They cupped the water in their hands and sipped cautiously, astonishment spreading across their faces.

"Sweeter than river water..."

"And there's none of that strange, earthy taste!"

The settlers came to accept the rule that drinking water must be drawn from here.

With the new water system up and running, Crimson Tide Territory's water problem was, at last, no longer a lurking threat.

But the cleaning work had to be carried out thoroughly.

Louis summoned a dozen or so reliable settlers and pointed at the filth. "Starting today, you are the sanitation team. Your job is to keep the territory clean. Nothing else.

Brooms, buckets, lime. These tools will be issued to you. You'll patrol every day. No blind spots. Nothing missed."

Still, this handful of people wasn't enough. Sanitation had to become everyone's responsibility. So he established a Territory Cleanup Day.

"Once a month. Everyone in the territory must participate. Soldiers, commoners, slaves, even knights. No exceptions."

On the first Cleanup Day, the morning bell rang out. The streets of Crimson Tide Territory swarmed with people.

Soldiers, commoners, slaves. Everyone held brooms, buckets, shovels, gathered on the square, ready to begin the day's work.

No one said anything aloud, but the reluctance on many faces was plain to see.

But before they could even start, a familiar figure had already made the first move.

Louis picked up a broom and, without a word, began sweeping the dust and fallen leaves from the ground.

Shhh-shhh.

The sound of the broom dragging across the earth was crisp and clear, cutting through the still morning air with startling volume.

Everyone froze.

The soldiers' expressions grew subtle. They'd assumed they were only here to keep order. They hadn't expected the Lord himself to get his hands dirty.

The slaves were even more incredulous. A noble, doing the same work as them?!

But before anyone could dwell on it further, a few soldiers were the first to snap out of their daze. Someone muttered, "The Lord's doing it," and then bowed his head and began sweeping, too.

With the soldiers taking the lead, the remaining settlers fell into action.

The crowd dispersed into the main street, alleyways, livestock pens, and marketplace. Every corner had someone cleaning. The filthy, chaotic environment changed rapidly before their eyes.

Louis didn't say a single extra word. He simply kept his head down among the crowd, doing the work.

When he finally looked up, he found that even those who had resisted the most at the start were now fully immersed in the cleaning.

By the time the sun set, the garbage and waste of Crimson Tide Territory had been thoroughly purged. The air itself carried a hint of freshness.

...

At first, that whole string of "Lord's projects" (building latrines, purifying the water, digging drainage ditches, organizing sanitation teams) had a lot of people figuring it was just a young lord's passing whim. Something that would quietly fizzle out before long.

But as the days wore on, the observant began to notice something off.

"Hey... where'd all the garbage on the streets go?"

"Wait. Why doesn't the alleyway stink anymore?"

Even more astonishing. When they drank water now, that old muddy, raw taste was gone.

People used to get diarrhea all the time. Now, it was practically nonexistent.

In the past, everyone had taken filth and squalor as the natural order of things. They'd all been used to it.

But now, looking back, they realized that a place could actually become this clean. This livable.

The most obvious change was that fewer people were getting sick.

Almost without anyone noticing, the early grumblings of "the Lord's making us run in circles" faded away. Replaced by a quiet acceptance of the new rules.

After all, who wouldn't prefer a more comfortable environment?

Bradley stood at an elevated vantage point, looking down over the transformed Crimson Tide Territory.

As the senior steward of House Calvin, he had witnessed territorial management across every corner of the Empire.

Even in Cloudtide City, a core city that housed House Calvin's ancestral mansion, most neighborhoods could not match this standard.

"Interesting..." Bradley murmured to himself. His assessment of Louis had climbed yet another notch.