Episode 128 — Designing a Multi-Core Network City

The high-load user known as Léonard had finally logged out, and peace had returned to my home. Feeling the warmth of Tama curled up on my lap, I was savoring the luxury of "doing absolutely nothing" for a few blissful days.

But that peace didn't last. The electronic chime of the intercom echoed through the living room, and the monitor showed the familiar face of Gustav alongside Argo, who looked uncharacteristically tense.

"Is it another bug? Did Léonard leave a parting gift?"

I welcomed them in, staying buried deep in my sofa as I swirled a glass of cola where the ice had long since melted. Gustav sat down with a wry smile, while Argo gave his usual polite bow before spreading a sheet of parchment across the table.

"Mr. Zect, regarding the other day... I truly apologize. I never imagined my brother would be so forceful as to invite himself for an overnight stay."

"It’s fine, Gustav. Though, hiding the major initial setting that you were the First Prince—the one supposedly erased from history—is a serious offense. It was bad for my heart. Next time, make sure you fill out your profile properly."

As I teased him with a smirk, Gustav slumped his shoulders, looking genuinely apologetic.

"I didn't think it was something worth mentioning... It’s common knowledge in Felsen, and I live my life as a simple lord now. Still, nearly dragging you into a dangerous power struggle was a failure of management on my part."

"Well, whatever. Léonard seemed satisfied enough when he left. So, you didn't come here just to apologize, right? Seeing as you brought Argo along, I assume there's a nasty mathematical forecast on the horizon."

When I shifted my gaze, Argo, who had been waiting quietly, spoke up.

"Yes, Mr. Zect. Based on the estimates I have calculated, Felsen is about to hit system overload due to the operations of the Gala-Mon Factory. We are seeing a massive influx of laborers and their families from other territories. The population growth curve is completely overtaking our current lodging capacity and food supply speed."

"Ah... and there it is. A server down due to a traffic spike."

The more you upgrade a factory’s specs, the more the user base associated with it explodes. It’s not just the laborers; it’s the merchants who serve them and the unemployed wandering in looking for work. Right now, Felsen was facing a surge of simultaneous connections that its rushed infrastructure couldn't handle.

"Mr. Zect. According to Argo’s calculations, as industrialization progresses, our inn capacity will hit rock bottom, and the streets will overflow with people who have nowhere to sleep. Felsen has certainly become wealthy, but that wealth attracts people, which in turn leads to self-destruction... This contradictory future is right in front of us."

Gustav’s voice held a note of genuine desperation. As a lord, he prioritized the survival of his people above all else.

"Alright, let's deploy a countermeasure. If resources are low, we just implement a system to create more. First is the housing issue. If you just let people pitch tents around the factory, you’ll end up with a swarm of bugs called 'deteriorating public order.'"

"Then, should we build more houses? But that would require a massive amount of stone and time..."

"No, not just a residential district. We design the factory and the living zone as a single ecosystem. In my world, there were models where a single giant corporation supported an entire city. There was a town that originally thrived on silkworms and thread, but once it attracted the world’s largest car factory, it updated into a massive industrial city centered around that plant. In that city, they built huge amounts of 'dormitories' for workers right next to the factory."

Argo nodded, savoring each of my words.

"I see. Instead of dispersing the residential areas, you manage them as a component of the factory itself. That would eliminate wasted travel time and stabilize the workers' productivity."

"Exactly. Plus, you equip the area around those dorms with essential amenities. Communal cafeterias, laundry facilities, shops for daily goods. You apply a patch so that life is self-contained around the factory without them needing to trek into the city. We called this a 'Company Town.' It’s a system where you maintain the living environment for your workers, treating them not just as laborers, but as vital resources that need to operate steadily."

"Life is self-contained around the factory... You mean creating a smaller, optimized city within the city."

A new light of logic shone in Gustav’s eyes.

"First, we mass-produce standardized, simple dorms on the factory grounds. We don't need fancy stone; mass-produced wooden structures with precision jigs will do. If we use those as a base, worker hours will stabilize, and the load on the city’s inns will drop. Gustav, this is the shortest, most optimal solution to keep Felsen from crashing."

"Centralized management of housing centered on dorms... Gustav, if we prioritize this logic, the Felsen system can expand without crashing. What do you think? If you're in, I'll draft the blueprints."

"Let’s do it, Mr. Zect. We will rewrite the shape of the city according to your logic. That is the update I must implement."

Gustav wore a determined smile, while Argo began moving his pen across the parchment with an air of reverence. The pulse of a great city yet unseen was beginning to throb quietly in the air.

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