The sound of hammers and chisels had become the rhythm of Betim's mornings. Timber wagons arrived from Contagem, stone from Esmeraldas, and carts filled with dried meats and flour rolled in from Igarapé and Sarzedo. But what moved most swiftly through the village now was paper.
Scrolls, ledgers, and charcoal-written drafts. The census had begun.
Names and Numbers
Marcos stood before a table that stretched the length of a barn wall, watching three young clerks — all former apprentices from Curral Del Rei — sort sheets of rough parchment into neat bundles.
Each bore columns headed:
Name
Family Lineage
Occupation
Land Owned
Dependents
Trade Output (Monthly Estimate)
More than just data, this was proof — of people settled, working, producing. Of a society forming around law, not merely necessity.
Marcos turned to Ana.
"When we send this to Ouro Preto, it won't be a request for approval."
"It will be a demonstration of legitimacy."
Betim Reorganizes
While the census continued, other arms of the Companhia da Sombra worked to reorganize the settlement.
New carpentry workshops were constructed near the riverbanks, separated from the central market by a row of oil-lit posts — part of Marcos's plan to reduce fire risks.
A small foundry began operations, producing horseshoes, wagon nails, and rudimentary plowshares using ore brought from Sabará under contract.
A grain exchange square was marked out, surrounded by low stone walls, where merchants would trade, weigh, and register products under the watch of the Guard.
Each improvement followed the lines of the master plan — the plano diretor — which now hung in the Council House under glass, titled only:
"Future Betim – Phase I"
Unease Among Merchants
But as Betim organized, so too did murmurs of unrest.
Some wealthier merchants, especially from Contagem, began questioning the centralization of record-keeping. They argued that Betim's new authority — the power to tax, regulate weights, and settle disputes — went beyond the rights of a mere mercantile company.
In a private meeting, Sebastião Monteiro raised his voice:
"You gather coins like a baron, weigh grain like a judge, and now wish to write laws like a province?"
Marcos, calm as ever, replied:
"And yet, your wagons are never robbed. Your ledgers never questioned. Your men never buried."
The room fell silent.
"Power, Sebastião, comes not from decree. But from responsibility accepted — and delivered."
The Mission to Ouro Preto
Within the week, Ana had finished the final ledger. It was rolled into a scroll bound in dyed leather, stamped with the Barbosa crest. A courier team of three — one merchant, one clerk, and a trusted scout from the Guarda — was prepared.
They were to deliver:
The full regional census;
A tax proposal including voluntary grain quotas, commercial tariffs, and workforce distribution;
A letter requesting formal recognition of Betim as a registered municipal center, under the name "Povoado Livre de Betim".
The system responded instantly.
[Mission Started: Submit Regional Tax Proposal to Tribunal de Ouro Preto]
Delivery Route: Betim → Nova Lima → Rio Acima → Ouro Preto
Estimated Risk: Moderate
Strategic Note: "Monitor opposition. Secure the route."
Shadows on the Road
Three hours before departure, Tobias received a warning from a spy within Sabará.
An agent from the Vilariños had hired two armed men to intercept the Betim courier before reaching Rio Acima. Disguised as travelers, they planned to replace the scroll with a falsified report that downplayed Betim's growth.
Marcos, hearing this, called for Joaquim.
"Send four of the Nine Fingers with the caravan. One visible. Three unseen. Make sure they believe they succeeded… before they vanish."
Tobias nodded.
"We'll leave nothing behind but questions."
The City Breathes
At night, Marcos walked the central avenue. Lanterns flickered. The voices of guards mixed with distant laughter. Children played at war — some pretending to be Guards, others the Nove Dedos, hooded and invisible.
At the edge of the hill, Ana stood, staring over the village.
"You planned this far in advance, didn't you?" she asked.
"No," Marcos replied. "But I recognized the pieces when they fell into place."
System Notification
[Courier Dispatched: Ouro Preto Tribunal – 14 days until response]
Status: Mission in Progress
[Unlocked Upgrade Path – City Autonomy Tier I]
New Features Available:
– Basic Civil Code Template
– Public Notice Board System
– Monthly Tax Reconciliation Ledger
Marcos breathed deep, the parchment still warm in his hands.
"Now we wait. And while they stall, we build."