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Chapter 70 : The Big Picture (1)
“Are you saying you want to branch out?”
Roland asked Edward.
“That’s not it. It’s just that I want to manage Occam myself. I want to make decisions independently, at least regarding matters related to Occam.”
No one could deny that Edward was the number one contributor to this war.
It wasn't just that he had occupied Occam and had captured Bernard. The method of using the Demon King’s castle wall and the method of training the soldiers to defend it had all come from Edward’s head. There was no part of the war, from planning to execution, that his son’s hand had not touched.
Еńu mа̄. id
He had made enough of a contribution to deserve the spoils of war that was Occam.
“It’s not an easy task. Do you know that?”
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“I know.”
“It’s not impossible. My brother saved our entire domain. Before you went to borrow money, Father, this place was no different from a public cemetery.”
At William’s words, Roland recalled the shock he had felt when he had returned to Griffith. It was a sight that could not be described even with the word miracle.
Although Roland had struggled for 10 years, he had not been able to stop the decline of the domain, but Edward had revived the domain in just a few months.
Е̄ ň u.ḿа̂ . і d
Even then, the drought had not ended. And yet, the domain was full of vitality, and everything that had been broken was returning to normal.
“You have revived it wonderfully. But the population of Occam is dozens of times that of Griffith. It will be that much more difficult to rule.”
It was clear that his son was a genius in domain management.
But no matter how outstanding the talent, it could not blossom if it was not supported by sufficient experience. Roland, who had seen many people who had been cut down in vain after rushing, believing only in their talent, was worried.
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“David Lancaster is ruling a city with a population ten times that of Occam.”
“That’s not ruling, but a kind of education. He just has to choose one of the opinions presented by his experienced advisors. Although that is also a difficult task, it will not be as much as the situation you will be in.”
Ё n ǔ m̊a
“Haven’t I already shown you that I can overcome difficulties.”
He was at a loss for words.
The biggest problems in ruling Occam were the discipline of the officials and the hearts of the people. Edward had solved these problems even before going to Occam.
It was his eldest son who had given the fallen soldiers a proper funeral and had punished the corrupt officials. If it hadn't been for his son, he would have walked a thorny path from the very beginning due to the problems of the angry public sentiment and the corruption of the officials.
“Yes. You are right.”
Roland showed a faint smile. He decided to believe in his son’s potential once.
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“I will entrust Occam to you.”
“Thank you.”
“Wait, I feel like I’m being scammed. You’re giving me just a title, and you’re giving my brother a whole domain with a gold mine?”
“William, a true man does not take back the words he has once spoken. You said you were satisfied before, so what are you talking about now.”
When William interrupted, Edward chided him.
“No, but the difference in reward is too big. This isn’t right.”
Е̊n̊ù m̀ а. i̊ d̈
“You are the general of Griffith. Your brother is at best the acting lord.”
“That’s true, but…”
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Although William grumbled, he could not argue any further. Roland and Edward secretly exchanged glances.
“Now, let’s discuss the rewarding of merit for the others.”
Roland asked his two sons, who had been active as front-line commanders, who had made what contribution, and decided on the rewards according to their answers.
“It will cost a lot of money.”
W ėbn̊о̂_vel È n u̇ṁ à
If he hadn't taken Occam’s property, he would have had a headache.
It was also a great help that he had recovered the money that Roberto had tried to embezzle.
“The bigger problem is the price of goods.”
Edward said.
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“The price of goods?”
“A large amount of money will be given to the villagers at once, but the number of goods they can buy with that money is limited. Then the price will naturally rise.”
W e bn̈ о̃ v̂е l̈ Е̊ń_ũm̀ а
“That’s right. What should we do?”
“We need to make the merchant guilds of Balduran come to our side. That way, a lot of goods will be released into the market, and the price increase will be suppressed.”
“Will they be willing to come all the way here?”
“We need to let them know that our villagers have a lot of money. And we will reduce the taxes until the merchant guilds are established.”
If a merchant guild wanted to do business in a domain, they had to pay a part of their income to the lord’s family as taxes. In a domain where commerce was developed like Lancaster, the taxes paid by the merchant guilds sometimes became the main source of income for the family.
“And we will also present a long-term prospect.”
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“A long-term prospect?”
“We will allow everyone, including the merchant guilds, to use the tunnel that connects Occam and Griffith.”
“!”
“!”
It felt as if his head was clearing up.
“If there is one thing that Griffith is better at than Occam, it is that it is close to Balduran, the center of western trade. But the only way to cross from Griffith to Occam is through the valley, and since the slope is steep and the road is narrow, it is difficult for large merchant guilds to use it.”
W еb̂ n̂о v еl̆ È nu_m̆a
“Yes. I heard that Occam mainly bought the necessary goods from the Garrison side. It must have been an unavoidable choice.”
“The tunnel is wide enough for two large carriages to pass side by side. The road is also well paved. Occam is a fairly large domain in the west. It will also be an attractive market for the Balduran merchants.”
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“But is that tunnel really safe? Although it’s been a long time since monsters have appeared, until 500 years ago, it was the most dangerous place on the continent.”
William looked at his brother with a reluctant expression.
“We will have the knights patrol periodically, and we will block the tunnel at night when the monsters are mainly active. Then a commercial district will naturally form in Griffith as well.”
Roland slapped his knee.
Ẃӗ b̂ṅо v̆ė l Ӗn̆ ũm̌а_
Griffith, which had a small population and no special products, was not a market that merchants would like. The merchants who had come so far had all been small merchants.
If a large merchant guild that was going to Occam had to rest for a day because of the tunnel’s curfew, it would naturally help Griffith’s economy. The cities that served as intermediate stops on famous trade routes had all developed in that way.
“If we charge a toll when outsiders use the tunnel, it will also help the domain’s finances.”
Roland was truly impressed by his son’s insight.
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He was ashamed of himself for having vaguely thought that the gold mine would solve everything.
At a time when he could have been intoxicated with victory, his son was drawing a vision that could make the domain rich and powerful.
Е̂n̆ u m̀а
“And I think it would be good for us to lend money to the villagers at a low interest rate. It would be a kind of bank.”
“A bank?”
“The money given to the villagers will be used to lay the foundation for their lives. Wouldn’t they need additional large sums of money to start a business?”
Support funds would be given to those who had been captured and had returned, and rewards would be given to those who had participated in the war. Neither was a large enough sum to start a business.
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
“Thank you. And after all the funerals are over, how about having a circus performance in Occam and Griffith?”
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Roland also knew that the best circus in the west was staying in Griffith. And what had happened there.
If the circus troupe performed, it would be a great pleasure for the villagers who had been under extreme stress from the war.
“That’s a good idea. Do as you wish.”
Knowing exactly what assets the domain had and using them appropriately was an essential virtue of a lord. In that respect, Edward was already an excellent lord.
“I also have something to say about the mine operation.”
“Go ahead.”
Ŵе̂_b̈ nо̊v e l Е̄ ń um̄ ӑ
Roland said with a smile. He enjoyed listening to his son’s thoughts.
“First, I would like to reorganize the mine.”
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“We must do that for the safety of the miners.”
“Although Bernard had already started the work, he couldn't even start properly because the war broke out right away. The hired technicians also left, thinking they wouldn't be paid. I think it would be good to entrust this work to Bron.”
“You said that dwarf was the Master Smith of the Moira Kingdom, right?”
“Yes.”
Еǹ ům̄а
“He’s not a person who should be in our domain.”
“After the development of the exchange stone mine is finished, I plan to help him return to his home country.”
“A good idea, what? Exchange stone?”
Roland doubted his ears. The two sons looked at each other, grinned, and then talked about the mine they had discovered.
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“You went to wipe out the goblins and found an exchange stone mine?”
“Yes, Father.”
Ёnům̌ а̂
“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”
Roland couldn't come to his senses.
Although he had been worried about Griffith’s weak foundation compared to Occam, the story would be different if there was an exchange stone. Because its strategic value was so immense that it was difficult to put a price on it.
But if they didn't have the power to protect it, it would be a disaster. If the quality was good and the reserves were large, not another lord, but the empire could invade.
“It’s difficult to develop it right now anyway. Since the mine is on the border of the domain, the Hornet family will find out if we start developing it.”
“That’s right. Let’s focus on reopening the gold mine for now.”
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“Yes, Father. And how about using freemen for the miners?”
“I am also against using slaves. It doesn't make sense for Griffith, who has freed slaves, to use slaves again. However, I am worried that it will be too difficult to find people. No matter how safely you make it, it is a dangerous and arduous job.”
“If we guarantee safety and promise to provide room and board and a high wage, many people will come. In particular, it will be a tempting offer for the poor of Balduran.”
The power of a group came from its numbers.
If the mine was operated in that way, the population of Griffith could be increased in a short period of time. The power of the family would also become stronger.
“It is a well-known fact that the productivity of free laborers is higher than that of slaves. If we pay a performance-based bonus according to the amount of mining here, we can maximize productivity.”
W̃ еb̀ ňо̃vеľ_ E̊ n̈_u̇ må
“Edward.”
“Yes, Father.”
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“Who did you learn these things from?”
“…I learned them from a book.”
It seemed that the reading he had been forced to do because of his health problems had given his son the insight that only years of experience could give.
He was proud of his son’s will and effort to turn his natural misfortune into a foundation for success.
Е ṅ ŭ mа
‘Occam wouldn’t be a good fit either.’
He had thought that he was inexperienced to rule Occam.
After hearing Edward’s vision for the domain, it seemed that even Occam was a small nest to contain his son.
It seemed he could rule the kingdom, no, the empire, without any problem right now.
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‘War is unavoidable.’
If they proceeded according to Edward’s plan, the domain would surely grow rapidly in a short period of time. Then the other families would not stand still.
Ẽ n úm̄ а̀
Although Roland was of the opinion to avoid war as much as possible, he did not want to crouch down to the point of suppressing his son’s genius.
‘I have to face it.’
As a father, he would do everything he could so that his son, who had endured a time of hardship and had broken out of his shell, could fully blossom his talent.
* * *
Two days later.
Edward went to find Hans to send the Griffith merchant guild to Balduran.
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“I’m really sorry when you must be tired.”
It had been only a few days since the war had ended. His fatigue would not have completely gone away yet.
“I’ve rested enough, so don’t worry. And how much have you done for us, Young Master, how can I just stay still. If you call, I must run right away.”
Hans grinned. Then he came close to Edward and added in a whisper.
“It’s better for me to go to Balduran often.”
Hans kept glancing at Jane, who seemed to be in a bad mood. Edward chuckled.
Еn_u̇ m a .îd
“Hans, the family is sacred.”
“I know. But I hope you will get married as late as possible, Young Master.”
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He was about to joke that he had gotten rid of his fiancée, but he swallowed his words because of Jane’s sharp gaze.
It seemed they had had a fight last night. He felt sorry for Jane, thinking it was because he had given him a lot of work.
“I’ll be back.”
“You remember what you have to buy, right?”
Е̇ nü mа. ìd
“Of course. Building timber and stone for Griffith, and tombstone stone for Occam.”
Griffith needed houses for the returned people, and Occam needed tombstones to be erected for the fallen soldiers. He was also thinking of erecting a memorial stone for those who had not returned to Griffith.
“And?”
“I have to recruit as many architects and carpenters as possible and promote the tunnel to Occam. I also have to scout a craftsman to make the memorial stone to be erected in the square.”
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“An excellent memory.”
“Thank you.”
Ё nûm̂ ä_
Unfortunately, Hans did not know how to read.
Although it was not a big problem for now because his memory was extraordinary and he was quick with numbers, it would be more than one or two inconveniences when the size of the merchant guild grew.
“But you must study writing.”
“I will work hard on the way. I’m also frustrated.”
Hans smiled, holding up the writing study book that Edward had given him.
“Be careful on your way.”
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“I will take care of it and come back. Please take care of your health too, Young Master.”
“Yes.”
Hans said goodbye to his family.
Although he had said to get married late, he also shared a passionate farewell hug with Jane.
“Peter, Jake, will you go home first with me?”
After the merchant guild had left, Jane sent the children first. And then she approached Edward with a serious face.
Ѐ_ñŭm̈ а
“Young Master.”
“Jane.”
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Edward, who could not help but feel like a sinner to Jane, watched her.
“I have something to say.”
“?”
“Peter keeps doing circus tricks.”
Wе̂ b nо̂ vеl E̊ n̄u m а
“?”
(End of Chapter)
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