Chapter 95
(Kyle
Calendar Year 507: Age 14)
Announcement of a New Policy
Translator : PolterGlast
The past year felt
like a whirlwind. So many things happened, and it felt like a tightrope walk.
·
If the development of Teigun had been even slightly
delayed...
·
If we hadn't secured enough Mages...
·
If I hadn't had my current comrades...
·
If the checkpoint's defenses hadn't been ready...
It felt like if any
one of those had been missing, everything would have collapsed.
Up until now, I had
been acting since I was five, and for nine years, things had gone incredibly
smoothly, almost too smoothly to be true. Thanks to that, I managed to avoid
the misfortunes that befell me in the previous timeline.
The problem, however,
is that things went too smoothly.
As a result, I, who
had only been thinking about the Barony (now Viscountcy), felt as if I had
unknowingly been drawn into an even larger vortex, one that had no connection
to me in the previous timeline:
·
A neighboring country that had become even more
hostile before I turned 20.
·
Unnecessary court intrigues.
·
Unwarranted jealousy and suspicion related to them.
The power I had
accumulated and honed to protect my family, my comrades, and my territory was
now being called upon for an even greater role. My efforts to alter history
had, as a result, merely elevated the stage I was on to another level. What
happens next? Knowing only the previous timeline will no longer be enough to
navigate these unknown waters. Dealing with this uncharted territory will be a
major challenge for the future.
Lost in these
thoughts, I was suddenly brought back to reality by Miseri's voice.
"But we were
really in trouble because we were running out of gold coins."
Miseri's casual
remark, said with a laugh, was something that could have been a huge problem.
Indeed... every year, it felt like our finances were on a tightrope. The gold
coins, which Miseri and Claire had meticulously managed in the administrative
office, had hit rock bottom due to the extravagant spending during the Teigun
defense battle. After all, we had spent a whopping 3,000 gold coins on the
citizens...
"Honestly, if it
weren't for the rewards from the war and the King's aid, we would have gone
bankrupt even after winning the battle, before the new year's tax revenue came
in," Claire laughed too.
"Compared to
then, it's like a dream now," Anne said, finally feeling a sense of relief
after the war, the elite tournament preparations, and dealing with the
inspection team during the tournament.
"But it's
precisely because of those various investments that the town is thriving. And
in turn, tax revenues have increased rapidly, and a good cycle has begun,"
Yoltia, being from a merchant family, was well-versed in economics. She had now
become an indispensable guiding force in the administrative office.
※
After the war,
following the secret agreement with the church (Father Grace), our ranks
swelled with seven new comrades:
·
Gravity Mage: 1 (Yoltia)
·
Wind Mages: 2 (Irina, Brant)
·
Earth Mage: 1 (Laila)
·
Holy Mages: 2 (Michelle, Tiara)
·
Light Mage: 1 (Leia)
According to the
church's official records, only one Wind Mage's aptitude was confirmed. From
now on, this will remain a top-secret, not even to be shared with my parents or
family. This is to avoid getting entangled in unnecessary conspiracies.
In fact, the Solis
Viscountcy now officially boasts a Mage lineup equivalent to that of a top-tier
Duke-class noble in the central nobility. I say "officially" because
it's merely an estimate. It's a mechanically calculated number based on the ratio
of Mages to the total population of each territory. In reality, it's rare to
find Mages exactly as per the estimate. Furthermore, powerful nobles often
summon Mages from lower nobles and individually retain them.
Moreover, confirming
Mage aptitude itself incurs significant costs, requiring a wealthy background
or sponsors. This is also one of the factors contributing to the disparity in
Mage numbers.
A mere frontier
Viscountcy possesses many Mages is enough for it to be recognized as a threat,
making it highly probable that they'll be purged, exploited, or simply used up
and discarded. Currently, the Solis Viscountcy has an exceptionally large
number of Mages, disproportionate to its standing.
Wind Mages: 8
Holy Mages: 6
Earth Mages: 4
Fire Mages: 4
Water Mages: 3
Ice Mage: 1
Light Mage: 1 (1 died
in battle)
Dark Mage: 1
Space-Time Mages: 2
Gravity Mage: 1
-------------------------------
Total: 31 Mages
※
"It seems
everyone is here. Shall we begin the general meeting?"
Prompted by Miseri, a
total of 35 individuals—31 Mages, 2 administrative officials, myself, and
Anne—gathered to share this year's policy.
"Everyone, I
apologize for gathering you so suddenly during your busy schedules. We've
discussed this individually, but I'd like to talk about our future policies and
development. First, I'll present the overall policy, then each person in charge
will report on their situation, and after that, I'd like an open
discussion."
◯ Mages In-Charge:
Teigun City: Carleen
(Irina, Kinia)
Agricultural Land
Development: Claire (Sasha, Clara)
Northern Outwork (Post
Town): Yoltia (Laila, Leia)
Southern Outwork
(Pasture Village): Mary (Ayla, Brant)
Demon Realm Checkpoint
Renovation: Christoph (Danke, Lilia)
New Checkpoint Town
Construction: Elan (Walrus, Astor)
Military
Reorganization: Gail (Gold, Mars, Alar)
Special Mission
(Foreign Intelligence): Balto (Kaoru, Raphael)
Special Mission
(Epidemic Countermeasures): Marianne (Rosa, + 4 others)
◯ Overall Policy:
<Priority: High>
Renovation and
expansion of Teigun city. Teigun has finally taken on the appearance of a
proper "city" rather than just a "town," and the specifics
of the renovation are clear. The renovation is largely on track, and its
current progress seems to be without issue.
<Priority:
Highest>
Developing
agricultural land was one of our urgent tasks. Improving food self-sufficiency
within the region for Teigun's increased population is critical. Developing
settlement villages outside the city where people can live securely and
promoting the settlement of farmers are major goals we want to push forward
this year.
<Priority: High>
Construction of the
Northern Outwork (Post Town). This was part of the original plan, and this
time, we will redevelop the arena/post town, which was hastily built, and make
it usable as a fort. This would allow the area to accommodate more people.
<Priority:
Medium>
Construction of the
Southern Outwork (Pasture Village). This fort, designed to complement the post
town, will be where we move the pastures that are currently using vacant lots
within the city. Since late last year, the number of people hoping to relocate
has increased rapidly, and we're starting to need to convert vacant lots into
residential areas. At the same time, as the population grows, the demand for
meat is steadily increasing. Soon, 500 Frontier Knights will also be stationed
here. Providing for their stomachs alone will be a huge task.
<Priority: Low>
Regarding the
renovation of the Demon Realm checkpoint, I'm still considering various things.
I've already conveyed my concerns to Christoph, so I'll listen to his thoughts
and then elaborate.
<Priority: Low>
Regarding the
strengthening of the checkpoint on Fran's side, there are also challenges. I've
already conveyed my concerns to Elan, so I'll listen to his thoughts and then
elaborate.
<Priority:
Medium>
Military
reorganization is a bit of a headache. The 50 regular soldiers of Teigun must
be incorporated into the Frontier Knights, and currently, the city's own
military strength is quite fluid.
Regular Soldiers: 70
-> 20 (incorporated into Knights) -> 50 (transferred from concurrent
soldiers)
Concurrent Soldiers:
80 -> 50 (incorporated into regular soldiers) -> 80 (transferred from
self-defense force)
Self-Defense Force:
500 (defense personnel + new recruits)
For the time being,
new military recruitment and training will be necessary. I don't know how many
years it will take, but I want to fill the quota of 100 individuals for each.
<Priority: High>
I regret having been
careless about intelligence until now. Going forward, with the fluctuating
situations in the Royal Capital and the Empire, I believe domestic and foreign
intelligence activities are essential. For the time being, I've shared Father
Grace's information with my brother and will leave that aspect to him. I also
plan to dispatch Bart and Raphael to the Empire, disguised as traders.
<Priority:
Highest>
The last special
mission is, of course, epidemic countermeasures for two years from now. In
addition to investigating past epidemics and researching treatments, I want
them to research responses from a disease prevention perspective. Also, the
empirical testing of the plan I requested.
Reports and
discussions from each person in charge progressed, and at this point, it was
the turn of two individuals whose opnions required particular discussion.
"Christoph, I'd
like to hear your opinion on the Demon Realm checkpoint. Originally, I didn't
think many elements needed major changes, but I believe some secret information
was exposed when the inspection team entered. Do you have any proposals
regarding this, and if anyone else has opinions, please share them."
"Yes, honestly,
we've implemented various mechanisms at the checkpoint and corridor, but can
anything significantly larger be done? I have to say it's difficult."
Right... I don't think
much can be done either.
"However, if
possible, I have one proposal. How about constructing a large defensive wall
that completely encloses the corridor exit on the Demon Realm side, building a
new fort there, and creating a new settlement inside the defensive wall?"
"What are
everyone's opinions?"
"The cost would
be enormous, and construction would be dangerous. But developing the demon
realm area has always been one of the administrative office's goals."
"I also agree
with Christoph and Miseri-san's opinions. My biggest concern is the water
issue. Securing water supply in the Teigun area will become a problem in the
future. On the Demon Realm side, we can also utilize water from Teigun
Mountain."
Elan's opinion was the
most serious challenge when looking ahead to the future. Without active
opposition, we decided to create a development plan and proceed with full-scale
construction after immediate priorities were resolved. It would probably be a
matter for next year or later...
"Next, regarding
the checkpoint on Fran's side, I'd like to hear Elan's thoughts."
"Yes, compared to
the Demon Realm side, Fran's side is vulnerable to attack. Therefore, I propose
building a new, robust fort (checkpoint) beyond the fork leading to the mine,
and relocating the ironworks and blacksmith workshops there to improve overall
efficiency. How does that sound?"
"I agree. If we
can provide lodging for the mine workers at that fort, the distance will be
shorter, and we can deploy even more miners. I thought the current mine
environment still had some room for improvement." Claire was the first to
agree with Elan's proposal.
"What about the
water supply then? That area is rocky, and digging wells would be difficult, I
think..."
"Sasha is right.
My proposal also includes drawing water from the western river, though it's a
bit of a distance. And as Claire said, if we can integrate the checkpoint and
the miners' residences, we can centralize security."
"Then, we will
also begin construction on this simultaneously with the Demon Realm fort. Elan,
please prepare the development plan by then."
The two points of
concern, for now, had a clear direction.
"If there are no
other opinions, we will conclude the meeting..."
Yoltia hesitantly
raised her hand.
"Regarding the
post town, what should we do about the dining district and brothel that were
temporarily set up this time?"
"Hmm, it's still
a bit further off, but once the Frontier Knight's branch is established, 500
strong men will be coming to the town, and many of them are single, so I think
there will be a fair amount of demand. Taking this opportunity, I think we
should consolidate the brothels within the city into a high-end service. Once
the post town is complete, the temporary workers and prisoners living in the
Fourth District will be moved there. So, with nearly 1,000 men moving to the
post town, how about having the mid-range establishments move there?"
Although efforts had
been made to improve the male-female population ratio, the situation was only
getting worse.
"Also, just
between us, I want to strengthen the relationship between the restaurants,
brothels, and the security posts to create an information network that can
detect suspicious individuals or unsettling movements among visitors. Could you
and Anne iron out the details of that plan?"
Yes, I had noted how
Mother had previously grasped all of my father's and brother's indiscretions
through Yoltia's information network. As a fellow man, it was a terrifying
thought, but I believed that having such a means of acquiring information,
built on trust with such establishments, would be greatly useful in the future.
Thus, the policy for
Kyle Calendar Year 507 was solidified.
※
<Kyle Calendar Year
507: Financial Overview (Year Start)>
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal Holdings:
Approx. 12,000 gold coins
Development Funds:
Approx. 58,000 gold coins (after tax revenue)
Loans: Approx. ▲7,000 gold coins
<Kyle Calendar Year
507: Personal Gold Coins (Year Start)>
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Initial Balance: 1,700
Target Range Prizes: ▲180
Regular Tournament
Prizes: ▲240
Mage Introduction
Reward: 0
Summoning Ritual Fees:
▲140
Church Operations
Expenses: ▲420
Bart's Deposit: 0
Bart's Trade Revenue:
0
Voting Ticket Revenue:
2,000
Voting Ticket
Preparation Costs: ▲30
Elite Tournament
Prizes: ▲620
Elite Tournament
Preparation: ▲100
Order Sales: 0
Outsourced Production
& Other Costs: ▲200
Miscellaneous: ▲50
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Net Balance: 1,720
War Merit Rewards:
10,000
Other Revenue
(Sponsors): 500
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Personal Assets:
12,220
-----
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