Chapter 197
(Kyle Calendar Year 511: Age 18)
A System That is Coming Together
Translator : PolterGlast
We were all able to
safely welcome the sixth New Year in Teigoon. Of course, those who had been in
the Royal Capital also gathered, and we all held a New Year's banquet together.
It would soon be a
full six years since we came here in the spring of Kyle Year 505. Somehow, it
felt like it had passed in the blink of an eye...
At the banquet
celebrating the New Year, following the Solis family tradition, many related
parties were invited to the state guesthouse, and during the informal banquet,
the lord's family went around expressing their gratitude to everyone who had
helped them.
"Happy New Year!
I hope this year will also be a fruitful and good one."
"Yes, I believe that
being able to greet this new year is thanks to everyone. Thank you again. And I
look forward to working with you this year as well."
I exchanged cups with
the Commander first, offering my New Year's greetings.
Truthfully, around
this time, the Commander should have been a victorious general under the Gryphonia
Empire's Third Prince, leading tens of thousands of troops.
Thinking about that, I
felt a little apologetic. But thanks to everyone's efforts, we had recently,
finally, been able to entrust a considerable military force to the Commander.
Since the end of the
rebellion two years ago, the replenishment of our military strength had been
remarkable, I think. First, regarding the Frontier Knights led by the
Commander, the ranks have now been filled up to 1,500 riders.
Against the target
regular number of 2,000 riders, the only shortfalls are 100 riders from my
father, Count Solis, 50 riders from Viscount Cornell, and 350 planned new
recruits for the dedicated slots. We have progressed that far.
Count Gorman has
consistently sent his domain's most elite cavalry preferentially, and the
regular number of 300 riders was filled early on. There's nothing to say but
'as expected'.
Count Solis (my
father) seems to still be struggling considerably with strengthening his
domain's military power and hasn't met the quota to send here. Also, many of
those he sends are new recruits. Well, regarding this, the withdrawal of the
Teigoon contingent, which had boosted the numbers, is a major factor, and I
have told him not to overexert himself.
As for the knights
hired specifically (whose salaries are covered by His Majesty the King), rather
than being provided by the various lords, we have been securing them mainly
from students who admire the Commander and graduated from the academy, and we
are down to the last 350 riders needed.
Of course, some
graduates are also allocated to the Mercenary Company secondment slots and the
Demon Territory Count secondment slots, so in reality, many more graduates have
been hired. There is a high possibility that the quota will be filled with this
autumn's graduates.
Also, regarding the
dedicated slots, there are some adult circumstances involved, and it's
significant that, due to the strong intentions of Corps Commander Hoffman and
Corps Commander Schultz from the Royal Knights, they have each sent 100 riders,
officer candidates, for training.
Showing respect for
this, the Commander divided the corps into units of 500 riders each and
appointed commanders for two of the corps from the secondees from each of the
Royal Knights corps.
The final commander of
the three corps is someone Count Gorman had been sending to the Frontier
Knights for some time. He was the representative figure of the Gorman soldiers
who had directly appealed to the Commander when he was leading troops into the
battle on the eastern border.
『It is our lord's son-in-law's battlefield; if we do
not accompany him, we will be reprimanded by our lord. Please, take us with you
too! 』
They had refused to
yield, troubling the Commander, but in the end, we were greatly helped by their
participation.
Count Gorman himself
learned of this after the fact and was said to be extremely pleased.
"Actions that
understood my intentions, performance on the battlefield—their conduct can be
called a model for the Gorman army!"
He praised them, and
afterward, continued to select them as representatives of the Gorman soldiers
attached to the Frontier Knights.
The soldiers who
received this praise were overjoyed and continued to actively serve as a bridge
with Count Gorman thereafter. The Commander also seemed to judge that, in
addition to their more than adequate abilities, their popularity and character
were also suitable.
<Frontier Knights
Branch, Member Breakdown>
·
Demon Territory Count Secondees: 250 riders (Quota
met)
·
Mercenary Company Secondees: 250 riders (Quota met)
·
Count Gorman's Soldiers: 300 riders (Quota met)
·
Count Solis's Soldiers: 200 riders (100 short)
·
Viscount Cornell's Soldiers: 100 riders (50 short)
·
Royal Knights Secondees: 200 riders
·
New Recruits: 200 riders (350 short)
Furthermore, the Demon
Territory Count's own military forces have also been strengthened, and things
are proceeding smoothly according to the projected schedule.
First, the standing
army, which had been 50 before the rebellion (due to allocation to the Frontier
Knights), has increased to 100 through promotions from the part-time soldiers,
and the part-time soldiers, as a result of new recruitment, now number 200.
Honestly, with the increase
in towns to be assigned to—Gaia, Aegis, Ishtar—and the corresponding increase
in pioneer villages, we are still actually short-staffed.
Frankly, if the
self-defense force didn't exist, the security system in various places would
still be unreliable. The daily security of Teigoon and its pioneer villages,
and Gaia and its pioneer villages, is currently being handled by 600 members of
the self-defense force in shifts.
After the rebellion, I
divided the self-defense force into two organizations: a permanent one and a
non-permanent one.
Following the advice
of the Count Solis household steward (Raymond), the permanent organization was
increased by 100 members, and their compensation was changed with an added
allowance. Their role is now close to that of the part-time soldiers. The major
differences are that they are not transferred to different posts, and even in
wartime, they focus on defense and basically do not deploy to the front lines.
The non-permanent
organization consists of those who are obligated to participate in training
several times a month and are not mobilized except in emergencies, with a
regular number of 300.
Also, although the
source is unknown, a rumor spread that working in the self-defense force makes
it easier to be formally accepted as a citizen. Seasonal laborers and single
individuals hoping to immigrate flooded the recruitment for the self-defense
force.
For that reason, we
were easily able to meet the quota, and the self-defense force is now also a
place to recruit soldier candidates. Since we can observe their work ethic and
abilities beforehand, it was very convenient for us as well.
I repeat, we did not
spread the rumor. Probably...
Also, perhaps inspired
by the longbowmen of the Istoria Imperial Kingdom, or as a result of the
progress of settlement in Aegis, the militia farmers composed of immigrants
from the Empire also increased their regular number by 100, bringing the total
to 200.
『Teigoon is now like a second homeland to us. We wish
to be included in the defense of this town where our families live. 』
This was the result of
the request they themselves raised through the Imperial immigrant liaison
council.
Both groups normally
engage in agriculture or their respective jobs, but they are paid the same
salary as the part-time soldiers. However, they undergo training more rigorous
than the part-time soldiers even in peacetime, and in terms of proficiency,
they are equivalent to the standing army, with the artisan-like longbowmen arguably
surpassing them.
Due to these
circumstances, the current independent military strength of the Demon Territory
Count, excluding the Frontier Knights branch, the mercenary company, and the
self-defense force, has now reached 1,500.
And regarding the mercenary
company. It is now composed of an organization that retains its identity as an
independently operating mercenary company and those who are seconded as cavalry
to the Frontier Knights branch, numbering 250 and 200 respectively.
The rumors of their various
exploits and of Commander Weiss, who had risen to the rank of baron, are
already widely known even in the Royal Capital. As a result, mergers with
individual mercenaries and small to medium-sized mercenary groups have followed
one after another, and the mercenary company has grown into an organization
boasting 450 mercenaries.
In the last 10 years,
it had achieved a tenfold growth.
"While I am in
Lord Takuhir's service, I also receive a salary from His Majesty as a baron.
Since we are also provided with encampments free of charge, the mercenary
company's expenses can be covered by myself, so there is no need for
concern."
Because the Commander
went out of his way to say this, the contract fee for the mercenary company
ended up being just a slight increase over the Frontier Knights' salary
multiplied by the number of members.
That being said, the
current personnel costs alone for our forces—Frontier Knights, domain soldiers,
self-defense force, mercenary company—easily exceed 50,000 gold coins annually...
The difficulty of
maintaining a large number of soldiers hit home once again.
If it weren't for Miseri's
economic measures, and if it weren't for the subsidy from His Majesty for the
Frontier Knights, we would likely have eaten through the war merit rewards in a
few years.
Well, I have resigned
myself to the fact that we will continue to be in the red for several more
years, what with the ongoing development costs, related personnel expenses, and
tax exemptions for the new settlements; it's unavoidable for now.
<Demon Territory
Count Solis Forces Breakdown: Changes Since Rebellion>
① Breakdown
Frontier Knights
Secondees: 200 riders → 500 riders
Demon Territory Count
Cavalry: 50 riders → 100 riders (Target
200)
Demon Territory Count
Part-Time Soldiers: 150 men → 200 men (Target 400)
Longbowmen: 1,000 men → 1,000 men
Militia Farmers: 100
men → 200 men
Mercenary Company: 100
men → 200 men
② Breakdown by Another Perspective
Standing Force: 150
men → 350 men
Part-Time Force: 1,250
men → 1,400 men
Mercenary Company
Affiliation: 200 men → 450 men
③ Self-Defense Force Breakdown
Self-Defense Force
(Permanent): 0 men → 600 men
Self-Defense Force
(Non-Permanent): 500 men → 300 men
In parallel with the
strengthening of our military forces, the new towns of Gaia, Ishtar, and Aegis
have also seen progress in settlement, an increase in shops and other
facilities, and are beginning to show aspects of commercial cities.
Two boosts were also
significant factors in this.
The first, of course,
was the Supreme Tournament last spring.
Word of the
tournament, held with many honored guests and spectators, spread throughout the
kingdom as rumor. Settlers flooded in from all over, drawn to the domain which
was booming with development and product sales, riding the wave of the Demon
Territory Count's rags-to-riches story and the best economic conditions in
recent memory.
To the point where the
administration officials were worrying about the daily increasing population.
The other factor was
thanks to my father, Count Solis, and Viscount Cornell.
My father was tolerant
even towards those from within the former Estol domain who wished to move to
Teigoon. Originally, I think he needed every single person he could get to
manage the rapidly expanded count's domain.
I expressed my
gratitude to my father again and cooperated within my means, such as by
subcontracting orders and providing arms and armor for new recruits free of
charge.
And there were many
things for which I should thank Viscount Cornell as well.
"We are
originally just a baronial domain lacking strength. There is a limit to how
much we can help the citizens of the former Hiyorimi domain who need
assistance. Would it be acceptable for us to entrust those citizens who wish to
move to the Demon Territory Count's domain to you?"
He went out of his way
to say this and sent the citizens over. His precious citizens, who would form
the foundation of his viscount's domain in the future. Along with my gratitude,
I reciprocated by providing arms and armor needed for the troops he needed to
expand, free of charge, just as I had for my father.
And the southwestern
border region of the former Estol domain, the town of Dimos and its five
attached farming villages, are also undergoing a transformation.
The town of Dimos is
planned to have walls and a moat surrounding an area several times the size of
the original town, not only dramatically strengthening its defensive power, but
construction is also underway to redevelop the streets and renew the townscape.
The nearby villages,
following the example of Teigoon's settlements, have had high earth walls built
around them, increasing the area of safely cultivable land. With this, the
farming villages centered around Dimos are being developed, and a plan to
establish a 10-village system is also in progress.
It is said that they
have now begun to actively accept settlers in the town and villages.
Through these
developments, the Demon Territory Count Solis's domain has come to possess five
cities (towns) and a total of 90 villages attached to them.
Just the villages
alone, if settlement proceeds completely in the future, will reach a scale
holding a population of 15,000 to 30,000 people. If the development of the
towns is added to this, a total domain population of 50,000 will no longer be a
dream.
Once these settlements
stabilize, agricultural production increases, the tax exemption period for the
pioneer villages ends, and agricultural tax revenue stabilizes... Once the
pillars of product sales establish their sales channels and revenues...
We have somehow
established a prospect of turning a profit. Well, product sales are still an
uncertain factor, though...
Preparations for next
year's calamity and the Empire invasion the year after are also progressing
steadily.
Now, it has become a
race against time.
<Kyle Year 511
Beginning of Year - Remaining Budget>
〇 Personal Gold Holdings
・Brought Forward from Previous Year: 10,000
・Income During Period: 6,000 (Supreme Tournament House
Profit, etc.)
・Expenditure During Period: 2,000 (Capital stay
expenses, etc.)
----------
Remaining Balance:
Approx. 14,000 gold coins
〇 Domain's Gold Holdings
・Brought Forward from Previous Year: 291,000
・Development Expenditure: ▲63,500
・General Expenses: ▲69,300 (Soldier & personnel costs, expenses)
・Other: ▲2,000
・Manufacturing Consignment Costs: ▲20,000 (Orders for arms, etc.)
・Loan Repayment: ▲1,500 (Repayment to Margrave)
・Sales Revenue: 25,000 (Trade fair sales)
・Temporary Revenue: 11,600 (Land sales, etc.)
・Temporary Revenue: 3,000 (Supreme Tournament related)
・Sales Profit: 2,000 (Monster materials, etc.)
・Merchandise Sales Revenue: 11,000 (Honey, sugar, etc.)
・His Majesty's Request: 10,000 (Event reward)
・Gold Mine Grant: 4,000 (Rights fee from Kingdom)
・Domain Tax Revenue, etc.: 56,000
※Tax Revenue, etc. (Poll tax, trade tax, rent,
commodity exchange sales profit, public ranch sales profit, agricultural
products, mining revenue, etc.)
----------
Remaining Balance:
Approx. 258,300 gold coins
Remaining Loan
Balance: 1,000 gold coins (from the Margrave)
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