After a short break, round two began.
Papan stood up and handed it over, then opened his mouth.
“I’ll lay out Alfred’s proposals. The first is to consolidate the administration and eliminate waste. The decision shall be made by Amilcarre. Second, the interests outside the town, which are the source of conflicts, should be managed centrally. Third, reorganize the governmental structure. Baldassarre will take care of the second and third. Fourth, the loss of revenue in the cities caused by the second step will be compensated by tax reductions. Fifth, the overall loss of revenue will be eliminated after five years. Sixth, the sale of the crystal from the mines in Ravenna will make up for the loss of revenue. If we also consider reducing the number of government officials, we will be able to reduce the amount of revenue lost considerably. The third and final step will be to implement reforms. This will be done mainly by the younger generation.”
Papan looked at me as if to confirm.
“That’s about it, right?”
I nodded silently.
As expected of a veteran.
It was easily organized.
It’s usually the younger people who come up with reform ideas.
At least, they are not stiffened by vested interests.
Soft reforms can be done by middle-aged and above.
But the governing structure is so rigid that it is impossible to do anything about it.
They are working hard to keep it from collapsing ……
It will come to a standstill sooner or later.
This is why we can call for reforms half-heartedly and irresponsibly, because we have been watching it from the outside.
I think Papan has been thinking about reorganizing the administrative structure for a long time, and has been waiting for my brothers to come up with the idea.
Reform by the next generation will bring continuity.
However, the government officials, who sensed this, were so tightly packed that they could not move.
I was in admiration, but then I noticed Papan’s slightly sharp eyes.
These are the eyes of a teacher.
When it comes to governance, he is very strict.
We’re the ones who are carrying on the tradition of the good old days of the great nobility.
Do you plan to ask me something?
“I want to ask Alfred. The decision is given to Amilcarre. Baldassarre is responsible for all planning. What’s the basis for that?”
I knew you were going to ask that.
You may think I’m taking it easy, but the truth is that I can’t afford to make any mistakes in my answers.
If there is even the slightest hint of uneasiness on my part, I will not be able to start the reform.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t exert myself.
The best performance comes from a natural state.
This is my motto, having lived to be an old man before my reincarnation.
After looking at my brothers, I turned to Papan.
“I made my decision based on my brothers abilities.”
“What abilities?”
“Brother Amilcarre is capable of making decisions about things. Although he is currently being pushed around by officials. Brother Baldassarre excels in the ability to plan things. Although he’s being pushed around by the officials.”
My brothers stood up and pointed at me.
” “You don’t have to repeat that I’m currently being pushed around by officials!” “
They were beautifully synchronized.
Papan began to laugh out loud.
After the laughter subsided, he returned to his serious expression.
“Very well. Alfred is watching you both very closely. I agree with you. What I want is for both of you to implement reforms and divide up the roles. I was hoping that …… thy would be able to reach this on their own. Because I left it to them from a young age, they have been manipulated by the Chimimōryō of the government officials. No matter how brilliant you are, lack of experience is a big handicap. Moreover, I had taught them to use the officials to their advantage. I guess I had to emphasize it.”
(T/N: Chimimōryō means evil spirits/monsters of rivers and mountains.)
Chimimōryō’s are common in every world.
Papan took a breath and then turned to my brothers.
“It was my fault. I’m sorry. You guys.”
My brothers were surprised and their mouths were agape.
It was the first time I had ever seen Papan apologize.
He was a little embarrassed, but he coughed and cleared his throat.
“I approve of Alfred’s policy. Are you okay with that?”
My brothers looked as if they had made up their minds.
” “I-I understand. May I check with Alfred for details?” “
They were synchronized again.
I wonder if synchronizing is popular these days.
“I don’t care. Do not hesitate to ask your brother to teach you if you think it is right. It’s not something an ordinary person can do, after all. And It gives me great satisfaction to see that.”
It’s true that if you have a strange pride, you won’t want to ask.
In this case, since I started the fire, you’re asking me to put it out ……
Papan nodded his head in satisfaction, then his expression changed.
“So, let’s talk about the Ravenna development. What do you plan to do with the staff?”
There is a person I have decided on and a person I’m interested in.
I’m not going to use officials because of my future plans.
But force is not going to work.
“I’ll have Sir. Fabio as my advisor. For the military, please allow me to meet with Sir Edmund Rustico, the head of the Knights in the territory. I would like to speak with him and entrust him with the selection of the knights.
“Very well. You can discuss the lineup of officials with Baldassarre. What about the rest of the people?”
“There is no need for officials. Valuable officials with flexible thinking should be put in charge of reform. That is a difficult task, after all. We don’t need hard-headed officials here because they are a hindrance. I’ll take care of the practical matters.”
Papan’s face became surprised.
Everyone but me.
I guess it’s only natural.
“It’s not something that can be managed with enthusiasm, and …… It’s true that it’s hard to get good officials out, but ……”
“I’ll work something out. I just have to raise them. I don’t get involved in the actual work. I don’t have the time to do that. Can you leave one thing to me?”
Papan folded his arms and pondered.
After a few moments, he let out a small sigh.
“It’s you were talking about. I’m sure you have a plan. But now that you’ve said it, you must finish it. You can’t just say it didn’t work out.”
“Thank you very much, sir. I will definitely do it.”
Papan gave a small shake of his head.
“If you say you can do it naturally, there’s nothing I can say. If I were your age, I’d put more effort into it, but …… That’s fine. And what about the people who will be implanted?”
It’s none of your business.
I can’t help it, I’m a withered old man inside.
“As for the people …… I’d like to recruit about 100 people who are on the verge of being able to pay the capitation tax. In addition, I would like to recruit about 70 poor families. Then the tax revenue won’t be worse off if we take them.”
My father looks at me as if he’s trying to figure out my intentions.
“That’s true, but …… Do you want to exclude the people who are living a normal life?”
“If we let the ones who are living well emigrate, they will complain instead. We have to start from scratch. If we can keep them tax-free for a while and provide them with food. The poorest households will be happy to join us. They won’t have to worry about taxes they can’t pay. They would have the jobs they need, and they would find a place in society. Then they will accept their new life. Because the most important thing here is motivation.”
Papan nodded with a strangely impressed look on his face, but quickly shook his head.
“I still have questions. If I don’t ask, I won’t be able to sleep at night. How will we get by without the officials?”
That’s what you want to know?
“I’m going to educate the people. We can do that by dividing up the work and simplifying it to some extent. If they can think and grow on their own, their lives will be easier. Then they will work hard. The founder of our family was also a third son, just like me. He had no chance of inheriting the family, so he started his own family with his people who were struggling for food. If his descendants were to tell him that they could not do it, the ancestor would cry.”
If they’re an aristocrat, I can tell them about their house ……
Even before my memory returned, I was curious to know more, and I read all the diaries and other documents up to the time of the founder.
I grinned inwardly, thinking that this was a good precedent for the development of the Ravenna region.
I was a little taken aback by Mil, though.
Papan gave a small chuckle.
“I didn’t expect you to bring up the ancestor. I can’t help but agree with you when you say something like that. Think for yourselves …… I’m sure that’s what the Founder would have done. It’s outrageous, but if it’s Alfred’s responsibility to do it, go ahead and do it.”
After all, the ancestors are very effective.
This world is a medieval feudal society.
The people should be free and should not be ignorant.
This is the social norm.
That’s what the Church wants.
But to hell with that.
I don’t have the luxury to afford it.
I hid the hatred in my mouth and bowed my head.
“Yes. Thank you very much.”
“But ……. Under that recruitment conditions, there may be a flood of applications. It’s not something I’m proud of.”
That’s because our society is still underdeveloped.
Even so, there are far fewer people starving to death in the Scala household.
This is thanks to the hard work of my brothers.
So I don’t blame them for that.
“When things settle down to a certain extent, we will recruit more people. We’ll need more people later on, after all.”
Papan nodded and put his hand on his chin.
“But that’s a lot of land. Even if all the poor families were to move there, it wouldn’t be enough.”
“We have people, don’t we?”
Papan looked at me dubiously.
“Who …… are you talking about?”
“Them.”
Papan panicked a little at my quick answer.
“No, wait, ……. They’re refugees. You know they’re from outside the country. You can’t expect them to accept being incorporated into our territory. In the first place, they fled because they had no place in this society. I don’t see how they can be incorporated again.”
In the first place, I don’t think of them as a foreigner.
They have the ability to think.
In fact, it is because they are in a remote area that they have to think for themselves to survive.
So, if they are convinced to join us, I believe they can help us.
For that reason, I don’t take officials with me.
Their condescending emotions will always leak out.
And the local people will be sensitive to such feelings.
“I guess it depends on the conditions. I’m sure they don’t like being refugees either.”
Papan closed his eyes for a moment, but then nodded with some clarity.
“I think Alfred has a secret plan. No one has ever done this before, right?”
I nodded strongly.
“I would appreciate it if you would leave this to me.”
If Papan gives me his permission, his political enemies would have attacked him.
You can be accused …… just for deviating from the formalities.
It’s really inconvenient to be a great aristocrat in a situation like this.
Therefore, it’s up to me.
If it becomes known that I have done something strange, Papan will be pursued somewhat.
But I’ll be the one who gets the brunt of it because I’m the one who asked for it.
This is because there are many precedents for this.
Discretion is often used as a means of protection.
It’s the only way to get a lizard’s tail.
I’m the third son, so I’ll be considered the lizard’s tail.
If I fail, the royal family will have an excuse.
Only my reputation will be ruined and House Scala will be protected.
If you think I’m going to fail anyway …… that’s great.
This will buy me some time until the town grows.
Once that’s done, it’ll recognize it as an established fact.
At any rate, the royal family’s condition is that we must manage it well as the territory of the Scala family.
It’s a trap to catch me off guard, but I’m going to use it against them.
Seeing my cool face, Papan smirked.
“I’ll look forward to it. And I’ll contact Sir Edmund. I’ll leave the rest to you. You can talk to Mario about any other specific supplies you might need. If only the administrative structure could be as easy to slim down as Mario’s.”
Dieting is hard work. …….
I don’t know what’s going on, though.
Only Kiara giggled.
◆◇◆◇◆
After Papen left, I felt a deadly presence behind me.
The next thing I knew, my left and right sides were pinned down by my brothers.
” “Alfred! Work is really fun, you know!” “
I had to explain the specific policies of the reform to my brothers, who had their eyes fixed on me.
After a short break, round two began.
Papan stood up and handed it over, then opened his mouth.
“I’ll lay out Alfred’s proposals. The first is to consolidate the administration and eliminate waste. The decision shall be made by Amilcarre. Second, the interests outside the town, which are the source of conflicts, should be managed centrally. Third, reorganize the governmental structure. Baldassarre will take care of the second and third. Fourth, the loss of revenue in the cities caused by the second step will be compensated by tax reductions. Fifth, the overall loss of revenue will be eliminated after five years. Sixth, the sale of the crystal from the mines in Ravenna will make up for the loss of revenue. If we also consider reducing the number of government officials, we will be able to reduce the amount of revenue lost considerably. The third and final step will be to implement reforms. This will be done mainly by the younger generation.”
Papan looked at me as if to confirm.
“That’s about it, right?”
I nodded silently.
As expected of a veteran.
It was easily organized.
It’s usually the younger people who come up with reform ideas.
At least, they are not stiffened by vested interests.
Soft reforms can be done by middle-aged and above.
But the governing structure is so rigid that it is impossible to do anything about it.
They are working hard to keep it from collapsing ……
It will come to a standstill sooner or later.
This is why we can call for reforms half-heartedly and irresponsibly, because we have been watching it from the outside.
I think Papan has been thinking about reorganizing the administrative structure for a long time, and has been waiting for my brothers to come up with the idea.
Reform by the next generation will bring continuity.
However, the government officials, who sensed this, were so tightly packed that they could not move.
I was in admiration, but then I noticed Papan’s slightly sharp eyes.
These are the eyes of a teacher.
When it comes to governance, he is very strict.
We’re the ones who are carrying on the tradition of the good old days of the great nobility.
Do you plan to ask me something?
“I want to ask Alfred. The decision is given to Amilcarre. Baldassarre is responsible for all planning. What’s the basis for that?”
I knew you were going to ask that.
You may think I’m taking it easy, but the truth is that I can’t afford to make any mistakes in my answers.
If there is even the slightest hint of uneasiness on my part, I will not be able to start the reform.
But that doesn’t mean I can’t exert myself.
The best performance comes from a natural state.
This is my motto, having lived to be an old man before my reincarnation.
After looking at my brothers, I turned to Papan.
“I made my decision based on my brothers abilities.”
“What abilities?”
“Brother Amilcarre is capable of making decisions about things. Although he is currently being pushed around by officials. Brother Baldassarre excels in the ability to plan things. Although he’s being pushed around by the officials.”
My brothers stood up and pointed at me.
” “You don’t have to repeat that I’m currently being pushed around by officials!” “
They were beautifully synchronized.
Papan began to laugh out loud.
After the laughter subsided, he returned to his serious expression.
“Very well. Alfred is watching you both very closely. I agree with you. What I want is for both of you to implement reforms and divide up the roles. I was hoping that …… thy would be able to reach this on their own. Because I left it to them from a young age, they have been manipulated by the Chimimōryō of the government officials. No matter how brilliant you are, lack of experience is a big handicap. Moreover, I had taught them to use the officials to their advantage. I guess I had to emphasize it.”
(T/N: Chimimōryō means evil spirits/monsters of rivers and mountains.)
Chimimōryō’s are common in every world.
Papan took a breath and then turned to my brothers.
“It was my fault. I’m sorry. You guys.”
My brothers were surprised and their mouths were agape.
It was the first time I had ever seen Papan apologize.
He was a little embarrassed, but he coughed and cleared his throat.
“I approve of Alfred’s policy. Are you okay with that?”
My brothers looked as if they had made up their minds.
” “I-I understand. May I check with Alfred for details?” “
They were synchronized again.
I wonder if synchronizing is popular these days.
“I don’t care. Do not hesitate to ask your brother to teach you if you think it is right. It’s not something an ordinary person can do, after all. And It gives me great satisfaction to see that.”
It’s true that if you have a strange pride, you won’t want to ask.
In this case, since I started the fire, you’re asking me to put it out ……
Papan nodded his head in satisfaction, then his expression changed.
“So, let’s talk about the Ravenna development. What do you plan to do with the staff?”
There is a person I have decided on and a person I’m interested in.
I’m not going to use officials because of my future plans.
But force is not going to work.
“I’ll have Sir. Fabio as my advisor. For the military, please allow me to meet with Sir Edmund Rustico, the head of the Knights in the territory. I would like to speak with him and entrust him with the selection of the knights.
“Very well. You can discuss the lineup of officials with Baldassarre. What about the rest of the people?”
“There is no need for officials. Valuable officials with flexible thinking should be put in charge of reform. That is a difficult task, after all. We don’t need hard-headed officials here because they are a hindrance. I’ll take care of the practical matters.”
Papan’s face became surprised.
Everyone but me.
I guess it’s only natural.
“It’s not something that can be managed with enthusiasm, and …… It’s true that it’s hard to get good officials out, but ……”
“I’ll work something out. I just have to raise them. I don’t get involved in the actual work. I don’t have the time to do that. Can you leave one thing to me?”
Papan folded his arms and pondered.
After a few moments, he let out a small sigh.
“It’s you were talking about. I’m sure you have a plan. But now that you’ve said it, you must finish it. You can’t just say it didn’t work out.”
“Thank you very much, sir. I will definitely do it.”
Papan gave a small shake of his head.
“If you say you can do it naturally, there’s nothing I can say. If I were your age, I’d put more effort into it, but …… That’s fine. And what about the people who will be implanted?”
It’s none of your business.
I can’t help it, I’m a withered old man inside.
“As for the people …… I’d like to recruit about 100 people who are on the verge of being able to pay the capitation tax. In addition, I would like to recruit about 70 poor families. Then the tax revenue won’t be worse off if we take them.”
My father looks at me as if he’s trying to figure out my intentions.
“That’s true, but …… Do you want to exclude the people who are living a normal life?”
“If we let the ones who are living well emigrate, they will complain instead. We have to start from scratch. If we can keep them tax-free for a while and provide them with food. The poorest households will be happy to join us. They won’t have to worry about taxes they can’t pay. They would have the jobs they need, and they would find a place in society. Then they will accept their new life. Because the most important thing here is motivation.”
Papan nodded with a strangely impressed look on his face, but quickly shook his head.
“I still have questions. If I don’t ask, I won’t be able to sleep at night. How will we get by without the officials?”
That’s what you want to know?
“I’m going to educate the people. We can do that by dividing up the work and simplifying it to some extent. If they can think and grow on their own, their lives will be easier. Then they will work hard. The founder of our family was also a third son, just like me. He had no chance of inheriting the family, so he started his own family with his people who were struggling for food. If his descendants were to tell him that they could not do it, the ancestor would cry.”
If they’re an aristocrat, I can tell them about their house ……
Even before my memory returned, I was curious to know more, and I read all the diaries and other documents up to the time of the founder.
I grinned inwardly, thinking that this was a good precedent for the development of the Ravenna region.
I was a little taken aback by Mil, though.
Papan gave a small chuckle.
“I didn’t expect you to bring up the ancestor. I can’t help but agree with you when you say something like that. Think for yourselves …… I’m sure that’s what the Founder would have done. It’s outrageous, but if it’s Alfred’s responsibility to do it, go ahead and do it.”
After all, the ancestors are very effective.
This world is a medieval feudal society.
The people should be free and should not be ignorant.
This is the social norm.
That’s what the Church wants.
But to hell with that.
I don’t have the luxury to afford it.
I hid the hatred in my mouth and bowed my head.
“Yes. Thank you very much.”
“But ……. Under that recruitment conditions, there may be a flood of applications. It’s not something I’m proud of.”
That’s because our society is still underdeveloped.
Even so, there are far fewer people starving to death in the Scala household.
This is thanks to the hard work of my brothers.
So I don’t blame them for that.
“When things settle down to a certain extent, we will recruit more people. We’ll need more people later on, after all.”
Papan nodded and put his hand on his chin.
“But that’s a lot of land. Even if all the poor families were to move there, it wouldn’t be enough.”
“We have people, don’t we?”
Papan looked at me dubiously.
“Who …… are you talking about?”
“Them.”
Papan panicked a little at my quick answer.
“No, wait, ……. They’re refugees. You know they’re from outside the country. You can’t expect them to accept being incorporated into our territory. In the first place, they fled because they had no place in this society. I don’t see how they can be incorporated again.”
In the first place, I don’t think of them as a foreigner.
They have the ability to think.
In fact, it is because they are in a remote area that they have to think for themselves to survive.
So, if they are convinced to join us, I believe they can help us.
For that reason, I don’t take officials with me.
Their condescending emotions will always leak out.
And the local people will be sensitive to such feelings.
“I guess it depends on the conditions. I’m sure they don’t like being refugees either.”
Papan closed his eyes for a moment, but then nodded with some clarity.
“I think Alfred has a secret plan. No one has ever done this before, right?”
I nodded strongly.
“I would appreciate it if you would leave this to me.”
If Papan gives me his permission, his political enemies would have attacked him.
You can be accused …… just for deviating from the formalities.
It’s really inconvenient to be a great aristocrat in a situation like this.
Therefore, it’s up to me.
If it becomes known that I have done something strange, Papan will be pursued somewhat.
But I’ll be the one who gets the brunt of it because I’m the one who asked for it.
This is because there are many precedents for this.
Discretion is often used as a means of protection.
It’s the only way to get a lizard’s tail.
I’m the third son, so I’ll be considered the lizard’s tail.
If I fail, the royal family will have an excuse.
Only my reputation will be ruined and House Scala will be protected.
If you think I’m going to fail anyway …… that’s great.
This will buy me some time until the town grows.
Once that’s done, it’ll recognize it as an established fact.
At any rate, the royal family’s condition is that we must manage it well as the territory of the Scala family.
It’s a trap to catch me off guard, but I’m going to use it against them.
Seeing my cool face, Papan smirked.
“I’ll look forward to it. And I’ll contact Sir Edmund. I’ll leave the rest to you. You can talk to Mario about any other specific supplies you might need. If only the administrative structure could be as easy to slim down as Mario’s.”
Dieting is hard work. …….
I don’t know what’s going on, though.
Only Kiara giggled.
◆◇◆◇◆
After Papen left, I felt a deadly presence behind me.
The next thing I knew, my left and right sides were pinned down by my brothers.
” “Alfred! Work is really fun, you know!” “
I had to explain the specific policies of the reform to my brothers, who had their eyes fixed on me.
