“We haven’t received any major complaints from the populace. Most of the nobles who were strongly dissatisfied have left the domain.”
“Well, for them, it’s a situation where they’re just losing money by staying. But it’s surprising that there haven’t been more complaints from the common folk.”
I’m receiving a report from Jake about the changes that have occurred within the domain and the accompanying results.
“The biggest factor is the tax reduction. It’s especially popular in the farming villages, and the stockpiling we’re doing in the domain’s capital is also well-received.”
“Well, the tax rates were too high to begin with. On top of that, leaving countermeasures against poor harvests and famines to individuals? Doesn’t that make you wonder what the point of the administration is?”
It’s a given that you have to protect the people as long as you’re making them pay taxes, but the system for making them pay is all there is, and the system for protecting them is far too lax.
“The Knights Order’s patrols have also been effective. Checking whether the tax rate changes and stockpiling instructions are being followed, and demoting the heads of villages and towns that don’t comply to slavery… I think Lord-sama’s seriousness has been conveyed.”
“I expected there would be those who would act dishonestly. Thanks to that, I’ve had to replace quite a few tax collectors.”
Tax collectors are either Knights or Barons. In other words, nobles. However, there are hardly any nobles who were properly doing their jobs as tax collectors. Most of them don’t move themselves, but use their subordinates.
Saying they leave it to capable people sounds good, but it’s pointless if they’re the kind of people who don’t notice when their subordinates are being dishonest. It’s even more unbelievable if they themselves are being dishonest.
“To be honest, it was eye-opening. I couldn’t understand why the domain was becoming richer even though tax revenues should have been decreasing.”
“It’s simply because expenses have decreased.”
The number of nobles and knights of noble lineage has decreased considerably. The reduction in the wasteful expenses associated with them is significant.
“The fact that it’s not that complicated to implement is also wonderful. It’s well thought out.”
“I’m just having it put into practice; someone else came up with it.”
“I’d love to meet them.”
“I see. Well, they’re probably not alive anymore.”
The governance system created during the Unified Space Force era is nothing short of amazing.
However, even such a system is meaningless if it’s not properly implemented. Half-hearted implementation only burdens people by changing their lives.
That’s why we’re reliably carrying out things that can be easily implemented in a methodical manner.
The funds for that will inevitably be negative… but well, that’s being managed with the funds that the previous Lord had accumulated, as well as the funds from the houses of nobles who were seized for dishonesty and other things.
“The Dungeon is also popular. Who would have thought we could make so many Ingots?”
“It’s not that difficult as long as you have a dedicated furnace.”
Currently, the main enemies in the Dungeon are the Iron Cavalry and Iron Horse monsters. The Adventurers are defeating them.
The Adventurer’s Guild buys them, but the domain also buys them. It’s cheaper than what the Adventurer’s Guild buys them for, but since we’re buying them at the Dungeon entrance, it saves the trouble of transporting them to the Guild, so quite a few are being brought in.
The Iron Cavalry and Iron Horse monsters are, to put it simply, moving armor monsters. When you defeat them, you get a lump of iron and a Magic Stone.
We’re using a special high-temperature furnace that we prepared to turn that lump of iron into Ingots. Since it’s a high-temperature magical furnace that Ore prepared, the purity of the iron is high, and it’s possible to create Ingots with uniform size and weight.
Gianna was excited.
We’re using that iron to update the weapons of the Knights Order and the military, and the Adventurers in the domain are also diligently buying new weapons. It seems that it’s also starting to attract attention as a trade item.
“Adventurers aiming for Unicorn Horns are also flocking here one after another. I hear that even First-Class Adventurers are heading this way.”
“I don’t really want Adventurers who are too high-level to come here.”
If their abilities are too high, they might monopolize the Unicorns, so I’ll have to adjust the number of Unicorn appearances.
First-Class Adventurers are not only highly skilled, but also highly trusted by the Adventurer’s Guild, so we have to be careful because we can’t just kick them out.
“Well, let’s just have them spend their money.”
“Indeed.”
The Adventurers’ money comes from the Adventurer’s Guild. The biggest source of income for that Adventurer’s Guild, at least in our city, is Unicorn Horns.
The Guild buys them from the Adventurers about once a week, and then takes them to the Royal Capital to auction them off and make a profit.
Thanks to that, our Dungeon is attracting attention even in the Royal Capital, and many Adventurers are coming here.
I’m planning to switch to an appearance rate of about once every two or three months soon, though.
“However, there are some problems outside the domain’s capital.”
“There’s no helping that. Just be careful not to let them build towns and villages without permission.”
“I understand that.”
The domain’s capital is firmly surrounded by walls. And outside the domain’s capital, there are people who were unable to earn a living in the domain’s capital and were driven out.
We’re using the Knights Order to guide them to the Town of Solva, and those who commit crimes are captured and enslaved, but we just don’t have enough manpower.
We don’t want them to become a breeding ground for disease, and we don’t want them to create slums, but sometimes it ends up looking like a light refugee camp.
“So, you’re still not going to distribute food?”
“We’ll only collect impoverished children, but we don’t need adults. I want them to go to another town quickly.”
“But they’ll end up staying in the domain, won’t they?”
“I don’t mind that much, but eventually other towns will take similar measures.”
Or rather, towns and villages will start imitating us.
The problem of wealth disparity will start to emerge in those places, but right now, the first priority is governing the domain’s capital. There are quite a few people who willingly moved here when I arbitrarily moved the capital. I have to reward them first.