3 bar menu

Vol 03 Chapter 81-2: Flood Control II

While Ismene and Almus were discussing, Tetra and Nikolaos, following Almus’s orders, were busy surveying the land. They were examining the terrain of the planned capital construction site, as well as the rivers’ water volume, flow rate, and shape—all factors crucial for flood control. They also compiled and organized information from the local residents, a tedious task indeed. The two worked silently, immersed in their tasks.

「Tetra-sama, I’m actually quite interested in the magicraft you developed. Could I possibly learn to use it?」

「It’s theoretically possible since it’s just about drawing lines. But it might be challenging for someone who isn’t adept at magic to grasp the concept.」

Tetra explained while giving Nikolaos a brief introduction to the theory of magicraft. Nikolaos tilted his head, puzzled.

「What does zero mean?」

「It means nothing.」

「Assigning a number to ‘nothing’? Isn’t that odd?」

Nikolaos furrowed his brow, seemingly struggling to accept the concept of zero.

「It’s more convenient to have it.」

Nikolaos still looked somewhat dissatisfied, not fully embracing the idea of zero.

「By the way, what’s that odd tool you’re using?」

Nikolaos pointed to the device Tetra held in her right hand.

「It’s an abacus. Almus recently created it. It makes calculations much easier.」

「Interesting…」

Nikolaos examined the abacus handed to him with curiosity.

「How do you use it?」

As Tetra taught him, Nikolaos tried operating the abacus.

「Wow! This is amazing…」

Nikolaos felt as though a new world had just opened up to him.

「Mathematics is really wonderful.」

「I agree! Mathematics is amazing.」

For a while, the two bonded over their shared admiration for mathematics. However, the conversation soon took a complex turn.

「Mathematics can express any number. Isn’t that incredible?」

「That’s not possible. Irrational numbers exist.」

「Irrational numbers?」

「Like the square root of two. It can’t be expressed as a rational number.」

A slightly tense atmosphere emerged between Nikolaos and Tetra.

「No, no, it can be expressed.」

「It cannot.」

Tetra first explained the Pythagorean theorem and then elaborated on the square root of two, using the ground to illustrate her points. She explained that the square root of two is an irrational number through a proof by contradiction.

「I see… I had thought of numbers as just collections of points… So, something like this is possible?」

「Numbers are concepts created by humans; hence, inconsistencies arise. It’s inevitable.」

The two then set aside their work to share their knowledge. Tetra discussed mathematics, physics, and the study of magic.

Nikolaos shared his expertise in astronomy and philosophy.

「What do you think is the origin of everything? Is it numbers?」

「I don’t know. There might be blueprints like mathematical formulas. But they can’t be fully expressed by numbers. Maybe it’s something else. What about you?」

「I’ve heard there are things called atoms. Our world is made up of these tiny, invisible particles. But what are those particles made of?」

The two embarked on a seemingly futile debate over a question that might remain unsolved for millennia.

The onlookers watched them, puzzled, as they forgot their work to engage in this idle chat, their expressions seeming to ask, 「What are they even talking about?」

◇

「You know that I advocate heliocentric theory, right? What do you think of it?」

「I generally believe the geocentric model is correct. Observational evidence supports it too. Although it requires complex calculations, I think it’s adequately representable. But…」

Tetra paused momentarily.

「In the end, we won’t know until we observe it ourselves. Like the earth being spherical, without concrete evidence for either side, it’s a futile debate.」

No matter how much they debated, without the ability to prove it, the discussion was meaningless. It would just be a waste of time.

「Is that so…」

Nikolaos looked slightly disappointed and backed off. Even he, despite his known lack of tact, was reluctant to contradict Tetra, the queen. He also hesitated to continue arguing when Tetra suggested dropping a debate that had no end in sight.

「We should get back to work. We don’t want to anger Almus.」

「Yes, let’s complete the survey quickly.」

Finally, acknowledging the need to focus, the two returned to their task.

◇

「First, we need to construct the capital. For that, we require flood control. And while we’re at it, improving the irrigation systems would kill two birds with one stone. But once the flood control around the new capital is complete, we’ll need to focus on improving the roads throughout the rest of the country…」

Roads are vital for both the economy and the military. With well-maintained roads, merchants can move more freely, and the military can mobilize swiftly.

Depending on the location, road construction might even take priority over flood control. The financial resources are certainly available.

The real challenge, as always, is manpower.

The territory has expanded several-fold, making it impossible to manage properly. Currently, land surveys and taxation are only conducted in the old Aris territory and the lands surrounding the capital. It is simply unfeasible to cover the entirety of the directly controlled territories.

I can’t continue the policy of taking orphans in and providing them with education indefinitely. It risks diminishing the sense of guilt associated with abandoning children. It will be a problem if parents start abandoning their children at the slightest hint of financial difficulty, expecting the country to take care of them.

Introducing a system like the imperial examination1 is necessary, but that system ultimately failed. I have no interest in requiring my bureaucrats to have talents in poetry and literature.

Moreover, preparing for such difficult exams will necessitate adequate study materials and teachers, meaning only the wealthy—patricians and wealthy merchants—will be able to become bureaucrats.

That would defeat the purpose of establishing a bureaucratic system.

History has shown that concentrating power solely in the hands of bureaucrats does not end well.

The bloating of the bureaucratic system typically results from concentrating too much power in the hands of kings or emperors. If the king or emperor has great power but is not competent, governance fails, so bureaucrats begin directing the policies of the country.

This makes the bureaucratic profession more attractive which increases competition for the exams, but the problem lies in excessive competition. If the exams become too challenging, requiring the memorization of entire poems to pass, the selection process becomes flawed. Eventually, the exam content could become entirely disconnected from the skills necessary for bureaucratic duties.

Thus, while centralization is beneficial, power should not be concentrated in a single individual. Yet, the presence of the patricians cannot be entirely dismissed.

What is the right approach?

Although the examination system necessitates future consideration, the immediate task is securing personnel.

We need more than just bureaucrats.

For instance, there is a shortage of foremen capable of overseeing construction sites. While we have enough personnel for the highest positions, we are lacking in staff for mid-level roles.

「Sigh, there are so many problems.」

I wish I could just ignore them.

「My king.」

Suddenly I heard a voice calling me.

Looking up, I saw Julia and Tetra.

「When did you two get here?」

「What are you talking about? You gave us permission to enter.」

「You are overthinking again.」

The two frowned, looking worried.

Sorry.

「What’s the matter?」

「Actually, there’s an urgent issue regarding personnel that we need to resolve.」

Julia and Tetra presented a document to me, written in it was…

「We propose a bill for the crackdown on fake magicians and the regulation of magicians countrywide. Please consider it.」

With a smile, the two added more work to the pile.

TN1: The system of imperial examination (科挙) was a civil service examination system in Imperial China to select candidates for the state bureaucracy. It was established during the Sui Dynasty (581–618 AD) until it was abolished in 1905.  It was an extremely difficult exam focused on knowledge of Confucian texts, philosophy, and poetry.