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Vol 05 Chapter 142: Plebeians I

「It seems things are going well.」

It had been four months since the war concluded and the construction of the capital resumed. I came to inspect the progress of the city. Thanks to the deployment of ten thousand Gallian slaves, the construction seemed to be proceeding smoothly.

「Yes. At this rate, the construction should be finished in two years and the capital should be functional in another two.」

Ismene, the Kirisian architect, smiled happily. For Ismene, the sooner the capital’s construction was completed, the better.

「By the way, there’s something that’s been bothering me.」

「Hmm? What is it?」

「The road construction… Your Majesty ordered the soldiers to continue building them. Why did you do that when it’s cheaper to use the slaves?」

「Ah… that’s just a pretext.」

Participation in war and paying taxes are the main duties of any Adernian. Roads are crucial military facilities.

In other words, helping build the roads is equivalent to participating in the war. Using this rationale, I conscripted about two thousand soldiers to build the roads.

The soldiers accepted their duty reluctantly but didn’t protest. Well, we provide them with food and rotate them out every month, so it doesn’t interfere with their livelihood.

I plan to have all citizens take turns doing road construction. By doing this, all soldiers will be trained in civil engineering work.

Civil engineering skills are indispensable in war. Both siege warfare and fortification construction are civil engineering tasks.

Soldiers probably spend more time digging holes than fighting the enemy.

「If necessary, we can arm and deploy them immediately. There’s a lot of benefits. Once the roads are completed, movement speed will increase as well.」

「But won’t these roads also increase the mobility of invading armies?」

「That’s the main demerit, but the benefits surpass it.」

It’s something that can be helped. However, offense is the best defense. It’s not a problem if we attack the enemy before they attack us.

「Is there anything you need?」

「Well, I’d like to add sculptures to the temples and the palace… Could Your Majesty invite some Kirisian craftsmen?」

「Got it. I’ll see what I can do.」

Sculptors, huh… Well, they are necessary…

◇

「There, there, there.」

「Waaaahhh, waaaahhh!!」

Ankus was crying and wailing in my arms.

Why? Is he hungry? Or does he need a diaper change?

「Almus… let me take him.」

In my distress, I handed Ankus over to Tetra. She picked him up and gently rocked him.

「…」

He stopped crying.

Why? Dad is sad…

「Does he hate me?」

「Maybe you should spend more time with him.」

Yeah… He probably thinks of me as another unfamiliar adult. Alright, I’ll spend more time with him. I’ll get closer to Ankus and cherish our time together more.

「Ankus cries a lot, doesn’t he? I think it’s a good sign that he’s energetic. Fiona is a bit too quiet…」

Julia murmured.

By the way, Fiona is sleeping soundly in another room. Well, even though she doesn’t cry normally, she cries loudly when I hold her.

It’s strange. Why?

「The crying at night is so noisy…」

「Haha… I’m really glad we have servants. Without them, I might have gone crazy.」

Julia and Tetra smiled wryly.

Both Julia and Tetra are royal consorts. They participate in raising the children but they don’t handle everything themselves.

When they cry at night, the hired servants take care of them.

When I was in Japan I heard many stories about families falling apart due to a child’s night crying… So, I’m grateful for this arrangement.

「Your Majesty, the item you ordered is ready.」

「Oh, come in.」

I granted Alice permission to enter. Alice is currently working as a servant in the palace.

Her skills in cleaning, laundry, and cooking were excellent, and I wanted to keep her where I could see her. I haven’t given her any orders for assassination or espionage. Forcing her to do that would make me the same as Aldo.

For now, I’m satisfied just keeping her close.

Alice brought in a brown liquid. A fragrant aroma wafted through the air.

「What is this?」

「Tea?」

Julia and Tetra picked up the glass cups, tilting their heads in curiosity.

Well, just try it. I worked hard to make this.

「Hmm… not a bad taste.」

「It’s delicious. What’s it called?」

「It’s barley tea. The main ingredient is barley.」

At my words, both of them grimaced. Tetra stopped drinking, and Julia made a face as if she had just swallowed something unpleasant.

「Don’t you like it?」

Adernians dislike barley. To them, barley is an inferior grain, something that only the poor, slaves, and horses eat.

In the military, switching their meals to barley is used as a punishment… It’s so ingrained that it works as a form of disciplinary action.

To draw a comparison with Japan… It’s like cat food. Humans can eat it, and it doesn’t taste bad, but no one willingly eats it.

It’s that kind of food.

「Why didn’t you tell us what it was before we drank it?」

「Because if I told you it was made from barley, you wouldn’t have tried it.」

I tried to soothe the annoyed Julia.

I understand her feelings. I would also be irritated if someone tricked me into eating cat food, even if it was just canned tuna.

「And besides, it’s not good to be so picky. Look at Tetra! She’s drinking it!」

Tetra stopped drinking when she heard the tea was made from barley, but she soon started drinking it again. Julia looked a bit surprised.

「Well, I used to eat barley bread when we lived in the forest.」

「Exactly. When we were in the Romalia forest, we often ate it, didn’t we?」

Back then, we didn’t have the luxury to complain whether the food was made from wheat or barley.

We all ate without complaining, just grateful to have food.

「Julia, you know now after tasting it, right? It’s fine.」

「Well, it is delicious, but…」

Julia still seemed unconvinced.

If she doesn’t want it, there is nothing I can do.

「I want to spread this to the people. What do you think?」

「That’s impossible.」

Of course…

Adernians know how to make beer, but they don’t drink it. Beer is considered an inferior drink because it’s made from barley.

I thought it could become a new industry if it worked out…

I want another promising industry besides drugs.

「What about perfume?」

「Perfume?」

「I’m specialized in medicinal herbs, but because of that, I’m familiar with the scents of flowers. I know what combinations produce which scents.」

Julia asked me to wait for a moment and left the room. After a while, she returned with a bundle of parchment, papyrus, and paper.

「I’ve written the results of my research here. I also know how to cultivate the plants.」

「Wow, that’s impressive… How about you try growing them on our lands? Depending on the feedback, we might be able to sell them on a larger scale.」

「Sure. If it helps you, Almus.」

Julia smiled, holding her research materials close to her chest.

◇

「Griffon-sama, could you give me the Romalia Forest?」

I visited Griffon-sama to obtain permission to develop the Romalia Forest. I explained the benefits of bringing the forest under my control.

Griffon-sama showed reluctance.

「Even if you say no one will enter my territory, the likelihood of someone entering will increase. I find that displeasing.」

「I plan to take measures to address that.」

The Romalia Forest covers an area with a radius of about forty kilometers. Griffon-sama’s territory is the center of the forest, around fifteen-kilometer radius.

So, I will strictly prohibit anyone from entering within a twenty-kilometer radius of the center of the forest. I plan to put up no-entry signs every ten meters.

Ideally, I would like to fence off the area, but that might affect the forest’s ecosystem, so I won’t do that.

「How about this? Additionally, I’ll have Julia set up a barrier to ward off people. I’ll make sure the settlers understand this.」

「Hmm, but still…」

「If the development is successful, we will offer a portion of the wealth gained to you, Griffon-sama. Things like alcohol and fat sheep and pigs.」

I tried to entice him with food. Griffon-sama thought it over with a difficult expression.

「Well, fine.」

「Thank you very much!!」

As expected of Griffon-sama. How magnanimous!

「But I won’t be lenient with any human who enters my territory. I will kill them without warning and demand additional tributes for each trespasser. Is that clear?」

「I understand.」

The tributes are not a significant issue, and those who disregard the prohibition and enter Griffon-sama’s territory can die for all I care. There are no problems at all.

「Well, I’ll be off then.」

「Alright. Good luck.」

After expressing my gratitude to Griffon-sama multiple times, I left the place.

◇

「It’s so peaceful…」

I sipped barley tea while gazing at the garden. Due to my complaints, seventy percent of the plants in the garden were replaced with ornamental ones.

The remaining thirty percent are still narcotics and medicinal herbs, but that’s my wife’s hobby, so there’s nothing I can do about it.

Nevertheless, it was peaceful.

Fiscal reforms were progressing smoothly, and centralization was steadily advancing. Just a month ago, all the lands of the Rosais Family were returned to the state.

Now that the Rosais Family had returned their lands and moved to the capital, power had naturally centralized.

For centralization, the power doesn’t need to be concentrated in me. As long as power is centralized, that’s enough.

Orders from the central government swiftly reach the provinces, and armies can be assembled immediately. That’s the ideal.

And that ideal was gradually being realized.

Bartolo’s military reforms were also steadily progressing, and he seemed eager to test them in actual combat.

But there were no wars. It was peaceful.

At least for the next year, I don’t intend to start any wars, and I doubt anyone will provoke a war with us either.

In a few weeks, reparations from the Rozel Kingdom will arrive. Most of these reparations will be used to reward the soldiers and the patricians who worked hard during the war.

I prefer to pay them with money instead of land because it will come back as taxes.

Ah, it’s peaceful. If things continue like this until the end of the year…

「Your Majesty!!! It’s terrible! There’s a plebeian uprising in the lands of one of the patricians belonging to the Aris Family!!!」

It seems that peace won’t endure even a year.

This time, it’s not a strike but a rebellion, huh? Or rather, a riot. What could be the cause?

The soldiers suppressing the rebellion are also plebeians, so if we handle this poorly, it could be disastrous.