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Vol 05 Chapter 145: The First Southern Campaign I

Time passed, a new year began, winter faded away, and spring arrived.

I have now turned twenty. The age when kids became adults in Japan.

So far, all the policies have been progressing smoothly.

And then, an incident occurred.

「Another strike, huh…」

The plebeians refused military service once again. When you hear that people are refusing military service, you might think they are part of some kind of anti-war movement, but that’s not the case.

This strike wasn’t motivated by fear of war.

「So, what happened this time?」

「Well, about that…」

According to Raymond’s explanation…

It seems that ten patrician Families, struggling with financial difficulties, unjustly confiscated the property of the plebeians under them. They twisted the laws and came up with some suitable reasons to do so.

Naturally, the plebeians were dissatisfied. However, they couldn’t compete with the patricians who had knowledge of the law.

However, there are knowledgeable individuals among the plebeians as well. For example, those engaged in commerce.

Due to their profession, they often deal with Kirisians and understand the Kirisian language. Naturally, they can also write. Therefore, they have knowledge of this country’s customary laws.

These individuals saw through the patricians’ sophistry in this incident and mobilized many plebeians to demand the codification of the laws. The movement spread throughout the country.

「Should we suppress them with the military?」

「No, wait. Don’t be hasty.」

This incident is decisively different from the previous two strikes and rebellion.

One difference is that the plebeians are seeking rights. The previous strikes were sparked by demands for post-war compensation, tax reductions, and the distribution of spoils. The rebellion was triggered by the plebeians seeking a retrial.

This time is different. They are demanding the codification of laws… in other words, they want the laws to be made public to plebeians as well.

Another difference is that this is a countrywide movement.

The previous strike was initiated by a group of soldiers who had heightened their sense of solidarity after working together building the roads. The previous rebellion was sparked by the plebeians from a single region governed by a patrician.

However, this time strikes are occurring throughout the entire country.

「For now, inform all the patricians of the country; use hawks and courier horses. Order them not to act hastily, they are forbidden from harming the plebeians.」

「Understood.」

If an armed clash occurs, it could lead to a full-scale civil war. It would be a struggle between the ruling class and the ruled class.

And… We would likely lose.

The reason is that most of our soldiers are plebeians. There is a real possibility that the army sent to suppress the strike might join the revels instead.

「Also, summon Ron.」

Ron is the one in charge of dealing with domestic espionage and counter-intelligence, he might know something.

◇

「I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I couldn’t foresee this…」

As soon as Ron met me, he quickly apologized.

Well, as long as you’re reflecting on it, that’s fine.

「Um, may I offer an excuse?」

「Well, it depends on the content.」

According to Ron, he had been monitoring the movements of Kirisian merchants in the country. The magicians under his command were also actively engaged in counter-intelligence activities. So it was unlikely that this strike was backed by outside powers.

「In other words, this is solely the action of our country’s plebeians?」

「Most likely. I think the primary factor is that the centurions have become familiar with each other due to the long-term dispatches. Centurions are basically the leaders of their regions. Additionally, the improved roads and the increase in commerce have accelerated the speed of information transmission.」

In other words, the idea of staging a strike might have originated in one region, but it quickly spread throughout the country through the connections of merchants and centurions.

Well, our country’s territory isn’t that vast. If one is determined, they can spread the word across the entire country in a matter of days.

「We didn’t keep much of a watch on the Adernian merchants within the country.」

「Well… we couldn’t allocate that many personnel to it… let’s just consider this one unavoidable. For now, it’s enough to know that there’s no foreign involvement.」

However, this news will likely spread across the entire Adernian Peninsula by tomorrow. If the strike drags on too long, there’s a possibility that the other countries might take military action.

And the ones more likely to do something in this situation…

「Your Majesty! A courier horse from Bartolo Pompeius-sama has arrived!」

I knew it. I can imagine the content.

「The Kirisian city-states formerly part of King Belvedire’s Country have staged a military uprising.」

I expected as much.

◇

「This is troublesome.」

Raymond sighed.

What I was concerned about happened. As expected, the Kirisian city-states launched an independence movement.

Well, they originally had a strong sense of independence. King Belvedire also struggled with managing them.

「Even so, the plebeians have been very active recently.」

Iarl muttered.

Iarl was originally a plebeian. He is probably surprised at how quickly the plebeians have gained power in the past few years.

「Well, it’s probably my fault.」

The tax reductions I gave when they staged the first strike created a precedent. The plebeians realized that if they staged a strike, we would have no choice but to make concessions.

However, if we had suppressed that strike with force, this country wouldn’t exist now. I have no regrets about that decision and I would do it again.

There is only one thing we can do now.

「We have no choice but to accept their demands and proceed with the codification of the laws.」

「But giving in to their demands so easily is…」

Raymond made a bitter expression. Yes, that’s the problem.

If we allow their demands to escalate, eventually our own positions could be in danger.

The foundation we’ve built towards unifying the Adernian Peninsula could be overturned.

Well, I am quite popular, and… I don’t think it will come to abolishing the monarchy…

「By the way, what do you think about the plebeians’ demands for rights, Your Majesty?」

「Depending on Your Majesty’s thoughts, our response could change.」

My thoughts, huh…

「Well, in the end, I do intend to grant them a certain degree of political participation. Rights come with duties, after all. The plebeians have the duty of military service, which is crucial for the country’s security. Therefore, they should be guaranteed rights that are commensurate with that duty.」

「So, you are considering the abolition of the monarchy in the long run?」

「No, that’s not what I mean.」

The plebeians know how to fight and pay taxes. They may be able to make some political judgments.

However, anything more complex than that, like commanding the military or handling complex administrative and legislative duties, requires more extensive knowledge… knowledge that only the patricians and the King have.

The privileged class needs to be maintained… or rather, it will naturally be maintained. The plebeians who cannot even read cannot establish a democratic government, and even if they did, it wouldn’t last long.

Ancient democracies only worked within small city-states.

「I believe that the best political balance is when the power is equally distributed between the King, the patricians, and the people.」

「And how do you plan to achieve that specifically?」

Raymond pressed persistently.

It’s understandable; having a King with a vague political vision isn’t something his vassals can tolerate… Perhaps I should explain my plan.

「Well, it’s just a goal, but… you know I intend to take away the territories from all the patricians, right?」

「Yes, I’m aware of that.」

「But wouldn’t that mean the political power balance Your Majesty wants won’t be achieved?」

Hold on, let me explain further.

「Once they lose their role as rulers of their territories, we will gather all the patricians in the capital. Well, as their role will have changed it might not be appropriate to call them patricians anymore, so let’s call them nobles. We will create a council centered around these nobles. It will be an evolved form of the current Patrician Council, perhaps we could call it the Noble Council or Senate… either name would do.」

The patricians are politicians and soldiers. There are sometimes a few bad apples, but most are educated and have better training than most soldiers. It would be a waste to render them useless.

Initially, this council will serve as an advisory body to the King. But eventually, I plan to transfer some powers to them, strengthening their authority.

As long as I am alive, the current government will be fine. My successor, depending on how I educate him, should not be a problem either.

However, I cannot guarantee the kingdom will be fine in my grandchildren’s or great-grandchildren’s time.

There is a possibility that down the line a complete idiot might become King, a tyrant might come to power, the King might die while his successor is still young and a child might ascend the throne, or maybe the King might develop severe physical or intellectual disabilities…

Even if the country is strong, it can falter if its leader is incapable. That’s where the Senate comes in.

The role of the Senate will be to restrain a runaway King and to assist the King when he is incapacitated or too young to ensure the stability of the country.

Moreover, it could serve as a talent pool. Although the nobles won’t have their territories, they will still possess significant assets.

Their children will receive a high level of education and will grow up with a sense of pride that they are leading the country.

In other words, they will be reliable individuals.

While it would be ideal to use an examination system like the Chinese imperial exams to employ talented individuals, we lack the know-how and funds to implement it. Still, using the nobles and their sons would be better than the current nepotism.

We will pick within the personnel pool called the Senate the individuals best suited to serve as civil officials, military leaders, and counselors to the King like Raymond, Iarl, and Bartolo.

However, the issue is the potential for the Senate to become too powerful disregarding the King and the people.

That’s where I intend to leverage the power of the people.

「I intend to stipulate that only the King holds the imperium. This will mean that all soldiers will be under the absolute command of the King, right? Additionally, I plan on making the protection of the people the King’s duty. In case the Senate tries to infringe on the people’s rights, the King will be the only one who can protect the people… this way, the people will try to protect the King, right?」

Considering the structure of the ruling and ruled classes, in case of conflict, the sides would normally be the King and the Senate (nobles) versus the plebeians.

However, my plan is to reframe this as Senate (nobles) versus the King and the plebeians.

In essence, it’s like a system of checks and balances. By distributing power among the King, the Senate, and the people, we can maintain greater stability.

「I also think we should open the door for plebeians to participate in politics. We can make it so they can submit their opinions to the government, and depending on their wealth and influence, leave the door open to be invited into the Senate.」

In reality, only a small fraction of the plebeians is interested in participating in politics. Most plebeians just want to live their daily lives in peace.

Rebellions arise among the plebeians against the ruling class when influential individuals within the plebeians stir them up and incite uprisings. In this strike, the core figures are the centurions and wealthy merchants.

The strike occurred because they were dissatisfied with the patricians’ monopoly on the law, without them no strike would have happened.

The solution is to provide them with opportunities to participate in politics. This way, discontent won’t arise.

The strategy is to incorporate the leaders of the ruled class into the ruling class.

「I see… so that’s what you have in mind…」

Iarl looked at me with admiration in his eyes.

Stop that, you are making me blush.

「Isn’t there a possibility that the Senate and the people might join forces? If that happens, wouldn’t the King be at a disadvantage then?」

「I plan to create a system where members of the royal family can join the Senate and influential plebeians can become close aides of the King. If the three classes mix appropriately, it will prevent two classes from forming an alliance to overthrow the third. Though, there will still be concerns…」

Even the best plans can have their flaws. In the end, there is no country that doesn’t eventually fall. I don’t know of any country that has maintained the same royal lineage for thousands of years, except perhaps Ethiopia or Japan.

Unless I become immortal, it’s impossible to keep the country going forever.

However, there’s one thing I can say for sure. The countries where the monarchy has lasted longer are countries where the King doesn’t hold power.

For example, the Islamic Caliphate lost most of its actual power over time, but it persisted in some form until the era of Selim I. The Japanese imperial family lost political power after the Jōkyū War but has survived to this day.

Surprisingly, a dual system where the Senate and the people hold political power while the King serves as a figurehead might last longer.

「So, those are my thoughts.」

「Then, is this current situation convenient for you, Your Majesty?」

「Well, I had been thinking that the laws needed to be codified at some point.」

Perhaps it should have been done sooner.

「It might be better to not hesitate and declare equality under the law, where the King, patricians, and plebeians are all equal.」

We might as well abolish class laws and judge all individuals equally under the law. We should also guarantee private property and make those rights untouchable.

Since these demands will arise eventually, it’s better to give them now on our own terms.

「But the problem is if the plebeians get too full of themselves.」

「It’s also a problem if the King and the patricians are seen as unnecessary.」

That is something we have to be very careful of.

「However, what are we going to do with the rebellion in the south? Even if we gather all the patricians and the Praetorian Cohort, they won’t reach a thousand. The rebel army will likely exceed five thousand at a minimum.」

Iarl asked worriedly.

Indeed, it’s impossible for us to fight alone, but…

「Not all the plebeians participated in the strike. If we gather those who decided not to participate, we can secure around two thousand. Moreover, none of Bartolo’s soldiers have joined the strike.」

「Bartolo-dono’s troops? Why is that?」

「I’m not entirely sure, but they seem to be highly motivated.」

Bartolo rigorously trained the soldiers he had assembled. This was to develop the new tactics.

Of course, the plebeians conscripted for training wouldn’t have time to tend to their fields. Therefore, I supplemented their living expenses with the funds I provided.

In essence, they became a semi-standing army. They are eager to test the results of their training, which might explain their enthusiasm.

「Bartolo is already moving to suppress the rebellion. We need to quickly gather our troops and join the suppression. After this is resolved, we will demand ‘duties’ from the plebeians in exchange for the ‘rights’ they are asking for.」

We won’t be granting rights because we caved to demands. We will grant them in exchange for duties.

This distinction makes a significant difference.

「If that’s the plan, we need to act swiftly.」

「Yes. We will deploy within two days. Make preparations immediately.」

「Understood!」

And so, the First Southern Campaign began.