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Vol 05 Chapter 149: Post-War Processing

Bartolo brought news of our victory as soon as he returned. We sent the captured commander of the Kirisian forces as an envoy to demand the surrender of the rebels.

Was it because their last hope was crushed with the annihilation of their reinforcements? Or did they realize that they couldn’t avoid death if things continued as they were?

Two days later, the city-state that had been the center of the rebellion accepted our terms of surrender. With the central city surrendering, both the cities that had rebelled and those that had remained neutral declared their loyalty to me.

Following Bartolo’s example, we burned all the rebel cities. The flames, blazing red, will surely leave an indelible mark on the hearts of their citizens and the other potential rebels.

They should now understand what it means to defy me. If this ensures that no further rebellions occur, it will be worth it.

In any case, the rebellion was brought to an early conclusion.

◇

「Well, the rebellion has ended, but the problems haven’t.」

There are five issues that need to be resolved urgently.

First, the strikes happening within the country.

Second, the distribution of the spoils of war.

Third, the treatment of the people who lost their cities.

Fourth, the treatment of the cities that instigated the rebellion.

Fifth, the treatment of the Kirisian city-states that sent reinforcements to support the rebellion, and the Kirisian merchants who secretly backed them.

「Where should we start, Raymond?」

「We’ll have to tackle them simultaneously. None of these problems can be postponed.」

That’s true… Although there are differences in priority, they all need to be resolved quickly.

「First, Bartolo. You will handle the organization of the spoils of war. Use the bureaucrats as you see fit. Make ledgers and calculate their value.」

「… Understood. Sigh… I’m not good with numbers, though.」

The distribution of spoils must be done fairly to prevent dissatisfaction among the soldiers. Additionally, we need to provide generous compensation to the wounded and those who lost their lives.

Most of the war was fought by Bartolo’s army. He should know best who contributed and to what extent.

Next…

「Ron, Gram. I assign you the task of managing the Kirisian-adernian refugees. Disperse them throughout the country so they don’t form a single mass. They can be used for development and cultivation.」

「Yes! Understood. We’ll work them hard in the Romalia Forest.」

「Hmm, it’s better to distribute them to the north as much as possible. The south has too many Kirisian merchants…」

Gram and Ron nodded firmly. Gram is responsible for development, and Ron is in charge of maintaining domestic security.

This issue needs to be handled carefully. If they form a single group, they might rebel again. On the other hand, if they are dispersed and given land to cultivate, they won’t have time to think about rebellion.

Those two should manage it well.

「Iarl, I order you to prepare for peace negotiations with the city-states that supported the rebellion. Go ahead and visit them first. However, the full-scale negotiations can wait.」

「Understood, Your Majesty. I’ll work with the pro-Rosais factions and start the denunciations.」

Diplomatic negotiations are Iarl’s domain. There is no need to think twice about that.

As for me…

「I will handle the strikes and the treatment of the cities that caused the rebellion with Raymond.」

◇

「Your Majesty, as ordered, I’ve instructed the representatives from each city to bring their delegates to the capital in a week… But wouldn’t it have been better to quell the strikes first?」

「No, with the peace negotiations with the Kirisian city-states still unresolved, we need to act swiftly. We can’t afford to be leisurely about this.」

However, if we don’t resolve the strikes by then, the city representatives will witness our soldiers refusing military service. We need to address this before they arrive.

「How far are you willing to go in meeting their demands, Your Majesty?」

「Well, not all the way.」

Most plebeians aren’t asking for more than the legal codification of their rights. However, a few hardliners are demanding political participation.

「Even if we recognize a plebeian assembly, I doubt it would function properly. Direct democracy is impossible in anything bigger than a city-state, and representative democracy is too costly.」

Democracy is expensive. It might work for a small city-state, but our country outgrew that model long ago.

It’s not realistic.

「They won’t back down unless we codify the laws. Additionally, let’s preemptively include guarantees for private property and equality before criminal justice for the King, the patricians, and the plebeians.」

Otherwise, someone will start demanding these things within a few years. Better to address it now.

Top-down reform, so to speak.

「This is a sign of the times, isn’t it? The idea that the King, the patricians, and the plebeians would face the same criminal penalties was unthinkable a few decades ago… I have one suggestion.」

「What is it?」

「How about creating an opportunity for plebeians to voice their opinions? The reason they strike is that they think we won’t listen otherwise. But such actions force us into a hard stance. It benefits neither side.」

I see. Indeed, that would prevent future strikes.

Having strikes occur repeatedly poses a security risk. As a permanent preventive measure, this is a good plan.

「For now, let’s set up a suggestion box. It’s simple.」

Just placing a box won’t require much cost or effort, and it can be done quickly.

Beyond that, we’ll need to take time to create a more comprehensive system.

「Since that’s decided, let’s move quickly and talk to the representatives of the plebeians.」

◇

The discussions between me, the ruler, and the plebeians, the governed, took place within the temple. Weapons are generally prohibited in the temple, and shedding blood is forbidden.

It’s the safest place for both parties to talk.

「First, tell me your concerns. What do you seek from me? If everyone has different demands, it will be impossible for me to address them.」

I urged the representatives of the plebeians to state their demands.

The plebeians are not a monolithic group. Each group acts independently. The representatives here are the ones from the relatively moderate and large groups.

「We have two main demands. First, the codification of laws. The monopoly of laws by the king and the patricians infringes on our lives and property. Second, the cancellation of debts. Due to repeated wars, many plebeians are suffering from debt.」

The plebeian, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the ground, pleaded with me. From his demeanor, it is clear he is genuinely concerned about the welfare of the plebeians rather than seeking personal gain.

And my response is already decided.

「I see. I have heard your requests. We will promptly begin codifying the laws. We will also explicitly state the inviolability of private property and the equality of all people before criminal justice. We will ensure that never again will the patricians violate the property, lives, or bodies of plebeians.」

That much is fine. However, the cancellation of debts…

「We cannot approve the cancellation of debts. What you borrow must be repaid. However, the payment of unjust interest is against the law. You will not have to pay interest, and those who have received interest will be ordered to return it. I will issue a decree to that effect.」

In our country, charging interest is actually prohibited by law. The idea is that making money from money is unearned income, which is morally unacceptable and therefore banned.

However, in practice, it has been openly conducted. I myself have paid interest on debts to Ainz, and many patricians have paid interest to moneylenders or demanded interest from plebeians within their domains.

This is somewhat of an unhealthy situation. I intend to use this opportunity to rectify it.

The moneylenders will have to bear the loss.

But if this continues, no one will lend money to our country. Therefore, once the government stabilizes, I plan to introduce a law allowing interest and interest rates.

A rate of about ten percent should be reasonable and appropriate.

「Furthermore, we will set up suggestion boxes throughout the country. In the future, if you have any opinions or requests for me, you can submit them in these boxes.」

People will need to learn to read and write on their own. I don’t have the time to listen to the demands of those who cannot even bother to learn to read or write.

「Is… is that true, Your Majesty?」

The plebeians’ representative looked up with joy. His eyes were shining.

The cancellation of debts was a long shot, but the suggestion box was an unexpected offer.

「However, there is a condition.」

I looked down at the representative.

「Military service is a duty of all the inhabitants of this country. This duty applies equally to the King, the patricians, and the plebeians. If anyone refuses military service in the future, they will be considered a traitor and will be thoroughly punished.」

I stated my nonnegotiable condition to the representative. His face turned pale.

He must have remembered my stance during the recent war against the Kirisian-adernian city-states revolt. My harsh approach to the rebellion begins to pay off.

「Y-Yes, we understand. We will ensure that such a thing never happens again.」

「That is not for you to vow. It is a vow the people have to make.」

I stated this firmly and walked out of the temple, facing the crowd of plebeians gathered outside.

「I understand your demands. Once preparations are complete, I will issue the Subject Rights Charter. The property and lives of those who become my subjects under this charter will be protected by law. The king, the patricians, and the subjects will be equally punishable under criminal law. Furthermore, unjust interest and interest rates will not be allowed, and debt slavery will be prohibited. In return, subjects will have the obligations of military service, taxation, and loyalty to me. These conditions will be inscribed on bronze plaques and placed throughout the country.」

My words, amplified by magic, resounded around the temple.

The crowd fell silent for a moment. Then, a great cheer arose.

◇

Three days have passed since my declaration of the Subject Rights Charter.
Many of the plebeians have disarmed and stopped their strikes.

I demanded military service and taxation in exchange for codifying the laws and protecting their property and lives. For most plebeians, the obligations that had always existed are now simply being put in writing.

In fact, the obligations are now limited, and their rights are clearly defined. The strikes no longer have any purpose.

「Your Majesty, you have interesting ideas. I knew the concept of ‘citizen rights’ but I never heard of ‘subject rights’.」

「Well, the content is not much different from citizen rights.」

The idea is inspired by the Constitution of the Empire of Japan and the concept of citizen rights in this world. Rights do not arise naturally; they are granted by the king.

This concept needs to be instilled in this country and demonstrated through the tangible form of subject rights.

By doing so, the plebeians can be securely governed.

「For now, we need to consider the specifics of the subject rights, as well as what to do with foreigners in the country and those who refuse the subject rights.」

But that can be dealt with later. Before that…

「We need to judge those who incited the rebellion.」