Koushaku Reijou no Tashinami - Ch 219

In the territory

It is no longer so difficult horse riding for me, as I'm with a familiar horse.

Initially... When I first got here on a horse, at the time of the excommunication of Darryl's church, the travel was really painful for my entire body.

Surely, it took less time to ride a horse than to come on a horse-drawn carriage, but I was really exhausted when arriving ... so, to say ... it was a tragedy at that time..

Now it feels comfortable. Even the vibrations while on the horse are not painful.... A person's ability to get accustomed is really incredible.

"Welcome back, Milady"

"Everyone, I'm going directly into the office as I must start to work immediately"

As I returned at my fastest speed, greetings are somewhat hurried as I proceed into the study. I'm now surrounded by documents and start work.

Time is finite. It can not be wasted as much as possible.

A large mountain of papers stood up in front of me while sitting in the chair.

...... This sight is so familiar....

Tanya who joined me, also doesn't move from her place. She's just standing next to the wall as a doll.

Rather, this amount of documents is surprisingly small. I was imagining that there would be enough papers to cover the entire room.

Anyway, the situation of the administrative affairs of the territory when I went to the capital was not very good to begin with.

People who wish to immigrate from other territories are coming one after another.

The kingdom situation is not so good, even now... there's still scars of the hunger...

It's impossible for Ed to have used all stockpiles but ... Looking at the events, the most probably is that all the stockpiles collected by the royal palace have been sent by Yuri to Twil's country... 

Severe things are blowing one after another.

Of course it's urgent to deal with those problems, I also need to keep alive the business as a matter of course. Many families eat from there...

The officers are almost nearly with insomnia, and they are referred to as sleepwalking workers.
They were working nonstop day and night from when the start of the disaster.

Leaving the territory when everything was in that state was a really difficult choice.

It was fortunate that Dean was able to take away the root of all this mess... and that is, he was able to imprison Ed and company. We got the best possible result.

Regarding the territory, I have thought some measures to solve the problems to some extent before going to the capital, but ... after all those are only plans.

Even if you thought some ideas to help the situation, planning always comes up with new problems once you actually start working on it.

Even if you predict what problems can arise first and then plan solutions taking those possible problems into consideration, new issues will arise from unexpected places.

So, I thought that a highest quantity of mountains of documents, highest is the probability of having success...

Beyond imagination, in these few documents. Although the quantity was too little, the information is surprisingly enough.

Of course, I'm happy.

The people who work under Sebas, the excellence of those officers bring an unspeakable pleasure that satisfy my heart, every time I got surprises like this.

"...now is not the time to be immersed in such feelings."

I murmured alone while looking at the mountain of documents and started to work on the most  important matters.

For immigrant seekers, they currently live in a temporary housing built assembling wood parts.

Supplying them with food from the one that Dean purchased from other countries, and the food collected from the aristocrats who were arrested, has become quite useless as the amount of mouths to feed keep increasing for the time being.

According to the report, about 20% of the migrant applicants went back to their original territory.

However, the remaining 80% would like to live in the Duke of Almeria.

We must prepare an environment for them to live in.

Measures for the upcoming war are also critical, but the desperate hungry people are more frightening than anything.

If they bring in deterioration to the security with the immigration, war will not be our only problem. Our biggest problem will be the internal crisis, and with the war, our risk can increase hundredfold...

In order to guarantee that it doesn't happen, immigrants must set down to live here as soon as possible and show a harmless and pacific appearance to the people.

So we officers need to work on things such as, creation of the family register, mediation for jobs, and securing of residence.

Regarding residence, it is not urgent as right now everyone has one, although it's temporary.

Those houses are structurally fragile because they were made up with fast construction.

But 2 years it will last without problem.

Regarding job placement, fortunately the economy of this territory is expanding.

There are many places that need workers because they don't have enough people for labor, so I can finish this case without delay.

...... Even so, and I read all the documents on this case.

In each immigrant record, it's contained information regarding the reasons for desiring immigration, the family composition and career of each person. Those data are obtained and thoroughly checked at the border.

What was interesting was the career of each person.

For example, there are weavers for special cloths that work with special types of threads, craftsmen of gold with advanced metallurgical technology knowledge, craftsmen of special products and people with deep knowledge in interesting fields.

The so-called craftsmen with experience in creation of special products and specialties were not few in numbers.

Other people were engaged in medical treatment, such as merchants with big business like mobile pharmacies.

... Yes, those are valuable human resources.

In return we're obtaining a lot of talent into the Duke of Almeria.

And there are those too, those who are veterans in their fields!

It seems like it was a long time ago, the establishing a school, when it produced a big fuss in the people, negotiations a grand scale with the commercial guild, and all that.

"If possible, I would like to open an academic institution early. People are also an important resource of our territory. We can't leave them alone without polishing their talents. "

I said that to the presidents of the commercial associations at that time.

And that idea remains unchanged.

Human resources are the most precious thing for a land. The existence of human resources itself is the biggest benefit for the territory.

It is also important, for the people to have many possibilities in the future.

People gather and becomes a group, then the number grows and it becomes a territory, it expands further and it becomes a country... And when a person grows up, the territory grows and becomes enriched, and its wealth increases considerably.

Yes, I am thinking about them, my people.

That is why I acted with the thought of nurturing and fostering them as my first responsibility as an acting lord.

...... Anyway, many of the talents of this country have moved to this place now.

For example, let's ask people who know special weaving methods to work at clothing shops, if we combine their special weave with our original technology and special materials, our business will expand and we can start selling overseas.

Surely, something interesting will come up. Lets try experimenting new business and methods.

In other words, by providing people with knowledge from outside this territory and migrants to incorporate the knowledge of this territory, it can be stimulated the creation of new things.

.. I get excited just thinking about it.

A quiet talk with the book in my hands....

Even for the Duke of Almería, immigrants are interesting and delicious as resources that enriches, but ... that is not the main point here.

The most important thing to consider is the people of inside the territory, the original owners of this land ... Because... if the jobs are not enough, and immigrants start to take jobs. The people who originally should be protected by the territory will want to emigrate. 

It is reasonable to hear Bern telling father and mother that he has seen "hell".

As for the food shortage, the resolution is set, and it's actually carried out under the direction of Dean and Bern.

Yet, there are other things to think about...

The groove between the nobles and the people made in this case is deep.

The figures of the aristocrats who exercise their power for self-interest regardless of the people has become apparent, and the people who were resented, despaired, and gave up because of their appearance.

That's the proof of why human resources who should be protected in that area are hoping for migration.

To that extent they have despaired...

Until then, all the nobles of the kingdom forgot the duty of aristocracy to rule for personal interest and only giving thought to selfish desires.

"A nobleman can't be proud of being born as noble, because that's a gift they received and not an achievement. Those who are virtuous in their actions are the real aristocrats. "

When I was little, my grandfather repeatedly told me so.

Though I was hearing it from right to left in those days ... but now it seems painfully good.

Nobility is given power to act at the forefront of the people, arrange and coordinate their opinions, and to defend them in case of emergency.

That's why having the experience of a fellow citizen and now being a ruler I was amazed at the situation of the country in other territories.

It's clear as water why Dean destroyed the existing system and wants to join the territories together as a kingdom. 

It seems that Darryl's church was not the only one who forgot its existential meaning in the long run from when it was funded.

A nobleman who only pursues profits with the power in his hands will eventually forget what is his duty in the long time.

And this incident exposed that to such a great extent.

Thinking about it...
Was it fortunate that this disaster happened... thinking about how everything got a cleanup after it?