Chapter 41: Swarm Of Locusts
<Staff Management>
General Butler: Miller Xavier (calculating wages)
Butler: Tobias Wilkin (managing the store)
Factory Manager: Paul (studying)
...
Maid: Jaylin (arranging decorations)
Maid: Brianna (arranging decorations)
...
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A table appeared, allowing me to see at a glance the employees I led.
"Ohh?"
This way, I'd know right away who's doing what.
It was also easy to weed out dishonest employees.
Did I feel like I was doing something weird?
All I had to do was open the character information.
I looked straight at the words "Brianna."
As expected, it was now possible to retrieve character information without meeting face-to-face.
Of course, this only applied to my staff, but where is that?
"As expected, everyone's loyalty is amazing."
Brianna's overall stat was only E.
Since they were mainly doing cleaning and laundry, it didn't really matter whether they were high or low.
First, her loyalty was as high as 90.
'Loyalty is now expressed in numbers.'
This will make things much clearer than the vague high and low.
I leaned against the balcony railing with a pleased expression.
Then I blurted out a word to Butler Tobias Wilkin.
"Tell them to leave the decorations as they are, and give those two people two cylons each."
"Suddenly?"
"I'm giving you this golden reward because I like seeing you working hard. Didn't you hear what I just said?"
"No, I didn't hear anything…"
It was a strange thing.
We were in the same space, but some people could hear and some couldn't?
Didn't I use the heart of a beast?
'Come to think of it, my eyesight seems to have improved a bit, too?'
It seems that this reward wasn't just one.
All five senses have improved overall.
It was quite encouraging.
There's nothing wrong with being more sensitive.
"Anyway, deal with it that way."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
After Butler Wilkin left, I enjoyed tea time while taking in the view of the mansion.
But then suddenly someone knocked on the office door.
"That's fast."
'He probably haven't finished his work yet.'
There was no way Tobias, who had just left, would have come back.
So who on earth visited?
I opened the staff management window briefly.
Then, Deacon Xavier's actions changed from 'calculating wages' to 'waiting for report.'
"Come in, Deacon Xavier."
"Oh, yes. How did you know I was coming?"
"I just guessed. How many people come to my office in person?"
"Haha! I see."
In fact, quite a few people came and went from the office.
Because the maids came and went often.
But Butler Miller Xavier didn't seem to care much.
My acting was too clever to feel strange.
"By the way, what's going on?"
"A guest has come to the mansion, and I feel I must report to you."
"Is it someone I should meet?"
"That's not true, but the content is unusual."
"What is it?"
"We are receiving a flood of requests to sell or lease some of the land around our logging site."
I nodded leisurely.
Actually, I expected this much.
A roll of linen of excellent quality was sold for only 5 korren (korren=Copper).
In addition, ceramic dishes and iron tools were being prepared for sale next to it.
That item was also scheduled to be supplied at a considerably low price.
The reason such crazy things were possible was simple.
'And there's still a lot left.'
What would happen if i sold a lot of daily necessities at cheap prices?
The area around Midias's store was bound to have a huge floating population.
Besides, aren't they all people who came to spend money?
This is just creating a crazy commercial district.
Everyone has their eyes on a place with a nice location.
But I had no intention of giving up that good land.
"Reject them all."
"It would be a lot of money if you just rented it out."
Rent was a major factor influencing market prices.
If we are trying to improve the overall living standards of the common people and get compensation, will it work if prices go up?
I shook my head firmly.
"It's okay."
"Then I will make sure to convey it that way."
After Deacon Miller Xavier left, I was in deep thought.
Leeches that had already smelled money were beginning to swarm.
This will disrupt the plan.
'I guess I'll have to take care of it more carefully for the time being.'
I called the groom straight away and headed to the Midias shopping district.
* * *
As expected, the road from Midias to the capital was a complete mess.
Since they couldn't set foot on my land, they opened a stall in the middle of nowhere.
The road was gradually becoming narrower due to the merchants lined up on both sides.
"Why don't we just open a market?"
I shook my head and looked out the window.
Then an even more absurd sight unfolded.
The road to Midias itself was completely blocked.
Because of those damn street vendors, traffic had become completely impassable.
'No matter what, this isn't it.'
I hastily wrote a document.
Since the carriage was stopped, there was no difficulty in writing.
After a while, I delivered the letter to the coachman and immediately called the merchants together.
"His Highness the Carrier is looking for you."
"Then of course I should go."
"Hehehe! I see you finally changed your mind."
The guys followed me as if they had been waiting.
A look of anticipation on everyone's face.
It seemed like they knew how to drop even a piece of rice cake.
"I knew this would happen. What are you going to do if you make a fuss in front of me?"
"If you had given us the space next to your store a long time ago, this wouldn't have been necessary. Do you think we want to be street vendors in a place like this?"
"Shh! Lower your voice. If you keep this up, everyone will find out that you're a member of the upper echelons."
"Keep on going! How far is it? How could I overhear a conversation in this noisy place?"
"But you never know."
"Hey! This guy is so scared. Hehehehe!"
As I was walking slowly toward the vacant lot, I heard a rather annoying sound.
It seemed like he was muttering something that he thought I wouldn't hear.
But what can I do about this?
Thanks to the reward I received recently, my senses have become very sharp.
'Anyway, you're talking about a nobleman's scapegoat?'
Most of the upper echelons of the empire were owned by the nobility.
Because there aren't many commoners who have enough wealth to run a peddler's shop.
That may not be the case for small traders, though.
A rough picture formed in my head.
A top employee who pretended to be an ordinary merchant opened a street stall and staged a protest that wasn't really a protest.
It was an attempt to eat the yolk of the land I had worked on raw.
'That won't do.'
I slowly turned around and looked around.
There were about 50 merchants who responded to my request.
It seemed like most of the people occupying the roadside had gathered there.
"Let me ask you one thing. Whose land is this?"
"What?"
The merchants were agitated by the unexpected question.
But I continued speaking calmly.
"I asked whose land this is."
"It's just a public road, so it's national land."
"Then whose country does it belong to?"
"Well…"
The merchant at the very front mumbled.
He realized that no matter what he
answered, he would be at a disadvantage.
'This guy is quick-witted.'
Well, it didn't matter anyway.
There were going to be a lot of people who would answer anyway.
I said, glaring at the other merchant.
"Answer."
"Of course, it belongs to His Majesty the Emperor."
"Then this road belongs to His Majesty. It was built by emptying the national treasury. Do you recognize it?"
"Yes."
"But why are you doing business on His Majesty the Emperor's land without permission?"
As expected, it appeared.
The exclusive skill is selling out His Majesty the Emperor.
I looked around the room with a smile of satisfaction.
The merchants were speechless and just blinked.
Of course, they couldn't answer that.
What kind of permission do you need to open a street stall?
'Would I allow something like that in the first place?'
Moreover, they blocked the road to the point where passage was almost impossible.
I don't know what law they broke by not bringing the law book.
Anyway, it could all be made illegal.
There would certainly be clauses that need to be roughly woven together.
"No, then what happens to us?"
A merchant mustered up the courage to ask a question.
I gave a simple answer with an evil smile on my face.
"Well, what's the big deal? It's just…a demolition site."
"What?"
"They'll probably all be confiscated. I've already reported it to the Capital Police."
"…"
"..."
This is a report that was submitted directly by a secret agent of the country.
Demolition work has probably already begun by now.
The merchants were all running around in a state of deep thought.
In order to salvage even one thing.
"What a swarm of locusts."
I leisurely watched their struggle.