LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 87 - Episode 87: Occupation Operation of Kikori Village
Episode 87: Occupation Operation of Kikori Village
I arrived at the office of the Foreign Affairs Team. I wanted Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stasa, to occupy Kikori Village, where the dwarves reside. But this office… It used to be a mountain of documents when I last visited. Now it’s sparkling clean, with flowers decorating it. It’s unbelievably clean and beautiful. Perhaps it’s thanks to the busty merchant girl, Namba. Stasa is sociable, the gentle and serious priestess, Mishiri, and the savvy Namba. These three girls make quite a good trio. Heh heh heh. As a boss, it feels good when your subordinates are doing well. But, I can’t get lost in sentimentality now. Let’s ask one of the clerks.
“Stasa isn’t here, is she?”
“Yes. Stasa is at the Duke’s Town’s Archduke Commercial Guild. They had practical work to do in the morning, so I think they’re organizing documents at the guild regarding the expansion of Lord Zaus’ territory.”
“I see. That’s how it is.”
“Shall I arrange for a carriage? If we leave now, we might make it by evening.”
“Thanks, but it’s faster if I run, so no need to arrange anything.”
“Huh?”
“Acceleration Accelerator!”
“Kyaaa!”
I try to keep the wind pressure generated by the Acceleration Accelerator in check with Magic Magic Defense, or else the office would be a mess. Still, since it’s a teleportation magic that exceeds the speed of sound, it might have caused the documents in the office to fly around a bit. But I’m in a hurry. Please forgive me for that. The Acceleration Accelerator’s teleportation magic moves at the speed of sound. I can reach a place tens of kilometers away in a matter of minutes. I’m also accompanied by Sai’s face ninja, Saizou, in one hand.
“Th-This is truly astonishing speed.”
Well, normally, if you’re hit directly by the wind pressure of sound speed, you can’t even breathe, let alone keep your eyes open. But thanks to the Magic Magic Defense, I can keep my eyes open. While explaining such things, we arrive.
“Wh-Where is this?”
“This is the Archduke Commercial Guild.”
The commercial guild managed by the busty merchant beauty, Namba.
“Most of the work here is to bridge the gap between the occupied territory and the original Archduke’s territory. Think of it as another office of the Foreign Affairs Team that ensures smooth diplomacy. It’s located in the center of Duke’s Town to improve work efficiency.”
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
As soon as we enter the guild, everyone stands up and bows deeply.
“Lord Zaus! Welcome!”
Hmm. The education here seems to be well done too. The guild’s interior is clean, and the fluffy carpet laid underfoot is exquisitely embroidered. The decor is elegant, giving off a commercial guild vibe. Splendid chairs, reminiscent of a high-class hotel lounge, are placed here and there. The second floor of the guild is the Guild Master’s office. It seems that the three girls are having a meeting in that room.
“Lord Zaus!”
The one who greeted me with a smile was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stasa.
Hmm. It’s good to see her looking well. Her hair is neat, and her skin tone is healthy. It’s evidence that she’s taking breaks and sleeping properly.
“It’s rare for you to come here, Zaus.”
“Just some business.”
“Ah, then please use the guest room in the back. Some good tea has just been brewed. Let’s have a chat over tea.”
We were led to the guest room. Although it’s called a guest room, there are maps on the walls, and other documents such as lists of imported goods and filed documents are densely packed. It feels like a commercial-use guest room.
“Occupying Kikori Village… is it?”
“Yes. I want to create a sturdy cage using Adamantine. For that, I want to seek the cooperation of the dwarves living in Kikori Village.”
“Um…”
Stasa stood in front of the map.
“We’ve managed to occupy this far. Kikori Village is quite far from here.”
Hmm.
“If we consider each city or village as one district, Kikori Village is ten districts away from the Archduke’s territory, isn’t it?”
“That’s troublesome.”
“Um. I don’t quite understand the occupation, Sai. Wouldn’t it be fine to just occupy Kikori Village, even if it’s ten districts away?”
“That would be a bad move.”
“Why is that, Sai??”
“Try occupying Kikori Village alone. The surrounding area is the Demon King’s territory. How are you going to defend Kikori Village?”
“That’s true, Sai… Even to replenish troops, you have to pass through enemy territory.”
“The same goes for trade supplies. Since there are ten enemy districts in between, it would be a loss if we were attacked.”
“I see, Sai. In that case, it’s best to gradually occupy adjacent land, right?”
I see.
“Stasa, how long will it take to occupy ten districts?”
“Well, considering the invasion progress so far… It could take about three months… At the earliest, maybe two months?”
Hmm. Can’t wait that long.
We don’t know when the Demon King’s army will attack. Ideally, I want to get it done quickly.
“But, with overtime and working on holidays, it might be faster!!”
“Zaus-san! I’ll do my best too!!”
Sigh. Even Mishiri…
These two are hard workers, which can be troublesome. If left alone, they’ll sacrifice themselves and work.
“Don’t be reckless. I won’t allow you to jeopardize your health with that.”
In the long run, it’s a big loss.
We need our capable employees to work for a long time.
Stasa frowned.
“But… invasions take time. We might show some military force, but our main approach is reconciliation. We proceed with the invasion while carefully dialoguing to prevent rebels from arising. The most time-consuming part is explaining the benefits.”
“Indeed… that does take time.”
“I, I don’t understand, Sai. What do you mean by invasion and benefits? If the Zaus army has power, can’t they just invade easily?”
“Ah, let me explain. The Zaus army doesn’t usually attack. If a district suffers damage during the invasion, when it becomes our territory, that loss will directly affect the Archduke’s territory. So, we present benefits to the occupied district and convince them to join us without fighting. That’s how we occupy without warfare.”
“But, Zaus-sama is the enemy of the Demon King. Isn’t it quite difficult to betray the revered Demon King?”
“That’s why we present benefits. If joining the Archduke’s territory offers more benefits for the district compared to the Demon King’s territory, there’s no reason to refuse. For example, taxes. In the Demon King’s territory, the tax on wheat is 90% of the harvest. In the Archduke’s territory, it’s 60%. There are plenty of other benefits, like the alcohol tax. In the Demon King’s territory, 70% of the alcohol tax is collected, but in the Archduke’s territory, it’s only 10%. By reducing the alcohol tax, Zaus-sama has already differentiated from the Demon King’s territory. Everything here is superior to the Demon King’s territory. There’s not even a 1 millimeter reason to refuse.”
“Hmm… So, it takes time to understand the benefits.”
“Yes, that’s right. The conditions for benefits vary by district. There are districts where alcohol is prohibited, so there’s no point in talking about a 10% alcohol tax there. So, it takes time to understand the current situation of each district. Then, we present the benefits, the other side understands them, and we reconcile to join the Archduke’s territory.”
“That does take time.”
“Yes. To completely occupy one district, smoothly, it takes about 4 days. Sometimes it takes two weeks if it’s troublesome. So, even if it’s just ten districts, it will take several months at the earliest.”
Hmm… Reconciliation with ten districts, huh?
“Alright. Let’s finish it in one day.”
“Eh? H-How will you do that!? There, there are ten districts, you know!?”
“Saizou. Mobilize the army of 2400 Sai warriors. Stasa, arrange the Lionkin tribe and the Zaus Heavy Knights.”
“W-What are you planning to do?!”
“Oh, it’s important… W-What are you going to do?”
“It’s bothersome. I intend to solve everything at once.”
────
*Regarding the 10% alcohol tax:
The price of alcohol is managed at the Archduke’s Castle.
The applied manufacturing process and costs are calculated, and a maximum price limit is set.
That price limit is said to be half the price of surrounding countries. In other words, in the Archduke’s territory, you can drink beer at half the price. In modern society terms, it’s like a can of beer costing about 100 yen each.
Additionally, the setting of the price limit is managed at the Archduke’s Castle, so it’s not a system where only the manufacturers make huge profits. If only the manufacturers profit, the residents will only do that job. In that case, that industry alone would develop, and agriculture would decline. Zaus always considers the balance between the residents’ benefits and the development of the territory, while of course, the profits of the Archduke’s Castle come first lol. In the end, reducing the alcohol tax makes related restaurants more profitable, and the residents are pleased. It seems that the tax revenue collected by the castle increases, and Zaus Town develops.
(Note:Yeah,like hell I’m gonna read that, let alone understand it)