NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23
Bio Village, which I hadn’t visited in a while, looked completely different from what I remembered.
The house I was worried would collapse someday had been fine-tuned, and the townsfolk wore slight glimmers of oil on their faces.
Chloe, peering outside the carriage, murmured in a small voice, “It’s totally changed from a few months ago.”
Her voice was drenched in loneliness.
I gently patted Chloe’s head.
After staying in that position for a while, the coachman outside announced loudly, thump thump, “We have arrived at The Lord’s house.”
“Got it.”
As I stood up to exit the carriage, Chloe tried to get down too.
It was true that as my dedicated maid, she needed to be by my side 24/7.
But after spending time as neighbors, she probably wouldn’t want to see the face of the person who nearly sold her into slavery during the famine.
Even if she was happy now, trauma doesn’t just vanish from the mind, you know.
“You don’t have to follow me around while I’m in the village.”
“But…”
“This is an order. Go to the room where I’ll be staying and study. You need to learn to read by the end of this week.”
Once she masters reading, I’ll have to reward her with a little something.
Studying is originally for oneself, but when you get rewarded for your efforts, you tend to want to work harder.
I sent the carriage to my residence and stepped out immediately.
The Lord, seeing me, greeted me with an expression overflowing with respect and gratitude.
“Welcome, My Lord!”
“How is the village doing?”
“Thanks to you, My Lord, we are so much better off now!”
It’s standard protocol to answer “Yes” when a high-ranking individual asks, “Is army life bearable?” even if it feels like you’re facing death over it.
If you don’t, you might find yourself being the scapegoat for a big wig’s anger later.
There’s no one higher than The Lord in this village, so I wouldn’t face the brunt of that, but…
If my mood soured, that gentleman could be facing some very sad times ahead.
But just from observing The Lord’s expression, the way he wrung his hands, and the glint in his eye, it was clear that his words were not a lie for survival but filled with sincerity.
“How am I supposed to know if you keep it all vague? Be more specific.”
“Before, everyone struggled to eat two meals a day. But now, even if it’s not the best food, we can have three hearty meals daily.”
It’s a fact that 21st-century Koreans often forget.
In pre-modern times, the increase in meal frequency and quantity is a clear indicator of economic improvement.
That’s because the serfs and ordinary citizens of this era spend 80% of their earnings on food.
“I don’t think you could afford to eat so well with just the aid I provided?”
“Isn’t raising seaweed from early dawn until the afternoon a labor obligation for us? So, during our free time, we catch animals or gather herbs to sell.”
As long as there’s hope to live better, people can endure more than 12 hours of labor a day, just like my parents’ generation.
Seeing serfs engaging in similar efforts left me slightly bewildered.
“Moreover, all the additional seaweed we collect must come directly to me. If you pass it off to other merchants, you know what will happen, right?”
“A guy named Hans dared to sell 100 grams of seaweed to merchants from another village, so we have locked up his entire family.”
“Hans will be executed immediately. But his family won’t face punishment.”
Showing a gruesome example like Hans’s head rolling off for selling seaweed to other merchants should help maintain order.
Thus, Hans becomes a lesson, while his family will be ostracized and pointed at within the village for life.
‘It’s unfortunate, but it’s necessary.’
Maintaining this order for as long as possible will allow me to sell seaweed at ginseng level prices.
“Living and eating has improved, and thanks to the hospital you established, the women are having lots of babies. All the able women in our village are pregnant now, and in ten months, we’ll have over 140 children born.”
In this era, lifespans are short, and pregnancies happen fast, but even so…
Well, as long as there’s hope to raise the children well after giving birth, I can’t exactly stop them.
“In just a few years, it seems we might become a little city.”
Upon finishing that statement, a very bright smile spread across The Lord’s face.
If this village evolves into a city, then, naturally, The Lord will become the mayor.
And while the position of a mayor doesn’t grant land, most are recognized as nobles.
A city with over 10,000 inhabitants automatically elevates the mayor’s family to ‘noble’ status after just one term.
“Is that good? But you shouldn’t be this excited for just that!”
“What do you mean?”
“Thanks to all of you, I’ve generated immense profits, so it’s only right to share it. Today, let’s gather all the adult villagers for a festival.”
“I’ve gathered you all today to share some very important news.”
Saying that, I pointed to the seaweed smuggler bound next to me.
“Before that, we need to deal with the scum who stabbed me in the back despite my mercy. Prepare for execution.”
At my words, one of the mercenaries splashed water onto his axe.
Hans, bound, begged desperately, “My Lord, please! I have a cunning wife and a bunny-like child! Just spare my life!”
If he had committed a crime out of desperation from starvation, I might have forgiven him.
But this guy dared to betray me after I extended my grace?
“Execute him.”
And with that command, the mercenary’s axe cleanly severed Hans’s head in one fell swoop.
“Clear the body.”
The mercenaries swiftly disposed of the corpse.
Having cracked the whip, it was time to hand out carrots.
“Thanks to all your hard work in gathering seaweed, I’ve gained tremendous income.”
The serfs looked at me with expressions that seemed to wonder what that meant.
In the 21st century, if a chairman or high-ranking individual said such a thing, one might expect a nice bonus or vacation.
But in the Toscan Empire, it’s common sense not to reward serfs for their contributions…
So they must be thinking that I’m just making money for myself and that’s the end of it.
“And as the Lord, I must repay the contributions of my subordinates, so I will grant two gold coins to each household in the village.”
Two gold coins is a fortune enough for a commoner in the city to live for four years.
Especially in a rural area like Bio Village, where the cost of living is low, that amount is even more significant.
Are they too shocked, perhaps?
They stared wide-eyed, unable to utter a single word.
The Lord represented them and asked, “My Lord, we have received your taxes in seaweed and provided us with food for the year, haven’t you?”
Since I was saying something that fell outside the realm of logic, it was normal for them to have doubts.
“Even if you’re serfs, if you work well, it’s only right that you deserve a reward. If you don’t want it, feel free to reject it.”
“No, no! We’re too happy to turn it down!”
The other serfs joined in, shouting hurrah hurrah!
“Since you’ve earned the fruits of your labor, don’t hesitate to use it.”
Even whales might dance if they’re praised continuously, and people tend to perform at their best when given their rightful due.
So, I must not skimp on investments for my own selfish desires.
If I act like those out-of-their-minds small business owners, cutting salaries while riding around in a Ferrari, I won’t last long.
“Now, let’s talk about future plans.”
At my mention of plans, everyone’s ears perked up.
“I intend to develop this village into a port city. To do so, I will create a harbor and bring in shipbuilders to construct boats. Furthermore, I will establish a market in this village.”
Bio Village has pretty good conditions for building a harbor.
It’s relatively close to Florence, the capital of the Toscan Empire, and the coastline is gentle, making it easy to create a port.
Additionally, the nearby mountains have quite a few large trees suitable for constructing ships.
“Soon, goods from the Toscan Empire, Lion Kingdom, and Hanover Empire will flood into Bio Village. Naturally, a multitude of merchants will come, tossing money around.”
The serfs shared in my excitement.
But they probably had no idea what I was talking about.
They only know that the more people gather, the more likely a city forms and jobs are created, a knowledge that comes from modern education.
How could those who haven’t received such knowledge understand?
But it doesn’t matter.
What’s important is that I explain the village’s future to the serfs, instilling the idea that we’re envisioning a shared future.
“In just a few years, once the shipyard is established and Bio Village becomes a true port city…”
I paused for dramatic effect.
“I will grant you and your children freedom from serfdom, making you free citizens. So, give your all for the village’s development.”
Serfdom, quite frankly, is an inefficient system.
While it might look good to collect a lot of taxes, the serfs will just slack off, thinking they’ll be taxed anyway.
And so, the serfs end up poor because they don’t work, and the Lord can’t collect enough taxes due to the lack of effort—a vicious cycle.
This is similar to how the U.S. abolished its slavery system.
“Tomorrow, we will hold a special festival. All food and drink will be provided by me for free, so enjoy it to the fullest.”
And with that, I headed straight to the Lion Kingdom to unlock overseas trade for our merchant group.