Chapter 87

"Have these people done something wrong? In our Zoan, those who steal food from the village are tied up with ropes and fed alive to the wolves on the plain as a rule," Shemuru casually announced the terrifying rule.

"No. Even so, that's too pitiful..." Cangma replied, to which Shemuru snorted.

"What are you saying? This is still too lenient. They deceived Soma," Shemuru said, his tone suggesting that this was even more infuriating.

Indeed, as Shemuru said, there was a reason to impose severe punishment. In the manga and novels Cangma had read, thoroughly enforcing rewards and punishments was the foundation of nation-building. If he showed leniency here, it could lead to greater disasters in the future.

However, Cangma was also concerned that if he dismissed all the officials who had been in charge of the city's finances, it could disrupt the city's operations.

So, Cangma turned to Mischena.

"Ms. Mischena, without the officials, wouldn't the work be affected?"

If Mischena agreed, Cangma planned to use this as a reason to reduce the punishment and win the officials' favor. The officials' pale faces brightened at Cangma's tone.

However, Mischena replied, "No, not really..."

Silence fell in the room.

After a moment, Cangma, who had been speechless in the awkward atmosphere, regained his composure and asked again.

"Um... even if the people who fled are gone, wouldn't the work be fine?"

The officials tried to get Mischena to say something that would save them, but they couldn't speak or use gestures because their hands were tied behind their backs. They resorted to making eye contact, frowning, and twisting their mouths, desperately trying to influence Mischena. From an outsider's perspective, it looked like children playing a staring contest, but the officials had no time to reflect on themselves.

However, Mischena's efforts were in vain. She glanced at the officials as if they were strange and turned back to Cangma.

"Yes. In fact, the lower-ranking officials like us did the actual work. -- Ah! But we need the confirmation signatures on the ledgers."

At that moment, a mix of anger and despair escaped from the officials.

"Um. Just the signatures?"

"Prince Vritas disliked such administrative tasks, so the officials signed on his behalf."

"... So, you mean the lord's signature is needed on the ledgers?"

Cangma almost wanted to hold his head in his hands.

The current lord was Cangma himself. If he had done his job properly, these officials would have been unnecessary.

However, the officials hadn't been idle. They not only verified the ledgers created by the financial officers but also negotiated with officials from the capital and merchants who bought the wheat collected as taxes. These negotiations often took place over drinks, which made them look like they were just using public funds for drinking and eating from the perspective of the lower-ranking officials. Most of the time, the negotiations went as the other party said, so it wasn't entirely a misunderstanding on the part of the lower-ranking officials.

In any case, with the officials gone, the work couldn't be done, so the excuse to reduce their punishment was no longer valid.

Cangma, who now had to punish the officials, felt heavy-hearted.

Originally, it was the responsibility of the Kingdom of Holmea to punish and penalize their crimes. Cangma had no right to do so. However, the officials had not only tried to cover up their crimes but also fled after swearing allegiance to Cangma, digging their own graves.

Cangma, who was struggling with how to punish the officials, first consulted with Marclonis.

"Mr. Marclonis, what do you think should be the punishment in this case?"

"Hmm..." Marclonis put his hand on his chin and thought. "—They stole and fled. It would be appropriate to execute their entire families and confiscate all their property."

The officials let out silent screams at Marclonis' judgment.

Cangma, thinking that executing not only the officials but their families was too harsh, tried to intercede.

"But, isn't it wrong for me to punish them for stealing from Holmea?"

"That's a valid point. Then, how about exempting them from execution and just confiscating their property?"

"Could we at least leave them enough property for one month's salary?"

"Perhaps that would be a reasonable compromise."

With Marclonis' agreement, Cangma announced the judgment, and the officials all slumped in disappointment. Losing the property they had accumulated over years was bitter, but it was better than execution.

However, the chief financial officer alone continued to scream.

"L-lord! This... this is... a trap? Yes! It's a trap! We were set up!"

Cangma was surprised by the unexpected words from the chief financial officer.

"A trap? Who set the trap?"

The chief financial officer's eyes darted around, clearly making up the story on the spot. After a moment, his eyes focused on one point.

"That... that woman!"

The chief financial officer glared at Mischena.

Not understanding why she was being glared at, Mischena looked bewildered, and everyone present thought, "That's not possible."

Still, to confirm, Cangma asked, "Did Ms. Mischena set the trap?"

Realizing she was being falsely accused, Mischena shook her head vigorously.

Cangma, with a tone of pity, said to the chief financial officer, "That's not true. Even if it was a trap, you still committed the crimes."

Cangma then instructed the Zoan warriors to confiscate all the officials' property except for one month's salary and expel them from the city.

Among the officials being dragged out by the Zoan warriors, the chief financial officer continued to curse Mischena.

"Damn it! Mischena! You also stole taxes! Why only us...!"

After the chief financial officer's curses were cut off by the door, Cangma wanted to question Mischena about the truth but, seeing her face, he smiled wryly.

Mischena was clearly flustered. Her eyes were wide, her face pale, and cold sweat streamed down her face.

It would be easier to admit to the crimes outright than to try to hide them.

Cangma sighed deeply.

"Anyway, who is the highest-ranking person among those left?"

First, he needed to appoint a new leader to replace the expelled officials.

When Cangma asked, Mischena's flustered state worsened.

She looked around, as if seeking help, with a face that seemed about to cry, which was suspicious. Frowning, Cangma asked again, and Mischena finally admitted.

"Probably... I am the highest-ranking."

With all the higher-ranking officials expelled, Mischena, the only remaining financial officer, became the highest-ranking official in the city.

Cangma, trying to sound authoritative, cleared his throat and said, "The crimes committed during the time of Holmea will not be punished. However, any future misconduct will be strictly forbidden. If anyone is found embezzling, they will be severely punished."

To prevent a recurrence, Cangma decided to take a strict stance.

However, upon hearing this, tears streamed down Mischena's freckled cheeks.

"Are you telling me and my family to die?"

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"In other words, the lower-ranking officials can't live on their salaries alone?"

Cangma said, sounding disbelieving.

After calming down the suddenly crying Mischena and summarizing what he had learned, it turned out to be the case.

However, Mischena was an official, like a civil servant in modern Japan. Cangma couldn't believe that her salary was so low that she couldn't live on it.

"By the way, how much do you get paid?"

"Four bronze coins a day..."

Mischena, embarrassed, honestly stated her salary.

"Wait a minute!"

Cangma recalled what he had learned from the merchant Hopkins on his way to the city.

"Four bronze coins, wasn't that the price of two loaves of bread?"

"Yes, but..."

To understand how low this was, let's convert Mischena's salary to modern Japanese yen.

The value of currency can be estimated based on the price of staple foods.

In this Seldias continent, the staple food is bread.

A person is said to eat between 500 grams and 1 kilogram of bread per day. Modern Japanese bread weighs about 340 grams per loaf, so it would take about two loaves a day. At 100 to 200 yen per loaf, Mischena's salary would be around 400 yen a day, even with a generous estimate.

Of course, the food situation in modern Japan and the Seldias continent is different, but it's clear that Mischena's salary is extremely low.

Naturally, this wasn't enough for Mischena, her elderly mother, and her young siblings to live on.

So, she not only worked as a financial officer at the lord's residence but also did side jobs like helping with merchants' bookkeeping and writing letters. However, even this wasn't enough, so she used the surplus from calculating taxes to cover living expenses.

This wasn't unique to Mischena; many lower-ranking officials in this era were in similar situations.

Cangma, learning this for the first time, looked at Marclonis, who responded with a matter-of-fact tone, surprising Cangma even more.

"It's inevitable that officials who don't go to the battlefield have lower salaries."

"Are you saying that officials are paid less than soldiers?"

"Yes. Isn't it only natural to treat those who risk their lives in battle more generously?"

However, Cangma disagreed.

While it's natural to treat soldiers who risk their lives in battle more generously, it doesn't mean that officials can be treated lightly.

The weapons and armor that soldiers use, and the food they eat, are all prepared and transported by officials. Without their work, soldiers can't perform at their best.

Moreover, in manga and novels, a common plot is the protagonist's defeat due to the neglect of logistics by an incompetent general.

Considering this, it was clear that the situation of officials being treated poorly needed to be improved.

After thinking for a while, Cangma made a decision and first confirmed with Marclonis.

"Marclonis, you were treated like a battalion commander, right?"

"Yes. -- What about it?"

Marclonis tilted his head, confused by the sudden question. However, Cangma didn't answer and turned to Mischena.

"Marclonis here is in charge of human soldiers."

Mischena, not understanding Cangma's intention, thought Marclonis was just a high-ranking person.

"Mischena, as the leader of the officials, you will also receive the same salary as a battalion commander. The other lower-ranking officials will also have their salaries increased."

Both Marclonis and Mischena were surprised by Cangma's words. Mischena, in particular, was so shocked that she let out a high-pitched "What?!"

"Will this be enough so that you don't have to embezzle?"

Recalling the salary of a battalion commander, Mischena tried to compare it with her current salary but couldn't think clearly due to the shock. However, she knew it would be a significant increase.

"That much is more than enough. More than enough! Too much!!"

Mischena, breathing heavily, nodded vigorously.

"But, is it really okay to receive so much...?"

Mischena was happy about the salary increase, but the sudden change from a meager salary to a high one left her more bewildered than happy.

Cangma was impressed by Mischena's reaction.

In modern Japan, he often heard politicians claim to have a common touch, but he always thought