Chapter 96

"Hahaha. Nice to meet you, guest. I am Dianine. I am the one who governs."

Standing there like a general, a girl with a beautiful face like that of an elementary school student wore a luxurious military uniform with intricate embroidery and a red mantle over her shoulders.

"A... Nice to meet you, I'm Akihiro."

To be honest, I couldn't keep up with the sudden turn of events. Everyone here had eccentric personalities, and the shock of a child, a girl, being the one who governs came first.

"Well, since this is about your ennoblement to baron, I came here. There are various things I need to convey."

Wow, a lolicon with a 'noja' dialect, I've never seen one in real life before.

"Hmm? This appearance? In your world, the lineage of rulers has traditionally been matrilineal, right? This is a remnant of that. The age is just for energy efficiency."

With a cackle, Dianine continued.

"I came to give you some warnings about being a noble in the kingdom. Have you read the Kingdom Law that Norwe gave you as a gift?"

I had skimmed through the Kingdom Law. It felt more like reading a company's rules rather than something about nobility.

"Well, what you'll probably be most concerned about in the future is taxation and its use, right?"

After listening to the explanation, I started to understand the basics of taxation. It was hard to grasp from the book, but it became clear when explained.

The basic principle of taxation is that for each field, an estimated harvest is set, and from that, 40% goes to the state, 10% to the lord, and 50% to the farmers.

This 10% is pooled for bad harvests and unexpected expenses.

For other development rights, if it involves a guild, it is taxed by the guild, otherwise, it is tax-free and becomes the lord's asset.

However, the lord has the obligation to pay the annual tax as set. If it falls short, they must provide an explanation, and in severe cases, they might be dismissed.

On the other hand, enriching the territory and increasing wheat production is encouraged. Any excess tax revenue beyond the expected amount can be used freely by the lord after reporting to the state.

This affects the state's evaluation and allows the lord to indulge in luxury with that wealth.

While it might seem wasteful, the economy won't circulate if the rich don't spend money. It's important to use it actively for economic stimulation.

Additionally, it can foster admiration for the nobility, which is crucial for securing future influential figures.

Moreover, it allows for reinvestment in infrastructure, which most nobles do actively.

"In this regard, it's not much different from running a company in your world. Don't overthink it."

"Yes..."

"Well, for now, we're only at a constitutional monarchy. The Kingdom Law is placed above the king, and if a tyrant appears, the powerful nobles can handle it."

At this point, her expression darkened slightly.

"Communism in your world, right? That's just an ideal. Ideals don't fill bellies, and dreams can be disillusioning. As for democracy, when the people are struggling to make ends meet, they won't have the awareness to focus on politics."

Her brows gradually furrowed.

"This area needs to develop gradually, or I'll die from overwork."

She laughed again.

"In the future, I'll be checking in on you often. Do you have any immediate concerns?"

Caught off guard, I couldn't think of anything right away.

Ah, there was something that had been bothering me.

"I'm concerned about the water situation in the new territory. Whether wells can provide water is a big issue."

"Hmm. That area has a dense water vein. It flows freely and has high pressure. The bedrock is only a few dozen centimeters deep. Dig a few meters anywhere, and water will gush out."

That was reassuring. What about public baths or hot springs?

"Are there hot springs too?"

"Ho?"

She smiled slyly.

"Well, you'll acquire that skill eventually. I'll give you a skill for surveying, called 'Detection.' It's like a prospector's intuition."

She continued thoughtfully.

"Have you ever met someone who can sense where things are? Most of the time, they have this skill activated."

It seems to be a skill for finding minerals and water sources. It can also be used to locate specific people.

Compared to 'Alertness,' the target is more specific, but the range is wider.

Then, she placed her hand on my forehead, and something warm entered my head.

"That area has iron springs. In your hometown, it would be a red hot spring. The depth is just over 100 meters."

That's quite deep. How much time, money, and manpower would it take to dig an open pit?

Seeing my expression, Dianine continued.

"Hey, hey. Your world has a lot of convenient things. Shaft sinking is possible in this world too."

Shaft sinking? I'm not good with construction, so I couldn't recall it immediately.

"When volunteers dig wells in developing countries in your country, they use this method, right? In your area, drilling with heavy machinery is the norm."

Ah, I see. I remember seeing it in a documentary about volunteer work.

The structure involves building a tower and driving a steel pile with a valve into the ground by dropping it, removing the soil as it goes. It's the precursor to percussion drilling.

"Ha. It's part of your country's culture. I'm not saying you should remember everything, but it's a shame to forget useful things."

She smiled warmly.

"With that method, you can dig about 3 meters a day with just human power. It should take about 30 days to reach the water. The pressure and water volume are abundant. It will be sufficient with natural gushing. The temperature should exceed 50 degrees, so you'll need to cool it down."

She then became serious.

"However, there is a condition."

"A condition?"

This is the first time a god has given me a condition. I'm a bit anxious.

"Once the hot spring is completed, you must let us enjoy it. We can view information about Earth, but we can't experience it. How frustrating..."

She bit her handkerchief and made a frustrated face. I was taken aback and couldn't say anything.

"So, we're looking forward to the hot spring, and this information is already known to the gods."

Hearing that, my face drained of color. How many gods will come?

"Well, we won't overdo it. We'll visit in the early morning or late at night, incognito."

If I go to the hot spring late at night or early in the morning, I might run into a god. That's a bit scary.

"From now on, you'll be a ruler. I'll be appearing more often. That's all for today."

With a casual tone, she vanished, and the world resumed.

Suddenly, a 'click' sounded in my head.

<Notice. Reconnection confirmed. Severe errors have been recovered. Checking unknown system connection logs. ...Check complete. No unknown systems are connected. Normal operation confirmed.>

As always, the 'Scholar' teacher.

<Skill 'Acquisition' notice. The conditions for Skill 'Acquisition' have been met. 'Detection' 1.00. The relevant skill has been integrated.>

Then, the voice of the 'Acquisition' teacher.

But what a busy goddess. Imagining the kings being scolded by a young girl made me chuckle a bit.