Chapter 10

Well, before I knew it, three days had passed, and as promised, Moneda knocked on my door. So, here we are, holding the first meeting. First, I need to get my thoughts understood by the inner circle.

"Thank you all for gathering today. Let's begin the first meeting."

That said, the people here are those I trust... that is, the members who went on the inspection with me, Moneda, Sebastian, and Sei. Sei, as always, is one of the members I brought over when I was a child and now assists Sebastian in managing the estate and the practical affairs of the domain.

"First, I'll share my thoughts. I've been touring the domain for the past month and have also confirmed the facts with Sebastian... our domain is prosperous compared to others."

This is truly the case. Our domain, located south of the capital, is known for its eternal spring and is rich in agriculture. It also faces the sea, which allows for trade. I think it's not wrong to call it the second capital of this country.

"However, what I actually saw and felt... this domain is like a ripe fruit. It's perfect to eat now, but it will eventually rot and decay. That's how I felt."

The others seemed surprised by my observations, their eyes wide open, especially Sebastian and Sei.

"Rich people are getting richer, and the poor have no chance to rise. The shops lack new products, and the air is stagnant."

Having lived in Japan, a capitalist country, I am generally in favor of a competitive society and think it's inevitable for wealth to concentrate to some extent. However, this domain is different. There's no competition to begin with.

The upper class will remain as they are unless they make a serious mistake, and the lower class has no opportunity to rise.

"If the people are not wealthy, the domain cannot be wealthy."

That's the point. In a limited market, it will eventually decline. In other words, I believe that if we don't enrich the people to stimulate the economy, our domain will eventually decline.

Looking around, I saw a few question marks floating above some heads.

"In simpler terms, I want to create a domain where children don't end up in the same situation as you all did in the past."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded with smiles on their faces.

"That's the big goal. To ensure our domain continues to develop even 100 years from now, we need to improve the quality of life for the people. To achieve this, we will push forward with several reforms. First, we need to clearly separate the finances of our ducal family from the domain's operations. Then, we will establish a bank, centralize governance, reform the tax system, improve the roads, and implement compulsory education..."

"Um, excuse me. What is a bank?"

While I was speaking, Sei hesitantly interrupted.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I got carried away and skipped over some details. I plan to involve Sebastian, Sei, and Moneda in the establishment of the bank, so I'll go over the details with you later. ...However, this can only be realized if we first establish a system where our family can maintain our lifestyle without relying on taxes from the people."

"In other words, you believe that taxes from the people should be used solely for the domain's operations, and the ducal family should secure funds from other sources?"

"Yes, Moneda."

"Specifically, how do you plan to do that?"

"First, we will start a business."

At my words, the atmosphere in the meeting froze for a moment.