Chapter 85 of 100

Chapter 85

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"In the middle to the end of the fourth month, the imperial capital holds an annual event to celebrate the Emperor's accession. Among these events, there are martial arts tournaments and music competitions. I thought it would be good for Romi and the others to participate in the martial arts tournament, and for the choir members to participate in the music competition."

I had never heard of such an event before.

As I thought this, the expressions of the male and female members clearly differed. The males looked gloomy, while the females looked bright. What could this contrast mean?

Then, Rinka and the other four girls formed a circle.

"Let's do it, everyone! We'll win the music competition and bring lots of customers to Kikunoi! Then we can go see our fathers and mothers!"

"Sure, we'll do our best!"

"I want to dress my younger brothers and sisters in nice clothes and feed them well too!"

"Then, let's all..."

"Yay, yay, oh!"

The girls raised their arms in unison, and Regulus and Kousuke also raised their arms, seemingly influenced by the girls' enthusiasm.

Looking at Viktor, who seemed to be aware of everyone's individual circumstances, I noticed a figure approaching from the piano.

Following Viktor's gaze, I saw a tall man with a well-defined face but an aura devoid of any sweetness walking towards us.

"Who are you?"

When I asked Viktor, the man bowed deeply in front of me, placing his hand on his chest and kneeling to meet my gaze.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Excellency. I am Louis Antoine de Saint-Just."

"Thank you for your courtesy. But there's no need for 'Your Excellency.' I am still without title or office. I am Kikunoi Houcho, and I assume you know this..."

"I have heard much about you from Lord Shostakovich."

"I see. So, you're here to explain their situation to me?"

"Yes."

Saint-Just, with his gray hair swaying, explained that the girls were from outside Kikunoi and had been taken by slave traders to the baron's territory. However, the Kikunoi Guild caught the slave traders, and the girls ended up working at Kikunoi as idols.

"Being caught by slave traders... were they operating without a license?"

"Yes. They were people who bought and sold slaves without permission. Naturally, their workplaces were not legitimate but rather gathering places for people with dubious tastes. It seems the gendarmerie also raided these places, and the baron, not wanting it known that he had dealings with such people, said, 'We know nothing about such slave traders or transactions. You deal with it.'"

"I see. I would like to return them to their hometowns, but if we send them back now, they'll likely be sold again. That's why you took them in here."

"Exactly."

"Actually, A-tan suggested, 'Wouldn't it be a good idea to have singers and actors who are easy to meet and interact with, and if you support them financially, they'll give you a handshake or a pat on the back? It's a win-win situation.' I thought it might be worth a try. After all, it takes money to nurture artists, and if they are supported, they can grow. It's a win-win, and it would be gratifying to be a patron. Moreover, 'We raised her!' would be a source of pride and motivation to nurture the next generation of artists."

So, what I was aiming for was a collective patronage system.

Nurturing actors and singers requires a lot of money. That's why having artists is a status symbol for the wealthy. But if we want to do this at a commoner level, we need to make it a collective effort.

Moreover, if the targets are accessible and can be interacted with, it fosters a sense of familiarity. Some might try to cross the line, but the advantage of a collective system is that it naturally creates a monitoring system that prevents anyone from getting ahead.

Even if someone tries to force their way, the magical tools we gave the girls will prevent it.

Honestly, I didn't expect it to be implemented so quickly. Elves are truly efficient.

"So, what about their families?"

"They are all safe. It seems the slave traders lied to their parents, telling them they would be sold as salesgirls or seamstresses in large stores in the capital. The contracts were carefully crafted to make it impossible to sue for fraud, taking advantage of the fact that the parents couldn't read."

"Ah... We really need to improve literacy rates as soon as possible."

The same thing is probably happening in Kikunoi.

How can we stimulate the economy, redistribute wealth, and improve literacy rates simultaneously? The lack of wealth and its distribution is really painful.

"Ah, I need more power!"

"More hands, perhaps?"

"True, to do what is right, one must be powerful. People won't follow someone without authority or wealth. Even if the lord forces the people to study, it takes money to provide the time and resources for it. That's what I call power. Though, brute force isn't necessarily right."

My head hurts.

Will I gain more authority when I grow up? I doubt it.

Those two would probably try to squeeze every last bit of profit from Kikunoi if they realized it was a gold mine.

I have no trust or conscience in them. Our relationship is purely transactional.

Besides, I won't live that long.

I often forget, but I'm going to die young. I have no idea why, but if my blood and flesh can become Regulus's, I don't mind.

But if Kikunoi is poor when I die, it will cause many problems, and I want to fulfill my promise to the princess.

There's too much to do, and I feel stuck.

"May I ask one question?" Saint-Just's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Why are you so determined to spread education? After all, giving knowledge to the lower classes could lead to rebellion."

"People won't start a revolution just because they are educated. They need both the resources and the motivation."

"So, you mean that if you govern well, there won't be any rebellions?"

"Not exactly. I want the people to participate in governance. If they understand politics, they will want to participate. The results of their participation, whether good or bad, will be their own responsibility."

"Participation of the people in politics..."

"Exactly. Being a lord is a busy job. You have to do everything, from the big picture to the details. It's impossible to manage everything. That's why I want to have representatives from each village to discuss matters."

The representatives will likely choose eloquent people to advocate for their interests. But that's not enough.

They need knowledge and wisdom to secure advantageous positions. They can't just be cunning.

A truly skilled politician, even if they have a bad character, will protect what needs to be protected.

In essence, I want to select excellent politicians from each village and send them to the central government, the lord.

The lord will listen to their opinions and make fair judgments without favoring any village.

This will make the lord's job much easier.

But to select these excellent politicians, the people need knowledge and wisdom, which they must acquire.

Yes, I just want to see a musical, but as a side effect, it will make the lord's job a bit easier!

If this system is in place, even if Regulus and I have a falling out, the improvement in literacy rates will continue... I hope.

Viktor, who had been listening to our conversation, suddenly said, "Shostakovich, this is different from what we discussed."

"What's different?"

"This person already has the seeds of a parliamentary system in mind."

"Oh... I just heard about this for the first time too."

"Yes, I've been busy lately, and this idea just came to me when I was thinking about how to reduce my workload."

"Discussions can be time-consuming."

"But it's much less destructive than civil unrest. It takes a moment to destroy something, but it takes much more to rebuild."

Viktor nodded, "Indeed."

War can be profitable in the short term, but the costs of reconstruction and the damage far outweigh the benefits, especially in terms of human resources.

While this is a smaller issue, finding a compromise is better than conflict.

However, Viktor, who knows me, smiled.

"So, what's your true intention?"

"I want to spend more time with Regulus and Kousuke, and I want to attend the choir's concerts! I want a break! But I absolutely don't want to enrich my parents."

"Right!"

Saint-Just, who had been listening in shock, looked around.

But after a moment, he bowed deeply like a knight to his king.

"If that is the case, I can be of service."

"What do you mean?"

"I worked in the Ministry of Finance in the Kingdom of Lorraine to the north. Although I left the country for certain reasons, I am confident in my abilities. Please use me, my lord."