Chapter : 160

The framework of the Agriculture Office’s consultative body was this.

For the work of promoting agriculture within the customs union, participants in the customs union would form a consultative body within the Agriculture Office, and they could dispatch authorized representatives there as consultative council members to raise opinions on various policies.

The Agriculture Office would faithfully implement the matters decided by the consultative body and would follow the consultative body’s decisions.

At a glance, it looked like an equal assembly that listened to every opinion of the customs union participants, but the reality was different.

First of all, I would select thirty percent of the consultative council members, because I was the one making the greatest contribution to the customs union.

At first glance, it seemed like a very undemocratic element that would invite a lot of opposition, but this era was the world of [Pangea Universalise].

It was an era where differential rights according to responsibility and duty were naturally applied. So the nobles who joined the customs union went so far as to say that thirty percent was too little and that it should be increased instead.

And besides.

“By the authority of the chairman, who has been delegated by His Excellency the Margrave of Bellua, I declare that this proposal cannot be accepted.”

-BANG BANG!

“By the chairman’s prerogative, we will put this matter to a vote. Does anyone have any other opinions?”

Like this, I even chose the chairman of this consultative body by my own authority and manipulated the consultative body like a puppet.

Of course, there were nobles who expressed resistance to this kind of pretending and playing dumb, but in truth it was not that great.

Most nobles were satisfied with the newly created hat (especially one that let them influence the customs union, which had become a gigantic federation), and they were cheering the massive support policies I carried out through the Agriculture Office.

That was because, as the Great Famine began, the circumstances of everyone’s domains were becoming severe. If I did not help, some lords would be driven to the point where they had no grain to harvest and would have to starve.

Thanks to that, intervention within the customs union became something all nobles welcomed with open arms, as if the earlier fierce resistance had never existed.

“Hah, you really are talented. And you’re a schemer. A schemer.”

“Oh come now. What are you saying like that, Magician Agpiel? I merely presented something that satisfied everyone.”

“Those idiots don’t even know that, thanks to this, your control has become insanely strong, do they? For now it will look like profit, but…. Tsk tsk.”

Magician Agpiel clicked his tongue while shaking his head.

Control was legitimacy.

The legitimacy by which the ruled naturally followed the ruler who governed and commanded them.

But even if the Agriculture Office’s work was carried out under the name of a consultative body that everyone belonged to, the Agriculture Office officials themselves were all the Margrave of Bellua’s hands and feet—those of that young noble.

Could ignorant peasants possibly distinguish that?

They would surely accept it as the Margrave of Bellua performing acts of governance.

And if this kept piling up….

‘At some point, the moment will come when they obey even if you issue orders without the Agriculture Office’s name….’

And the timing was good, too.

As the young noble said, the famine showed signs of becoming prolonged. Such a crisis became a powerful catalyst that drove change.

Before long, the customs union would effectively become the private property of the Margrave of Bellua.

That was the conclusion Magician Agpiel reached as he watched from the side.

—

The projection of administrative power into the domains of nobles within the customs union through the Agriculture Office moved with remarkable speed.

I was already the one who hired exponentially more administrative officials than other lords. And every single one of them was a professional agent who had, before long, been honed under Treasurer Palmer’s relentless driving.

“They say people from the Agriculture Office are coming. Our administrators should help them so the work can be finished well.”

“M, my lord. They say the administrators already dispatched have finished the river control and are proceeding with the work.”

“What?! No, how already?”

Each time the Agriculture Office people were dispatched, each domain was shocked by the overwhelming power of administrative capacity.

“It is more certain and meticulous than what we know. They even told us not to come because we would only get in the way….”

“Does that make any sense? What kind of nonsense is that….”

“I, it’s true, my lord.”

“What did you say?! Huh…. Then I really need to think differently….”

An attempt to earn points with me, who grew stronger by the day, instead became the occasion for them to feel the gap in power even more strongly.

Thanks to that, the minds of the lords participating in the customs union began to grow more and more complicated.

The capital where the King was far away, and the Margrave of Bellua with strong power was close. And there was also this sweetness being given. Then who should we swear loyalty to!

-DING-DING!

[The cohesion of the customs union is strengthened. From now on, the lords participating in the customs union will feel that they are one community of destiny.]

“???”

It was the moment I secured unintended loyalty without even realizing it.

“Mm? What is it?”

“Ah…. Nothing, Magician Agpiel.”

“Hmmm?”

At my evasive behavior, Magician Agpiel looked at me with half-lidded eyes as if suspicious.

But would it not be strange to say I was shocked because information popped up before my eyes?

He would not believe it, and he would surely treat me like a crazy person.

“Meeeeh. Why are you staring at our Lord-nimu like that. Mehr!”

At that moment, Bishop Marco blinked his characteristic square goat eyes and cut in.

It was truly timely intervention!

I never would have dreamed that this troublemaking goat beastman would help at a time like this.

“C, cough. Anyway, well, there’s nothing particularly interfering or difficult now, right?”

Thinking this was the moment, I hurriedly changed the subject.

“Tch….”

Of course, that was not something Magician Agpiel would like.

“Well, as you said, there’s nothing that will become a problem. Rather, they’re helping well on site, so progress is very fast. However….”

“However?”

I had a bad feeling for no reason.

No trivial words ever came out of Magician Agpiel’s mouth.

“Even if we help like this, it seems it will be difficult to properly preserve this year’s farming.”

“Ah…?”

“First, there are places within the customs union region that don’t have a large river, and there’s also a limit to how much I can accelerate crop growth with magical mystery. My body isn’t more than one, is it?”

“Mm, that’s true.”

“If this famine drags on, shouldn’t I first make the rounds of your domain? Probably…. If the famine continues, it will be less severe than other places, but the farmland of the customs union will not be able to avoid damage either.”

More words followed, but what I focused on was the earlier line.

He said he would come to my domain first. I was moved in an instant by Magician Agpiel’s words.

“Oh….”

To think he would try to look after me like that.

Even if there was no lord-and-knight loyalty, I could feel the power of the thick friendship we had built up.

“Cough. What are you staring at, my friend?”

“Meeeeh. Old man magician-nimu. Why are you getting shy. Meh heh heh heh.”

“Damn it. Be quiet, you goat beastman!”

“Meeeeh! Don’t take it out on me for no reason. Lord-nimu, help me. Mehr!”

Looking at Magician Agpiel and Goat Beastman Bishop Marco bickering, I could not help but smile.

They always scolded each other with words, but when you looked closely, they really did suit each other.

“Haha. Stop it. And what Magician Agpiel is saying is actually what I wanted.”

“You say it is? So you were worried too…. No, wait. What?”

Magician Agpiel’s eyes went wide in shock mid-sentence. It seemed he sensed something off.

“Yes. It is what I wanted. Magician Agpiel.”

“You mean damage to the customs union’s domains? No, then why did you try to support them?”

“Because we have to minimize the damage, don’t we? It needs to happen within the range I can clean up.”

As I spoke, I shrugged.

Think about it.

If the damage from the famine within the customs union’s territory became the same as other regions, I would not be able to clean it up.

No matter how much food I had stockpiled and how much grain I produced through farming, could I possibly cover that enormous demand?

If I wanted to maintain my influence over the customs union during this [Great Famine] situation, an appropriate level of damage was necessary.

“Huh….”

Of course, once he understood the inner workings, Magician Agpiel let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

“You really are… frightening. Just how far are you seeing? From what I can tell, this doesn’t feel like it’s simply ‘using this situation to increase influence over the Elang Kingdom.’”

“Mm, as if that were the case?”

As expected of the Great Sage, he was very sharp.

But instead of answering precisely, I simply smiled.

Creating the continent’s greatest family.

And through that, returning to my beloved home.

It was not yet time to reveal this secret goal. I would only quietly hold my breath, waiting for the time to come.

“Well, I understand. If you say so, then that must be it.”

Sensing that I was reluctant to speak, Magician Agpiel stepped back and nodded.

It was a sign of trust that said I would tell him someday.

Truly, wasn’t he the best advisor I had since possessing this world?

I could only be grateful to Magician Agpiel.

—

Now everything was going well. The relay trade market was prospering with each passing day, the cohesion within the customs union was stronger than ever, and the cities that belonged to me—from the City of Markel to Mangtong and the City of Pigeros—were each producing specialty products and serving as a pillar of the trade network.

On top of that, vagrants driven by the famine were flowing into my domain, and in a short time, the number of domain residents under me was also swelling enormously.

I was firmly preparing for the great age of chaos that would soon arrive.

All that remained was producing a legal code to govern my expanded territory and rebuilding the administrative system.

This too was close to completion, as they were collecting 자료 in each location and fiercely debating to draft the articles, leaving only the finishing touches.

If there were no major problems, a universal legal code that would soon be commonly used in both the Bellua Margraviate and Campania County would be completed.

And while I was thinking that.

“Lord! An envoy has been dispatched from the royal family.”

The news I had been waiting for arrived. That event I had been asked to handle by Cardinal Adriano and the Pope at the Holy See.

“The King has convened the Estates-General. The agenda is ‘restrictions on high-interest usury, which violates God’s will.’ The message says you must come to the kingdom’s capital at once.”

It was the convocation of the Estates-General.

On the surface, it was about restricting high-interest usury, but in reality, it was to bring down the Holy Knight Order leading that matter.

Now, once again, the Elang Kingdom would be plunged into a vortex of upheaval.

And I.

Would be the victor of this vortex.

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