Chapter 34: A Step Forward
Six months had passed since the first formation of the Rifle Regiment, and the Artillery Company filled the air with the deafening roar of gunpowder. The Second Legion was now halfway through its own grueling training. The new quarter of the city is also taking shape even though it is only 80% completed with the hard-working dwarves; the first batch of migrants, newly freed slaves, and citizens have started to move there under the program of the Crown. The Prince's Highway, a marvel of dwarven engineering, was now continuing to connect the whole realm from the northern to the southern provinces, and now the east, and now beginning on the western domains towards Marquess Varrus's domain. The Realm was filled with activity, such as merchants interested in the paper and soap business, although the Crown kept secret the production method and lines, only allowing buying and selling at its designated rates, because soap is very popular among border nobles of the Empire and both products are popular among commoners and nobles in the southern states. Even the Federation to the east, which is closed to the world, putting an isolationist policy in place, secretly buys the papers under the guise of merchants. To tell the truth, those products become a trend in the region, and as long as you can fetch products, except inside the realm of the Leo Principality, you can fetch high prices. I mean, Alexius sells them at high prices, at least a 300% tariff for foreign merchants. On the contrary, He sells it at only 30% more than the original price to the domestic merchants. Of course, the difference in price rates is bound to cause the creation of black markets. Alexius allows it to happen as long as it does not have a high impact on the economy nor the principality. Humans are greedy in nature, right? Even though he tolerates those matters, he never tolerates real crimes, whether the perpetrators are commoners or nobles. The first penal code proposed by the minister, Thorne, is enacted by Alexius and has already entered into force since one year ago. Crime rates are decreasing. The police forces are really trained physically and morally under the strict syllabus; only a handful graduated from the newly established police training camp. The police force has now reached three thousand in number, and they really do their job seriously. Producers of most of the crimes in places like the slums are cracked down on in every major city throughout the realm; normal citizens are relocated to the new quarter of the capital city at Crown costs; slave houses are regularly getting inspections, and most are cracked down on since they were related more or less to the previous corrupted bureaucracy system; and illegal black markets that sell illegal substances like drugs, dark magic-related magi materials, etc., are also being confiscated and destroyed. Nobles who have broken the laws are also at no mercy of the crown; their land and wealth are confiscated, and they are stripped of their titles. Some are punished with just that, but some unfortunate or undeserving nobles who commit atrocious crimes are put in jail or even given the death penalty. The rule of law is at its peak since the foundation of the principality.
Alexius knew this was the right time to move forward. To be exact, to formalize what he is already doing to declare the world, attract more people, and establish the Realm and society that he has envisioned. He declared two royal edicts on the exact day he first came into power two years ago. The First Edict is the Abolition of Slavery. Slavery of any form, for any reason, and of any sentient beings, be they humans, elves, orcs, dwarves, beastkin, or any other races, is banned throughout the realm. Anyone who wants a workforce to operate must pay appropriate compensation to the hired workers and labor forces. Applying to the accomplice and breaking this law is the death penalty by hanging in public. There was no resistance. Almost all the slave-house trading companies are already cracked down on by the police forces under the penal code; only a few are left, and they know the tide is not on their side and rapidly change into legal companies, like buying farmland and giving appropriate compensation to the labor forces who work voluntarily, and free all the slaves they hold immediately when they hear the edict. Saving their own lives is more important. A few fled to the Empire or Southern states, where slavery is legal. Alexius allows the fleeing because corrupted parts of the body are better to fall out themselves, but under one condition: if they want to flee, they have to accept 90% of their financial wealth in the realm; all estates, lands, and slaves in their hand must be paid to the crown. Only 10% of financial wealth is allowed to be carried to pass the borders. The one who fled complied because the First Regiment and border guards strictly guard the borders between the Empire and the Southern States. Even Mouses cannot escape from their grasp; unfortunately, they only know making a living with slavery and trading. To save their lives, they have to flee. No, I won't sympathize with them. That is why they deserve the indirect punishment of surrendering the wealth to the crown before they even cross the border. The Church shut their mouth and ignored. Newly appointed the new progressive Principality's is bishop from Holysee, representing under the crown authority, the fruit from the negotiation with the Church legate.
"We are the second human nation that authorized the slavery ban. I hope for no backlash from the Church of Human Supremacy or a superpower like the Empire." Elias sighed. "Even if there is an unfortunate backlash, you already have plans, right? … You have done it now. My old brain can no longer follow what you are thinking; the workload keeps piling up. Please have mercy on this old man, your Majesty!" said Elias, who was soaking wet. "Hehe, I will rely on you again, Chancellor; I have somewhere important to go. Bye. See ya!" and he ran away. "Your Majesty!!!" Elias was left alone in his own office after meeting with the Grand Prince Alexius.
Alexius runs away from work and thinks while he changes his pace to walking, 'Although the edicts have little to no resistance domestically, in foreign nations views, it will be difficult to persuade them. The first edict of the abolition of slavery can be tolerated at a certain level since there is another human nation besides us, especially the Super Power Federation of Libertas, that can rival the Empire and the Three Republics combined in strength. Even though they are isolationists and a godless nation, the news arrived through merchants. They allow essential materials for life, like food and daily necessities for living, under strict surveillance, inspections, and control, only allowing them inside the areas of three border towns. The merchant said even those border towns rival the major cities of the Empire with strange architectures. They heavily use magi techs, and their army rivals three Republics combined. Not even Empire can mess with them. That nation has already been doing that long since before we banned slavery. The problem is the second one. The Abolishing of Feudal Rights and Titles.' Since the Duke Vaerius coup and civil war with Marquess Dynan, noble houses have dwindled in numbers; only 30 percent or so remain. In there, only 15% of the alive nobility own their respective domains. Most of the nobility without domains became bureaucratic officers, tax officers, or military officers since it gave them the opportunity to shine. Unlike the court politic, where only a handful can shine through connection and money. The confiscated lands from the coup and civil war are under direct control of the Crown, and already dispatched royal-appointed mayors and officers and governors are to assimilate the territories under the control of the Grand Prince. Likely more than 65% is under Crown direct control currently. "The biggest percentage in any modern (I mean this world's) feudalist states (kingdoms and empires) according to the system." ' So how about 35% or less land owned by nobility after the Royal Edict? Easy, every noble who is alive is my ally and swears fealty to me. Lesser nobles from baron to count must convert themselves into government officers of their respective advantages. All of them will have to train as government officers, mayors, knights, traders, diplomats, alchemists, magicians, etc., in training programs at the capital's newly established Royal Academy. They have to pass final exams and do assignments throughout the one year of study. If they passed, it is good; they will be appointed to a government position or dispatched to private merchant companies. If they failed, they just have to return their estates and have to think about their future, although it will not be so bright. At least they can try final exams whenever they want and again and again until they pass the exam. Everybody deserves a second chance, right? Of course with a certain amount of exam fees. Hee hee. I am not reaping their wealth; I am being considerate of them. They are rich anyways. I only took their right to govern the domain and taxation and hereditary titles and feudal rights with the full intactness of wealth and estates. I am being merciful to them. Marquess and duke are also the same. They lose their titles, direct managing domain, and feudal rights. However, they must transfer domain managing authority to their direct descendant, daughter (Duke Thorne's only daughter, Chole Thorne) or son (Marquess's only son, Nolen Varrus), for five years as temporary governor under the surveillance of the Crown. After 5 years they will be given royal judgment to continue to rule as the fully fledged governor or be stripped from their positions. I have to make a time limit for the administrators in governing territories, relocate from one place to another, and give judgement with the Royal Governing Commission, with me being head of that commission, and give judgement to demote, replace, promote, or punish every five years. If not for that, they will think that it is a given and abuse their power, and the corruption cycle will repeat itself. '"Oh, I love to judge," with system help. Ok. I can see the states of each and details of every territory in my entire realm. I almost forgot why the abolishing of feudal rights and titles can be a problem and has a high possibility of retaliation from foreigners. The reason is every monarchy in this world sees that feudalism is the core of the system, and without it the state will become barbaric and eventually fall into anarchy. They prioritize stability and tradition rather than development and progress. Even though three Republics, fighting with the Empire, and the isolationist Federation of Libertas prove them wrong, they think the Republics are heretics and the Federation are barbarians without cultures and godless. They will be cursed and will fall eventually as a state in the near future, and so they wish. Without feudalism, culture and tradition cannot be preserved. Without feudalism, monarchy cannot survive; thus, stability cannot be achieved. Without feudalism the nation is bound to be doomed.
"What utter rubbish nonsense." So they think of other nations with different systems as mortal enemies and uncultured, rude, godless barbarians without brains. That is why they are warring with the Republics and wish for the eventual fall of the Federation from within. I created a different kind of version of monarchy in this world for the first time, and they will think I am out of my mind, and sooner or later they will intervene, or in the worst case, there will be all-out war. The Empire cannot afford another direct world, and the Church's Legate promised to stop interference from the Empire. So direct war with the empire is unlikely. What I worry about is southern human kingdoms. Even though 25 out of 15 of them are monarchies with feudalism and small with combined strength, they are bigger than us in every aspect. There are also 10 other nations with different systems. Why are they not attacking themselves? May be they are attacking in the shadow each others. I don't know exactly what the reason is, nor do my Black Operatives. This is a weird fantasy world. My concern is their combined population alone is 10 times bigger, and the military may also be bigger than us in numbers, although they are backward in military technology. The sheer number is staggering. There will be bloodshed. I cannot avoid it. As promised with the Church Legate, I will have to do nothing but establish a foothold in the south of the continent. '"It is already midnight. Phew, It is a headache. I think too much doing my work the whole day. I am burnt out. So sleepy, zzz."
Two months have passed.
Alexius is signing the document in his office in the Central Government building. A knock came, and he immediately permitted them to enter since the person was Elias. Elias, with a pale face, said, "Your Majesty, the southern kingdoms declare a crusade in the name of the Holy Church of human supremacy with the leadership of the Kingdom of Barlius on us. Their army consists of 250000. What shall we do?" Alexius, with a grim face "That is earlier than expected. Don't worry, I already have plans in motion. Call the military council now." 'Just you wait, useless smashed potatoes. I will devour you whole lot soon.' "As you command, Your Majesty." Thus the first all-out war begin. (Continue…..)