145 – Duchy of Architel Absorption Operation (3)

“As His Excellency commanded, we have compiled the family register based on the member register kept by the Akitel Local Church. Check it out.”

Unlike modern countries, in medieval European societies, it was possible to accurately determine the number of people, gender, and age by simply securing a register of church members kept in a village.

This is because in this era, unlike modern times, infant baptism at birth, marriage sacrament at marriage, and funeral Mass at death were all done in the same church.

Even, due to the nature of an agricultural society, only a very small number of people move for reasons such as going to college, enlisting in the military, or traveling…

The church in the village keeps records of the birth, marriage, and death of virtually everyone born in the village.

So, the error rate of the census in the Middle Ages was only 10%.

Compared to the fact that there are rumors that the error rate of the census of the Joseon Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty at the same time is at least twice that, and severe scholars say that it is up to five times, it is extremely small.

Then, I opened and read the first page of the report submitted by the inspector general.

“There is one county under the direct control of the duke, 6 barony under the direct control of the duke, and 3 barony under the command of the count… The population is between 1.7 and 1.8 million. It’s much larger than I thought, but the population is red… And what about the number of junior managers left?”

To that, the inspector replied calmly.

“I will start with the number of junior managers. There are about 400 bailiffs, and the number of village chiefs is three times that, 1200.”

“I thought that if it was an ordinary territory of this size, the baileef and village chief would be three times that… Unexpected enemy.”

“As a result of researching family registers, it is said that when Duke Akitel fought us, he selected some bailiffs and village chiefs and entrusted them with junior commanders of infantry units. A lot of people died in the process. At the same time, it is said that he hired some of the high-ranking knights to do such work, compared to the number of territories.”

Somehow, even if it was a defensive battle and brought out all forces, to maintain the number of 6,000 knights…

He must have reduced the maintenance cost of the managers by making them do the low-level manager’s work that the drivers don’t want to do.

In order to organize even one more knight into heavy cavalry on horseback, entrusting the role of commanding the infantry to Bayleaf and the village chief…

After hearing this, I could feel how the real Duke of Architel went into this war.

And I was able to figure out that the current situation was not as good as I thought.

“Do you know, by any chance, what positions the living bailiffs or village chiefs were given when commanding infantry?”

To that, the inspector answered cautiously.

“I heard that some of the bailiffs were entrusted with the centurion commanding 100 conscripts, and the village chiefs were entrusted with the captain of the 30th. And this… ”

Usually, a centurion commander who has more than 100 soldiers under his command is treated as a low-ranking knight or has a status equivalent to that, and the captain of 30 men is a free citizen who has a much higher status than the village chief.

However, in the absence of the lord, if there is an ambush, sometimes the bailiff will lead a centurion commanding a hundred conscripts, and the village chief will command about 30 soldiers.

Of course, even so, the original public servants have a little bit of power in an emergency, so a come-from-behind victory such as a rise in their status does not happen.

At best, luxuries such as gold coins and silk, or some privileges, were awarded for outstanding achievements.

In order to rise in status, at least a knight of the rank of a baronet who commands more than 1,000 soldiers must be captured to discuss whether or not to confer a knighthood.

However, in a battle directly commanded by Duke Architel, serving as a centurion and a captain of the thirties has a different meaning.

In particular, it must feel this way to the bailiffs and village chiefs in this society where success is blocked by the wall of status.

The fact that His Highness the Duke gave us high-ranking jobs reserved for knights and free citizens…

It is said that they gave them the opportunity to break free from the shackles of their status and live a better and more luxurious life.

And, in general, the gratitude and gratitude to the lord for giving him the expectation that he might change his status remains in his bones.

The reason I brought guys like Balt, Frost, Biermann, Colonel Frost, Lieutenant Balt, and Lieutenant Short down to this point was because I expected this kind of effect.

“Hey, don’t you think the inspector is going to say bullshit that it will be solved by replacing the bailiff and the village chief?”

I’d like to remove them from their positions and banish them to a corner to root out the cause of all problems, but…

If you do such a foolish thing, you will feel dissatisfaction and fear among the serfs that the new lord has kicked out the elder bailiff and the village headman.

Dissatisfaction, of course, about having kicked out the elders who had governed them well up until now, and fear about the thought that serfs in occupied lands would be treated the same way.

Then, it becomes easy for bailiffs or village chiefs who have been exiled without dying to attempt a peasant rebellion by taking advantage of the dissatisfaction and fear of the serfs.

“no. I was going to offer to buy some of them in exchange for office or property. Wouldn’t it be easy to find traitors one after another that way?”

As befits Lauren’s son, despite his young age, his answer was not far off as an inspector.

As he said, if we use the traitors inside to catch those who are trying to rebel and execute some of them…

Naturally, Bayleaf and the village chiefs gave up the thought of revolting for their own well-being.

However, what that guy suggested is a proposal that the guy in charge of the intelligence unit should do.

So I said as if I was nagging to wish Lauren’s son Alps the growth.

“That’s the intelligence unit’s job, and your job is administrative work. Then, as magistrate, think of a way for you to neutralize the agitation of the bailiffs and the village chiefs.”

Five minutes later, Inspector Alps spoke seriously.

“As magistrate, I think that each village should be given food and other aid, as it is done in the Earl of Creutel, with a famine.”

“The reason is that?”

“Those serfs were our enemies before the war, but now Count Kreutel… No, because it is under your protection. And… Their situation…

After a while, he handed me the report and said:

“This report summarizes the food shortages in each village after the war. According to this, the villages belonging to the province of Akitel… It’s not like there’s a famine, but it’s a situation where you’re already worried that you’ll starve to death due to excessive taxes. Although this has come to pass, the serfs will gradually forget their resentment towards Duke Architel and will hate us even more for leaving them alone while they suffer from hunger.”

As the Alps guy said, people hate rulers who let them suffer from hunger and hunger more than leaders who caused them to starve to death in the past.

Because, when they are suffering right now, what they see in front of them is not the leader who took away the food, but their current ruler.

So, in order to avoid this hatred everywhere in the world, in the early days of the dynasty, they tried to feed their serfs at all costs.

And if you feed them and clothe them… They soon forgot the old dynasty and became subjects of the new one.

“As you said, if I leave them alone, the bailiffs will try to entice the village chiefs to incite over a million serfs to revolt. So, as a magistrate, you must have sought relief to promote the retention and loyalty of the labor force? That’s great.”

At those words, Alps said with a bright smile.

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

“Then, how do you intend to proceed with the relief?”

“If you ask for almsgiving in other provinces, they usually give you thin porridge that you can eat once a day. However, since we have plenty of food, even if we can’t give you black bread, we can give you three meals a day of thick wheat porridge and an occasional salted herring. We are going to proceed like this.”

The average serfs of our estate eat black bread and salted herring every day, and I will provide you with a meal that is just one level lower than that…

That way, the serfs won’t be dissatisfied if word spreads in our estates that they’re getting food for free.

Also, the serfs living in the Duchy of Akitel are sure to have improved their lives with the 4-rotation method, but… It must have been at the level of eating thin porridge twice a day…

Even if you face the danger of starvation, if you know that if you follow me, you can live such a prosperous life, you will forget even the grudge against the family you can’t return to and give your allegiance.

If that happens, of course, if the village chief or Bayleaf wants to go back to Duke Architel… ?

“If this rescue plan is properly executed, even if the village chief or baileif incites the serfs to revolt, they will never go along. great… ”

And there, I said with the intention of putting pressure on the entire Romanian Empire using food exports.

“However, it is forbidden to collect additional food for our serfs outside the Akitel region. Instead, I will use my money to buy all the grain exported to Romania and the surplus food in the market in our territory. Also, let the nobles who have lands in Akitel know that I am doing this to save them.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After saying that, the Alps guy closed the door and left.

I looked at the closed door of my office and said.

“Fortress Holy Romania is collecting and pouring a huge amount of money to build a cathedral according to the order of the Romanian Vatican… Nevertheless, the fact that food shortages have not yet occurred among them may be due to some of the territories that introduced the 4-rotation method… The food from our territory also accounts for a large share… But what if it disappears?”

Then, I clapped and murmured.

“The price of food rises by at least 10 to 15 percent, and then the number of starving serfs and poor citizens of the city explodes. And if this continues… The Elector Counts with weak faith will try to get rid of the mad emperor who makes their lives poor and take away the territory of the hostile lords. And that justification will be the new faith that Wycliffe insists on… As soon as the emperor gets intelligence that they are hostile, he will try to take their territory.”

I have no intention of participating in this war yet…

In the meantime, I have no choice but to develop the power to keep the Franchi guys in check and prepare for the next one…

Since we’re going to be here for a long time, I’ll have to tell Irina and Ella and Victoria to come too.

Then I picked up a pen and wrote on a piece of paper.

Its contents…

[The scribes of the territory ask the bailefs to gather at Agincourt Castle one month from today according to this order.]