Game Mind of a Medieval Modern Person - Chapter 233



Only Noblemtl

233. The Man Who Lived His Life in Vain

Long ago, census was a policy carried out only by tyrants who did not care about the livelihood of their people.

People living in developed, advanced societies might think that’s some kind of nonsense.

The census is the foundation of thorough and meticulous administration.

It is an absolutely necessary tool for providing direction to the group and drawing a bigger picture.

However, in the old days when productivity was clearly limited due to a lack of technology, meticulous and detailed administration was nothing more than a sophisticated expression of exploitation.

Whether it’s greedy officials extorting money or just public officials extorting taxes, it’s all the same to the average person.

This is where my notoriety from the days when I was called Barialdo and not Narva came from.

War was an act that quickly exhausted a country’s national strength.

Soldiers going to the battlefield ate several times more than others.

At least they were able to catch a breath by hastily passing a law that would indefinitely postpone soldiers’ salaries until the end of the war, but… the cost of procuring weapons could not be postponed due to pressure from merchants.

The last line was to not harm the merchants.

Because the army of the fallen kingdom of Lavanstar was always pushed to its limits.

Will you remain a soldier to protect your country?

Or will they degenerate into a gang of thieves who kill anyone they come across?

At this time, my choice was this.

The decisions he made while still wearing the mantle of the King were all ripe for notoriety.

[Collect land tax and poll tax at the same time.]

It was equal exploitation, regardless of rich or poor.

Of course, not everyone welcomed the introduction of land tax.

When they heard the news that taxes would be levied, people who usually didn’t show their faces came running to the palace in a panic.

[Your Majesty, this land is my rightful inheritance! How dare you impose taxes on it?!]

[Then you lead the army and win the battle against the pagans.]

[…What are you talking about all of a sudden?]

[Isn’t this land going to be taken by pagans anyway? If you don’t want to pay taxes, I’ll give it up too. But don’t think you won’t have enemies just because you don’t deal with pagans.]

Naturally, the enemy’s name would be Barialdo.

In the end, the lords had to give up everything in exchange for recognition of their land ownership.

The great lords who were confined to their own domains were helpless, but the lords who had manors within my sphere of influence had all their properties stripped away.

I would have liked to wipe out all the great lords, but there wasn’t enough time.

However, the necessary funds could not be raised by turning over a few lords.

So I robbed the people closest to me.

I’m talking about the serfs.

[The king wants to starve us all to death!]

[What the hell, they’re going to collect taxes based on the number of people?!]

As expected, the poll tax met with fierce resistance.

In particular, the backlash was greatest from serfs who had children one after another because they needed help with farm work.

Wherever you went, you could find people who opposed the introduction of the poll tax and refused to cooperate or respond to the census.

If things continue like this, we will face rebellion.

Everyone, including me, guessed so.

So I prepared to go on a mission.

Together with the gentle-hearted adjutant who sympathized and pitied the people.

[aide.]

[Yes, Your Majesty.]

[If I don’t stop them, will they be able to survive against the pagans?]

The tragedy of our military was that they saw too much.

We were dealing with enemies so vicious that any evil deed would be defended and understood.

The adjutant was the same.

The adjutant looked at me with eyes that were bloodshot and pleading, and said something completely different from the words in his eyes.

[no.]

That’s why I liked my adjutant.

I looked straight into the adjutant’s pleading face and smiled.

[Then, since they are dead anyway, I guess it’s okay for me to take them.]

It was a merciless massacre.

There was no way that our army, which had crossed the line of fire against a powerful pagan, could fight the serfs who had only dug the ground.

The serfs’ attempts to evade taxes ended in their execution.

And then the poll tax was introduced.

Thanks to this, our army was able to be supplied with excellent equipment and, by possessing a considerable amount of food and military horses, was able to secure mobility.

While desperately chasing victory, he ignores the cries of those starving to death.

[Your Majesty, any further conscription is impossible. The resentment of those already starving is targeting Your Majesty!]

[Then I’ll disappear if I starve to death.]

[majesty!]

[Tell them to give more. Tell them to give everything they have, even their lives.]

I didn’t care about petty complaints.

[Then the war will end a second sooner.]

Time has passed and now it has become Narva.

“No, if you had two gold coins for this living, it would be your entire fortune…?”

“Oh my… What kind of fool would just ignore the words of the Bishop? Here, my son and grandson are going to the temple. You too, roll up your sleeves and go after those damned heretics.”

I’m starting to think of the Barialdo era as truly foolish.

***

For me, conscription usually meant holding a sword to my throat.

Who among us would just let it slide just because you say something when we’re all busy trying to make a living?

Even in modern times, people visit tax accountants to find out tax saving methods because they are concerned about paying taxes.

But here, there were a ton of people who would give up their entire fortune the moment they were gently persuaded with words.

There were even people who wanted to donate things that weren’t even their own.

He came to the local parish and offered to donate land, but it just so happened that the land was lent to him by the church.

“Excuse me, sir. This land is not yours. It is leased by the church, so in principle, it cannot be donated.”

“What are you saying? You’re not going to accept the land?”

“You can’t do that because it’s not your land. You have to borrow it!”

“Then lend it to someone else besides me. I still have the strength to pull the cart, so I should go to the temple as a laborer.”

It was not only the simple serfs who were zealous for the temple, for better or for worse.

The same was true for the lords who did not have much time left to live.

He said that he sent a guarantor because he was asked to settle the inheritance before he died, and this is what happened.

According to reports, the young lord sat down in front of his only son, took his weight, and opened his mouth.

“Genison.”

“Yes, father.”

“Do you want to be a knight?”

“Of course!”

“Good answer.”

Genison’s father nodded with a pleased smile, then suddenly picked up the feather.

It was literally a whirlwind.

Before anyone could object, the lord signed the document, which was densely written with letters.

And the identity of the document signed by the lord is-.

“I have no estate to pass on to you.”

“…?”

“This estate will be donated to the church when I die.”

“Huh?! Father, even as a joke, you’re saying that…”

-Surprisingly, it was a certificate stating that he would donate all his property to the church upon his death.

It’s no wonder that Genison, who lost all his wealth in an instant, was shocked.

Gennison, who suddenly looked like a beggar, stood up abruptly and protested.

but.

“Genison!!!”

The lord’s determination was firm.

“He said it proudly in front of me. He said he wanted to be a knight. He said he would become a knight!”

“That’s it…”

“A manor doesn’t make you a knight. You have to prove that you are a knight to earn a manor!”

In any case, the lords are ultimately knights who have been recognized for their military exploits.

They were a group recognized for their right to protect the people of the territory from all kinds of threats, and the lords of the Duchy of Powis, who were always exposed to danger in Ise, had a strong tradition of chivalry.

It was a disaster for some, though.

“This father taught me the best he could. And you were given a chance.”

“Father, no way.”

“Sir Gennison, go to the temple. Prove yourself to be a knight in the temple. Make sure your name comes first, not your family name!”

Of course, this decision was not made solely out of religious belief.

According to the priest who was dispatched as a guarantor, the lord spoke passionately, then raised his eyebrows and said this.

“Genison, think about it. Most of the lords of Nevar have lost their power or are clearly heretics. We will need new lords to replace them. Who will the Bishop use then? Will he move those who are already in place?”

“ah…!!!”

“The Bishop is clearly supporting Sir Tervere. Perhaps he will establish his brother Sir Tervere as the new King of Nevar, who has proven both honor and faith over the people of Nevar who have fallen to the pagans…”

thud!

Genison was no longer standing.

He knelt down on one knee before his father and cried out in the most reverent manner, yet in a spirited voice.

“As a seed taught by a great knight, I will participate in the holy war to honor my teacher and parents! Please allow me to do so!”

“That is the spirit. Lord Gennison, with your high spirit and bravery, drive Ise beyond the horizon beyond the twilight!”

And that’s not all.

People who were excited by the news of the temple and were waiting for an opportunity began to appear one after another.

“My mother’s grave is there. We have to get it back before those bastards ruin it.”

Refugees who ran away and thought about it deeply, and then their anger rose up.

“Let’s push Ise below the horizon!”

“We are the dawn of humanity!”

Young men armed with passion, even if they are not outstanding.

“Oh my, if you go out dressed like that, you’re finished! You’re finished! I happen to have some used equipment that retired soldiers used… I’ll give it to you for a reasonable price.”

“A, a sword on chainmail?! But it’s rusty…”

“You can never get a rusty one for this price. You’re going to get a piece of the temple anyway, so why are you saving up? How much do you have now?”

“About twelve silver coins.”

It was the moment when the clumsy young man untied the bundle on his waist.

WHAT!

It happened in the blink of an eye.

The merchant snatched the bag of silver coins with a nimble hand and chuckled as he tossed the rusty equipment aside.

“Please put on your gear and enlist now! Food and lodging will be provided, so there will be no problem!”

Yes, that’s right.

There were even merchants running rampant who sold scrap equipment at high prices to unsuspecting recruits.

But since it is rare for someone to bring even this rusty equipment, the recruiters just turn a blind eye to it.

People who don’t know the exact numbers might wonder why there’s such a fuss.

So, let me tell you in numbers that adults like.

“5,000 applicants for enlistment in just one month?”

The Colonial Office’s chief of staff, John Min-meori, brought the excitement of the noisy temple to the pioneer village.

“Everyone is making a fuss about what they’ll do. These days, all the recruiting officers are dying.”

“…..”

Some may shed tears of joy at the sight of the zealous people in the temple.

There may be priests who have reddened their eyes upon seeing such deep devotion.

But I found myself shedding tears for a completely different reason.

“Yes, are those tears?”

“Yeah. I’m crying.”

During the Barial era, there were a lot of guys who would throw a tantrum and refuse to give up even if someone thrust a sword at them.

A kid with perfectly healthy limbs didn’t want to go to the military, so he dressed up as a woman and showed off his beauty tricks…

“I realized it too late.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“It’s my calling.”

Regrets are creeping in.

I regret wasting my life.

“My calling was to be a religious person.”

“….”

If there is a fourth life, I must live as a religious person then too.

That was the moment of determination.

***

Of course, it wasn’t like people were just going around offering up things on their own.

It is a temple in name only.

That meant they could get support from the mainland.

Fortunately, I had a permanent resident neighbor as a contact on the mainland.

“Hahaha… His Holiness is very satisfied. Because of your creation of the Ordo Sanctus Illenio without your permission, many dioceses are demanding independence. The parish is in chaos. Fortunately, your Holiness has taken advantage of the confusion to hold accountable those who have treated you poorly, and has regained control.”

“I don’t know what to do with all the praise you’ve given me.”

“The curse is half mixed in, Your Majesty.”

“If a compliment is half the battle, isn’t it high praise?”

I was momentarily embarrassed by Bishop Ganista’s high praise.

We got straight to the point.

“The saints believe that you have deliberately planned a holy war in order to dispel suspicions of heresy. Since you have a justification, you cannot simply refuse, but it will be difficult to expect proper troop support or a full-scale holy war.”

“Military funds and equipment?”

“I can be flexible up to that point. However, considering the time frame of one year, it may not meet your expectations. I don’t know about the quality level, but I don’t think we can fill all the quantity you want.”

“Even with Cardinal Martyr’s help?”

“I’m telling you this after calculating that.”

War required a lot of preparation.

After parting ways with Bishop Canista, I took up the quill and wrote to Cardinal Martyr and Terwehr.

[Dear Cardinal Martyr.]

A full body plate armor that was promised long ago.

[When will the full-body armor order for our Terveer Lord be completed?]

I hope it comes soon.