How a Second Life Knight Lives - Chapter 48



48. We don’t lack money, we lack people.

We subdued and returned those who had plundered the Jensen caravan.

Among them, composed half of bandits and half of refugees, those with particularly bad crimes were singled out and brought to Kalmar City.

They were mostly former mercenaries or those who had been actively involved in gangs.

They all hung them in front of the gates of Kalmar City.

Some resisted until the end, while others begged for forgiveness with tears,

but the result was the same for all.

Ah, not all were the same.

There was one who lost his head to me while trying to escape.

Was it an excessive punishment?

In the past, I might have hesitated.

And I would have been seen as an unusually soft person.

But now, I accept this as a matter of course.

Living here for a while, I seem to have become accustomed to the customs of this place.

And to be honest, I feel that I did what needed to be done.

Among the refugees flocking to the Kalmar County, I believe there is no one who hasn’t experienced looting, murder, or theft.

They might have done it themselves,

been the target of a crime,

or benefited from a crime,

but I can assert that there is no one who hasn’t experienced crime happening around them.

There are no naive and clumsy peasants.

Even severe punishment is not enough.

If we don’t instill the perception that those who don’t follow the law and order in Kalmar County will die, who knows what chaos will ensue.

The vassals of the count and the administrators of the territory gathered in the meeting room would all agree.

Countess Linnea still had a cold expression, but she couldn’t hide the slight fatigue that settled around her eyes.

She had been dealing with the refugee issue without proper sleep for two days. Especially the refugee camp, which had just begun construction, was already causing various problems, troubling her and the administrators of the territory.

“The problem is the rapidly increasing number of refugees. It has already reached 3,000. At this rate, we will soon reach our limit. We need to implement the planned settlements quickly.”

Meller, the mayor of Kalmar City, argued vehemently.

In his eyes, the refugees were no different from a horde of beggars.

Just looking at the list of urgently needed supplies, it was easier to think of it as setting up a household.

Moreover, Meller, being both the mayor and the treasurer, was in a position where he had to be strict about money going out.

No matter how much budget was prepared in advance for the refugees, the daily expenses would be a stress for him as the treasurer.

“However, we cannot scatter the refugees in the villages around Kalmar City. Moreover, there are already numerous cases of clashes with the vigilantes. If we respond poorly, the entire territory could fall into great chaos.”

However, Mikkelson, the auditor of the city council, insisted that the refugees should be gathered in the refugee camp.

The rural and mountain villages he represented were no different from being hit by a disaster due to the recent refugee crisis.

Was it like a sudden typhoon hitting in the autumn?

At first, they used the village’s communal property to provide relief out of human decency, but it was clear that if left in this state, it would severely impact the finances of the rural villages.

Even now, he was inundated with petitions from village chiefs pleading for help.

And he kept emphasizing in meetings that if the refugees were left as they were, it was only a matter of time before the Count of Kalmar’s territory would become a lawless area.

There is some truth to that.

It is also commendable that he is working hard for those he represents.

However, he didn’t quite like it.

He was drawing a line again, fearing that the additional burden might fall on the rural areas.

In the end, what he wanted to say was that they had no intention of spending any more, so the city of Kalmar should bear the full burden of the refugees.

Everyone was just dragging out the time with obvious stories.

The reason was simple.

They probably lacked the money to spend immediately.

And fear.

So, he intervened, pretending to know nothing.

“Wasn’t the treatment of the refugees already decided? I heard the budget was prepared. Even now, Sir Arekson is working hard on the construction and management of the refugee camp.”

He still hadn’t washed off the dust.

Not to mention the bloodstains on his clothes.

When he returned to the lord’s castle after hanging the raiders, he heard that the meeting had been going on for two days and just walked into the conference room.

Everyone saw the hardship he had gone through and was careful when speaking to him.

They were people who understood without needing to be told, so there was no rebuke to his question.

Meller, representing the people, explained to him.

“The prepared budget is insufficient, Sir William. It’s fine for now, but the future is the problem.”

“It’s hard to understand. Didn’t we decide to use the refugees for reclamation? It’s not money thrown into the air, and in a few years, we can recover it all and even collect additional taxes. I find it hard to understand why everyone is trembling over a few pennies.”

“They say the number of refugees, which was expected to be just a few thousand, might suddenly become tens of thousands. Isn’t that why? It’s confusing how much we need to prepare.”

Although not exact, he remembered the number of refugees being around 30,000 to 40,000.

It was definitely not a scale that the city of Kalmar couldn’t handle.

Isn’t it the largest commercial logistics city in the empire?

It might even be possible with just the city’s budget.

These people couldn’t possibly not know that.

Even if it is difficult to predict the scale of the refugees, it is not impossible to foresee that with the financial power of Kalmar City, it would not be a big problem.

The real problem is that these people are afraid.

What if, after painstakingly cultivating the farmland, a demand for the repatriation of the lord’s people who left the territory arrives?

What if, just as we start cultivating the farmland, the territorial war suddenly ends and people say they want to return?

It’s not just a few hundred, but tens of thousands, making it difficult to ignore the repatriation demands.

If repatriation begins, the budget invested in the farmland would be as good as money thrown into the air.

And the most feared problem, which no one is talking about.

What if the territorial war in the Aalborg region spreads to the Kalmar County under the pretext that refugees were mobilized in the farmland?

Noren’s mercenary captain was right.

Kalmar people had been spared from the chaos within the empire, so his assessment that they were different from other places was not wrong.

These people were afraid of war.

“Have you forgotten why we were trying to cultivate the farmland? The freemen of Kalmar City are all too busy making money to have time for anything else, aren’t they? Even if we forcibly conscript all our merchants, craftsmen, and sailors, can we conscript 5,000 people? Instead, the industry of Kalmar City would be destroyed. Who would make the goods, who would go on trade, and who would sail the ships? Everyone knew this, which is why the Count’s proposal to cultivate the farmland was accepted, wasn’t it? Didn’t everyone agree to the plan of cultivating the farmland and conscripting refugees as soldiers? So why are you hesitating? The territorial army can mobilize at most 2,000 men. It’s not enough. If it’s not enough, we have to fill it. Don’t we have money? It’s not that we don’t have people to act as soldiers. So, let those who make money make money, and give land to those who need it. Soldiers come from the land. If we can double the number of soldiers, our property will be safe. No matter how much the electors covet our treasury, they can’t touch it.”

“Then hiring mercenaries is…”

“No, do mercenaries fall from the sky? And skilled soldiers are too expensive. If we hire them for about a year, it’s one thing, but long-term employment is difficult to manage.”

At my determined outburst, people showed displeasure but couldn’t easily oppose.

Wars happening far away are good conditions for business, but wars happening nearby are a completely different story.

These people had anticipated and prepared, but when the threat of war came right in front of them, they were just flustered.

They will soon come to their senses and work properly.

As everyone shut their mouths, the conference room suddenly became quiet.

Countess Linnea broke the awkward silence.

“Sir Meller. So, are you saying there is no budget to be allocated immediately?”

“No, Countess. There is a reserve fund. It’s just that it has been invested elsewhere, so it needs to be retrieved.”

“Then I will provide my personal funds for now. Time is urgent, so execute it first.”

“Thank you, Countess. I will calculate the interest properly.”

Seeing Meller talk about interest as if it were natural, I realized this was indeed a commercial city.

Countess Linnea seemed pleased that the meeting, which had been going in circles, ended thanks to my outburst.

She even threw a rare joke at me.

“Sir William, do you have any objections to me using my personal funds? That’s my dowry.”

“Your dowry is more than enough with your generous heart, Countess Linnea. For me, a usable weapon and a cloak to wrap around when I sleep are sufficient. Do as you wish, Countess. I am always your first supporter and the sword that slays your enemies in one strike.”

Wow!

I guess I’m flattering a bit too much now!

Yes, this is how you do social life.

Tell that grumpy-looking Mikkelson to go away.

My lifeline is the Count.

After finishing the meeting, I washed up, changed into comfortable clothes, and even had a snack.

It felt like I was properly resting for the first time in days.

In that case, let’s take care of some personal matters.

I called for Basmus.

After a while, Basmus appeared with his two younger siblings.

In the mountains, he wore rags and smeared soot, but now he looked clean.

Merchant Basmus.

He was the bandit I met when I lost the watchtower and fled to the mountains from the river.

He was the strongest person I had ever met.

There were even rumors that he had fought and won against an orc.

But now, he doesn’t seem that strong.

And he doesn’t look that ferocious either.

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Rather, he even seemed simple and honest.

To think that this ordinary-looking big man was originally a vicious human who had to kill at least one person to calm down once he got excited!

It must be because of his two younger siblings.

When I met him, he was alone.

“Basmus. I heard your name is Basmus. What are the names of your siblings next to you?”

“The girl is Alasia, and this young boy is Martinson.”

“A girl? You disguised her well.”

“It was because it was dangerous.”

“It was a wise action as an older brother.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“I am Baron William Burrows of Lehabet.”

“Yes, Baron.”

“I need people. Obedient, strong, and tight-lipped.”

“……”

“The younger ones will work at the lord’s castle. You don’t have to worry about food, clothing, shelter, or safety.”

No one had ever attacked the city of Kalmar until the day I died.

Basmus knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

“I’m just a strong farmer who knows how to thresh. Since the baron has spared our lives, we will follow you.”

“Threshing, good. You can use a flail. Since you’re a farmer, it should be familiar to you. Tomorrow, let’s learn how to use the flail together.”

However, the promise with Basmus had to be postponed a little.

Because news came that one of the mercenary groups had been annihilated.