Ryan's concept of comprehensive planning was straightforward. Once he ascended to the throne, he planned to dispatch officials to survey the entire kingdom's land. They would identify which areas were suitable for cash crops, which were better for growing grains, and which were ideal for livestock or orchards. This would ensure that there was always enough arable land dedicated to grain production.
Of course, he could only have the authority to implement this after becoming king.
"At the same time, I will implement the Granary System, establishing reserve warehouses across the country," Ryan continued. "During times of low market prices for grain, we'll raise prices slightly to buy in bulk. During times of high prices, we'll sell at slightly lower prices to stabilize the market. Recently, you must have noticed that food prices are high. That's because the Wiesenland region suffered heavy losses during Tamurkhan's invasion, leading to massive grain imports from us. You might consider selling some of your stockpiled grain to the Empire."
As Ryan described the system of grain price support and reserves, everyone understood the idea. Grain had always been a critical issue. Previously, the relationship between knights and serfs dictated that any surplus grain produced by serfs belonged to the nobility. In this scenario, grain had little to do with the market. However, with Ryan's reforms—particularly the introduction of fixed taxes and potential land leasing—commercial grain and a burgeoning market economy were bound to emerge. The old methods would no longer suffice, and Ryan's proposed price support and reserve system addressed this problem effectively.
"As for other matters, once I ascend to the throne, I will also announce the abolition of the King's Shield Tax," Ryan calmly dropped another bombshell in the meeting room.
"Wait, Ryan, you plan to abolish... the King's Shield Tax?!" François exclaimed, his mouth agape in shock. "Ryan, do you realize that this tax is the primary source of income for the royal family and funds for the Couronne army? How can you abolish the Shield Tax?"
"It's never been a significant source of revenue, so abolishing it won't make much difference. Besides, I only plan to abolish the Shield Tax for grain crops. Cash crops, orchards, and livestock won't be exempt," Ryan replied calmly. "To encourage grain production, we need to offer some supportive policies. Historically, the King's Shield Tax has always been difficult to collect, as I'm sure you all know."
The dukes exchanged awkward glances. Knightly nobles were notorious for this behavior. They always paid the tithe to the Lady of the Lake in full, often even more than required, but when it came to the King's Shield Tax, they would find every excuse to underreport, delay, or evade payment. Now that Ryan had brought it up, no one felt comfortable responding.
François, on the other hand, felt his earlier excitement wane. His Duchy of Winford's main income came from cash crops, especially wine. The tax exemption on grain crops wouldn't benefit him much at all.
The father-in-law thought of all the advantages Ryan's rise had brought him and decided to accept it.
"In the future, we must also unify tariffs and convert in-kind taxes to monetary taxes," Ryan continued. "But that will be for later, after I've ascended the throne. For now, I can only say this much. I want to emphasize, gentlemen, that I've taken many measures to protect your interests and compensate for your losses. But you must also understand that the tide of history cannot be reversed."
"The Empire across the mountains has already reformed and become the most powerful human nation in the Old World. Bretonnia must keep pace, or we face extinction. It's better to address these issues from the top down than to be overthrown from the bottom up. The northern barbarians, Chaos demons, greenskin tribes, Beastmen, and undead are all eyeing the lands the Lady has blessed us with. Only through self-strengthening and self-reform can we redeem ourselves in these dark times."
The dukes all nodded. This was a highly sensitive topic, and there was no need to delve deeper.
"I also have a question, Ryan. You know the Duchy of Lyonnais is struggling. We don't have the resources to implement this policy," Duke Adalhard of Lyonnais finally voiced his concerns, speaking with urgency. "The serfs here can't afford to redeem themselves. Many people can't even get enough to eat or wear. How are we supposed to push forward with these reforms?"
"Don't rush, Adalhard. We're all aware of Lyonnais' situation," Ryan quickly interrupted Adalhard's anxious outburst. "It's well known that the circumstances differ across the duchies. We must tailor our policies to local conditions. We can't force the serfs to buy their freedom by seizing their assets."
"That's right, Adalhard. My advice is to reduce taxes, encourage the serfs to reclaim lost lands, and send troops to recapture unclaimed territories and clear out bandits and rebel serfs," François nodded in agreement. "Now isn't the time to push for serf redemption in Lyonnais. You don't have the resources or foundation. You can't just see us reaping the rewards and expect to keep up immediately."
"Good, very good! You've always been like this—all of you! When I took over Lyonnais, the treasury and granaries were so empty they could house rats," Adalhard fumed. "And now I have to sit here, watching you all talk about reforms and redemptions, while you're all getting rich. And what about me? I'm left with nothing! François, you want me to reduce taxes? Send out troops? With what money? With what grain? It's easy for you to say!"
"… We're all aware of Lyonnais' difficulties. It's not like we haven't sent people to help you," Lawn stepped in to mediate. "If Chilroth were here, he wouldn't be doing this either. You and your duchy need to rest and recover, not force yourselves to keep pace with us."
"… I just hope that Lyonnais can see its former glory again," Adalhard sighed, his voice heavy with weariness.
"Let's end the meeting here," Ryan concluded the ducal conference. "Please return to your duchies and determine how much the redemption fee should be. This figure must be carefully considered. Remember, if you set it too low, the serfs will find it too easy, and your interests will suffer. But if you set it too high, they won't be able to afford it, and you'll be deceiving them."
With the duke's meeting adjourned, Ryan hosted a grand banquet at his castle that evening to entertain the visiting dukes and celebrate the consensus they had reached. With their support, along with that of Duke Hubald of Carcassonne and the Lady of the Lake's Church, led by Morgiana, Ryan was now positioned to truly take control of the kingdom once he ascended to the throne.
After the banquet, a slightly tipsy Ryan sneaked off to Sulia's courtyard in the castle.
There was no snow that night, and the winter evening was tranquil. The courtyard was mostly filled with irises and tall pine trees. As Ryan walked alone through the castle garden, he looked up at the sky. The stars were like scattered pearls, like fragments of gold scattered across a black jade plate. It was a peaceful, serene moment, with the leaves rustling in the wind.
Ryan suddenly felt very tired.
Perhaps no one truly understood how difficult it was to initiate a top-down reform in a world with true gods and dark gods. A single misstep wouldn't just mean failure—it could lead to the destruction of the entire kingdom.
Nobles, the church, merchants, wizards… Ryan had used every possible means to build a foundation for his reforms. Even so, it had taken him over a decade to finally establish a strong enough base to move forward. Now, he had to proceed with extreme caution. Compared to the lone man he was over a decade ago, he now had a family, a power base, and many followers. But this expansion of power also meant that his actions had to be increasingly cautious, increasingly difficult.
The cold, the solitude, the weight of responsibility… The faint glow of magical lamps illuminated the stone-paved paths of the courtyard. Statues of Sulia and her favorite steed, Licht, stood prominently. Ryan walked slowly to the statues, gazing at his wife's serious, lance-wielding, yet beautiful figure, and offered a warm smile.
Now, he understood why many middle-aged men gave off a "greasy" vibe. It wasn't because they were inherently that way, but because they had become more experienced, more worldly. They carried too many burdens—families to support, loved ones to care for, friends to help. There were too many responsibilities that prevented them from acting on impulse, from rebelling or escaping.
These middle-aged men could only endure, only swallow their pride, only hold their tongues. This was something young people couldn't understand or tolerate. After all, anyone could rant online, jump on a bandwagon, or mindlessly criticize. When you have nothing to lose, you have no fear. But once you have something to protect, the situation changes
drastically.
The old King Richard was a shining figure when he took the throne. In his prime, he enjoyed hunting tigers alone in the forests. His first act as king was to join forces with High Elf Prince Imrik to defeat the Beastmen horde near Couronne. Richard had once been full of ambition, believing he could achieve great things for the kingdom. But by the time Ryan arrived in Bretonnia, Richard had become stubborn, resistant to change, and intent on suppressing Ryan.
Did the times change? No, they hadn't. The times remained the same.
So why?
You know the answer.
Ryan, who held many titles and was personally chosen by the Lady of the Lake as her champion, had struggled through countless hardships to take the first step in reform. He couldn't help but sigh, "It's so hard. The pressure on me is immense."
As Ryan stared at his wife's statue, lost in thought, he heard footsteps behind him. "Ryan, what's wrong? Why are you here? We've all been looking for you."
It was Sulia. Tonight, the lady knight was dressed in a classic black laced gown with a gingerbread wood grain pattern. She wore black velvet tights that accentuated her long, shapely legs, and over-the-knee high-heeled boots. Her posture was tall and graceful, her demeanor heroic, and her face, flawless and serene, held a gentle smile. Her long, golden, curly hair cascaded over her shoulders.
She looked just as she had fourteen years ago in the Rose Garden of Couronne.
The Duchess approached from behind and gently embraced Ryan, wrapping her arms tenderly around his neck. "Ryan, my husband, you've done more than enough. Father was just telling me how he's proud of you, how you've achieved things he never even dared to imagine. Duke Lawn also praised you, saying that while all they could do was mediate conflicts and try to be fair, you offered a solution that everyone could accept. You are the miracle the Lady has given to Bretonnia."
"You're amazing, my husband. I'm so proud of you." Sulia's voice was like a gentle stream, soothing Ryan's soul and nourishing his will. The deep emotion in her sea-blue eyes made him feel cherished. "But don't push yourself too hard."
"Three to five generations," Ryan felt his chest fill with Sulia's love. He turned around and embraced his wife fully.
"Hmm?" Sulia didn't quite understand.
"My reforms will only benefit three to five generations. After that, society will gradually fall back into stagnation," Ryan sighed, lifting his wife into a princess carry and sitting down on a bench in the courtyard. "Just like the Empire. When the Savior Ludwig reformed the Empire, it led to a golden age of prosperity. But now, after 160 years, wealth and land have cycled back into the hands of the nobility. Newly cultivated lands can't stop the nobles' greed and expansion. Neither Karl Franz nor I can change that; we can only suppress it through royal power and personal influence. But that won't last. Another reform will be necessary."
"The Lady told us, Ryan, that no earthly kingdom's power lasts forever," Sulia responded nonchalantly. "You've already done everything you can. That's enough. If you can bring a century or two of prosperity to the kingdom, you will have been a remarkable king."
"Yes, you're right. There's no need to worry about what happens three or five generations from now," Ryan suddenly realized something and nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Sulia. Once again, you've enlightened me."
"We're husband and wife; there's no need for thanks," Sulia leaned on her husband's shoulder, suddenly feeling as though she had everything in the world.
This was happiness.
After a few minutes of quiet intimacy, Ryan had recovered from his fatigue and melancholy. Sulia whispered, "Ryan, take some time to rest and prepare for your coronation. And you should also visit Lady Veronica. See how she's doing. She's been in seclusion for almost a year now."
Surprisingly, Sulia and Veronica had a decent relationship, mainly due to Sulia's generous and gentle nature and Veronica's careful efforts to maintain it. Unlike Teresa, who wasn't good at handling relationships and often avoided Sulia, Veronica was always mindful of her relationship with Sulia. She would occasionally send the Duchess rare gifts. Whenever they met, the almost-forty-year-old Veronica would dutifully call the slightly over-thirty Sulia "sister" or "madam," which kept their relationship amicable.
Only Ryan knew that Veronica was clear about her position. If Ryan were a great tree, she was a vine clinging to its branches. She wouldn't dare lose Ryan's support and protection. The shrewd Garland witch knew how to protect her interests—by keeping Ryan satisfied and Sulia happy, she could remain invincible, untouchable by anyone.
"Alright, I'll visit Veronica in a few days and see how she's doing," Ryan agreed after some thought. "As for Teresa and Aurora… Sulia, I need your help with something."
"Tell me," Sulia replied.
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