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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Voluntary Overtime
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The most important thing for a lord is to win the hearts of the people.
No blessing or magic is greater than winning the hearts of the people.
Remember this, oh lords.
When you truly win the hearts of the people,
you will witness miracles beyond anything you've seen before.
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Baron, who worked at the Cron Family's salt farm, could never forget that day.
"Hey, is this for real?"
"I know, right? I can't believe it either."
That day, all the workers at the Cron Family salt farm were buzzing with excitement.
It was because of the news that had spread since morning.
『From today onward, daily wages will be doubled.』
The notice posted on the salt farm bulletin board clearly stated as much.
It sounded too good to be true.
Could something like this really happen to workers like us?
For twenty years of my life, I'd scraped by on the dirt, living hand-to-mouth, and that had always seemed normal.
But suddenly, our daily wages were doubling?
I couldn't believe it.
"I went to check just in case, and it was real."
"Not just talk either—they handed out exactly double in silver coins."
At first, everyone was suspicious.
We thought we'd misheard.
But after work that afternoon, when we held ten silver coins in our hands, no one could deny it.
Our daily wage had been 5 silvers.
Overnight, it became 10 silvers.
Old Man Hans, the oldest worker at the salt farm, stroked the silver coins with his deeply wrinkled hands and choked up as he spoke.
"In all my years, I've never seen anything like this…"
Tears welled up in his eyes.
My own chest swelled with emotion.
We'd always gotten the same treatment.
No matter how much salt we produced or how much the lord's wealth grew, our share was fixed.
But this time was different.
We were finally rewarded for our efforts.
That was when Hart Steward came to the salt farm in person.
With his shock of white hair, he looked at us with a dignified voice.
"Everyone, listen quietly."
The workers all held their breath at once.
Hart, who had served the Cron Family for two generations, wasn't someone we got to see like this.
And for him to come all the way to the salt farm himself? That was a first.
What was he about to say?
He looked at each of us one by one and spoke in a low voice.
"This is not a grace bestowed upon you by the lord."
His voice was firm.
We tensed up, waiting for his next words.
"The Cron Family has lived by a single family motto for generations: 'From the lowest place, think of the highest.' The lord has not forgotten those words. Without you, this family could not exist. It is because of you workers at the salt farm that the family endures and the territory prospers."
Hart Steward stepped forward.
And declared in a calm but powerful voice.
"Therefore, by the lord's will, your daily wages are raised twofold. This is the just share earned by your blood and sweat."
For a moment, silence fell.
We couldn't say a word.
A few seconds later, a roar of cheers erupted that shook the salt farm.
"Hooray!!!"
"Long live the lord!!!"
"Long live Lord Calix!!!!!"
Some cried.
Others clenched their fists tight.
A burning heat rose in my chest.
We'd thought no one cared about us.
But there was someone who hadn't forgotten us.
The lord had recognized our hard work.
We couldn't just sit still.
We had to repay what we'd received.
That evening at the tavern, as we enjoyed a rare round of drinks, we discussed it.
"Let's not just work—let's do it right."
"Of course!"
"Now we can properly feed our families every day!"
"The lord thought of us this much! We have to work even harder!"
Even Old Man Hans, who always grumbled "Might as well die soon" and spoke nothing but negativity, stepped up and urged us to work harder.
Ideas exploded in the tavern in an instant.
"The way we've been producing salt is like this: We haul seawater to the evaporation ponds, dry it in the sun to evaporate the water, and crystallize it. The problem is it takes too damn long."
"But is there a way around it? We need sunlight for the salt to harden anyway…"
I shared the method I'd thought of but never mentioned before.
"Yeah, so I had an idea. What if we use the wind? If we strategically cut down some of the trees around the salt farm and clear paths for the breeze to blow stronger over the salt beds, the moisture should evaporate much faster."
"Ah!! That would shorten the crystallization time!!"
Everyone murmured in agreement at my words.
Then Leon piped up with another idea.
"And what if we make the ponds shallower? Shallow water dries faster than deep water, so instead of filling them all at once, we could do multiple thin layers and increase production that way?"
"Exactly!"
"Plus, let's place stones around the salt farm to keep a steady heat at night!! The stones absorb sunlight during the day and release it slowly at night, so crystallization could continue even then!"
And so, for the first time in our lives, we started working voluntarily.
From drying methods to evaporation speed to utilizing wind—everyone put their heads together.
Overtime was a given.
And the result? Salt production skyrocketed.
"At this rate, we could produce at least double what we did before?"
"No, not double—three times, four times as much!!"
People sweated but smiled.
Tough work? Didn't matter.
We now took pride in our jobs.
A few days later, we stood before Hart Steward again.
He'd heard our report of the increased salt production and looked at us with a face full of emotion.
"…You are the greatest pillars of the Cron Family."
After hearing the production report, Hart Steward gave us bonus pay.
The bonus was double too!!
That night, everyone who worked at the salt farm raised a toast together. Under the firelight, we embraced each other and truly felt the miracle.
We felt hope—that we, and our lives, could change.
We were no longer mere workers.
We were the ones upholding the Cron Family.
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"And so, salt farm production has increased by exactly 300%—precisely 312%."
Hart Steward's report made my head throb.
The document he brought detailed the miracle brought by doubling the daily wages.
Worker efficiency had soared, they'd developed new crystallization methods, and with voluntary overtime to boot—salt production efficiency jumped 312%.
As a result, salt farm revenue rose 280%, and even after doubling wages and farm taxes, profits were up 82%.
Over 80% extra profit… In my past life, I'd dealt with a -80% hit from executives, so this number was unbelievable.
As my brain short-circuited from this unacceptable reality, Hart Steward gazed at me with a face full of.
"My lord… it's truly moving."
"What's so moving about it?"
"All of this is thanks to the policy you decided on to improve the commoners' treatment!"
Hart Steward said, eyes glistening with tears.
Why was this old man acting up all of a sudden?
"At first, we were all worried. We thought suddenly doubling wages would shake the family's finances. But I failed to grasp the depth of your wisdom!"
I screamed internally.
That wasn't my intention at all!
Ignoring my thoughts, Hart Steward continued, chest heaving with emotion, tears welling up.
"The workers didn't believe it at first. But once they confirmed their wages were truly doubled, they were deeply moved. They felt you had acknowledged them!"
Hart wiped the tears from his eyes and said.
He looked at me like a grandfather proud of his grown grandson.
"All of this is thanks to your profound insight, my lord!"
"…"
"You said to think of the lowest places. Isn't that the very family motto of the Cron Family? Your command was no mere handout of charity. It was a noble policy that stirred the hearts of the commoners!"
"..."
"Thanks to it, the commoners now truly revere you. They're working not because they're told to, but because they want to!"
I was speechless.
Winning the people's love was part of my plan, but them working this hard? Not at all.
Hart Steward looked at me with eyes of respect and spoke again.
"I am now certain. You will become a great lord surpassing even the previous one."
With that, Hart knelt.
And pledged his loyalty to me.
"Hart Anthus, pledging the name of the Anthus Family, I swear my loyalty to you once more, my lord."
Hart Steward, dragging his aged body, swore loyalty to me.
Looking at his white, elderly hair, I clutched my head.
What the hell… It was supposed to be a perfect plan…
Something had gone terribly wrong.