Water Magician

Editor: Tseirp

Ryo was in a chartered carriage, returning to the Holy City.

((Gotta say, the trip to the Republic was very fulfilling.))

((Is that so, good for you then.))

In contrast to Ryo’s happy voice, Abel’s voice was dreary.

He was probably covered in papers again today…

Ryo felt sorry for the king.

((Abel, why don’t you go around and inspect the country once in a while?))

((Inspect?))

((Yeah. You haven’t toured the country like that once since your accession to the throne three years ago, have you? Now that you’ve recovered from your illness, why don’t you go and see the people you’re ruling over? Even His Majesty the King’s popularity among the people is not something that should be disregarded, right?))

Ryo suggested a tour of the country.

Abel is a very popular king among the people because of how he became king and the fact that he was a former A-rank adventurer.

Therefore, Ryo believed that the people would be more pleased if he traveled around the country on an inspection tour.

A ruler should have the people on his side.

The best way to win the people over is to create a booming economy.

That is a universal truth in any era and any world.

The second way for a ruler to win the people over is through public appearances.

That must always be done after creating a booming economy. The order is important.

Going before the people while the economy is in recession… will be undesirable.

To put it very bluntly, historically speaking, as long as the economy is booming, the people could care less about the politics of the country…

They don’t even complain much about the political system, no matter what it is.

“Revolution? Protest? What if they did that and things got worse than they currently are!”

That’s why, throughout history, good rulers have always worked hard to improve the economy.

Thinking about that, Ryo shook his head slightly and said:

((I don’t want to see Abel ganged up on by the people, you know.))

((What are you talking about…))

((Aside from after a defeat, the economy usually improves during the postwar or post-civil war recovery period, unless something very strange happens, so I am sure Abel will be safe.))

((O-Okay…))

Marquis Alexis Heinlein visited Abel, who had disconnected from ‘Soul Resonance’.

And came the daily report.

“That concludes today’s report.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Abel said, and after seemingly being absorbed in thought for a moment, he opened his mouth.

“Alexis, regarding your earlier suggestion of an inspection of the country… I have decided to do it.”

Hearing these words, Marquis Heinlein widened his eyes, a little surprised.

It was true that Marquis Heinlein had proposed the idea before, but he had thought that the busy Abel would not take the initiative.

In fact, when he proposed it, he replied with a single line, “Not happening”…

“Understood, sir. But Your Majesty, why the change of heart?”

“Oh… I had a conversation with Ryo earlier. He told me to tour the country at least once. He said that as the king, I shouldn’t disregard my popularity among the people…”

“I see. As expected of the Duke of Rondo.”

Marquis Heinlein nodded broadly as he said that.

For some reason, Marquis Heinlein thinks highly of Ryo.

“However, I can’t afford to travel all over the Kingdom, obviously.”

“Of course. It seems that you already have an idea of which regions to visit.”

“The northern and eastern parts of the Kingdom, I suppose, logically speaking.”

Many of the nobles in the northern part of the Kingdom sided with Prince Raymond and were crushed.

These fiefs were once administered by the royal family and then given to deserving nobles for their merits in the liberation war, or to newly recruited nobles who were placed in the north.

As a result, enclaves of nobles based in the south and west had sprung up in the north to a certain extent.

Furthermore, those new nobles who took up fiefdoms in the north have only been there for three years, so they are not in a position to be considered firmly established.

The north naturally borders the Empire further to the north, so it would be the front line if a crisis were to occur.

Defending it is impossible for the royal family alone.

So, they needed to deploy nobles to protect the kingdom.

But not just anyone would do.

They wouldn’t want a repeat of the betrayal like during the Liberation War after all…

The establishment of new northern nobles, as well as the inspection of the territories under the direct control of the royal family…

Hence the north.

And the east.

During the Eastern uprisings before the Liberation War, a significant number of noble families were ruined or lost their power.

Power here refers to military or economic power.

The knights were destroyed, merchant associations, workshops, and the like were razed to the ground, and the peasants were impoverished.

Recently, Erwin Ortiz of the Shrewsbury Dukedom, the heart of the eastern nobility, finally returned to the east.

Abel believed that was a signal that the region was about to undergo a further recovery.

If he could just encourage that…

His Majesty the King seemed to have a lot to consider too.

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