216 Episode 24 Nationalization




 Alicia and Sonia's wedding went off without a hitch.
 If there is one difference between their wedding and other weddings, it is that it was not held in Nova Lemuria.

 My wedding to Alicia took place in the former Kingdom of Bulgaron, in the province of Bulgaron.

 Most of those invited to the wedding were nobles of the Lemurian Empire and influential people of the former Bulgaron Kingdom.
 The wedding was divided into two days: the first day was a Messianic-Lemurian wedding conducted by Cecilia, and the second day was a Bulgaron-style wedding.

 The same is true for the wedding with Sonia.
 The wedding ceremony with Sonia was held in Heraclea, the capital of the Kingdom of Chellda, the former city of Chellda.

 As expected, the guests were nobles from both the Lemurian Empire and the Kingdom of Chelda, and the wedding was held in the Messianic-Lemurian style on the first day, and in the Warbeast tradition on the second day.


 It was clear that the purpose of both weddings was to announce the formation of a union between the Lemurian Empire, the Kingdom of Bulgalon, and the Kingdom of Chelda, both internally and externally, but especially internally.

 The fact that the wedding was not held in Nova Lemuria, but in the former Kingdom of Bulgalon and the Kingdom of Chelda respectively, and that it was held in the traditional manner of both countries, was also a message from Hercule that he respected the culture and traditions of both countries.
 ...... Of course, it was a formality.




"Heh heh ......, the wedding was lovely .......

 The girl looks at the picture with an enraptured expression.
 Her chestnut-colored tail is wagging from side to side.
 This is Sonia, who just had her wedding last month.

 She is looking at a painting of Hercule and Sonia standing side by side.
 Hercule is wearing a military uniform and Sonia is wearing a pure white wedding dress.
 It's a realistic painting Titus did for both of them, but mainly for Sonia.

You can admire it all you want, but let's talk business now, Sonia.
"Yes, Your Majesty!

 Sonia hurriedly put the painting back in its place and sat down to face Hercule.
 In front of them was a map of the Kingdom of Cerda and a stack of documents on various tax rates and industries.

 The rule of the Kingdom of Chellda has become quite stable.
 The remnant soldiers have been hunted down, the economy has stabilized, and the problem of starvation has been solved.

 The next thing to do is to stabilize the power of the Kingdom of Chelda, which has been damaged by the war, in order to achieve permanent stability.
 It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

But compared to the ...... Bulgaron Kingdom, it's a fertile land to begin with. There is no need to do anything about it.

 The southern continent is generally considered to be a desert, but its coastal areas are extremely fertile.

 The province of Teriportania, which was incorporated into the Lemurian Empire, the region of Ifrikia, where the capital of the Kingdom of Cerda is located, and the region of Mauglinia, which is the support base of Sonia's family, the Gayseria family, were originally the breadbasket of the Lemurian Empire.

 To put it bluntly, it's just a matter of returning to the original sheath.

(Although, wheat production may be reduced in the future.

 The current Lemurian Empire has the Kingdom of Hayastan and the new granary region of Taurica.
 Especially in Taurica, there is a black soil region (Chernozem).
 As the land is cultivated, this region will be able to produce high quality wheat.

 The whole empire will be over-supplied with wheat, and we will collapse together. ......
 The end result is too stupid.

 In addition, it would be better to have a division of labor among the tributary kingdoms, so that they would be more dependent on each other.
 Just as the Kingdom of Hayastan specializes in wheat and grape production, it is more convenient for the Kingdom of Chelda to specialize in certain industries.

 The Lemurian Empire, especially the city of Nova Lemuria, is the core of the Lemurian Empire, with the provinces on the periphery and the kingdoms on the periphery, which is the most desirable form for Hercule.

In order to avoid famine in the future, it is advisable to increase the planting of drought-resistant crops ......, such as grapes, oranges, olives, tomatoes and potatoes.

That's a good idea!

 Sonia smiled.
 I wonder if she really thinks so, or if she knows what Hercule is thinking.

(Well, he's not stupid, so it's probably the latter.

 (Well, he's not stupid, so it's probably the latter.) It's scary that he says "good idea" after knowing Hercule's black-hearted scheme.

The rest is cotton and wool production. The textile industry is growing in Nova Lemuria. The demand for raw materials is high.

 Between those who produce raw materials and those who import and process them, the latter are more profitable.
 Of course, Hercule knew this when he said.

"Wool ...... is cattle farming, Your Majesty. How would you like to introduce camels?
"Camels, ...... well, they're good. They're good for trade.

 It seems that Sonia still has a little bit of love for her country.
 She came up with a very constructive idea.

 The expansion of camel production is something that Hercule would like to see.
 Camels will be in high demand for trade with the south, and even if not, they can be used for transportation in war.

(Come to think of it, there is also ...... camel cavalry, what do you think? The nomads of the Habila Peninsula are said to ride camels and shoot them.

 The Habila Peninsula is a huge peninsula on the eastern side of the Misr Province.
 Most of it is covered by desert.

 Most of it is covered by desert. ......, but it also serves as a detour for the Silk Road, and the monsoon trade for spices always passes through the Habila Peninsula.

 In other words, it is a place of great economic importance.

(Well, it doesn't really matter now.)

 Hercule once eliminated the Habila Peninsula from his thoughts.

"Now we need to plant trees.
Plantation ......?
You can see it in the documents. ...... You've built too many ships. The price of lumber is going up every year. That means the forests are diminishing. Desertification will ruin the fertile land we have.

 Maybe we should regulate the cutting down of trees.
 And so on, says Hercule.

 Incidentally, the intention behind the restrictions on tree cutting is to reduce the shipbuilding capacity of the Kingdom of Cerda and keep its fangs intact.

And here's the important part.

 What I have said so far is just a prelude.
 In the first place, encouraging industry is not very effective.
 Most farmers don't listen to the government very well.



 Of course, the production of grapes, olives, tomatoes, oranges, cotton, camels, etc., will bring great benefits to farmers.
 Therefore, they will actively increase the planting of these crops.

 That is why there is no point in encouraging industry.
 If it is profitable, they will move in that direction on their own, whether we encourage it or not.

 The situation is a little different in the afforestation business.

"Let's lower the taxes for five years first.
Are you sure?
Well, they're exhausted from the war.

 Of course, it is not for the sake of the people, but for the sake of popularity.
 Of course, he was not thinking of the people, but of his own popularity. Of course, it was a complete match pump, since it was Hercule himself who had exhausted the people in the first place.

One more thing, and this is important, ...... we will make trade with the Barbarians relatively more favorable to them.

"...... Why is that?

 Sonia furrowed her brow.
 I'm not a fan of this kind of thing.
 So Sonia hates the Barbarians.
 She may not be able to agree with any policy that would benefit the Barbarians.

The reason they loot is because of economic deprivation. And the reason they are in economic distress is because the merchants of the Kingdom of Chelda are looking at their feet and trying to buy them cheap.

 Rather than invading militarily or exploiting them forcibly, it would be better to give them some sweet candy and make them economically dependent on us.

 That's what Hercule learned from his long war with the Bulgaron Kingdom.

 It is not a policy of candy and whip, but a policy of candy and candy.
 However, the candy contains poison in the name of wealth.

 When Hercule said this, Sonia nodded her head.

I'm sure you're right about that. ...... By the way, Your Majesty. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work.

"Yes, .......

 I'm sure you've heard of it.
 I'm not sure what to do about it.

"Well, you can reduce the size of your army. However, since you'll be participating in ...... my war, you'll have to keep up your training. And I suggest you centralize as much as possible. It is advisable to create local armies by treating feudal lords as tonten-hei, and separately develop a central army that can move freely.

 Hercule's real intention is to reduce military spending in peacetime as much as possible.
 This is because the Lemurian Empire's finances are not in good shape after the series of wars.

(I'd like to digest the kingdom of Cerda as soon as possible, but ...... well, I'll need three years.

 Hercule sighed inwardly.