TL: Etude
In February of the year 1994 of the holy calendar, the lords of Alda, Baylding, Portry, Lanaka, and Marltz once again gathered in Lakeheart Town.
Soon after, a joint statent from the five lords spread throughout the surrounding lands—the Northwestern Customs Union was established.
According to the statent, the purposes behind the establishnt of the Union were to promote trade developnt among the mber territories and to combat foreign goods in order to protect the burgeoning manufacturing industry in the northwestern region.
The lords pledged to gradually reduce and eventually eliminate tolls between their lands and adopt a unified tax policy against external entities. The tariffs collected would serve as public funds for the Union and be distributed reasonably.
Once the declaration was made, it quickly stirred up considerable controversy in the northwestern lands of the Kingdom of Ordo.
The content of the statent was not limited to the establishnt of the Northwestern Customs Union. It included:
First, the abolition of the widely existing tax farming system, with taxes to be paid directly to the respective lords;
Second, all local knights and gentry estate owners were forbidden from restricting the freedom of movent of peasants (including serfs) on their lands, allowing them to migrate between villages and towns;
Third, the prohibition of private punishnt, the abolition of private civilian courts, with all cases, big and small, to be tried by judicial officers appointed by their respective lords.
“This is outrageous, inhumane, and the lords are unsympathetic to their subjects”—this was the unanimous sentint among the local gentry.
Aside from the Customs Union, which was a longstanding issue, the other three asures in the statent were also unacceptable to them.
Abolish the tax farming system?
“Our families have served the lords diligently for hundreds of years. Aren’t all the taxes they eat, drink, and use collected by us? Who takes the trouble to go house to house to collect taxes? It’s us! Who gets cursed as bloodsuckers and bears the brunt of the peasants’ resentnt on behalf of the lords? It’s us!”
With such hard work and bla, why shouldn’t they keep a little money as a reward? Wasn’t that fair?
Disallow restricting the freedom of movent of the peasants? “Do the lords understand firmly that the only thing ensuring their positions is because we prevent them from conspiring and uniting against us? If all the peasants go off to work in the cities, who will tend the farms? Will we all be left to the rcy of the winds?”
Prohibit private execution? “Without the power to punish the peasants, what’s the point of being a lord? Won’t the Northwest be thrown into chaos imdiately?”
In short, whether shaking heads or stamping feet, everyone agreed that these were disastrous policies.
As expected by Paul, it didn’t take long before people ca to remonstrate with him.
“Is this what you gentlen wish to discuss? Please, have a seat.”
Paul welcod them with a smile, instructing his servants to bring chairs.
“Thank you, Count.”
After giving a bow, the two n sat down cautiously.
These two n—one nad Fergus and the other called Eldo—had just presented a long list of sound reasons to Paul.
Fergus was a ‘knight’ who had previously served the Grayman family and had even accompanied him on expeditions against pirates, earning his rits. However, after Paul improved the military system and discipline, Fergus, feeling out of place, returned to his rural estate for a leisurely life.
As for Eldo, although he was an estate owner, his estate was technically under the Grayman family, with Eldo’s family rely ‘managing’ it. Generations before, having earned the favor of the then-lord, the estate was ‘half-given’ to his ancestors, with only a certain portion of the proceeds required to be handed over each year, the rest going to Eldo’s family. There were quite a few landlords like him in Alda, with the land nominally belonging to the lord but effectively controlled by the lord’s servants.
In other words, they were both closely connected to the Grayman family, one a family knight and the other a family servant.
“Count, please do not be swayed by the slanderous words of the malicious. Such asures will seriously injure the loyalty of your subjects.”
After sitting, Fergus continued to persuade with a look of sincerity on his face, not appearing to be deceitful.
“Yes, indeed, what Knight Fergus speaks is reasonable. Treating the subjects with such severity will lead to dissatisfaction.”
Compared to the knight with his bold eyebrows and robust physique, Eldo did not look particularly endearing, often just echoing Fergus.
It looked like these two were the ones chosen by the landlords to co and remonstrate with him, Paul thought to himself.
To his intuition, Fergus wasn’t wholly self-interested but more beholden to the ethics and morals of a bygone era, while Eldo was mostly motivated by personal gain since he always seed timid and hesitant to et Paul’s gaze.
But who could understand what truly lies in the hearts of others?
“I will seriously consider your words and discuss them in detail with the other lords,” Paul replied after making a show of listening to their grievances intently.
Seeing the count’s reaction, Fergus and Eldo’s faces brightened, evidently relieved that the young lord was receptive to their words.
Paul arranged a feast to entertain the two n and saw them off after they had their fill.
A week later, the five great lords once again gathered in Lakeheart Town, and after a brief discussion, they dispersed just as quickly.
Subsequently, each lord announced that they would suspend certain asures from the previous statent.
In the case of Alda and Baylding, for example:
The tax farming system would remain unchanged;
The freedom of movent for farrs was suspended, except for those with family mbers in the military, whose relocation would not be restricted;
Private punishnt was still upheld, but if a family had a mber serving in the military, they must be turned over to the lord’s court for trials.
However, the establishnt of the Customs Union remained as part of the decisions upheld by all five lords.
Thus, most people heaved a sigh of relief.
In the estate of the esteed gentleman Valen, the local landlords gathered again.
Old Valen spoke grimly, “This is a strategy. The count is taking a step back only to move forward later. We must find a way to thwart the Customs Union as well.”
“Watch your tone, rember your status,” Fergus imdiately opposed. “Repealing newly issued decrees entirely would be dishonorable for the count. His willingness to compromise this much is already not easy; we should be considerate of Lord Grayman. Besides, this also involves the other four counts and the great Duke of the Northwest; how should we defy five lords?”
“Yes, yes, ultimately we are his subjects; it’s not right to pressure the lord like this.”
Baden, Eldo, and others agreed with Fergus, content with the count’s concessions.
“Hmph, I’m afraid that if the count steps back today, he may advance two steps tomorrow. Rember my words, when everything you hold is taken away, I wonder if you’ll still be able to feel relieved.”
Old Valen downed his drink in one gulp, a glint of deep dissatisfaction in his eyes.
“This…”
“Surely not…”
The people in attendance exchanged uneasy glances.
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