Brainwashing the Revolutionary in a Romance Fantasy (1)
Brainwashing the Revolutionary in a Romance Fantasy (1)
In my past life, I was a member of the National Assembly.
I graduated from a local four-year university, studied my ass off to pass the bar exam, and then, as a young politician archetype, luckily secured a proportional representative seat and became a member of the National Assembly. Some politicians say they do politics to truly change the world, but I started politics to become rich.
I would launder some of the money coming in under the guise of political donations through proper procedures and convert it into legitimate assets, and using my position to grasp national policy directions earlier than others, I received advisory fees for giving advice to "a few virtuous businessmen."
But if a person chases money too much, they get devoured by money; if they chase only power, they get devoured by power.
Therefore, I also saved many truly weak and needy people in the district, which is the inherent role of a member of the National Assembly. Because those people are the source of my votes. That way, I took money behind the scenes and contributed to regional development in the open.
Since I was elected as a young politician, I also studied the hobbies enjoyed by the younger generation very deeply.
I dug quite deep into YouTube channels, SNS, entertainment shows, webtoons, male-oriented/female-oriented web novels, etc., that young people often watch, and even sponsored some authors.
In my party, they gave me important roles because I moved like this.
Because I was number one in approval ratings among young politicians.
"Fuck, but why did I get hit by a goddamn drunk truck while campaigning for my second term and die..."
If I had just climbed to my third and fourth terms and built up my standing in the party, I could have become president. I don't know why I had to die like that and end up possessing this shitshow of a romance fantasy novel.
The only fortunate thing is that I'm a baron...
"......Head Butler, what is the current state of the territory?"
Upon hearing my words, Head Butler Sebastian answered, unable to hide his expression full of dissatisfaction.
"The territory's finances are currently bankrupt. And the cause is..."
The place I possessed is the world of a so-called romance fantasy novel called 'The Fallen Noblewoman is Good at Revolution.'
In the romance fantasy world, all sorts of outstanding nobles must court the female protagonist, and to create that environment, banquets must be held constantly...
In the Empire, all nobles live gathered in the capital around the Emperor, and the imperial family and nobles hold banquets to show off their influence and form political relationships. Every day, or rather everywhere every day, banquets are held in the capital.
Even in a baronial family like mine, every time we hold a banquet, we spend as much money as the price of an apartment in Seoul, in terms of feeling.
I liked these points and the story motif of the French Revolution, so it was a novel that I had anonymously sponsored about 100,000 won...
The problem is, since I'm a noble in this novel, I'm in a position to have my head cut off soon.
"Right, it must be because I tried to get in His Majesty the Emperor's favor to advance, so I was sucking up to the Emperor and the great nobles, leading me to try to collect too many taxes."
Just to hold one banquet, the price of an apartment in Seoul melts away, and on top of that, we indulge in luxury in the capital where prices are damn high?
With just the taxes collected from our territory, it's hard to cover that enormous amount of money.
The situation for other nobles probably isn't much different.
To afford the luxury in the capital, they collect taxes only at a level where the people just barely don't starve to death... and they don't hesitate to borrow money from merchants or loan sharks.
Because they believe that if they catch the Emperor's eye just once, they can change the family's fortune in one go.
If this goes on, both the Emperor and the nobles will all get their heads cut off on the guillotine together by an angry crowd.
That is, if we leave it unattended like this.
Head Butler Sebastian, who could be called the second-in-command of our territory, avoided my gaze upon hearing my words.
"I'm sorry."
Even though I said that, Sebastian acted like a girlfriend who keeps sulking while claiming she isn't, pretending nonchalantly.
Even though he was burning inside, he acted as if nothing was wrong.
"It is the natural right of Baron Kreutz-nim, the lord of this territory, to collect as many taxes as needed. But there is no need for you to feel sorry..."
In the 21st century, presidents, members of parliament, and such people cannot freely raise taxes in real time.
They can only collect more taxes after revising laws through parliamentary discussion or creating laws based on presidential decrees, prime ministerial orders, ministerial orders, etc., which takes at least a few months, usually about a year...
In this romance fantasy Empire, if I, a baron, order more taxes, the taxes increase immediately from that point.
"Although I am the lord of the Kreutz Barony, how much hardship must you all have gone through in the process of collecting more taxes?"
Even when I, as a member of the National Assembly, suddenly visited places like police stations, fire stations, military units, or community centers, it caused chaos.
When I visited, the relevant public agencies would go on high alert, starting a thorough cleaning at least the day before the visit, or as early as a week before, and preparing for various "entertainment."
If I arranged my schedule to visit on a weekend instead of a weekday?
The soldiers and public officials would clean from dawn on the weekend as well, and they'd be grilled left and right to avoid being nitpicked.
I was also damn busy with legislative activities and such, so in most cases I would just look around for about 10 minutes and leave, but those people would go through hell all day for my 10-minute visit.
If just a visit from a member of the National Assembly causes that, imagine when I suddenly increase the tax collection amount? How much hell must the civil servants have gone through.
"Most of the territory's people are barely living hand to mouth, so if I suddenly collect more taxes, there's no way they'd be happy... There must have been strong resistance."
"The territory residents did resist somewhat... but that is also their duty."
In the 21st century, if the Military Manpower Administration tells a man who has completed military service to re-enlist, you can refuse to follow the absurd administrative order and protest.
But in this romance fantasy world, even if re-enlistment is ordered, you must go unconditionally.
Because the moment you protest against a re-enlistment order, you become a traitor and are likely to be hanged on the gallows.
In such a world, it's not unreasonable for such words to come out...
"I have committed a great sin against them as well."
"...... Baron-nim."
As I continued to reflect on my actions so far, Sebastian's expression, which had been stiff until just now, softened.
"I am deeply reflecting. So from now on, let's correct what has been wrong."
Just because I've possessed a romance fantasy novel, I have no interest in love or anything like that.
Being born a man, trying to win over one fallen noblewoman, and flattering her while draining all my wealth and power...
Honestly, I didn't become a politician for that.
If you were born a noble and can rule over others, shouldn't you enjoy ruling?
"What is the current living standard of the serfs in our Kreutz Barony?"
"Because we collected too many taxes, everyone is struggling to even eat one meal a day. Considering winter is approaching soon, we must return some of the excessively collected taxes to the people."
"I agree with the opinion to return some of the taxes. But is it reasonable to return taxes without compensation when we also have no money now? Anyway, it's the off-season for farming, so the serfs must be idle, so I will pay them in the form of appropriate wages to those who participate in corvée labor."
"I will scout for good locations to build irrigation canals and reservoirs for farming water."
To establish roots in a constituency and act as a local bigwig, one must directly contribute to the development of the constituency.
Like building a KTX line, attracting a department store, or attracting a huge commercial or industrial complex.
After achieving such feats, you can milk them for 10 or 15 years, and if you say you can do it, people will generally vote for the local bigwig.
Because they believe it will positively impact their lives.
Building canals and reservoirs is an achievement similar to building basic infrastructure in this Empire, and if we pay money while doing such good work, it simultaneously expands infrastructure and creates jobs.
"After building canals and reservoirs, we will also build a workshop to make weapons and armor. Our Empire is always fighting against the northern barbarians, so aren't weapons always in short supply? If we maintain proper quality and make them cheap, they'll sell as soon as they're made."
"In romance fantasy novels, the Northern Grand Duke always appears, and the Northern Grand Duke must always fight the barbarians or monsters in the north."
"In 'The Fallen Noblewoman is Good at Revolution', there are plenty of fellows who, whenever they get bored, cross the barrier in the Empire and try to turn the Empire into a mess."
"To survive as a noble in this world, one must naturally also pay attention to national defense issues."
"What's the point of barely stabilizing the Empire? If you get your head cut off by barbarians, it's over."
"If we do as you say, Baron-nim, it seems the economic troubles of the Kreutz Barony will soon be resolved."
"We haven't even broken ground yet, isn't this too much fuss? Ah, and..."
In our territory right now, there is the protagonist of 'The Fallen Noblewoman is Good at Revolution'.
This woman, whose head is full of flowers (i.e., naive), is now gathering the people who are neglected, ignored, and starving in the Kreutz Barony and whispering revolution to them.
After preparing for about a year, she succeeds in revolution and even manages to temporarily occupy the Kreutz Barony.
This is possible because the territory's public sentiment has completely left me, so all the territory residents sided with that woman.
This means if I stay still like this, my head will fall off from my shoulders in one year.
"The public sentiment in the territory is volatile, so there may be rebels plotting rebellion hiding in our territory. Mobilize all the soldiers in our territory right now and investigate whether there are any rebels."
And a little later, the Head Butler reported to me that there was a seditious faction in our territory.
There's a female protagonist scheming to kill me, the baron, and that woman is preparing a revolution...
I have no choice but to go suppress them myself? Even just to survive.
"I will go to their gathering site in person. Head Butler, tell the military commander to prepare all the territory's troops for war."
I have no intention of killing or harming these people who have been cornered due to my bad politics and are trying to revolt.
However, the female protagonist trying to start a revolution...
Either kill her or bring her to my side to change the flow of revolution toward me, one of the two.
In my past life, I was a politician, got rich, and died trying to become president.
If I get another chance, of course, to become the Emperor above all in the Empire... I have to change the role of leading the revolution.
I can lead the revolution that the female protagonist of this novel was going to lead, right?
**
While Baron Kreutz was scheming to arrest all the rebels in his territory.
Flora, the female protagonist of 'The Fallen Noblewoman is Good at Revolution', was gathering people and speaking loudly, voicing everyone's grievances.
"A world where we can all live equally..."
Flora's words were interrupted by those who intruded in the middle.
And Baron Kreutz drew the sword he had at his waist.
"I will kill anyone who resists or moves."