Chapter 175
Chapter 175
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: One Year Later
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A year had passed since the new king ascended the throne.
Central Knight Commander Ryun Ha-young stared at his teacup with a deeply troubled expression.
The king had issued a liquor ban. He was literally squeezing every last drop from everything the previous kings had built up.
Ryun Ha-young couldn't possibly be unaware of it.
"This is driving me mad."
But was the current king truly a tyrant? It felt too suspicious to jump to that conclusion.
"He doesn't drink, he has no interest in women, and he's not indulging in luxury either."
A tyrant who squeezed the people dry would naturally follow up with lavish pleasures. At least, that was the standard for tyrants as far as Ryun Ha-young knew.
Yet there was no sign of that at all. He mobilized the populace to quarry stone from the quarries and fell bamboo from the groves. The nation's mines burned with light even at night as ore was extracted nonstop.
He expanded the military storehouses and erected walls. He made soldiers and knights inspect their gear regularly and scheduled endless training sessions.
If Ryun Ha-young slyly slipped in a few trap-like figures among the people he recommended, the king spotted them like a ghost and never promoted them.
"..."
That was what complicated Ryun Ha-young's feelings. The way he wrung out the national strength was undeniably tyrannical. But the blood squeezed out wasn't flowing into the king's personal indulgences.
The hard-earned blood from the people was pouring into the military like sweet rain. It was hard to simply chalk it up to an obsession with a powerful army.
"He's not giving up control an inch."
There was no sign he intended to hand over even a shred of authority to Ryun Ha-young. Ryun Ha-young was the Central Knight Commander and, in truth, handled all of Seonheon's major and minor affairs. Under him were countless soldiers and knights.
But none of that mattered. Every decision Ryun Ha-young made was meaningless without the king's approval.
The families of knights and soldiers were exempt from all corvée labor, their taxes kept at previous levels. On top of that, various benefits were granted under the pretext of easing their worries.
The military had no reason to hate the king. He favored them openly.
The people were squeezed, but the military's loyalty was sky-high. That was Seonheon's current state, slowly transforming.
The 900-year tradition of chivalry demanding loyalty to the king still held strong in the army. And the current king paid enormous attention to that loyalty directed at him.
Loyalty, and ample rewards for it.
"The army has no reason to move."
Ryun Ha-young leaned back in his chair and muttered to himself. Why would the military rebel? Pointing swords at a king who actively cared for them would be treason itself.
"And the king's health doesn't look good..."
The current king ate sparingly, stayed up late, always had a cough, and his complexion was pale.
He didn't seem long for this world.
'Wait it out.'
That was Ryun Ha-young's ultimate choice. He believed his time would come eventually. It was best to serve the current king loyally for now. Probing would only reveal an ironclad defense that no needle could pierce.
Once enough time passed, the current king's policies would inevitably bring backlash. Squeezing the people like this left no future.
You couldn't wring water from a dry rag, and when tax revenues dwindled over time, he wouldn't be able to favor the military as before.
That would be the opportunity. Ryun Ha-young was biding his time for the right moment.
But Jang Tae-seok and Sung Si-hoon's achievements were just the start. The hunters who came after contributed to Seonheon's development in their own ways.
With Kim Chae-hyun of Mugunghwa ascending, the government structure was completed, and the appointment of officials was systematized.
Choi Yeo-reum successfully normalized relations with foreign nations over a decade, mending what Jang Tae-seok had wrecked and Sung Si-hoon had patched up.
During Han Sang-ah's reign, early forms of joint-stock companies emerged, currency was issued and popularized, diverse trades flourished, and related laws were established.
Well, she was a chaebol heiress from the start. Seonheon's economic foundation was largely solidified during her time.
Jeong O-hoon drew on his past experience to stabilize public security and smash illegal organizations in bustling areas. It was the same territory he'd operated in before joining Headhunter.
Lee Se-eun focused on welfare, from relief systems to various initiatives.
And someone like Kang Hoon, Zanabi LLC's 1st Team Leader, refined and organized all of it. Polishing, tightening, lubricating. He even slashed the Executive Bureau's authority through the Central Knight Commander.
"How should I put it? Demolishing everything like this makes everyone else's efforts feel meaningless."
Rain poured outside. Loyal ministers of Seonheon were prostrating before the palace even now, in the downpour, begging me to come to my senses.
I scratched my head over lunch. I was perfectly sane, though. As I ate, I reviewed Seonheon's status in my mind.
"I could squeeze more if I wanted..."
Raising taxes further would cripple Seonheon's productivity within a decade. Maintaining this level seemed optimal.
For forced corvée labor, increasing numbers beyond this would be unwise. This balance let Seonheon endure about ten years while maximizing output.
"Your Majesty, the Executive Bureau has come again."
I nodded as I ate. They visited constantly.
"Let them in."
The door opened, and three members of the Executive Bureau entered: the Chief Councilor, Right Councilor, and Left Councilor—positions I knew well.
"Your Majesty, the civil and military officials are braving the rain, unconcerned for their own health, to implore you."
"I know."
The Chief Councilor eyed my meal. A bit of brown rice, some side vegetable dishes, doenjang soup with burdock, and braised eggs.
"We sought an audience to implore Your Majesty, but we worry for your health as well. Eating so little could harm your precious body."
They even cared about my menu. How thoughtful.
"My meals are my affair, just as with Seonheon."
No need for their concern. Besides, the Executive Bureau had been reduced to an advisory role without real power. Advice meant nothing if ignored.
I had no obligation to heed them.
"You've said your piece. You may go."
Didn't they say I needed to eat too? They droned on for another thirty minutes before leaving.
Right after I finished eating, the Knight Commander arrived as if waiting.
"The wall repairs and reinforcements you ordered are nearly complete."
I'd commanded work on twenty-seven castles total. Months of mobilizing the people were finally bearing fruit.
"Next, we'll expand them."
The Knight Commander hesitated before speaking.
"For expansion, what scale did you have in mind...?"
Better to show on the map. I pointed to the one on the wall.
"...That would be a massive project taking years at least. Are you sure?"
"I'm planning for five years."
He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking.
"That pace would require conscripting nearly all able-bodied men in the region for corvée. Farming would..."
"Women, elders, and children can till the fields if there's no one else."
Harvests would drop. But those areas weren't Seonheon's main granaries—they were the borders. Local hunger wouldn't dent the national treasury much.
"What of the people's resentment?"
"Deploy additional knight order troops."
Crush any unrest. Walls built over five years would be essential later.
"I've reviewed your report. We need to raise the archers' skills further."
Unlike guns, archery took time to master.
"Schedule more training and ensure they have everything needed. I'll inspect the western regions soon, so prepare."
I did inspections regularly. Originally for gauging public sentiment, I'd repurposed them.
They were visits to boost morale among the knights and troops guarding those areas.
"Including 350 jars of rice wine, all the gifts you specified are ready."
Seonheon was under a liquor ban now. But in this land, the law bowed to the king. I'd issued the ban, so I could ignore it.
Even in Korea, the wealthy skirted laws through loopholes or secrecy.
But as Seonheon's king, I didn't bother. Liquor ban? So what—I want some. No issue there.
"Good work."
Kings granting special treats as rewards was common. But alcohol under a ban was a massive privilege.
Like recruits flipping out for a single home call in boot camp. Things you didn't crave before became desperate once forbidden.
And from the king himself. This simple act spiked military loyalty effortlessly.
"What about midnight snacks for the knight academy?"
The Knight Commander replied.
"Delivered daily at set times. We're supplying twenty percent more than the number of trainees to avoid shortages."
The academy's training was brutally intense now. About thirty percent of trainees dropped out during the revamped program.
The harshness drew floods of applicants.
"I heard the Spearfire Knight Order recently succeeded in bandit suppression."
Second-year trainees at the academy could apply for my new Spearfire Knight Order for a year.
Excluding command staff, all knight roles were filled by trainees.
They operated alongside soldiers like real knights, executing orders in combat.
"Yes. They've eliminated the bandits plaguing the Yangsang region."
"Impressive results."
Soon, I'd mandate a year in Spearfire for all trainees before graduation.
For now, volunteers sufficed since I was squeezing Seonheon but bandits weren't rampant yet. But as they and peasant revolts grew...
It would become mandatory for knighthood.
"Prepare fitting rewards for the applicants and report their names."
Remember them and appoint to key posts later to incentivize more volunteers.