The Archmage’s Restaurant

# 114

Chapter.26 Visit to the neighboring town

A new public security officer was elected and a new executive order was issued to severely punish actions that disturb public order.

They also visited the barracks periodically, provided training, and rewarded and punished appropriately.

The stick and the carrot gradually took hold, and as the soldiers began to think that things were different now, security finally began to take root.

The cancerous elements that hindered the development of cities, including Rieden, were cut out, the tax system was reformed, and public security was strengthened.

What remains now is to correct the system to properly take care of the reformed tax system.

Dead Rancy.

The head of a city is usually a lord.

And there are several departments under the lord. The city’s policies circulate through that department.

If the lord is an earl, the heads of the department are usually lower-ranking nobles such as barons or viscounts.

However, an official lord had not yet been appointed, and in Deadran City, where all the nobles had been taken away, the positions of heads of departments were vacant.

However, from the beginning, nobles were only in name, and it was the administrators who actually ran each department.

Would you say it feels like a foreign room or a house in the Joseon Dynasty?

So first, the magistrates were summoned.

The idea was to encourage the motivation of those to be promoted after promoting them. Of course, it was natural to punish those who should be punished.

It’s similar to comforting the soldiers.

“Everyone probably knows that Deadran City is rotting and falling apart. That is why the system needs to be overhauled. You know what I mean, right? It’s an overhaul of the system! Let them come to me one by one. That is, if you want to remain an official. “Only those who quickly understand what this means will be able to preserve their position for a long time.”

L gave a strange smile. The fact that he gave me a slightly greedy expression was a bonus. Dead Rancy is rotten. But even in the midst of the rot, there were bound to be decent people. But the Gray boy, who had no idea what that meant, asked Elle a question with a puzzled look on his face.

“Master, what does it mean if you want to continue to be an administrator? “I have no idea because I don’t have enough disciples.”

L just smiled at the boy’s question.

“Find that out for yourself too. Of course, it is difficult to only look at the surface.”

L looked at the boy with an expectant expression.

The Gray boy, who had been radiating a new respect for El as he watched him maintain public order and stabilize the people’s lives, began to worry with a look on his face, wondering what on earth he was doing this time.

At first, I was surprised that El had been appointed as a lord.

I nodded in understanding at the explanation that it was to stabilize the city with old connections.

Master, a wizard.

And from what I’ve shown so far, I thought that the past was definitely not ordinary.

Moreover, I was surprised once again when I was told that this territory itself would later be incorporated into Grace City, so I should watch carefully and learn.

But L was stubborn.

This means that he will return to the restaurant soon.

And when the boy was told that this was the emperor’s order and that he should run the city where she was born and raised normally, even for Verna’s sake, the boy was left speechless and from then on, he was watching the city’s operation like a stick of gum.

But I didn’t understand what he said this time.

If I were to interpret El’s words, it seemed exactly like asking someone to pay a bribe. But there is no way his teacher could take a bribe.

Such thoughts made the Gray boy’s mind very complicated. No matter how much I think about it, I cannot figure out what its big meaning is.

The next day came, blaming the limitations of my brain.

From that day on, administrators who took El’s bait appeared one after another.

“My lord! You asked me to come and see you, so I came here to see you. “My name is Bendenk, and I am in charge of tax collection!”

Bendenk politely presented the package he had brought to El. As El unwrapped the package, a flash of light stimulated her eyes. If Lurin had been awake, she would have reacted violently.

In a way, L smiled with satisfaction, feeling fortunate that it was morning. But the Gray boy looks very embarrassed.

“Aren’t you quick to notice? “You are the first.”

“I’ve been quick to notice since I was a dead guy!”

Deadran is no longer an earl or anything, so it doesn’t matter if you call him that, but the fact that he referred to him as a bastard in front of the Gray boy seemed insensitive.

But L just laughed.

“Then leave it here and go away.”

“All right. “I’m honored if you like it!”

“yes. Gold is bound to fascinate anyone. “Actually, I was thinking of using this opportunity to replace all the officials, but let’s keep the tax collection position.”

“thank you. thank you!”

At El’s declaration, Bendenk began to bow down with an expression that had everything in the world. As soon as Bendenk left, the Gray boy ran up to El and asked.

“Master, what is this…” .”

“The tax collector is a very important position that directly collects taxes for Dedran City.”

“Of course. A person like that in such a place… !”

“I thought I told you that we shouldn’t only look at the superficial?”

El could only shrug his shoulders, and the Gray boy could only tilt his head with a question mark on his face.

Soon, rumors of Bendenck spread rapidly among the magistrates.

“Look, I thought this rental was a little different, but in the end, it’s the same.”

“It’s His Majesty’s order to return the city to normal, but other than that, do you mean to increase the amount and extract money?”

“I don’t know, but anyway, we should preserve the space.”

These words started coming and going spontaneously.

And in the end, bribes were brought in from here and there one after another.

Of course. There are not many people who are free from the pressure that they will end up losing their jobs if they stay quiet while everyone else is using bribes to preserve their positions.

However, El did not clearly promise to preserve seats for anyone except Bendenk, who came first. I just accepted the bribe with a strange smile on my face.

“Master? “I really don’t know.”

The Gray boy still had no idea what the meaning behind this was.

“Do you know why I only gave confirmation to Bendenk, who came first?”

“that is… sorry. I do not know.”

“It’s all for the rumor.”

“Rumors?”

“Even if you understand what I mean, there will be many people who hesitate. Especially cautious people. That’s why those cautious people will remain hidden even if they have committed a lot of corruption. However, the situation changes when Bendenk, who is convinced that paying a bribe is the right answer, opens his mouth. “Those who have been hiding are poking their heads out.”

“yes? “That’s it!”

After hearing those words, the Gray boy jumped up from his seat and slapped his knee. As I realized once again how foolish I was.

“There is no way to distinguish between people to keep and people to throw away. Among these, it does not matter if there are people who sold their property and paid bribes to preserve their position. However, the amount of bribes paid to me by those who engaged in embezzlement while performing duties such as tax collection is likely to be large. “If you focus on that area, you will be able to filter out big catches.”

El explained, tapping the Gray boy on the shoulder. When the Gray boy realized the truth, he could not keep his mouth shut.

After the characters were obscured to some extent, El gathered the administrators again. Then, officials from Gray City were brought in to seize the documents and begin an investigation. And in the meantime, he turned to the officials and shouted.

“Everyone who has personally visited me and brought me gifts, please come forward!”

The high-ranking administrators, including Bendenk, who were intrigued by the declaration, began to gather in front. As a result, only three people failed to come forward to El.

It was also a situation where it was assumed that they were the three most trustworthy people in Deadran City. Among them was Mohen, a judge.

“Why didn’t you bring anything? “I guess you would have said that?”

When L pointed out one of them and spoke, the middle-aged man opened his mouth confidently without any sign of discouragement.

“I have nothing to give. “If you have to sacrifice something to preserve it, I think it’s better to have nothing.”

“Hmm.”

“Then what about you?”

This time, L asked a slightly younger man among them, and he received a sharper answer than the middle-aged man.

“I don’t know about that. I’m just doing my job. “If that is wrong, I will step down.”

It was a very quiet answer, but it was a firm-willed answer. The remaining person was similar.

El nodded loudly. It was considered fortunate that there were three talented people who could be trusted.

“Good. Please continue to work with that attitude. “Keep your positions!”

I thought it would be cut off, but the answer was rather unexpected.

The three people looked at L with faces asking what on earth that meant.

In the meantime, the results of the document investigation came out. The boy immediately reported it to El.

After hearing that, El immediately called Bendenk.

“Bendenk.”

Bendenk, who had narrowed his eyes as something strange was going on, looked at El with a surprised face.

“What’s going on?”

“You ate a lot. “Are the taxes yours or mine?”

“What on earth does that mean?”

Documents pour in front of Bendenk, who looks away. There is no way that good water can stagnate under Count Dedran. All the nobles have been captured and the remaining lower-ranking officials are like this.

“Arrest all those involved in the embezzlement immediately!”

Following El’s orders, the soldiers began to move.

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous! Take the money and give it back like this? “Shouldn’t you be caught too?”

“Oh, don’t worry, I plan to return all of the money you gave to those who donated their property and use all of the embezzled money for the development of the city.”

El said that and turned his back.

“I don’t punish everyone who bribed me. However, among them, anyone involved in corruption will be forced to step down. In the future, Deadran City will become a clean city. A clean city!”

And declared.

The Gray boy who watched it all grew to respect El even more.

And Dead Lancy gradually began to recover.

Citizens naturally began to praise Youngju Daeri.

***

“The lord said he has chosen a new tax collector.”

“Yes, even if the tax system changes, nothing will change as long as the collector is the one who ends up paying.”

“Hohoho, you’re amazing.”

“Yes, that’s great! Hehehe.”

“yes?”

Lurin suddenly interrupted what the merchants were saying. Lurin was in the process of buying and eating round snacks, Deadran City’s new specialty. It’s a slightly lollipop-like snack that reminds me of Chupa O’s.

“I buy everything here because it feels good!”

Lulin shrugged his shoulders and shouted. I know at least that the lord means El.

Lurin, knowingly or unknowingly, liked L being praised more than herself.

Even though I don’t usually listen to human stories, this story caught my attention. That’s why a smile reached my ears and I started sucking harder on the snack I was eating.

Since I bought a lot, I have to eat it all quickly.