Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 346

A commoner becoming a governor.

There’s said to be a precedent in Father Nicolo’s case, but even if they were commoners, the rule likely applied to wealthy merchants who could afford to buy a noble title or to servants who had loyally served noble families for generations.

I can’t imagine they ever expected a former adventurer like me to become a merchant.

Alternatively, some governors may have converted their right to collect taxes into money. Such people are often only interested in maximizing their gains, imposing unreasonably heavy taxes and earning the resentment of the peasants.

“Kenji wouldn’t do something like that.” Deacon Michelino praised me, but it was still an unusual situation.

“So, when will I become the governor?”

In cases like this, involving large organizations, an announcement doesn’t mean things will be put into action immediately.

If I become the governor, some people will inevitably be displaced by my appointment. Those who are pushed aside will need to be reassigned, which will in turn affect others.

On top of that, moving property in this world is difficult. Since there’s no reliable moving company, you essentially have to arrange everything yourself.

It’s manageable if wealth is in the form of money, but it’s often tied up in grain, land, or buildings. Land and buildings, in particular, are literal real estate — they can’t be moved to your next posting.

In most cases, the person transferring out ends up selling those assets. The assessment process for such transactions also requires time and manpower.

“After the next harvest. Have it ready by then.”

Even if I’m told to prepare, there’s little I can do. While I’ve trained people as merchants, I don’t have anyone specializing in territory management.

Suddenly, I noticed Deacon Michelino looking at me with amusement.

Then I realized the answer.

To Father Nicolo, I asked, “Can we borrow personnel from the church?”

“If they’re young, then train them,” he replied.

Now I could roughly understand Father Nicolo’s intentions.

Entrusting me with the governor’s role held several advantages for him.

First, it would publicly align me with his faction. Ever since I delivered the Pioneer’s shoes, I’d been approached by several clergymen seemingly connected to other factions. This meant I had to be cautious about where my allegiances lay.

Next, by appointing me as governor, the church could avoid paying me large cash sums for my business contributions. Instead, they could entrust the territory to me as a form of compensation. Since the governor’s position is fixed-term, any increase in the territory’s value by the end of my term would be seen as an investment rather than an expense.

Finally, by sending young clergymen to assist me, they could fill staffing shortages while having those individuals trained under my guidance. These recruits would also learn the territory management methods I implemented.

So, am I only losing out? Not necessarily.

Being appointed as a steward of the church grants me social credibility that no ordinary merchant could buy, no matter how much wealth they accumulated. After all, I would be entrusted with the church’s assets.

Being officially recognized by a faction is also not a bad thing. In fact, it would be riskier to wield such influence over the church’s interests without having a faction’s protection. Even with the Sword Fangs Legion for military backing, politically, I can’t remain just a commoner.

And best of all, this opens the door to establishing a proper social system to support adventurers.

That’s what excites me the most.