Helping with Adventurer Party Management - Chapter 363

Is there any value in testimony that isn’t a legal or documentary record?

In the end, it seems that Sara will be the one to answer Claudio’s question on behalf of the others.

“Please don’t take offense,” she begins. “But most people in the countryside, adventurers, and city craftsmen can’t read. So aside from nobles and clergy, I think there are only a very small number of people who can. And yet you’re saying we should ignore the opinions of so many people? I think that’s wrong.”

“However, people like them — those who can’t read — are the ones who are governed and protected. Even if we gather the opinions of these uneducated and irresponsible people, we won’t be able to govern properly.” Claudio puffs out his chest and speaks arrogantly in response to Sara’s opinion.

Considering the education level and class system in this world, Claudio’s view is common among the nobility and clergy.

The clergy are seen as the class that protects the faith, the nobility as the class that protects the people, and the commoners are those who engage in production while being protected. This system is widely accepted as common sense and ethics among the educated upper class.

However, this is only the value system of the ruling party.

“But I’ve never been protected,” Sara replies.

There are adventurers in this world — people who step outside the class system and make a living by protecting others from the monsters that threaten society.

From boys who hunt slimes to earn a little money to heroes who slay dragons — all kinds of people live as adventurers.

That’s how ordinary people feel.

“Besides, I’ve killed plenty of goblins with my bow and protected the villagers. What have you been protecting?”

The young Claudio seems taken aback by this direct challenge — a commoner openly questioning the very purpose of the clergy.

He’s at a loss for words.

“I… As a clergyman, I’ve trained hard to protect my faith. I’m still in training, but…”

“So, can you heal with magic?”

“Ah, well… The catalyst is expensive, and healing is a sacred ritual of the church. I’m still in training, but…”

“But you’ve studied laws and how to bully farmers with taxes, haven’t you?”

“It’s not like I’m bullying them…”

“Wait, we’re getting off-topic. How should we treat people who can’t read? Let’s go back to that.”

Just as Claudio is shocked by the values of the commoners, Sara is equally stunned by the mindset of the ruling class. The tension feels deeper than just a disagreement — it’s turning into an emotional rejection of the other person.

For those unused to maintaining a neutral stance or debating logically, rejecting an opinion often leads to rejecting the person themselves.

It takes time and experience to hold an adult discussion that separates opinions from emotions, so guiding them properly is crucial.

“Yes. What I want to say is that we should listen to the opinions of people who can’t read. Especially adventurers.”

“Why is that? They’re outsiders to the village, aren’t they?”

“Because they’re outsiders. Villages are really small, so if you say something to someone, word spreads to everyone right away. If the lord hears about it, it could cause trouble for your family, right? So people keep their real thoughts to themselves.

But if you’re an outsider, even if you speak your mind, you’ll leave soon after — so people feel safe sharing their complaints and frustrations. I heard a lot of things when I visited the village as an adventurer. That’s why I didn’t want Kenji to become a governor who would look down on people like that.”

So the king’s ears are like donkey’s ears. Adventurers are like holes in the ground.

A bureaucratic organization exists to get the job done, but it’s also a hierarchy for transmitting information.

To prevent information overload at the upper levels, each layer filters the information — but in the process, the information often deteriorates.

In a world like this, where literacy holds overwhelming power, that tendency is especially strong.

I remind myself that unless I carefully design both the structure of the organization and how information flows within it, I could easily find myself becoming the emperor with no clothes.