The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Urban Planning

“Reorganizing the village, you say?”

“Yes, it will be quite rushed, but I plan to create a plaza and extend the village radially from there. Currently, the houses and chicken coops are built all over the place, aren’t they? In some areas, the roads are very narrow or abruptly end, making it inconvenient to pass through.”

Today, Lutz looked pale again. I see. Though he agreed, it was clear he was deeply troubled.

“As long as we’re living here, the current state isn’t that inconvenient…”

“But if more people start coming in and we begin trading with other places, building houses randomly like now could lead to incomplete use of land and unclear boundaries, causing trouble. Besides, I plan to build various new facilities.”

If that happens, Enkar Village, which currently relies mostly on primary industries, will see the emergence of secondary and tertiary industries. There will likely be more horses and carriages passing through.

If land readjustment is necessary, it’s better to do it before the population and industries increase.

“Thanks to Lady Melfina, many of the villagers are fairly well-off, but whether everyone can afford to build new houses, well…”

“Don’t worry about that. Actually, Enkar Village has been overpaying taxes all this time. I’ve recovered those excess payments, so we have the funds.”

“What!?”

“Pioneer villages either have very low tax rates or are exempt for decades. But when I asked Nido, he said half of the harvest was being taken as land tax, which seemed strange, so I had it investigated.”

Though it was Alexis who reported this when he came to trade, it was also he who investigated and punished the corrupt tax collector. However, this was originally the fault of the duke’s household.

“It seems the magistrate and tax collector in charge of this area conspired to commit fraud. We had them pay back every penny they stole.”

There’s a big difference between slightly inflating the taxes and outright falsifying them. Allowing the latter could, to exaggerate, shake the very foundations of the monarchy.

Alexis, though having a somewhat quirky personality, is exceedingly strict when it comes to maintaining order as a lord. He confiscated the entire amount of the embezzled funds from the magistrate and tax collector’s private properties, and any remaining shortfall was covered by the duke’s household.

The primary reason why the development of the Enkar region has been so slow is that the lord neglected to recruit investors for support or send in skilled workers.

In this world, the main agricultural method is a three-field system, where the fields are divided into three parts: the first field is planted with wheat in early winter, the second with beans and barley in spring, and the third is left fallow. This system is standard, especially in large manors directly managed by lords or in major grain-producing areas. Melfina, being the only daughter of a great lord in the southern region, learned about this method as part of her education.

However, in the Enkar region, wheat cultivation was done based only on the rule of thumb that wheat should not be planted consecutively, following a method more akin to the two-field system used before the development of the three-field system.

The Enkar region had been a land subjected to multiple attempts at development. If skilled workers had been properly involved, such a situation would have been unthinkable.

When Melfina visited the village, the tools used by the serfs were in terrible condition. With such poor equipment, it was no wonder that progress in development was slow.

—In the game, the reason the Enkar region was chosen to be blessed by Saint Maria was because it was the harshest and most abandoned land in the Kingdom of Francesca.

In light of this, it’s remarkable that a village of Enkar’s size was formed at all. It shows how desperately Lutz and the others have literally lived on the edge to survive here.

“And so, a fair amount of money has been returned, but due to the long period, the rightful recipients are no longer around, or the land wasn’t individually owned at the time of payment, and various other complications. No matter how we distribute it, disputes will arise. So, I was thinking, why not use it all for the village instead?”

Usually, such a consultation would be impossible, but fortunately, no one in Enkar Village is so destitute that they are on the brink of starvation. Given the current prosperity brought by the corn boom, the villagers might accept this plan.

“Is that alright with you, Lady Melfina?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Isn’t that tax money rightfully yours, Lady Melfina?”

Despite the peak of summer being over, Lutz spoke as if squeezing out the words, sweating profusely. I nodded and smiled gently.

“Well, you could think of it that way.”

Currently, Melfina governs Enkar Village. If she claimed the tax rate had always been fifty percent, the returned taxes would belong to her.

For Melfina, who retains memories of her previous life, this is extremely unreasonable, but in this world, the lord’s power is exceptionally strong. It is taken for granted that such matters can be handled without reporting to the villagers.

“But doing that doesn’t feel right.”

“Feel right, you say?”

“Yes, if something wrong or bad happens, I want to overwrite it with something really good. This area gets terribly cold in winter, and most houses are wooden, right? It will be a rush job, but let’s start surveying so that everyone can spend this winter warmly.”

“Indeed. Every house is wooden and quite worn down. My knees and back hurt terribly in winter, so being able to stay warm would be a blessing.”

Lutz said this while gently rubbing his knee, a slight smile forming on his deeply wrinkled lips.

“While overwriting bad with good, Enkar might eventually take the name of the Great Flower of the North, Soarasonne.”

Melfina blinked her green eyes in surprise and then laughed like a blooming flower.

“Yes, that would be wonderful.”

＊　＊　＊

Melfina left Lutz’s house after saying they would discuss the specifics with the carpenters who would actually do the work.

Though it was the village chief’s house, it was just a slightly better hovel compared to the other poor homes in the settlement. Despite her glossy hair, well-maintained skin, and serene, aristocratic face free from hunger or hardship, she still looked out of place.

“To spend winter warmly, huh?”

Lutz had always thought that winter was just something to endure.

Storing the autumn harvest, enduring the harsh, cold season while praying for it to end as soon as possible so children and the elderly could make it through—this was what winter meant.

Since childhood, he had been engaged in the cultivation of this land, living covered in soil.

To be honest, he couldn’t imagine living in the well-organized streets that Melfina spoke of.

However, the thought that his youngest grandson and the great-grandchild to be born this winter could grow up in such a place filled him with a sense of wonder.

—I am too old to dream now.

Still, he couldn’t help but dream, perhaps because of the arrival of a lord who seemed like a princess straight out of a fairy tale this spring.

＊　＊　＊

The office in the lord’s manor where he was summoned was small and cozy.

Ricardo, who had worked with regional lords and nobles several times before, found it to be the smallest room he could remember. The floor was covered with a brown carpet, and there was a desk at which a young girl, even younger than his youngest daughter, was seated.

“A basement, you say?”

“Yes, I want to build it on a fairly large scale. I’d like it reinforced with walls and pillars, with a workspace in the center and shelves for barrels on each wall. Do you think you can manage that?”

It’s not unusual to request a basement when constructing a new building. It allows for storage in limited space and, if managed well, can protect food from rats and pests.

However, the basement this client was proposing was the size of two large commercial buildings in the capital. She wanted one near the village center and another near the lord’s manor.

Naturally, a larger basement would weaken the ground. Reinforcing it with multiple pillars would be labor-intensive, and considering maintenance, it would be more costly than simply saving space.

“I believe constructing it won’t be a problem, but may I ask what you intend to use it for?”

“I intend to use it as an ale brewery.”

“In that case, wouldn’t a smaller scale suffice? Especially since the construction is urgent.”

“No, I must have it as large as planned.”

Despite her young age, the young lord spoke firmly while maintaining her smile.

Even if they built a brewery of that size, the villagers couldn’t possibly consume all the ale it would produce.

For commoners, ale is typically a home-brewed and home-consumed drink. It takes about a week to make and is consumed within ten days.

Ricardo, a master carpenter, sometimes receives payment in ale, which he shares with the craftsmen and apprentices in his workshop. The ale he drinks at home is made by his wife.

Ricardo is a master carpenter belonging to the Soarasonne Building Guild in the Duke of Oldrand’s capital. Having worked as a master for a long time, he occasionally gets to taste ale from expensive breweries, which is exceptionally delicious.

—Is she planning to mimic a brewery?

Some lords attempt to create a famous ale using the grain extracted as tax, but few achieve the quality of renowned breweries.

Only a handful of lord-owned breweries are well-known, and for some reason, their flavors can drastically change before and after a fire or other such events.

Most famous breweries are run by monasteries. It’s generally believed that ale made by amateurs lacks the blessing that monastery-brewed ale has, resulting in a lesser taste.

Regardless, it’s Ricardo’s job to build what his client requests.

“Understood. However, considering we’re in the middle of building new houses throughout the village, we might need an earth mage to help with the excavation. They can create the basic hole in about two days. If that’s acceptable, I can request one from the guild immediately—”

“No, I prefer to use villagers who are available.”

As Ricardo unconsciously scratched his bald head while studying the plans, the young lord interjected.

“The wheat harvest is over, and we’ve entered the off-season, so many people have free time. They’re strong and willing to help.”

“Ah, if there are idle laborers available, that would be more cost-effective.”

The lord has the authority to make peasants and serfs work without pay. Especially during the off-season, it’s common to use the extra labor for public works.

The young lord gave a slightly troubled smile at these words.

“I’ll formally hire them as laborers. Since this village doesn’t have a guild, I’ve asked the village chief’s son to coordinate. I’ll introduce you later so you can discuss the necessary locations and number of people.”

“Understood.”

Ricardo was impressed by the lord’s apparently benevolent governance.

Winter halts logistics everywhere, so preparations require a lot of resources. Assigning roles and paying wages, even a little, helps those in need. This year, with food prices soaring due to widespread crop failure, Ricardo was fortunate to get this large job before winter. He had called on other workshops, and three had responded, now staying in Enkar Village.

While the work might not be as glamorous as in the royal capital, keeping his craftsmen and apprentices fed was a relief. More importantly, the opportunity to undertake the significant project of reorganizing the village was rare.

“With all this construction, a lot will change quickly, right? Even if we provide new streets and buildings, telling people to live there from today doesn’t create attachment. This is the land they’ve cultivated. I want them to feel like this village is something they built.”

“I see.”

“It might make your work a bit harder, Ricardo, but please bear with it.”

Though the direct client was the young girl before him, the villagers would live in the houses Ricardo built. It would indeed be difficult to issue commands as he did to his apprentices, and he’d have to be more considerate in various ways.

“No, you’re right. If we don’t involve the people who will live here, it’s pointless to just build structures.”

The lord’s determination to involve the villagers in building their homes, fostering a sense of ownership, resonated with Ricardo.

Ricardo’s casual tone elicited a sudden pause from the girl beside the lord, who had been writing. Her pale blue gaze, filled with reproach, was quite intimidating.

“Alright, I look forward to working with you. I’m excited to see the final result. You know, making my own beer has always been a dream of mine!”

Ricardo thought to himself that making ale was as simple as putting sprouted barley and water into a jar or barrel and letting it ferment. Unless it came from a renowned monastery, ale was nothing particularly special. To Ricardo, it was a simple drink with little variation in taste.

… They say fine wine is made by the pure feet of a maiden. Perhaps ale made by a young, beautiful lord would become quite a topic of conversation.

“If your ale is ready while I’m still in the village, I would love to taste it.”

Ricardo said, a touch of humor in his voice.

The young and beautiful lord smiled brightly.

“Of course, I’ll be making plenty, so please do try it.”