The Strongest Bride in Another World, But It Seems I’m Stronger in Night Battles ~A Harem Chronicle of Rising to Power Using Strategy~ (Dropped) - Chapter 26
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- The Strongest Bride in Another World, But It Seems I’m Stronger in Night Battles ~A Harem Chronicle of Rising to Power Using Strategy~ (Dropped)
- Chapter 26 - Money and Compensation
Now, I’ve returned to our beautiful home from the Demon King’s castle.
Milevis and Irene wasted no time in providing me with reports on what happened during my absence. I’m diligently working through them as we speak.
Thanks to the enthusiastic encouragement (read: scolding) from my wife Marida during the carriage ride back, I’ve found my motivation and decided to create a to-do list.
The to-do list.
– Promote standardization of weights and measures within the territory.
– Accurate assessment of harvests in rural areas and the creation of a tax registry.
– Improve irrigation within the territory.
– Reform the tax system within the territory.
I’ve jotted down these four as high-priority items.
You might wonder why there’s nothing related to combat on the list. Well, with that group of muscleheads at my disposal, we can easily crush any minor lord’s army with just a touch. I witnessed the combat prowess of the musclehead clan during our recent skirmish with the Alexa Kingdom, and I’m convinced that they can handle anything that comes their way.
So, I’m not worried about military matters. Their unstoppable force on the battlefield is a given.
As for our neighbor, Lator, I estimate their military strength is still around 85. Considering the average commander has a military strength of around 50, the typical Ogre Clan member boasts a little over 70, making Lator somewhat formidable.
What makes the Ogre Clan truly exceptional is their remarkable cohesion in warfare. They excel at working together as a team and achieving martial feats as a group. Even in group battles, they don’t engage in individual heroics but rather focus on coordinated actions.
However, what’s regrettable is that this unity and remarkable judgment don’t seem to apply to domestic affairs at all.
While the Ogre Clan excels in warfare, they have a strong tendency to perform at a level below the average person when it comes to other tasks.
The problem lies in their ingrained habit of handling internal affairs. Generations of this musclehead clan have continued this trend without improvement. If it’s not corrected, we’re headed for certain trouble.
I can’t allow my future child with Marida to live in poverty.
In order to achieve my goals, I needed to develop the heart of the Elwin family, Ashley Castle, and strengthen our domestic affairs. This would not only increase our military power but also elevate my liege, Marida, within the Elancia Empire. As her husband and loyal vassal, I aimed to secure a prosperous and prestigious future for myself as well.
At present, among the Elwin family’s vassals, only Brest von Elwin held a territory. He had received a knightly title and three farming villages in exchange for supporting Marida during her exile in Christ von Shugemori’s domain. In addition to his salary as the Elwin family’s chief retainer, Brest received a portion of the tax revenues from these villages, which he used to maintain his own retinue. He held a position of influence as a minor lord among the lord’s retainers.
Naturally, his words carried considerable weight within the household. On the other hand, I, as Marida’s husband, was a mere vassal. Even the salaries of the new civil officials I had hired came from the Elwin family’s coffers.
When I first arrived at this castle, Marida had offered me one of the farming villages as a token of her gratitude for my loyalty. I had declined the offer. As a newcomer, I was already treading on thin ice, given my status as the Lord’s husband. Accepting territory would have endangered my life even further.
I needed to deliver significant results and gain the recognition of the entire household to secure my position. At present, my safety is ensured by Marida’s unwavering support, the backing of Chief Retainer Brest, and my status as her husband. However, if I didn’t accumulate achievements soon, there would be those within the household who might turn against me.
For now, I had followed Marida’s advice and focused on managing the granary’s records, conducting a census, and making strategic decisions during defensive wars. These accomplishments would help build my reputation.
I needed to continue amassing achievements rapidly and establish a substantial position. Otherwise, I risked being labeled as a freeloader who had attached himself to the Lord. To achieve this, I knew I had to work even harder.
But finding capable individuals for domestic affairs was proving challenging. The Elwin family’s members were known for their martial prowess, making them unsuitable for administrative roles. Perhaps I should consider scouting for talent in the newly acquired territories of the Arco family, which have recently become our protectorate.
Ah, but I couldn’t help but wish we had more capable individuals in domestic affairs. The Elwin family’s members were renowned for their brawn, making it quite a challenge. I contemplated exploring the newly acquired territories of the Arco family, now under our protection, in search of administrative talent.
Alright, I added this to my to-do list:
– Scout for talent in the Arco family.
The war had brought some benefits, but now it was time to focus on the harvest in the castle town and the tax collection duties. There were an abundance of tasks ahead of me.
By the way, the rewards for the vassals who participated in the battles were left to Marida. Her decisions regarding rewards and honors were considered absolute among the Oni people, so it made more sense to let her decide freely than to interfere. Of course, I had already set a strict limit on the amount of the rewards, and I made it clear that we wouldn’t go beyond that.
The newly acquired Arco family territories were under our protection, so I couldn’t just hand them over to the Elwin family’s retainers as I pleased. Therefore, I planned to use the ransom money and proceeds from prisoner exchanges to reward our vassals.
As Marida’s husband, I declined any rewards this time to avoid jealousy and resentment. I had been given a room in the castle as Marida’s husband, and I received a salary as a vassal, so my livelihood was secure.
Oh, you’re wondering how much my salary is? Well, let me first explain the value of currency in this world.
The Elancia Empire has numerous silver and copper mines, and most of the population uses silver or copper coins for trade. Currency production is regulated by imperial law, and coins must meet certain metal content standards to be considered official currency. Occasionally, there are fools who try to mint their own coins in their territories without proper authorization, but they face strict inspections by imperial coin inspectors. If their coins don’t meet the standards, they are severely punished.
In rural areas, barter still occurs, but in cities, currency is widely used. Gold coins are mainly used for rewards and settling transactions among merchants.
The value of currency largely depends on the value of the underlying metal, so you can think of it as a ratio: gold to silver is 1:10, and silver to copper is 1:100 in terms of metal content.
To give you a rough conversion to Japanese yen, a gram of gold would be equivalent to around 5,000 yen, a gram of silver to 500 yen, and a gram of copper to 50 yen.
I hope that clarifies things a bit.
So, to help you understand the value of currency, here’s a breakdown based on the metal content:
– Imperial Small Copper Coin: Contains 1 gram of copper. Equivalent to 50 Japanese yen.
– Imperial Large Copper Coin: Contains 5 grams of copper. Equivalent to 250 Japanese yen.
– Imperial Silver Coin: Contains 5 grams of silver. Equivalent to 2,500 Japanese yen.
– Imperial Large Silver Coin: Contains 10 grams of silver. Equivalent to 5,000 Japanese yen.
– Imperial Gold Coin: Contains 3.5 grams of pure gold. Equivalent to 17,500 Japanese yen.
When it comes to exchanging these coins based on their metal values, the conversion rates are as follows:
– 1 Imperial Gold Coin = 3.5 Imperial Large Silver Coins
– 1 Imperial Gold Coin = 7 Imperial Silver Coins
– 1 Imperial Gold Coin = 70 Imperial Large Copper Coins
– 1 Imperial Gold Coin = 350 Imperial Small Copper Coins
Please note that these conversion rates apply within the Elancia Empire, and they can vary significantly in other countries. That’s why when demanding ransoms, we ask for gold coins, and we often melt down captured coins to their base metals for easier exchange.
Now that I’ve explained all that, I can introduce you to the positions and salaries of the Elwin family’s retainers:
– Attendant: Initially, commoners who serve in various menial tasks. Salary: 5 Imperial Large Silver Coins, equivalent to 25,000 Japanese yen.
– Attendant Head: Oversees the lower-ranking attendants. Salary: 3 Imperial Gold Coins, equivalent to 52,500 Japanese yen.
– Squire: Roles typically taken by members of the Oni clan. They care for the warriors. Salary: 5 Imperial Gold Coins, equivalent to 87,500 Japanese yen.
– Warrior: Combat specialists who, after a few years as squires, rise to this position. The backbone of our forces. Salary: 6 Imperial Gold Coins, equivalent to 105,000 Japanese yen.
– War Captain: Leads groups of warriors, akin to squad leaders in wartime. Salary: 10 Imperial Gold Coins, equivalent to 175,000 Japanese yen.
– Chief Retainer: Oversees the household’s retainers and acts as the regent in wartime. Salary: 15 Imperial Gold Coins, equivalent to 262,500 Japanese yen.
You might think I’m rolling in it with my position as the head of domestic affairs and being Marida’s husband, right? Well, the reality is that my status within the Elwin family is equivalent to that of an Attendant Head. My salary is 3 Imperial Gold Coins, equivalent to 52,500 Japanese yen.
Irene was hired as an Attendant, but her family comes from a wealthy merchant background, so she has plenty of money. Rishel, on the other hand, is the lord of the house, so his income far surpasses mine.
In other words, I’m being supported financially by my wife and her lover. I guess you could call it a freeloader’s life! Although I’m technically in that rank, my treatment within the household is on par with the lord. The reason for this is that Marida, the Lord, delegates all domestic, diplomatic, and strategic matters to me with a “do as you see fit” approach, which has expanded my authority.
I could easily attempt a takeover of the family, but that would mean dealing with my formidable older brother and the muscle-bound clan members who excel in combat but are inept in governance. So, I’ll refrain from becoming the lord and focus on helping Marida rise in status, securing the Elwin family’s home domain as a safe territory, and living a peaceful life with my wife and children.
That’s why I work hard every day, sweating it out to make sure I’m not cast aside by my dear wives. You might be wondering what I mean by “morning communication.” Well, it’s, uh, you know, a little something that extended our morning quite a bit.
Ah, never mind. I feel refreshed and motivated now!
Alright, time to head to my office and get to work. Here we go, another day to give it my all!