You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 357 With great power comes great responsibility

A heavy snowfall arrived in November, covering the earth in a blanket of white.

That mixed forest was completely cleared away.

Upon arriving at the edge of the mountain, the first step was to clear away the soil layer from the rocks, exposing the rock strata.

The raging fire scorched the rock, then ice water was poured on top. The rock layers contracted due to the shock, while the inside expanded... Crack! A rock layer more than ten centimeters thick peeled off with a whooshing sound.

Roman aptly named this land the Pass of Ice and Fire.

Abbreviated as Ice and Fire Pass.

Ice water is readily available, but a raging fire requires fuel; all the trees in the vicinity must be burned to ashes.

However, wood ash is extremely effective in improving soil, and rock powder can also replenish soil nutrients. So, it's a win-win situation.

To ensure effective execution, Roman stayed here for an extended period of time.

After all, tunneling through mountains to build roads was the first project he had ever initiated. Most people didn't know how to do it, and it was unknown how long it would take to complete. That's when Roman's supervision became necessary.

He has ruled this land for some years and knows that if it is not implemented properly, even the best development plan will be useless. This is the main reason why he wants to be personally involved.

According to Roman, rulers should play their due role and take on their responsibilities.

Many nobles enjoy all the privileges brought by the ruling class, but they can't even come up with a development plan. What's the use of nobles then?

Admittedly, in the extremely backward medieval era, the existence of nobles was perfectly reasonable.

But in Roman's eyes, they were nothing but incompetent parasites.

No, what valuable thing do you have that you'd agree to eat at the same table as me?

Every time Roman saw himself sharing the same ecological niche as a group of insects, he felt a ticklish sensation all over his body, as if insects were crawling on him.

With great power comes great responsibility—this is the true essence of being a ruler!

As a lord, one should maintain order, use power to develop one's territory, formulate plans with a far-sighted vision, and ensure the path forward.

In other words: you idiots, you've been standing still for hundreds of years, it's time for you to make some progress.

……

Roman was engrossed in his project, and Princess Stainless Steel followed him down.

She watched the whole thing, but her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

She witnessed the young king's abilities, and even repeated rejections and humiliations could not diminish her yearning.

Tasina considers herself a born queen, capable of seeing the true nature of everyone.

But she didn't like ruling, because of her personality.

She is not good at handling complicated interpersonal relationships.

If she were to fight back, she would inevitably face the power struggles and intrigues among nobles.

Of course, she looked down on those incompetent good-for-nothings.

But that's precisely where the contradiction lies.

If she doesn't use nobles, then she has no one else to use.

Now she has encountered a capable person, not an ordinary person, but a top-notch, exceptionally talented domestic affairs professional, who is absolutely one of the rarest people in the world.

He was exceptionally capable, his mind seemingly inherited from humanity of the Dark Ages. He was proficient in various skills and knowledge, yet surpassed them all. He had deep-set eyes, a high-bridged nose, thin lips, and reddish eyes. He had thick, long, dark brown hair, and fair, firm skin similar to hers. Now an adult, he was broad-shouldered and had grown from 1.8 meters a few years ago to 1.85 meters today, and his growth spurt showed no signs of stopping; he was estimated to be around 1.9 meters tall, truly inheriting the pure bloodline of the Dark Empire.

Tashina's heart skipped a beat, and she began to fantasize about what it would be like to have him.

That would be like a fish in water, or a tiger with wings.

She has an innate talent for war, but is completely ignorant of domestic affairs. At this moment, she needs a talent in domestic affairs to relieve her worries, but her court staff does not have such a talent.

Roman before me is simply perfect: outstanding abilities, pure bloodline, rugged appearance, amazing spirit, strong will... I really want to imprison him and exploit him!

Correspondingly, Roman sometimes felt a chill, noticing that Tashina's gaze towards him was rather strange.

But this is his territory, and unless Tasina goes crazy, she won't lay a hand on him.

It's getting colder and colder.

The snow is getting heavier.

This year's snow was even heavier than last year's. Roman repatriated more than two thousand laborers who were physically weak, while the remaining strong laborers continued to burn stones and pour cold water.

He kept urging the laborers to clear the snow, move firewood, and melt the snow into water.

However, each time they could only break through a rock mass of about ten centimeters thick, so this project was bound to be a long one.

Those who were repatriated did not remain idle. They went to labor-intensive places such as wood factories, where they were responsible for cutting wood, assisting carpenters in making short and long arrows, and some of them trained with crossbows in their settlements. Some female workers twisted coarse hemp fibers into bowstrings.

Roman traveled back and forth between the Castle of Abundance and the Pass of Ice and Fire twice, and also took time to visit the City of Origin to handle government affairs.

The mobilization in both cities was excellent. Even in the harsh winter, they presented a vibrant scene of life and flourishing organisms.

Tashina's first visit to Origin City revealed its immense potential, though it lacked the grandeur of Black Castle. She could no longer contain herself; she desperately wanted this land.

……

Origin Manor.

Hans stood in front of his desk, waiting for Roman's reply, and glanced cautiously at the White Steel Princess beside him, finding her arrogant and aloof.

Tashina squinted and asked, "Lord Roman, where is your army?"

"The military camp," Roman said casually.

"When will you take me to see it?" Tashina asked.

But Roman ignored him and continued reading the newly added legal provisions in the Origin Code.
For example, how should a farmer who steals two farm tools be convicted? How much should be fined for insulting a neighbor? How much compensation should be paid if one farmer accidentally injures another? What kind of punishment should be imposed on those who fight? How should violations of production regulations be dealt with? What about divorce, family division, and inheritance distribution?

Roman's original code of origin consisted of only a few articles, which were posted on the wall as a notice. But now it has two hundred pages and has become a veritable behemoth.

Because Roman looked down on the manor court, those legal provisions were used to protect the interests of the nobility. While they did protect the interests of the peasants to a certain extent, the right to interpret private law was in the hands of the nobility. What could you do to fight against the noble lord?
You have to pay taxes just to use a mill! Roman's assessment is that he's completely insane!
In comparison, the laws of the Black Iron—the laws of the conquerors—are not bad; national laws are much better than aristocratic private laws.

However, the Iron Law required that "everyone should obey the law," otherwise they would be severely punished according to the law, and slaves were no exception. In order to consolidate the rule of slave owners, the code particularly emphasized that slaves must obey the arrangements of their masters and were not allowed to resist in any way...

I'll fucking punch you!
Slavery is such a backward thing, it should be abolished as soon as possible!

What? Origin City also has slaves? Aren't those old-fashioned idiots undergoing labor reform?

Once the transformation is complete, the belief in the gods is abandoned, and Lord Roman's supreme status is fully acknowledged, one can evolve into a human, possess full human rights, and enjoy the same social status as other residents.

Roman's view on law is simple: true law is law that serves the majority, which embodies universal moral values. And in this land, it is self-evident who constitutes the majority.

However, it is extremely difficult to draft a complete new law.

The forest is big and there are all kinds of birds.

Even the most comprehensive legal system can encounter unexpected or bizarre cases where loopholes can be exploited.

The progress of the law lies in continuously filling these loopholes.

Roman appointed Hans as judge and nine farmers, both men and women, as jurors to establish standards for punishment.

If a farmer steals tools and is convicted of theft, according to the rules of the manor court, they would have their hands chopped off to intimidate the other farmers—what a waste of labor!

After deliberation by the jury, the final punishment was dozens of lashes, being hung up for a whole day, and a fine of 10 copper coins—a penalty equivalent to five times the value of the stolen goods.

If the amount stolen is too large, the person will be stripped of their property and forced into labor reform. Additionally, a reward of one copper coin will be given to the person who reports the theft.

Juries are made up of people from the lower classes. While people from the lower classes may be blind to the law, the law itself must develop amidst this blindness.

Law is a tool of governance.

Once laws are in effect for a long time, they will lead to various social customs. And most people at the bottom of society will spontaneously uphold public order and good customs.

A law that is universally accepted cannot be too bad.

In this cannibalistic era, the lower class are all the weak, and only the weak will sympathize with the weak—who dares to say that their descendants or relatives will not break the law? Naturally, the lighter the punishment, the better.

It's up to Roman to strike the right balance.

He has the final right of interpretation and can completely reshape the law to his own specifications.

Roman looked around at the newly added legal provisions, made sure there were no problems, and handed them to Hans.

“Once these standards are compiled, we will follow them from now on.”

This wasn't Hans's first time giving a report, but it wouldn't be his last either.

The original code is currently in its early, rudimentary stage, and it is normal for it to be revised several times a year, until the various clauses become more and more detailed, more and more substantial, and more and more in line with Roman's wishes.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Hans said, taking the thick legal code with both hands.

Tashina glanced at him, her eyes cold and sharp. Hans's heart skipped a beat, and he felt an irresistible aura of royalty wash over him. His body moved faster than his mind, and his hands instinctively handed the codex to Tashina for her to examine.

After Tashina took over, she casually flipped through a couple of pages and found that they were all trivial legal matters.

Princess White Steel didn't care about the weight of the code, returned it to Hans, and waved him away.

She asked, "Can we go to the military camp now?"

Roman's next stop is the military camp. He returns to Origin City regularly to handle government affairs, including legal matters, as well as other matters such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, finance, military, and agriculture.

Tashina was quite curious about how Roman had forged such a powerful army, so she kept urging him to go to the military camp to take a look.

Although there were military camps in Plenty City, only two or three thousand auxiliary soldiers were stationed there, and Tashina didn't get enough of them.

Roman said, "You won't be able to learn it even if you go."

Basic training and physical training are secondary; the main reason is that the Apostle's skill point allocation function is too unique.

Roman now has at least two thousand first-tier knights, nearly a thousand second-tier knights, and more than sixty third-tier knights.

However, he didn't waste any more words and went straight to the military camp.

The road leading to the military camp was clean. Seth found some elderly people, both men and women, and arranged for them to shovel the snow off the road so they wouldn't be bored.

……

Roman was stationed in Plenty City for a long time, but he had to make major decisions regarding the recruitment of new soldiers, battalion numbering, promotions and transfers, arms reserves, and combat training in Origin City.

Jet led his men to welcome Roman and Princess White Steel.

The main purpose was to welcome Iotashina.

During the battle of Tianma Plain, Jet and others witnessed her heroic figure and held her in high esteem.

They all bowed and said, "Your Highness, we salute you!"

Tashina gazed at the high-ranking generals of the River Valley Army, her eyes gleaming, and she could see through their true nature at a glance: "Oh, the swordsman of Sinnoh, the traitorous Sir Dick, the cavalry captain who came from a peasant background, the witch of the Witchwood, and the fishermen brother and sister I had met before, and the only two young knights from Dragon Keep... Lord Roman, your subordinates have truly broadened my horizons."

Roman scoffed, "I don't care about background, Your Highness."

At that moment, Tashina's eyes sparkled, and she said generously, "Would you like to join my ranks?"

Everyone was somewhat surprised.

It's one thing to poach someone's partner, but to do it in front of the rightful owner is another. Life in Origin City is already excellent, and no one has any intention of seeking other opportunities. Even the impulsive Green didn't dare to say anything.

Tashina's recruitment plan failed.

Roman, however, remained indifferent to this.

He inspected the army and found that the number of troops was still insufficient.

The attributes of the previously recruited apostles have been improved, so it's time to recruit new apostles from the pool.

Roman is about to conduct his tenth recruitment drive, this time aiming to recruit two thousand apostles.

Tashina frowned slightly. She could see through the true nature of many people, but she felt that Roman was deep and mysterious, and sometimes difficult to fathom.

“Lord Roman,” she said. “Do you know the nature of the conqueror?”

"You mean His Majesty Ionos?" Roman asked, somewhat confused.

“It seems the Duke of Ulster didn’t tell you about this.” Princess White Steel pointed at Roman. “The late king’s bloodline was pure, and so are yours and mine.”

Jet sensed something was amiss and said, "Your Highness, please allow us to take our leave."

She looked directly at Roman, oblivious to everyone else. "No need. These things were secrets in the past, but the Conqueror's Order has long since crumbled, his crown shattered, so there's no point in hiding them anymore."

She said, "We are all children of the Dark Ages, and the blood of the Empire flows in our veins."

Roman replied, "Are you referring to the human empire before the Seven Kingdoms were even formed? I've heard that the Sinnoh Kingdom is a remnant of that empire, and the King of Fjords is the oldest king."

"That's right. That glorious empire was also called Sinnoh. It weakened during the Dark Ages and huddled in a corner of the earth until a king among men named Ionus crossed the fjord on the wings of a storm. In the days that followed, he was called Ionus, also known as the Conqueror. He established the Iron Kingdom as a great monarch. It is said that the story was still told a hundred years ago, but it has now been lost."

Princess White Steel said, "He was born into the Sinnoh royal family, but he conquered the Seven Kingdoms as the conqueror of Ionus. He had three helpers by his side, all of whom came from that lost empire. One of them was the first Grand Duke of the Cracked Armor."

(End of this chapter)