Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 405 Change
Rean, back in Radiant City, was extremely busy.

With the threat from the Beast Order and the injured owl temporarily gone, Rean also had to deal with his affairs and miscellaneous tasks.

"Okay, let's go with the lowest possible tax amount this year."

As a "lord," Rean was not exempt from taxes. He didn't have the same backbone as Dania. If the lord's tax were truly waived, then the basic expenditures for security, administration, and sanitation in the territory would be rendered meaningless.

To put it bluntly, if stability is to be maintained in this region, those seemingly foolish government officials, greedy tax collectors, and useless police officers are far more important than ordinary residents. Without these bastards who do the work and maintain order, the territory would be as if it didn't exist.

What Rean can do is probably not to profit from things himself or to avoid messing around. The latter is actually quite important. A lord might want to make a profit, but if he creates a project or a new tax revenue stream, he can squeeze out hundreds of people from his subordinates.

Rean, with his political experience, knew that in the current environment, a lord who didn't cause trouble was more like a human being than a lord who bravely reformed.

If we avoid unnecessary trouble, more people can survive this winter.
"Winter is approaching. Have the sheriffs take action and relocate the refugees and displaced people to the town of Dania. There is a severe labor shortage there, and the underground is not afraid of the cold winter."

The kingdom is located in the northeast of the continent, where winters are not only cold but also long. Under the current circumstances, it is necessary to make preparations in advance.

As the cheapest living area with the lowest cost of living, the dock area will always have refugees, homeless people, and disaster victims.

Especially since the docks bring in new survivors every day. To be honest, looking at the financial loopholes that the local government could never fill in its lifetime, Rean was starting to consider quitting.

By the way, there are transaction taxes and city entry fees at the dock, and all ships coming and going have to pay them.

But Rean couldn't get involved in this money; that considerable sum of gold coins was, in a sense, the very reason why Radiant City could continue to exist.

The real tax revenue at present mainly comes from the transaction tax of local shops and the tax on the shipment of goods from some factories (as for the head tax, neither Rean nor Dania collected it). After Rean paid the minimum tax amount, he will probably have to find a way to make some money to make up for the deficit.

Although his territory only includes the town of Dania, both the nominal head of the town (the puppet) and the head of security (Larry) obey his orders without question. Everyone knows that he is the true lord here. If Rean's rank were higher, he would probably receive everything he deserves directly.

"Any major news recently?"

"Uh, does the closure of the slave market count?" Larry was a little confused. She felt that something was wrong here, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

“And this is a good thing”

Rean was a little surprised. The slave market had indeed been suppressed. His patrol team would pass by about three times a day. It was no longer possible to capture slaves privately, but the slaves from gambling debts and the slaves sent from outside should still be able to support the slave trade.

Larry's Knights Guards have done everything they can to crack down on loan sharks and illegal gambling. But no matter how hard they try, they can't save the damned; someone will always slide down to hell.

Since there is both demand and supply, the most helpless party is the legitimate (kingdom). Rean can only cause trouble for it, and it is impossible to completely stop it. This has already caused it to receive a lot of criticism for "obstructing legitimate business due to personal preferences".

"I heard they changed their boss, someone named Orak, who's a professional slave trader. He didn't completely close down, he just changed from being open every day to being closed four days a week."

Rean pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"Is this a show of weakness, an attempt to provoke discontent among certain individuals, or a form of scarcity marketing?"

The slave market isn't like a vegetable market; you can buy regularly if you have a need. Opening for three or seven days doesn't really have a big impact.

However, this "inconvenience" and "reduced profits for those behind the scenes" can be seen as the result of Rean's suppression, which will naturally attract the disgust or even hostility of some nobles and fallen shepherds.

That arena

“If it’s shut down, we’ll check three times a day. Even if we can’t kill someone who’s scouted evil, once they’re cloaked in that cloak of sin, their social relationships will be affected.”

Rean shook his head. He had a vague feeling that this matter was not over yet, and that the new leader of the other side was much more capable than the previous one.

It's likely that the arena is still operating under a different name and location. But as long as it's not in the dock area, there's nothing we can do about it.

"By the way, there have been a lot of underground boxing matches and fighting rings lately, all on a small scale," Larry asked Rean, asking how to deal with it.

Should we eradicate them as soon as we see them, or form a special task force to keep an eye on them?
After thinking for a moment, Rean shook his head.

"Talk to Dimon and have him set up a similar, semi-public event that allows for a certain level of betting without the use of slaves or lethal force."

Larry was puzzled. How could such a crime be allowed?
"They can't be killed all of them. We've dealt with the gladiatorial arenas in the slave market, but now there are many underground boxing matches and small dueling arenas. Maybe even more people will die. They've developed a habit and instinct to bleed every day."

In fact, the previous arena was filled with many free people, gambling addicts, and third-rate mercenaries. Those people couldn't survive without these things.

Maintaining stability is Rean's top priority, at least until the end of winter.

"Let me think, what can enhance the spectacle and excitement of gladiatorial combat, and attract as many viewers as possible while ensuring survival?"

Rather than letting evil spread unchecked, Rean tried to organize relatively formal "fighting competitions" to minimize the secondary loss of lives.

Government affairs are an art of compromise. Although it sounds delicate, Rean is indeed very good at playing both sides. If the dock district hadn't left him no way out, Rean wouldn't have had to fight his way out.

"The first thing is that we cannot ignore the current mess and make arbitrary changes. We can only guide the situation gradually based on the existing conditions."

The seafarers and sailors of this era are a bunch of scum. Once they disembark, they become a group of bloodthirsty and lustful beasts. If they are not given an outlet for their pent-up desires, trouble is bound to ensue.

Rean pondered whether to create an "amusement park" for them to spend money. However, if it went too far, it would become a new sin, and he might even be dragged down to become a fallen (paladin).

"Forget it, let's not be so radical. Let's take reforms one step at a time."

When Rean was just a simple knight, he could freely fight evil, but now, he has to ensure that most people survive.

Let's guide them slowly, gradually leading them towards legitimate "stimuli." Once Dimon's legitimate industries start generating substantial profits, some of the problems will naturally be resolved.

Some people, as long as there's something to do, won't be too picky.

Rean looked at Larry, who had a conflicted expression, and laughed.

He took the initiative to inquire about his recent spiritual practice and the troubles encountered by the "Lion Knights of Justice." This newly named knightly order was a dock district knightly order created by the Shield Church.

Some of the members were initially law knights who followed Larry, but most were knights dispatched from the shield emblem.

Clearly, this was a competitor. The day after the solar domain was secured, this new order of knights opened for business, its main task being "enforcement of the law."

Rean himself didn't care. Using the power of other churches to help maintain order in his territory seemed like a free lunch.

For Larry herself, there was a hurdle she couldn't overcome; in her view, this might have been close to betrayal.

In fact, she spoke with Rean privately several times, and even considered leaving the Shield Church, but Rean advised her against it.
"There's really no need for that. As long as we remain on the path of justice, no one's faction is absolute."

Rean, on the other hand, took it all in stride. "Something's happened in the docks. Are you saying your paladins and law-abiding knights can do anything illegal or disorderly?"

The biggest negative effect would probably be competing with the newly established Church of Light for faith. But Rean didn't have any expectations for this "divine power server".

"As a righteous person, one must act more flexibly than the evil person, otherwise how can one defeat an opponent with absolute greater power? The greatest advantage of justice is the righteous ganging up. Rest assured, maintain friendly relations with other churches of good gods."

Rean advised Larry, "If you really leave the Church of the Shield, you'll be of no value anymore. Do I really need a fourth-tier paladin? Just be a good double agent."

(End of this chapter)