People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

Why is she helping me like this?

Ernst frowned and looked at another force that could not be ignored at the Three Races Conference.

Ensiodis Shivaish, head of the Shivaish family.

At the same time, Ratatos smiled slightly and turned her gaze to Ensiodis:

"In that case, the Perroch family, my family, and the Brantau family all agree to the decision that the three families will henceforth pay taxes to the Sherag government. What is the opinion of the Shivaish family?"

“My opinion?” Ensiodis looked at Latatos. “Two votes to one, does my opinion matter?”

“In any case, the Shivaash family is part of Kjerag. Your opinion is certainly important,” Latatos replied logically.

Enciodes didn't answer, but silently turned to Ernst and asked:

What is Your Excellency the Prime Minister's opinion?

Before Ernst could answer, Latatos, as if suddenly realizing something, reminded him:

"Oh, by the way, since the three major families have decided to pay taxes to the government, our tributes to the Manju Academy should naturally cease as well. Based on my understanding of foreign countries, shouldn't religious expenditures be the responsibility of the government? Ernst, what do you think?"

She looked at Ernst, her eyes gleaming with shrewdness.

Ernst clicked his tongue, finally understanding Latatos's intentions.

Her goal from the very beginning was never to manipulate taxes; she always targeted taxpayers and those who collect taxes!

The Perroche family were conservatives, but Actos Perroche was incredibly devout to Jeragund, so as long as the oracle of Jeragund was presented, Actos, no matter how unwilling, had no choice but to accept paying taxes to the Sherag government. With the addition of the Blantau family, there were already two votes in favor at the three-race council!

Therefore, Ensiodis would say, "My opinion is not important."

But his seemingly insignificant opinion actually touched upon the most important point of this tax meeting—the amount of tax to be paid!

Who is the richest person in Sherag?

It is Enciodes Shivaish. It refers to the various businesses and large-scale trades he operates within his family's territory.

If the tax system is officially launched, the result will be that the Brownau and Perroch families, who agreed to pay taxes, will only pay a small portion of the total taxes, while the Shivaesh family, who were forced to agree, will account for the majority of the total expenditure!

Unequal distribution of benefits has always been the root cause of conflicts.

Some might ask, what's the big deal? Doesn't SilverAsh also want to revitalize Sherag? Isn't it only natural to spend more money? Besides, the region originally planned for development was Tukarim and its surroundings within the Shiva'ish territory. Investing money in one's own territory is simply a matter of the money passing through Ernst's hands; what's the problem?

Yes, that's a big problem. Because the money is no longer in his own hands, and he no longer has the power to decide where to invest and what to build!

Enciodes is not some money-printing machine that obediently pays Ernst to draw up grand plans. If you were to ask who in all of Kjerag understands Ernst the most, Enciodes would undoubtedly be number one. And if you were to ask who in all of Kjerag most wants to oust Ernst and take over for themselves, after the Grand Elder's death, Enciodes would also be the undisputed number one!

He couldn't wait for Ernst to run out of money and come begging to him, so he could openly take his brother under his wing and mold the carefully cared-for Sherag into his own ideal shape!

This cheese snow leopard is so rebellious it's practically growing horns!

Ernst had been racking his brains over this for ages. And clearly, Latatos, that cunning little squirrel, thought the same thing!

She deliberately wanted to intensify the competition between Ensiodis and Ernst, to further divide the power of the Shivaash family, so as to achieve her goal of "balancing" the power!

As for the tax issue of Manjusangin University, there's no need to elaborate. Although the wording is different, the essence is the same.

Originally, the tribute paid to the Manju Academy was shared equally among the three clans. Over time, this would widen the gap between the already wealthy Silver Grey and the other two clans. However, once it was converted into a tax, this equal distribution became impossible.

In any case, the money given to the Manjusaka Academy cannot be reduced. SilverAsh has money, so he will pay more. Blanta and Perroch don't have money, so they will pay less. Given the exaggerated amount of religious expenditures in Sherag's previous ledgers, even if Ernst cuts some in every aspect, it will be enough to make Ensiodis feel disgusted for a long time.

Even with such an open and obvious scheme laid bare before him, Ernst found it difficult to refuse.

If this plan is followed, setting aside personal feelings, the authority of the three-race council will be weakened, and the strength of the three races will also be weakened due to taxation. It's just that the already weak Perroch and Blantau will be weakened less, while the Shivaesh family will be weakened more.

The only beneficiary is the Sherrag government!

"Goodness, she's got a knack for scheming." Ernst glanced at Latatos with a mixture of admiration and fear, thinking to himself, "No wonder your sister's already married and you still can't find a husband. Whoever marries you probably won't be able to save any money on the side!"

P.S.: I picked up a friend's project today. It's by an experienced author, a Uma Musume fanfic. You can check it out if you're interested. This synopsis screams "old timer." (Heartbeat Internal Affairs Department)

Chapter 57 Ernst: The gentry's money will be returned in full, but the brother's money will be swindled twice over.

The day before the Three Races Conference, Shelag, Tukarim, Shelag Government Office (preliminary revised version).

After seeing off the boisterous uninvited guest, Hugh Ruth, Ernst returned to his room, which didn't even have a small fireplace, and sat down again in the armchair covered with a knitted blanket.

The blanket was hand-knitted by Enya herself. It was a gift from Enya to Ernst when he went up the mountain to pray for Jeragand to study fluid mechanics a few days ago.

The fine stitches, the smooth material, and the warm feeling of being held in the arms of a saint once wrapped around the skin made Ernst want to sing: "There's no one better than my sister in the world, a child with a sister is a treasure!"

Unlike my unlucky brother, who is so old but still acts like a child. He only tricked me on stage, but he still holds a grudge and is still competing with me, determined to prove who is right!

With a sigh, Ernst looked at his brother, whose cunning was so obvious it was almost blinding, that his resistance was reduced by seventy percent, and asked:

"Chairman, what's your opinion on the tax meeting?"

"They've come with ill intentions," Ensiodis said calmly, taking a sip of the black tea he'd brought back from Victoria.

Ernst rolled his eyes: "Do you need to tell me? Tax meetings, when it comes to money, there's never anything good about it. Besides, if we're talking about something, you, the one who came back from studying in Victoria and started Kalan Trade, are the one who's here."

Ensiodes did not refute, but glanced at Ernst and slowly said:

“I’ve learned more than just Victoria’s teachings; these kinds of invitations are usually a trap.”

Ernst waved his hand: "What 'trap'? The Grand Elder invited me to Holy Stone Square!"

Ensiodis chuckled upon hearing this: "So what if he invited you to Holy Stone Square?"

Ernst looked up and laughed: "I've become the Holy Son! Guess what happened?"

Ensiodis fell silent, and the two exchanged a knowing smile. The sight of the Grand Elder's remains, buried in some unknown corner of the Manju Courtyard, grew even colder.

"So you plan to attend the banquet?" Ensiodis asked.

Ernst nodded matter-of-factly: "Of course we have to attend the banquet. The tax issue is something we can't avoid. Even if we don't resolve it now, we'll have to discuss it later. Since they've come to us of their own accord, how can we not talk about it?"

When Ernst first became prime minister, he considered how to raise money given the tight budget of Sherrag.

At the time, several methods of increasing revenue and reducing expenditure were presented to them. He resolutely chose the path of borrowing instead of directly collecting taxes internally. This was because the Sherag government was not yet firmly established, and he himself had no foundation. If he rashly engaged in taxation, whether he could even raise money was another matter, but he would probably face open and covert attacks.

After all, weren't SilverAsh and his adoptive parents suspected of dying from political assassination? (Although the subsequent snowstorm clarified that SilverAsh's parents' deaths were indeed accidental, Latatos also said that the accident happened too quickly, and she was already preparing to assassinate them, but she didn't have time.)

Don't overestimate the moral standards of a religious society that can't even be called feudal.

But Ernst is not the same as before. Putting aside everything else, with Mother Jeragand's protection, as long as he doesn't do anything outrageously ruthless in Sherag, his safety is certainly guaranteed. Plus, with the title of "Holy Son," it's time to solve the troublesome issue of taxation.

"However, before we start talking, we still need to clarify some issues."

Ernst tapped the table lightly.

"Don't you think Latatos's invitation is a bit too coincidental? She's definitely up to no good."

Enciodes nodded: "Of course, if you think about it for a moment, you can guess who will suffer the most if your government really starts levying taxes."

He pointed to the tip of his nose, as if talking about someone unrelated, and said, "It's me."

"Would you be willing to give me the money?" Ernst asked, his voice brimming with anticipation.

Unfortunately, Ensiodis responded with a kind smile: "What are you thinking, little brother? I certainly wouldn't!"

If you hesitate even a little, I'll consider our brotherhood still somewhat useful!

Ernst turned his head away and continued his analysis: "He's clearly trying to use her balancing act to make us fall out! I just don't know what she's going to use to persuade the Perroch family."

"Would you break up with me over money?" Ensiodis asked curiously.

"Yes," Ernst answered decisively.

Ensiodis's lips twitched slightly. He thought to himself, "If you'd hesitated even for a second, I'd consider our brotherhood still somewhat valid!"

Ernst: "In that case, we should do even less to please him."

“That’s easy,” Ensiodis said confidently. “Just listen to me then. They want to use taxes as an excuse to take my money, right? Let her propose it. But whatever I contribute, both families must contribute the same amount!”

After he finished speaking, he stood up, looked at Ernst with an air of confidence, and reminded him:

"However, remember this when the time comes..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ernst gave an OK sign.

"Understand."

..............

The Three Ethnic Groups Conference.

After Latatos finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the room. As if sensing the opportune moment, Ensiodis coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention.

“I think Latatos makes a lot of sense. If Sherag wants to bring about change and establish a central government, then it is our duty as families who control a region to contribute to it. Taking money is the simplest way to do it.”

"The Shivaish family is certainly willing to pay taxes. Tomorrow, I will arrange for someone to survey the Shivaish family's territory..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Actos Perroche stood up abruptly.

"Measuring land? Measuring what land? Why measure land?"

Ensiodis looked surprised and asked in return:

"Of course it's for paying land tax. Aktos, do you think there's only one type of tax? Besides commercial tax, customs duty, consumption tax, and food tax, land tax is also very important. In fact, for an agricultural country like ours, Kherag, even with the efforts of Karan trade to sustain it, there's practically no trade to speak of. The real bulk of tax revenue comes from land tax and food tax!"

Actos's expression froze for a moment, then he glared at Latatos with a dark look on his face, as if to say, "You little brat, you tricked me."

Of the three families, the Perroch family's territory comprises vast and fertile streamlands, plains, and lake areas, abundant in grain and suitable for brewing fine wines; over 80% of Shelag's grain supply comes from here. The remaining two families' territories are primarily mountainous, valley, and mining areas for the Shivaish family, while the Blantau family's territory is situated among forests.

According to Ensiodis, if we calculate it this way, aside from everything else, the Perroch family, which has the largest territory and produces the most grain, is the primary taxpayer!

The first thing to do was not even wrong!

Unlike the Shivaesh family, the Peroch family doesn't have SilverAsh's Karlan trade as a source of income outside their territory. They already rely on grain and alcohol to make money, and once they have to bear this tax, it's only a matter of time before they decline!

In contrast, the Blanto family, with the smallest territory located in the forest region, which was rich in fur products and produced almost no food, was the least affected among the three major families!

"I promised you I'd help you take down Shiva's Ash, but I didn't expect you to drag me into this, you stinky squirrel!"

While inwardly cursing, Actos immediately objected, "That won't do. I think the tax issue needs further discussion!"

Ensiodis smiled slightly, changed the pronoun he had used not long ago, and repeated what he had said:

“Does your opinion matter?”

With a vote ratio of 2:1, does the Perroch family's opinion matter?

Actos felt a surge of blood rising in his chest, wishing he could spit it all out onto Latatos, along with his phlegm.

So you're the one who never loses out, while either Shiva Ash or I, Perroch, are the ones who do?

He gave him a threatening look, meaning that since you started this, if you don't resolve it today, our alliance is over!

Latatos was also left speechless. She glanced at Ensiodis, who, as always, gave her a poker face. Helpless, she could only turn her gaze to Ernst.

Responding to her gaze, Ernst slightly turned his face away, avoiding her eyes. Seeing this, Latatos reached out and pinched Shulus beside her, saying:

"I agreed!"

"Agree to what?" Hugh Ruth asked blankly, completely bewildered by what had happened.

Latatos, her face flushed and almost frantic, said, "You've agreed to let Ernst come to our house for dinner! Just say so!"

"Oh, oh." Hugh Ruth finally spoke up, "Ernst, my sister agreed. She'll be coming to my house for dinner later. Yucatan went out and hunted a feathered beast and made a delicious soup. His cooking skills are really good now!"

Ernst then looked at Latatos and asked, "Really? You agreed?"

Latatos nodded with a humiliated expression: "Agreed."

In this context, "agree" is synonymous with "give in." Specifically, it means: "Please, I'll do anything you want!"

Ernst tapped the table lightly, beginning his role as peacemaker:

"Actually, if you ask me, there's no need to be in such a hurry."

"Sherag's reforms are still in their infancy. My government is not even short of civil servants. Collecting so many taxes at the same time is a bit of a hassle for my esteemed Finance Minister, Miss Joyce."

He held up one finger.

“In my opinion, how about this? Let’s each compromise. Until the time is right, everyone will pay a mixed tax every year, which includes all types of taxes and will be calculated based on the overall financial situation of Shelag that year. I won’t let anyone suffer a loss.”