Chapter 106 - The Taste of Power

Having heard their opinions, it was now Ferda's turn to speak.

"I understand your intentions well. I express my gratitude for your hard work, toiling day and night to build a new village under the Grand Duchy's territory."

Contrary to his words of gratitude, his eyes looked ready to tear them apart at the molecular level.

Ferda, noticing this himself, took a deep breath to compose his emotions.

"Recently, an unfortunate incident resulted in 30 casualties. Among them were 4 deaths, all of whom were civilians. Their deaths are not something to be taken lightly by you, nor by me."

That was the truth.

"Therefore, I plan to redirect the workforce currently focused on buildings to concentrate on constructing a wall. We are planning for an area where roughly a thousand citizens can live comfortably, capable of accommodating up to three thousand people."

Although Hanson was a laborer, he was someone who had dipped his toes into the construction industry in his own right.

He could roughly estimate how large that area would be.

"The people building that wall will surely start at a location far from the village."

"Of course."

"If so, how will you guarantee the safety of those laborers?"

A measure against a measure.

He could answer it very simply.

"Don't we already have one?"

"What do you mean?"

"The alarm bell installed in the middle of the village. What do you think that is? It is an item created by the Chancellor of Escolaia, the city of scholars."

At that, a foreman who had heard a thing or two made a fuss.

"If it's the Chancellor of Escolaia, doesn't that make him the lord of those pedants?"

"If he's the lord, he must be the smartest one there."

Calling it the work of Escolaia's Chancellor inspired trust.

In reality, he was a scholar in a somewhat ambiguous position among the top tiers, but there was no way these people would know that.

Ferda continued speaking.

"We enhanced the alarm function of the demonic creature appearance prediction equipment and changed it into a warning bell that signals danger. With it, we detected the approach of the demonic creatures, and an evacuation was swiftly carried out. That is also why the casualties were so low."

Ferda said as he tapped the paper placed on the table with his finger.

"But didn't deaths still occur?"

"It was the minimum amount of damage. Even more people could have died."

Ferda spoke firmly.

"If you are curious about cases of demonic creature invasions, I will gladly inform you. Recently, there were over 30 instances of attacks, and if we compare ours with those places, I can also explain how perfectly we defended ourselves. Do you want an explanation?"

His words were as cold and solid as steel.

It gave the distinct feeling that striking it with a soft fist would only break their own hands.

"Of course, I know this is not the place for me to show off my knowledge. What you need is not an early warning, but the power to kill demonic creatures."

Ferda closed his eyes.

And a moment later, as if having made a decision, he spoke to them.

"Soon enough, I will distribute the magical engineering rifles created by Burnel Marquis to you all. How does that sound?"

Most of the foremen were startled.

The reputation of the magical engineering rifle had already reached the commoners.

"Do you mean that item which killed a wolf demonic creature in a single shot?"

"Yes."

Hearing those words, Stephan looked startled and spoke carefully.

"Regent, regarding that matter, you should first discuss it with me—"

"Why should I?"

"Because we must supply that prototype elsewhere first, and we need to appeal to them..."

Ferda furrowed his brow while looking at Stephan.

"It is an item made for the safety of this far east. Those who work in the far east come first, and those who are far away are none of my concern, are they not?"

"Of course, your words are completely right, but..."

"There are no 'buts'. I will not permit you to speak any further, Stephan Pascal."

"I-I apologize."

Stephan backed down with a whimpering tone.

Ferda turned his gaze back toward the foremen.

"So how about it, temporary labor union leader?"

Hanson glanced around at the foremen.

Their faces bore expressions urging him to accept it immediately.

Unable to just accept it and end things here, Hanson carefully found a fault.

"Of course, if you do that for us, we would be grateful for the Regent's grace, but as our education is limited, it is doubtful whether we could handle such items properly."

"There is no need to worry. The geniuses I recruited are already taking care of that part."

More accurately, the idiot was taking care of it for him.

The geniuses were probably tearing their hair out over the idiot again today.

"Since you can kill a single wolf demonic creature with just one bullet from that item, you will be able to handle at least one demonic creature with five people."

"Hoo..."

"Five people for one... It's an incredible item..."

The more people listened, the more captivated their expressions became.

They were all country folk who had traveled up to the Empire to earn money.

Although they might not have had contact with the demonic creatures created by Demons, attacks from monsters like goblins were a frequent occurrence.

What they needed wasn't a standing army, but the power to protect their own bodies.

Or a means equivalent to it.

Ferda could provide the power to kill monsters.

And the means to kill demonic creatures that even paid mercenaries avoided, at that.

It was an item with a profound value that could not be bought even with money.

And he was offering to give such an item away readily.

Fully prepared to sour his relationship with the Empire's great tycoon, no less.

'He is truly someone who thinks of the east.'

Ferda observed their expressions.

It was clear as day that they were almost entirely won over.

'Just as Stephan predicted.'

The tactic of throwing out the offer to distribute magical engineering rifles was actually a plan devised by Stephan.

Three days ago, while discussing with the newly arrived Stephan, they had mapped out several scenarios.

One of them was precisely pretending to be generous.

From the beginning, the reason for the magical engineering rifle's existence was for the civilians.

And they were planning to commercialize it first for the residents of the far east anyway.

The laborers were simply going to get it a little sooner.

'Besides, if push comes to shove, I can turn them into a reserve force.'

They would gain the power to kill demonic creatures,

And Ferda would gain a military force to mobilize in case of emergencies.

It was a strategy that seemed like a win-win for both sides.

Of course, the one who stepped up to take charge, Hanson, would not want to end it with just that.

Because that was completely separate from what they had actually demanded.

"We sincerely thank you for the grace bestowed upon us by the great Consort of Fire, but we would appreciate it if you could also consider our demands."

"Of course. This is a separate matter from your demands. Since I am not well-versed in that area, I will pass the baton."

The person who received that baton was Stephan Pascal.

He greeted them with a brazen smile.

"I am Stephan. I serve as the general manager of the Pascal trading company, am slated to become the chairman of the entire company in the future, and currently also act as the proxy manager for the former Dandolo trading company."

The chairman of the Empire's greatest trading company, and the man who was even managing the second-place faction.

Although not a noble, he was a commoner wielding such immense power that he could not be compared to any ordinary noble.

The reason for such a rambling introduction was, naturally, to intimidate the people.

"From what I have checked, your employment is currently being handled in the form of outsourcing from the administrator of Hestia village."

"That is correct."

"With so many laborers, the fact that a union has not been formed is something I also consider a major issue. Regardless, you need someone to represent your voices."

Stephan spoke as if he understood their situation.

"I, too, feel the necessity of a union for the peace and prosperity of the far east. Therefore, I officially support the establishment of a labor union for the Valdrova Grand Duchy's territory—that is, the far eastern labor union."

Flipping through the papers, Stephan answered another demand.

"Furthermore, the current 50% wage increase for the laborers and foremen will remain in effect. And each foreman will be provided with differential compensation based on the number of laborers they manage and supervise, awarded bonuses according to performance results, and provided with move-in support for residences in the far east based on their years of service."

It was an exceptional offer.

So much so that it made one wonder why they hadn't voiced these complaints until now.

"As for the labor union leader, it seems you all have reached a consensus. Have you decided to recommend Mr. Hanson?"

"Yes."

"Understood. Then I will consider Mr. Hanson appointed as the labor union leader of the far eastern labor union."

Quickly jotting down the name, Stephan politely clasped his hands together and made a request.

"In that case, we will now move on to the discussion with the labor union leader. From this point forward, we plan to involve only those at the director level or higher. Would that be alright?"

At that, one of the foremen furrowed his brow and argued.

"How do we know what kind of scheme you're going to hatch?"

"Just talk about it right now."

"Originally, the principle is to only speak with the labor union leader, but because we anticipated such concerns, we are allowing those at the director level to observe."

Including Hanson, there was a total of three people at the director level.

While still wearing very uneasy expressions, they had no choice but to leave the room.

Once the foremen vacated the room and only the directors remained, Stephan began speaking with a completely different atmosphere.

"Alright then. Shall we properly get into the real discussion meant for executives?"

"No matter what you do, we won't be swayed."

"There is no need for you to be swayed. The reason I did not include the foremen is because this pertains to aristocratic matters."

"Aristocratic matters?"

Hanson actively shot back.

"Under the laws of the Grand Duchy's territory, suffrage currently does not exist for citizens. So even if you become the labor union leader, it's virtually a position lower than that of a village headman."

"That's right."

"Having discussed this matter in advance, the Regent stated that he plans to shape the labor union leader into a form of citizen representative."

"A citizen representative, you say?"

"Yes. In some republics in the west, suffrage is granted in this form. To put it in a way more familiar under the Empire's laws... you could consider it equivalent to a baronet."

A baronet!

Strictly speaking, it was not a noble title, but it was still a position that could hold aristocratic privileges.

Was this not the aristocratic position Hanson had so desperately desired?

"Therefore, if you become a citizen representative, your suffrage will be guaranteed, and you will also be able to link it with tax exemptions and commercial activities. And we even plan to provide a quarterly dignity maintenance allowance."

Every single line he recited pierced straight into his ears.

Even receiving his daily wages at sunset would not leave him with this much pleasure.

Hanson found it incredibly difficult to manage his facial expression.

'It's exactly as that mage said, isn't it?'

Complaining makes people annoyed, and that annoyance leads to compensation.

Hanson almost felt it was a shame he hadn't come up with this idea sooner.

"Of course, this is limited to the position of labor union leader. If you step down from the labor union leader position, your status as a citizen representative will disappear. Do you understand?"

"Does that mean if I step down from the labor union leader position, I would be no different from an ordinary citizen?"

"It would pass to your successor, so the successor would gain the authority of the citizen representative."

"I understand."

"Do the other two of you have any differing opinions?"

The directors shook their heads.

"We got no objections."

"I think you can just proceed as is."

"Then, Labor Union Leader, please sign here."

Stephan handed over the contract, and Hanson double-checked the contents of the contract before signing it.

With that, the council meeting concluded successfully.

That night, Hanson happily guzzled down alcohol.

From tomorrow onward, he would be going to work not as a director, but as the far eastern labor union leader.

'I should set up a fancy nameplate and a nice chair... and start looking for a house to live in.'

His future was truly no different from a path of flowers.

The smile never left his face, and he was absolutely itching with the thought of contacting his relatives and family.

"You seem to be in a good mood."

The voice of the arrogant young mage could be heard.

Hanson warmly welcomed that voice.

"Oh my! Welcome, Mage!"

"Haha, don't get up. And don't even think about trying to hold my hand. So, how did it go?"

"Thanks to you, Mage, I've risen to the position of labor union leader."

"Congratulations. So tell me about it in more detail."

Being heavily drunk, he recounted everything that had happened so far.

Unlike him reciting his heroic tale, the mage's face gradually stiffened.

"So you accepted those terms exactly as they were?"

"Of course. They accepted all of our demands, so how could I—"

"You retarded, moronic bastard!"

The woman abruptly pouring out verbal abuse.

Hanson sobered up completely at those words.

"W-Why are you getting so angry?"

"Did you not hear me, you moron? No, you're even worse than a mole crawling on the ground. At least they have enough sense not to climb up! Do you even know what you've done?"

"...?"

When he made an expression showing he had no idea what was going on, the woman let out a long sigh.

"Damn it, if I knew this would happen, I should have just disguised myself as a laborer and interfered, whether that guy noticed or not. It's my fault for sending morons like you in as is!"

"Just what exactly did I do to make you say that?"

"What do you think? You've walked up to the gallows yourself, tied the noose, and hung it right around your own neck!"

"A Hero's play?"

Ferda expressed his doubt. It was the word that contained the core of the plan he had mentioned.

"Doesn't it end with the Demon King dying and the Hero's victory?"

"It does."

"You know the Demon King dies, but they don't actually kill the actor playing the Demon King. It's similar to that."

"You mean we're just pretending."

Stephan nodded his head.

"Whenever an incident occasionally occurs, the labor union leader will step forward styling himself as the Hero. And he will defeat the bad villain, the Regent, and take the reward. That is how the citizen representative will gain support even from the opposing factions."

Stephan grinned.

"All without them knowing that we're actually in cahoots, that is."

"But isn't Hanson not on my side right now?"

Stephan nodded his head.

"He will soon be bowing his head in the Regent's grasp. He will have no choice but to do so."

"Explain."

Stephan raised his index finger and said.

"Firstly, some of the workforce is being pulled away for us to build the wall. Therefore, additional workforce is required for the smooth execution of the city planning."

"Right."

"Considering the current situation, we will need to inject 100 more people. If so, 100 additional personnel will be added to the labor union."

"Can you pull them in?"

"With the daily wages we're currently paying, they will have no choice but to come. It is enough money to make them temporarily put aside the Imperial Dream."

The current number of laborers was 253.

However, 98 of them were laborers from Halim, and they did not belong to the far eastern labor union.

Meaning there were effectively 155 people.

From there, 100 additional laborers would be brought in.

A whopping two-fifths of them would be fresh new recruits.

"Factions will form."

"Factions are probably forming even as we speak."

"Why is that?"

"This is the second reason. As I said, they receive privileges similar to those of nobles exclusively for the position of citizen representative."

"Right."

"What do you think will happen if we introduce an election system for the labor union leader position on top of that?"

He understood.

"So that's why you spoke while pretending to bring the directors in as witnesses."

"Yes. Unlike Hanson, whose eyes were clouded by the power right in front of him, those two seemed to completely understand."

The lust for power was surely not something only Hanson possessed.

Rather, they would be thinking, 'If Hanson could become one, what's stopping me?'

"To maintain their factions in those elections, they will need money. But would they have the power to win people over on their monthly salaries alone?"

"They wouldn't."

"And what would people who have only handled technical skills their entire lives know about management? Or laws? What about human resources or financial management?"

Just as Stephan couldn't do carpentry, and just as Hanson couldn't do business management, everyone had things they couldn't do.

"In the end, to resolve all of that, this is needed."

Stephan formed a circle with his thumb and index finger.

Money.

Money is needed for power, and money is needed to maintain it.

"They will undoubtedly end up looking for someone to provide that money."

Who was the person right in front of their eyes with a lot of money?

Who was the person who could advise them on financial flow, laws, and human resource management?

"A board without intellectuals is always bound to be swayed by the greater flow."

Stephan himself was that very flow.

With an inwardly satisfied look on his face, Ferda asked him.

"So within how many months will the labor union be mine?"

Stephan answered with a beaming smile.

"I will make it yours within two months at the latest."