After roughly assigning the groups and their tasks, Manuel temporarily had them wait, then quickly summoned 200 guards under Tukharovsky and 50 Filaka soldiers under Aidian. He had them fully armed to escort the exaktors.
Such a grand display made the exaktors of the investigation team nervous. Someone asked, "Your Highness, aren't we just going to measure land and investigate the population? Why do we need so many fully armored soldiers with us? We're not going to rob anyone."
"Are there many? For a 100-person investigation team, I've only arranged for 250 soldiers to escort them," Manuel explained very seriously. "Do you know what the land registry book compiled by William I of the Kingdom of England in Western Europe was nicknamed when he organized the cadastral survey? 'Domesday Book'!" He paused, then added, "That's the effect I'm hoping for. Now you understand why I need fully armored soldiers to escort you, don't you? For safety's sake, I suggest you also wear armor."
Upon hearing this, the exaktors understood the Crown Prince's requirements. Some of the less courageous ones gasped, realizing that the Crown Prince intended to delve into every minute detail of the lower strata this time. Although they had different interpretations of Manuel's recent statement, most had grasped the most important points.
The next day, in mid-April, after making the necessary preparations, the Theodosia Cadastral and Population Survey Team set off to investigate, escorted by guards.
Although Manuel had previously spread the word, preparing the common people and lords of Theodosia mentally, when it came to execution, many were still scared to death, as the conduct of most of these officials was truly overbearing. The polite ones would knock first, inquire if the owner was home, then enter, followed by a thorough questioning, their guards by their side, causing the heart rates of those questioned to involuntarily accelerate. Many overbearing officials would simply knock, announce, "Open up, census!" then directly barge in, and without explanation, begin to inventory the household's population and land area, while also having their guards maintain order to prevent incidents. The worst were the very few who directly ordered their heavily armored guards to smash open the door, swaggering in to investigate. When questioned by the homeowner, they shamelessly had their armored infantry give these villagers some 'warmth,' in the physical sense of the word.
However, these investigating officials were indeed all rigorously vetted and selected. Even those with crude methods accurately and quickly gathered relevant information for fifty to nearly a hundred households within a single day.
The first day of investigation concluded, and Manuel received the first batch of raw data as he wished. He was very satisfied with the efficiency of the investigation team's officials and began to consider whether to include these exaktors in the nascent civil service system he had envisioned.
As he was tidying up, many dissatisfied citizens gathered near the palace to complain. After learning about the violent actions during the investigation from these people, he, feeling quite a headache about it, first appeased the citizens with kind words. Then, he reassembled the exaktors of the investigation team, singled out a few particularly egregious officials, and severely reprimanded them, telling them to use gentler methods. "I said I wanted it to be as detailed as the Domesday Book, not for you to actually turn it into a doomsday judgment! You are there to investigate the detailed numbers of land and population, don't make it look like Tatar bandits of the Crescent Sect entering a village, understand?" Manuel said. After speaking, he had someone bring out a small bag of ducats and continued, "This bag contains over a hundred ducats. If you complete my instructions, I will distribute this bag of gold fairly among you according to your merits. Moreover, Theodosia currently lacks capable officials in various fields, so it all depends on your performance."
The investigating officials, understanding his attitude, repeatedly agreed, nodding like chickens pecking at rice. "Yes, Your Highness."
In the following days of the investigation, the common people and lords found that the previously arrogant exaktors had softened their attitude considerably. Although the investigation was still meticulously detailed and made them apprehensive, and the armored infantry still stood guard menacingly, at least their demeanor was much more peaceful. There were no more tyrannical attitudes like "Cadastral survey, open the door!" or violent acts of 'physical warmth.'
Furthermore, the previously affected common people and lords who had already been investigated received comfort from Manuel's direct subordinates. Although the sight of several burly, bear-like men politely entering their homes to deliver gifts was no less impactful than the overbearing attitude of the investigating exaktors, at least the people of Theodosia also experienced the gentleness and benevolence of their Crown Prince. The rumors that had begun to spread earlier were dispelled without effort, becoming amusing after-dinner talk in the streets and alleys. And the investigation work also proceeded much more smoothly as a result.
However, the smooth progress of the investigation and the Crown Prince's good reputation worried certain individuals. These were the local lords who had been operating in Theodoro before he took over the city, and whose positions shifted with the situation. For them, the most important thing was to preserve the ancestral legacy in their hands. Therefore, they would 'slide on their knees' when Theodoro attacked if the situation turned unfavorable, and they did not want the higher authorities to deeply understand their actual circumstances. So, facing the investigating exaktors sent by the Crown Prince, they prevaricated in every way, using various excuses to prevent them from entering to investigate. If the exaktors and their escorts tried to force their way in, they would even gather their private soldiers and household retainers to forcibly block them.
These obstructive actions even resulted in some soldiers being injured in the process. The news reached the palace at noon, causing Manuel to sneer. "Are there really such blind people trying to stop my investigation? Do they think I dare not act against them? I don't like using violent methods against my subjects, but that doesn't mean I genuinely won't use violence to enforce things. I'll show them immediately what it means for thunder and rain to both be divine grace."
He immediately summoned Badars, Aidian, and Isaac, and discussed countermeasures with them. After proper arrangements were made, he decided to intimidate several large households that occupied as much as 30 Greek acres (i.e., στρέμμα, 1 στρέμμα is approximately 991 square meters today), and to make an example of the most stubborn among them. These landowners had not participated in welcoming Theodoro at the time, nor had they actively resisted the Genoese, so they had not received any noble titles or awards. If they hadn't ingratiated themselves quickly then, their land would probably have been confiscated long ago. Such self-important troublemakers were perfect for making an example of.
The next day, a landowner awoke to find a large contingent of soldiers gathered around his estate, led by the young exaktor, Nikephoros Meaessenus, whom he had forcibly turned away the day before.
Meaessenus looked at the landowner, who was rushing to greet him in a panic, and couldn't help but stroke his short black beard and smile, "I wonder if you can let me in to investigate now, sir? This is the Crown Prince's decree."