There were several special stats in Dungeon and Stone, some of which were hidden and did not affect your General Combat Power. A good example was Reputation.
Although calling it statistics is a bit exaggerated.
If your reputation was high, the people around you noticed you, increasing your chances of experiencing special events, such as unexpected searches. In other words, this statistic increased your sympathy with the NPCs you were talking to or meeting for the first time. However, it was more of a facade than anything else.
Honestly, it is nothing more than a measure of your progress.
Essentially, you could say that cause and effect were reversed in this case. It's not that the player benefited from the statistic, but that it was granted because he was already known and influential. Celebrities did not become more famous and loved because their Fame status rose. No, they were just famous from the beginning.
That's how the approval rating worked too. It increased your influence within your race while decreasing the frequency with which your peers disagreed with you. In this way, the success rate of your policies and the execution rate of your orders increased. This statistic was usually useless to normal adventurers, but it was very important to leaders.
Well, unless you were a barbarian.
[Your Pass Rate has increased by +1.]
[Your approval rating has increased by +1.]
[Your approval rating has increased by +1.]
[Your approval rating...]
[Your approval rating...]
If you followed the typical path to becoming a barbarian boss, your approval rating was very high from the beginning. After all, you had to earn it the old-fashioned way. The warriors greatly respected the chief's authority and followed his instructions without question.
The problem is that unlike other races, where you can keep your position indefinitely if you maintain a high Approval Rating, no guarantee will last forever here.
Anyone could challenge me for the position of chief at any time. Still, that wouldn't be a big problem for me. In fact, it benefited me because it meant that no matter what mistakes I made, I would never lose my boss position as long as no one could defeat me in combat.
...Still, I must strive to keep my approval rating high. If it goes down too low, all these kids will get depressed.
I was thoughtful as Ainar cleaned the store I would be moving to as the new boss. After a while, he approached me and said: «Bjorn! Why are you standing there?»
What a stupid question coming from her. «Because I'm the boss.»
«W-But... It's not fair that you make me do it alone!»
«And Ainar, now you are an old man.»
«...Old man? I?» The news of her promotion hit Ainar on the head, leaving her stunned. Was it so unexpected?
«Of course! Where could I find a warrior more reliable than you, Ainar?».
He choked on his own saliva.
«Aren't you Ainar, Fenelin's second daughter?! One of the Seven Mighty Ones, the Wild Sword?! Instead, you should ask why the former elders and boss have been treating you like an ordinary warrior all this time!»
«Well... I don't know about that, but...»
What was the reason for his sudden lack of confidence?
«I am Bjorn, son of Yandel! Chieftain of the Barbarians! A baron of the kingdom of Rafdonia! So listen to my words!»
When you wanted someone to listen to you, it was best to put your status at the forefront.
[Your Pass Rate has increased by +1.]
In the end, Ainar didn't need much to convince himself. «Is that so?»
«Sí.»
«M-Very good! So, I'm already an old man!»
«So can I ask you to finish cleaning? As a boss, I have other tasks to take care of. It is natural for an old man to help me».
«Of course! I am also happy to help».
Ainar cleaned again without question. I sat in my chair and closed my eyes. Not because I was sleepy, but because I had something to think about.
It's much worse than I thought...
The former chief had informed me of the current situation of the tribe, and things were even worse than I had imagined. There were problems with their finances, population size, general well-being, infrastructure... Finding out what wasn't a problem could be an easier task. It was a miracle the tribe worked, and I didn't know where to start.
I guess I should have known there were going to be some complications.
After sorting through the issues in order of urgency and difficulty, it became clear to me what I needed to do first and foremost.
First thing: Cabinet Reorganization.
It was the first quest he would have to tackle as a new boss, although I wouldn't exactly call it something as formal as a «reorganization».
«Hey... Bjorn?» Shortly after I closed my eyes, Ainar approached and shook me carefully on the shoulder.
«When we are in holy land, call me Chief».
«Oh, so... Chieftain...?»
«Good. What is it about?»
«I've been thinking, and don't you think it's a little unfair that I, an old man, do all these tasks?!»
Tsk. This is the problem with kids who study...
She had become a little sharper at things like this after reading all those books.
«If you don't want to do it, find another warrior to do it! Or find another old man to do it! I... I hate cleaning!»
I laughed at his bold and interested statement. «Okay, then stop cleaning».
«...Are you going to have another old man do it?».
«No. Anyway, there are no more elderly people, only you».
«...Hey? What do you mean?»
So I didn't know. I began my introduction to what happened when a new boss took power. «All the original elders retired with the former chief.»
«What?! Don't tell me all those old men left because they didn't want to recognize you as our leader».
«Calm down. That's not what happened».
At first, I had also thought that they were leaving because they were not happy with a noble becoming the boss, but it turned out that there was something else at stake.
«Are you the boss, and you're still going back to the maze? Ha ha! Well do the best you can! Don't die like last time».
The elders had been surprised by my statement that I was not going to stop being an adventurer, but they did not seem to care at all that I was a nobleman. Honestly, they were just glad they could finally retire.
«Kahaha, you're going to have a hard time. I guess young warriors like to take the hard way these days».
«Do the best you can! And if there's anything you don't know, don't bother coming to me! I'm not going to do the math anymore!»
It turned out that all the former elders were warriors who had fought alongside the former chieftain and reluctantly assumed their positions after he begged them to. The miserable old warriors had been complaining every day for years that they wanted to give up, but somehow, the chieftain had managed to convince them to take the pen as their weapon of choice.
«So don't hate them too much for trying to save a potion».
«...¿Hm?»
«I've checked, and we really have no money left in this tribe».
Ainar had complained and spoken ill of the elders for not wanting to use a potion on the former chieftain and for refusing to give the young warriors better weapons or shoes at their coming-of-age ceremony, but...
«That was...!» Now she looked like a girl who had just discovered that her parents were secretly working part-time at night to pay for her studies.
«Anyway, if there is any other warrior who deserves the role of elder, recommend him to me. You'll probably know better than me».
«That's definitely true!.. definitely true! After all, Bjorn, you are...»
"Easy."
«...Cacique, you are busy taking care of the clan.»
I sighed, grateful that she was at least willing to do that for me. Ainar recommended some warriors, but his voice faded as he scratched his head, deep in thought.
«Ainar, what is that expression about? I inquired, realizing something was wrong. «You seem insecure about something».
His shoulders sank at my question. «I've only listed my close friends who are good at fighting... but I'm not sure they live up to your expectations...».
«What do you think I expect?»
«Well... none of them can read.»
«Oh, don't worry about that.»
«Eh? Are you serious?»
«Of course.» For starters, I didn't expect to find anyone who could read. Apparently, the former elders only began to learn to read and write after becoming elders. Also... «I do not intend to entrust administrative tasks to the elderly as before».
How did you think the barbarians had gotten to this situation? We were never the type of people who read, tell or do administrative tasks.
«I only need the elders to teach our young warriors how to fight and care for each other.»
«Hey? So who's going to do everything else? No matter how smart you are, that will be too much for you alone».
I chuckled. «The answer is within the castle walls. I plan to hire humans».
I was going to hire others to do the work for me. In other words, the barbarians were outsourcing.
***
I needed an office worker who was an expert in administrative matters, and there was one person who fit the bill perfectly: Shavin Emoor, a rank seven administrative officer who turned out to be a friend of mine.
I learned from Ragna that she had recently been promoted to rank six, but had been fired shortly after for some reason.
Of course, he didn't have much chance of recruiting her. As far as I know, I had turned down Ragna's job offer to preserve their friendship, which meant I might turn down my offer for a similar reason.
At least I'll be able to get the names of some good candidates out of him.
That was all I needed now. Finding talented people was great, but first I had to raise the funds to hire them.
And what to do with the funds...
Another problem without a solution. The tribe's savings were almost at rock bottom. We barely had enough to pay for weapons at the various coming-of-age ceremonies and meals for underage warriors.
...First, I have to find a new source of income.
Instead of giving fish to a hungry person, you should teach him how to fish. To change the barbarians, I needed to completely rethink how the tribe made money. There was no point in expecting warriors active in the labyrinth to make donations or leave their property to the tribe if they died just because we were of the same race.
Money, huh?
I couldn't think of any ideas. For starters, the barbarians had lived on their small plot of land for thousands of years, so there was surely no iron ore left to extract.
And I don't like the idea of metallurgy either.
We might be able to produce high quality metal using our muscles to hit the iron, but that was it. The city's blacksmiths made armor of a much higher quality than ours, so changing our way of being to become blacksmiths was not feasible at first. It would take us time we didn't have, and our efforts would never allow us to overcome the dwarves.
...Is there really nothing we can do other than fight in the maze? Damn, what the hell are barbarians?
After cursing the situation, something suddenly occurred to me. Why were the barbarians underfunded when we were all capable of becoming adventurers? The adventurers made a decent living and then some. Not only that, our warriors were taught from a young age to pay their taxes on time to help the tribe.
«Ainar.»
Since I couldn't understand it, I decided to ask a real barbarian for advice, but her response was surprising. «That's probably because... we are poor.»
«No, I'm saying I can't understand why you are poor. Don't you all make decent money?».
«No way, it's just you! After purchasing the equipment, drinks and food, we barely have anything left!».
At first glance it was an acceptable excuse, but as an expert on everything related to barbarians, I interpreted his statement differently. The problem was not his income, but his expenses. They spent large sums on themselves and invested the excess money in the tribe. That's why we were in economic destitution.
«I... promise you that we are not stealing anything».
«I'm not saying you're doing it. Just tell me where the money you spend goes».
«...You can't tell the other warriors that I told you.»
«Lo cucumber. Date prisa y dilo».
«Well, other warriors don't like to sell their old equipment even after buying new things».
"...¿Which?"
«It makes sense, right? After wearing equipment for so long, you become attached to it... and some warriors even like to pass it on to their children!».
I was speechless.
That was the reason why the tribe had no money. It was completely ridiculous, but there was nothing he could do to fix the problem right away. Collecting equipment had become a barbaric habit, just as crows collected shiny objects. Not even the boss would have enough influence to change something that was etched in his barbarian DNA.
But still.
«But not everything is bad! Isn't collecting equipment like saving?».
Ainar's excuse struck me like lightning. «...Save?»
«Yeah. If we become famous later, we can sell it for more! It's an investment, but in a different way!»
«...Investment?»
«But of course, I'm not like that! I have a few pieces, but... I made sure none of them were the same! They are all different types of equipment, so I can use them when I need them and....»
« Hello! Are we here?»
His rambling had given me a great idea, although Ainar didn't seem to realize what he had just done.
Yes, this will be revolutionary.
There was no better word to describe it.
***
Thanks to the festival, all the barbarians living outside the tribe had returned to the sacred land. Under the bright sun, I launched myself directly into my rant, with no introduction required.
«Everyone, I have something to tell you!» As soon as everyone was gathered, I began my speech, or should I say the announcement of my first policy. «Brave warriors! I'm not like the previous bosses! I have decided to give you all a chance».
The warriors' eyes lit up when they heard the word «give». Everyone was listening attentively, curious about what he was about to offer them.
«¿Una oportunidad…?»
«I don't know what it is, but it sounds like a good thing...?»
Very well, he had managed to pique his curiosity. I had to move quickly before they got distracted, which was the barbaric way. Thanks to Ainar, I was able to come up with a plan that should educate the barbarians in economics and at the same time restore our funds.
«I am giving you the opportunity to buy land here on the sacred land!»
«...Earth?»
«Did he just say he was going to give us something? But now you want us to buy something? With money?»
The barbarians seemed confused about what he was saying. Yeah, I figured they wouldn't understand at first. He had to start from the beginning and keep things simple for his own good.
«Do you have a house in the city? Probably not, right? No, even if you have it, it is not really yours because the land is not yours. Since you are commoners, you will never really be able to own land in the kingdom!». Only nobles had that privilege. «But here, in the holy land, things are different. If you buy land here, I will make sure it remains yours, forever».
With a small property tax, of course.
«Do what you want with the land. Write your name on the earth, build a huge monument or statue, you choose».
«...Whatever we want?»
«Yes! Total freedom! Do you want to build a house? Forward. You will no longer have to sleep in a flimsy tent that will collapse in the rain. You will no longer have to buy a house in the city that will never be yours. Now you can build your own, so that even your children's children can live in it forever».
I'll let them build whatever they want. I won't even bother implementing a window tax.
«Does that sound like a good thing?» The barbarians slowly began to accept the idea after hearing that their descendants could keep the land to live on.
However, some only bowed their heads in doubt.
«But to buy land...»
«I don't know how much it will cost, but it must be expensive!».
«Is the land that valuable? I prefer to buy a weapon that I can use...»
Some of the warriors instinctively felt that something was wrong, so before the tables turned, it was time to take out my trick. «Think about it, warriors! One day, those weapons you buy will rust. But the land they buy is different. It will last forever, and one day it can be inherited to your children».
Of course, that argument would not convince the barbarians, whose motto was to live in the present.
«Plus, if you buy land, you will no longer have to pay to live in an inn or any other accommodation! Not only you, but also your children! Forever!»
However, such barbarians were also forced to spend a good amount of money on accommodation each month. His eyes widened as he realized it.
«...¡Ya veo! »
«Makes sense! If you have land, you can sleep here in holy land!».
They had finally realized the value of owning land.
«But it would be more convenient to live in the city near the maze...»
A few still expressed reasonable concerns, but they were only a small fraction of the population. I took a moment to memorize their faces. Along with the best fighters of our tribe, these warriors could become good elders in the future.
It was time to move on to the next phase.
«And most importantly...» I smiled big as all the barbarians listened silently, waiting for the big revelation. Thanks to that, I didn't have to scream to be heard. «Soon, the land here in the holy land will become expensive!»
Money was a universal motivator that crossed racial boundaries.
«It will become even more expensive over time. So even if you decide to buy the land later, you won't be able to do it anymore! It's not obvious?! Once someone buys the land, it will be theirs forever! And once all the land is sold, there will be nothing left for others to live on. So if you want land, you will have to beg others to sell theirs. You will have to pay a very high price and wait for another warrior to sell it to you».
It was the simple principle of supply and demand.
«Buying land will be difficult then. Who would want to sell valuable land on which even their children's children can continue to live? They will no longer have to spend money living in the city anymore. Oh, and if you don't buy land, your children's children will be angry with you for being forced to sleep in a tent. They will say: 'Why didn't my ancestors buy land then?».
I could see the panic in the warriors' eyes as they imagined their future grandchildren scolding them. Now that he had taken his offspring hostage, there was no need for further explanation.
«Warriors! I'll say it one last time».
I decided to conclude things like a modern politician: as tall as I could.
«A warrior never misses an opportunity before him!».
The answer to our problems was real estate businesses.