Barov rushed back to the town hall office and slammed the door shut.
Good grief, he touched the God's Stone on his chest. Your Highness is truly possessed by the Devil. While there were vague suspicions before, he can now be almost certain that the person who just spoke to him couldn't possibly be the Fourth Prince.
We can understand drastic personality shifts or eccentric behaviors, but suddenly grasping knowledge about things never encountered or mastered? Such occurrences only appear in God's Word biographies. Yet the legends all describe God manifesting in mortals to guide humanity through crises. When did the Devil start doing the same?
If Roland Wimbledon were to govern his domain as the capital did (though that would be challenging), Barov wouldn't be surprised. Though the Fourth Prince is often dismissed as unlearned, his character can be concealed. Who knows—someone might even secretly teach him how to rule a city, or even a nation.
Yet the proposals and plans Prince put forward were completely unknown to the Minister's Assistant. Having spent twenty years in the Royal City Hall as the Chancellor of the Exchequer's subordinate, he was thoroughly familiar with the structure and operations of the municipal administration. The ministers were assigned different responsibilities, and apart from private agreements, none of them would account to each other in public.
After the King issued an edict, the receiving Minister would delegate tasks to his subordinates. Each Minister wielded their own influence and operated with distinct styles. Take Steelheart Knight, who oversaw the defense of Graycastle's capital. His command controlled hundreds of patrol units and mercenaries, wielding significant sway over the city's shadowy underground organizations. He would charge into battles with his men, and even nobles targeted by him would find it hard to remain in the city—either fleeing the capital or facing imprisonment.
Not only the capital, but also other cities.
To serve as a subordinate to the Lord or the King, one must first be a noble with a vast estate.
If one lacks sufficient resources to recruit subordinates, must they rely solely on personal effort? The more personnel one possesses, the more they are valued by superiors—after all, it is common knowledge that a larger workforce facilitates smoother operations.
Yet Prince's approach completely overturned Barov's principles. Both ministers and their subordinates were recruited and paid by the town hall. This meant that if a minister was no longer in office, a new one could be appointed—sometimes even directly promoted from among the staff.
This represents a completely new system. Barov is certain that Prince aims to establish a political framework entirely distinct from the Graycastle elite.
Some might dismiss this as mere whimsy of Roland or the self-righteousness of a layman, but the Minister's Assistant saw it differently. He picked up a quill pen and meticulously transcribed Your Royal Highness's requests onto the paper.
These plans are meticulously designed, with every detail carefully considered.
First, it involves managing daily activities such as eating, drinking, and toileting.
Barov was well aware that tighter control over the people would expedite the execution of Lord's orders. Yet this approach would also exponentially increase the administrative workload. First, where could they find enough literate personnel? Second, the additional compensation burden would be a heavy load for Lord's subordinates, with few willing to take on such responsibilities.
Now consider Your Highness's other two measures: recruiting civilians into the town hall and conducting education for all citizens.
As he ran his fingers over the two lines of text, a shiver ran through his heart.
What would Border Town look like if Your Highness fulfilled both of these conditions?
Any ordinary citizen could read and write, and the town hall could always find a large pool of qualified candidates whenever it needed to expand. This, in turn, would drive the spread of education—access to schooling would open doors to lucrative positions in the town hall, along with social advancement. Before long, everyone would actively pursue education, even if they couldn't afford it themselves, and would consider sending their children to school.
With all previous employer salaries covered by the town hall (Lord Roland), commoners no longer needed to spend a single copper eagle on building their own teams. This effectively abolished the longstanding restriction that only nobles could afford to serve as administrative officials.
Undoubtedly, only Devil could devise such a shocking system.
Barov took a deep breath and clenched the God's Stone in his hand. Now, only one question remained: Could the Devil also be kind?
Roland would be the first to object if called a villain.
To him, the Fourth Prince's actions could even be regarded as the deeds of a virtuous monarch. Even the legendary accounts of the King in historical records failed to match his devotion to the lives of his subjects. He stood guard with his people at Border Town, spent lavishly on provisions to ensure everyone survived the Demon's Month, brought Devil's technology and tools to aid the town's development, and even had Devil's henchman Witch wield her powers to improve the people's lives.
Barov suddenly realized that even if Roland became the king of Graycastle, it might not be such a bad thing.
Recalling his father's admonition—' Don't say what shouldn' t be said, don't ask what shouldn' t be asked '—he resolved to keep his discovery to himself. Since he was Devil, he would inevitably clash with the Church. If the timing wasn't right, he could still act as an undercover whistleblower and witness within the Devil's ranks.
He rang the bell, summoning Senidal, the newly appointed member of the municipal council.
Unlike the clumsy and arrogant Knights, this young man from the Wolf Clan stands out remarkably. Though he still carries a hint of Knight pride, he at least obeys his orders.
"Teacher, what is it?" he said as he entered the room.
"Your Highness needs to establish a new department overseeing crop cultivation and supervision, requiring two apprentices to assist with documentation," Barov repeated Roland's request. "Additionally, you must select ten qualified candidates from the municipal archives and conduct a screening process. Though they are commoners, Your Highness insists on incorporating them into the municipal administration. If any of them excel, they might even become heads of the Ministry of Agriculture. Sigh..." He paused. "First, document the results with them. I'll transfer you back after the spring plowing." "Teacher, only two are needed," he declared confidently. "I'm well-versed in this." "You?" Barov froze momentarily.
"Yes! Before becoming a Knight, I helped my father manage the farm and was well-versed in wheat cultivation," Senith paused. "But when Your Highness asked about my other skills, I didn't mention them... because I was afraid he'd send me to work the fields alongside the serfs." Barov felt a surge of pride. With his education and practical knowledge of farming, he was the perfect candidate to lead the Ministry of Agriculture even if commoners joined. For now, Senith was on his side. If he became the leader, he would gain influence over the Ministry of Agriculture.
"Very well," he said, turning the assessment into a promise of benefits, "work hard, and you might even climb to a higher position than before." After Seni left, Barov leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of relief.
Now that he knows Your Highness is Devil, he must cling to power even tighter. Devil is always fond of ambitious people—a trait frequently documented in God's biography. To him, whether the power bestowed by the King or granted by Devil, both are equally sweet.