Build a Human Empire by Creating Clans

“Only the land you cultivated yourself will be recognized as your possession and you will not receive rent.”

“That, that’s…”

He raised his right hand to block it and continued speaking.

“It is not only rent that is exempted. It covers all special taxes, such as facility usage fees such as mills and common stoves, permits required to raise animals and plants, and military taxes.”

Taxes vary greatly in this world.

There was no tax law, and it was a tax that was handed down as needed.

‘Even within the same territory, some fields take 20% rent, some fields 30%, and some fields take 10% religious tax first, and then 20% of what’s left is set and collected according to a custom that doesn’t know when it started.’

And taxes were not limited to land or religion.

I just put a foreclosure ticket on everything.

‘Because people want to eat even a penny more.’

Showing such desire is special.

Special tax is a word that covers all taxes other than rent and religious tax.

It really has all sorts of things attached to it.

From usage fees for facilities built and maintained by the lord, such as mills and public stoves, to the payment of some of the animals and plants raised, the right to install windows, and the death tax when a family member dies, the lord made and collected taxes at will.

Because the lord is the king of the yeongji.

I had declared that I would not accept it all.

“So… are you saying that you will be exempted from paying taxes?”

The village chief’s voice trembled.

“Yes. 5 years from this year. exempt from all taxes This is immediately applied to all territories in my territory, and if thereafter, if a migrant or pioneer comes, he will be tax-free for 5 years from the moment he becomes a resident.”

The village chiefs opened their eyes wide and looked up at me.

Not only the village headman, but also the villagers watching the surroundings were the same.

It was a sound that could be considered crazy beyond shocking.

‘This is an investment. An investment that will attract pioneering and migration.’

How much is the tax coming from a place with a total population of less than 5,000?

In the Middle Ages, the standing army was about to become one by collecting taxes from 100 people.

It was a place where wars were frequent or taxes were collected harshly, and it rose to three people.

1% of 5,000 is 50 and 3% is 150.

‘I have a skill. It is a skill that produces a soldier that does not require maintenance costs at a rate of 1 every 3 days. No matter how low their level is, they are superior to farmers. It even has equipment. But what do you mean by turning the pioneers into a standing army?’

Even if they didn’t hire a standing army, just enough to feed and house 50 people was not worth much even if they were taxed.

I was not an inland small lord.

It was a situation where I couldn’t live satisfied with my current life.

A cataclysm will come when the different races will try to conquer mankind, and to prepare for it, Olymus and the Great Plains must be developed.

The development of this vast land had to be done by human hands.

There was an absurd lack of hands as a follower.

In other words, very, very many pioneers were needed.

‘There has to be something that will attract the settlers. Tax exemption will be one of the lures.’

The timing was also right.

Land development in the inland area, which is the stronghold of mankind, ended a long time ago.

The land is saturated because the land has been completely cleared.

In the long peace, dissolute and corrupt lords were everywhere.

Yeongji-min, suffering from tyranny, escaped and became a pioneer.

I was planning on casting the bait there.

‘Tax exemption is not enough. I have to acknowledge ownership of the land I have pioneered, add indemnity for crimes committed in the old territory, and spread rumors about the gold mine so that I can’t stand it.’

“Mobilization will also not be done free of charge in the future, and appropriate compensation will be given. However, mobilization necessary for regional defense is an exception.”

“That’s enough!”

The village chief waved his hands and bowed politely.

It seemed like he couldn’t handle it because he had been given so much.

When I met him, his expression, which had been harboring a lot of worries, was filled with bewilderment.

Originally, what they were worried about was tyranny.

He must have feared tyranny as much as he feared the hunting and looting of the different races.

I came here because I couldn’t stand the tyranny.

“If you have nothing more to say, go back. When the time comes, I will send my people to guide you. Until then, watch and wait.”

I sent them back and called Kistler aside.

“I heard that you are a monk.”

Kistler seemed surprised for a moment, but responded calmly.

“It is a thing of the past.”

“I hate wolves. We will forbid the preaching of the Wolf Cult in my territory.”

“You don’t have to worry. I have abandoned my faith in Horbid.”

“is it.”

“yes. It is here that I have awakened to a different faith.”

‘Another belief?’

I looked into Kistler’s eyes and read something resolute.

As if he had made some resolution, he was in a state of immobility.

A sense of déjà vu passed by, and the meaning was read.

‘Is it me?’

The eyes the people of this world sent to me in countless episodes.

It was the light of blind faith.

‘If it’s natural, then it’s natural.’

Even if trust is broken, it will be reattached.

However, it is different in what attaches broken beliefs.

The fact that I made a deal with Laeragon.

That I have the strange power of Gyeok.

It is enough to restore faith to a monk who has lost faith.

‘I really don’t like it.’

He is neither omnipotent nor omniscient, yet he calls himself God.

How is it different from just a strong man in the neighborhood saying I am God?

If it was a game, it would have been accepted as a concept, but in reality it was a comedy.

I frowned and was about to shout at Kistler, but I looked at Calliope.

Sharing her thoughts, she looked at me with an expressionless face as always and shook her head.

‘Better than trusting a dog.’

“…”

It was a thought with many meanings.

‘It’s a world where superhuman powers exist. Not having faith in God would be close to impossible.’

As Calliope said, a person would be better than a dog if you would believe it anyway.

I looked up at the sky for a while and saw Kistler again.

“I won’t ban it as long as it doesn’t cause trouble in the territory.”

“thank you. I will never disappoint you.”

###

Shortly after the chiefs left, a group of people on horseback came to Olymus.

Their appearance was not that of a pioneer, and they were armed and did not hide their ferocious spirit.

A red cloth hung from a long pole fluttered in the wind, revealing an embroidered lion’s head.

“Listen to the lowly things that live on this earth!”

The voice of the armored rider spread out loud.

“The Lord of Turan, Count John Doreen, who was appointed by the grace of the noble Horvid, told me that you, lowly, acted on behalf of the Count and denied ownership of this land, and you will be punished for your sins!”

fool people too

###

bang!

Count John Doreen struck the table with his fist.

The table was shattered by the fist filled with magical power, and the food placed on it spilled out.

The maids who were standing on either side of it, waiting on it, were startled and backed away.

“Tell me again!”

“Sir Anton appears to have been murdered.”

“Who dares!”

The food he was chewing splashed out of the earl’s mouth.

The maids trembled and bent down to clear the spilled food.

“The news from Morena says that Sudret has sent a lord.”

Morena was a village pioneered by the Count’s resident who escaped.

The count quickly recognized this and sent a knight to subjugate it more than ten years ago.

Since then, Morena has been given the role of always staying as the count’s agent and reporting high taxes and the situation in the frontier.

“In Sudlet? Leave it alone and come now? Were you not interested in the frontier?”

“I think so too, but the reports say so…”

“so? Are you saying that the newly appointed lord killed Anton?”

“no. They say the elf killed it.”

“Elf?”

The count blinked at the unexpected words.

His clenched fists loosened, and he made a bewildered expression for a moment.

But soon the neck was stained red.

“dog sound!”

The Count kicked the maid who was crouching right in front of her.

The maid, who was cleaning up the discarded food, fell to the ground without even a word of resistance.

At the same time, several pieces of food in the pocket fell out of the larynx.

“Sorry, sorry…! Kyaaak!”

Before the dark-skinned maid could flop down, the Count kicked her vigorously.

“Hey, you thief!”

In the Count’s eyes, he could only see the maid putting some of the food that was no different from garbage into her pocket, but she couldn’t even see the maids’ emaciated appearance from starvation.

It wasn’t until after a while that the annoyance subsided and I scrubbed my blood-stained shoes on the floor.

“Why did the elf kill Anton? How much is the sacrifice I gave to them!”

“Isn’t the lord from Sudret? Maybe they fed more than we did?”

The count hardened his expression.

Of course it could.

The Earl of Doreen had his own way, but it was by northern standards in Wallochia.

On the other hand, Sudret was a great nobleman of Germania, and wielded authority comparable to that of a king.

Its prestige was so high that even in the hostile country of Wallochia, no one was aware of it.

There was no way that such a sudlet would not know the situation of the frontier at all, but the lord was sent.

Can you be naive to think that you sent it without any action?

‘Sudret, did that damn Germania cheat?’

Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and raised his anger.

“But it’s strange that you’re suddenly concerned about the frontier.”

The old vassal, who had been silently keeping his seat, opened his mouth.

“weird?”

“Isn’t it? Abandoning it for over ten years, and suddenly sending the lord? Wouldn’t it be more persuasive to say that he was sent into exile?”

That statement also made sense, so the count sat back in his chair and rested his chin on his fist.

“Hmm… how do you explain Anton’s death?”

“Sir Anton was a high-ranking knight, but his opponent is a sadlet. If he was exiled, he must be a person with something that he cannot choose to be executed. Isn’t that what happened to Sir Anton?”

“Right. It deserves it.”

The Count and his younger brother, Jeremy Doreen, intervened.

“Why don’t we check it out, bro?”

“To whom?”

“That’s right, to the elves…”

“You idiot!”

Jeremy turned to avoid the flying chunks of meat.

“You’re doing this because that’s not possible! They’re a race that doesn’t even talk to us that our ears get dirty! While receiving the offering! But I can’t believe they say they killed Anton and saved the lord!”

Jeremy blushed at the disgrace he suffered in front of his vassals.

It was John’s nature to be relentless even against blood.

The ferocious momentum to pull out the sword at the waist while trembling violently.

Jeremy couldn’t bear to complain and bowed deeply.

“Poem, I made a mistake.”

“I think the lord is trying to trick me. If you’re a northerner, you know that you’re going to die from a different race, and you’re going to talk bullsh*t to get rid of my involvement. Isn’t it?”

“It seems so.”

Jeremy agreed with a servile smile.

Then, the vassals who had only noticed each other followed suit.

“It is clear that Sudret lied.”

“That’s right. It makes fun of us.”

“My thing is that I trusted my back and went out! We must lead by example!”

Sparks flew at them, and the vassals of Tusera raised their voices.

“quiet!”

The count’s gaze turned to the first vassal he reported to.

“Is there anything else you want to say?”

“They say they have permission.”

“What permission? to whom?”

“It is for all races. So, it is said that a proclamation was issued throughout the frontier to guarantee the safety of not being hunted.”

“under!”

A burst of laughter broke out.

The silence and anger from earlier had gone, and the count and his vassals burst into laughter alike.

“There is nothing more to hear. This made it clear. It must have been a bluff to deceive me.”

The vassals nodded their heads back and forth.

Their reaction was not outrageous.

Rather, it was a reaction closer to common sense.

‘Get permission from a different race? You’re an idiot who heard about a different race.’

The humans who knew the different races as well as the pioneers were the nobles of the north.

They had suffered the humiliation suffered by the pioneers until the notice that they were allowed to enter the Great Plains out of nowhere.

Shame became a bone-chilling experience and left no room for concern about how the different races viewed humans.

‘They never see humans as humans. At best, he’s an obedient monkey.’

A forgotten feeling of humiliation welled up, but more than that, the fear was young.

I quickly put my trembling hand on my lap and pretended nothing was wrong.

Even though the Count was over 50 years old, even though it had been decades, his body did not forget the fear.

Just hearing about the different races made my body immediately tense and stiff.

‘I’ll have to step on this insignificant kid before he gets worse.’

It was like declaring war by killing the count’s vassal, Anton.

Even if it wasn’t for that, the count thought he was a guy who shouldn’t be left alone.

If left alone, the frontiers occupied so far would be passed over by a hollardang.

Because the Count knew better than anyone else how sweet the word security would sound to pioneers suffering from threats from different races every day.

“I have to catch that madman.”

“Aren’t you going to kill me?”

“Sudret will pay a fair ransom, so why kill him?”

The Count rose from his seat.

“Prepare to launch!”

“How many will we collect?”

“Anyone who can ride a horse! Even a madman is not the one who killed Anton. If we are careless and see unnecessary damage, only we will be in trouble. And it’s difficult to meet the different races wandering the Great Plains. At least we need to be dressed up so they’ll think we’re not prey.”

“All right.”

The Count added that infantry was not needed.

“and. Send someone first to offer surrender. It won’t work, but if it does, I’ll be able to relieve my hands.”

“yes!”

As the vassals left and the silence fell, the count looked at the man who had been silent until now.

The man was sitting between the count and the broken table.

He held a teacup and bowl in his hands, and smiled as he sipped the cooled tea.

“You’re in trouble.”

“Nothing to worry about.”

Unlike his vassals, the Count responded politely.

However, the other party murmured.

“Is that so.”

In response, the Count twitched his eyebrows and wrinkled his forehead.

It was clearly an expression of suppressed anger, but the anger did not come out of the mouth.

‘bouncer···!’

The opponent was Pinto, a target of Wallochia.

I wonder how a merchant could be arrogant with a nobleman, but he was an exception.

They were the subjects of tax exemption from customs duties between territories under the guarantee of the National Assembly.

The basis was a merchant, so there was no territory or military force, but there was a huge amount of money.

Depending on whose hands this money is put, the weight of the North is tilted.

And now part of it was in the Count’s hands.

The rudeness had to be laughed off.

“I will catch the kid myself. The estate will be confiscated.”

“Ugh. How about bringing that lord over to us instead?”

“Don’t be afraid! my man died Not a janitor, but a knight! A knight is killed, but the lord stands by? It is unforgettable.”

The Count raised his voice and spoke clearly, but Pinto’s reaction was still sluggish.

Again, he was asking with a look on his face.

Is that really all there is to it?

The Count averted his gaze while making a loud noise.

“Count. It must be clear who the human representative of the Great Plains is in order for the deal to take place. Only one transaction. That way I can sit in the same seat as him.”

He, the same, entered the word power.

The count’s face stiffened with tension for a moment, then relaxed.

“Of course.”

“Then I will trust you and wait.”

Pinto put the teacup and bowl on the chair and went out at a leisurely pace.

The Count glared at his back and squeezed his hands in his lap.

‘A bug-like merchant. Who are you intimidating?’

The deal Pinto said.

It was a business that the Count and Pinto were running in secret.

Customers were heterogeneous, and the product was something indescribable.

For this special and exceptional deal, the Count had to be the human representative.

No one but me represents the frontier, so you have to do business with me.

And that was the real reason to conquer Olymus.

A frontier has a lord, and that lord claims possession of the entire frontier?

If left as it is, the frontier will be taken away, or the representative will become two.

The Count never intended to share the gains.

‘The owner of the frontier is only me. It’s a pity that Anton died, but if I can get Olymus and get rid of Sudret’s intervention at this point, it’s a win.’

He smiled as he bit hard.

‘Let’s see. I’ll get out of this damn north and go to the center. Let’s see if he’ll be that confident even after that time.’

###

I touched my ears at the booming voice.

“The Count said that if you admit your guilt and hand over the territory even now, you will not be asked for more sins! Will you admit your guilt!”

There was a rider who came out of nowhere on the hill ahead and threw a declaration of war.

There were two escorts next to the rider, and when I opened my eyes, I could see their level.

【Lv. 13]

【Lv. 19]

【Lv. 11]

‘As expected, the level of humans is far lower than that of the other races.’

“What would you like to do?”

At Calliope’s quiet question, I looked at her.

“Can you catch it?”

Instead of answering, he silently nodded.

“Catch it. Don’t kill me.”

“All right.”

Calliope bent over and picked up three pebbles from the dirt floor.