He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 179

“The Dawn Radiance Society, who are these losers now?”

As I was smoothly managing the empire’s internal affairs from the Throne of Prosperity, I began to see troublesome messages that were like thorns that couldn’t be pulled out.

[The ‘Dawn Radiance Society’ is secretly plotting.]

[If you do not track down and crush the plot, a crisis may occur.]

It wasn’t like there hadn’t been criminals or plotters before.

Most of them were detected and crushed by the Throne of Prosperity.

But these Dawn Radiance Society guys were a bit special.

“You failed to track them?”

“……I am sorry, Your Majesty. Please kill me.”

“I cherish Hendrick too much. Would I punish you for something like this? However, not even grasping their outline is definitely a problem……”

Unlike other guys who were quickly caught and crushed by the Counterintelligence Knights, these guys couldn’t even be tracked in the first place.

It was impossible to find their location even with the throne’s functions. Why? I could only assume that criminals were learning how to avoid the throne’s detection.

“To be honest, I doubt whether there is even a criminal act, let alone an outline. Of course, I am not questioning Your Majesty’s decree, but……”

“The throne may have made a mistake, but I think they are using clever tricks. This issue should be postponed until a more visible problem arises. But don’t give up tracking them; continue to pursue them.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

After giving appropriate instructions, I fell into deep thought.

The empire is enjoying its golden age as I declared, but as light grows, so does the shadow, and the number of those who operate in the dark is also increasing.

Trivial criminals or stupid rebels who still haven’t forgotten the old days of wealth and glory are not a problem.

The problem is cunning guys like this Dawn Radiance Society, and the infiltration of external forces, not internal forces within the empire.

Those two types are difficult to detect even using the throne’s functions.

“Improving the counterintelligence system is important, but… I have no choice but to solve the problem directly.”

It’s the way I’ve always done things. There’s a saying that you can’t rule a country on horseback, but in my way, I can’t rule properly just sitting on the throne.

“First, let’s move on to external issues rather than internal empire problems. Prime Minister Bright, are there any reported matters?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Currently, there are reports regarding the Greenskins, Elves, Demons, and Beastmen.”

“One in each direction: east, west, south, and north.”

I’ve felt this way before, but the empire is vast, yet it feels surrounded on all sides.

Feeling that way again, I chose the issue to deal with first.

“Let’s deal with the Greenskin issue first. I need to pay special attention to the Western Territory.”

In the north, there is Grand Duke Hector; in the south, Governor Orlant; and in the east, the Purification Order, which obeys Stella’s orders.

However, the west has many underdeveloped aspects, and the ruling power is the Rangers, whose primary role is soldiers, so there are some unstable aspects.

It feels like a sore finger or a child that needs more attention, so I needed to pay more attention to it.

“So, what’s the problem?”

“That is… it seems that human trafficking is occurring.”

“Human trafficking? To the Greenskins?”

“Yes, it seems to be human trafficking targeting the residents of the Western Territory, not internal human trafficking among them. I think we need to examine the local situation directly, but…”

“That’s not good.”

The Greenskins, especially Golak’s Greenskin Kingdom, are our allies. Gorgatz’s hordes are still hostile, but Golak’s kingdom is blocking them.

So, we can’t just turn our backs on them, but the sensitive issue of human trafficking has occurred.

“That’s strange; Golak isn’t the type to recklessly push such a thing.”

Golak also didn’t want to turn against the empire. They are latecomers to civilization and are too busy promoting development.

There seemed to be some special circumstances.

“Whatever the case, I cannot leave imperial citizens to be dragged into slavery in another country. I will go and find out myself.”

It’s another imperial visit, but now the burden of the throne being empty has been greatly reduced.

That’s because Sarah can sit on the throne in my place and take over my role, and long-distance communication is possible even when I’m away.

So, without any burden, I headed to the Western Territory and left for Golak’s Greenskin Kingdom, where I heard unexpected words.

“A company belonging to our empire is involved in human trafficking?”

As soon as I heard that news, I was furious, needless to say.

* * *

“Legion Rangers, advance!”

“For the Emperor!”

Thump, thump, thump-

The Legion Rangers, who escorted me, walked with a majestic appearance.

Unlike the Capital’s Guard Legions, these men, who inherited the characteristics of the Rangers, were skilled in searching, scouting, stealth, and concealment even with their huge bodies.

Of course, their combat power is also outstanding, as befitting a Legion. The huge steel crossbows on their backs were nothing less than their symbol.

“They are always incredibly elite, Emperor. Their qualities as warriors are great, but I envy their armaments as well.”

“Your Greenskins will soon be able to have armaments no different from those, Golak.”

Golak said enviously as he watched the Legions parade with the Greenskin Guards.

Golak’s Greenskin Guards also have their own elite qualities, but their armor and weapons are somewhat inferior to the Legions.

“But I didn’t come here to talk about that today. Is what you said before true?”

“Of course. How could I recklessly make such an accusation? Of course, the perpetrators of human trafficking are tribal chiefs who are increasingly disobeying my control, but there is definitely an imperial financial company behind them.”

“Financial company……”

It was radical, but as merchants were transformed into capitalists and entrepreneurs, financial companies naturally emerged as well.

Of course, it is difficult to expect such a highly developed level as modern Earth, and it is fortunate if they can barely run banks or primitive stock systems.

“Their methods are very clever and sophisticated. They don’t kidnap people with brute force. They maliciously put imperial citizens in debt and make them become slaves themselves, then bring them here.”

“So that’s what it was……”

The throne’s system cannot detect everything.

It roughly detects things that are judged as ‘enemies of the empire’.

But is usury [excessive interest] really an ‘enemy of the empire’? This is an ambiguous issue. In name, it is a healthy financial activity.

Of course, the guys who intended this must have cleverly committed crimes while avoiding my eyes, so it was proof that criminals are learning day by day.

“But Golak, there are also problems in Greenskin society. Even now, Greenskins use slaves as a kind of display of wealth.”

“There’s no excuse for that. But I used the method of bestowing human slaves as a way to establish authority among the Greenskins. I’m reducing it as much as possible now, but there’s no justification for stopping them from trading with each other even if I don’t bestow them.”

“Justification… That’s an encouraging story. In the past, you would have chopped off the head of anyone who didn’t listen with an axe, right?”

“……Well, I’ve changed a lot since I became a father. Come to think of it, your wives have also had children, right?”

“Hmm… let’s talk about that later.”

Come to think of it, I’m also a father, so I’m not in a position to say anything to others. This is truly a sign of the times.

“I understand your situation. But are all the slaves who are trafficked used only for display? Even if the companies that sell them are not rich, the tribes that buy them are not very wealthy, right?”

Of course, that’s the only way it can be. There’s no way they’d sell slaves made with debt cheaply, and if they bought them in large quantities, there must be another use.

“Of course. There isn’t just one use, but the biggest use is cotton.”

“Cotton? Are you talking about the cotton that makes cotton fabric?”

“That’s right. They are buying them as slaves to pick cotton in the cotton fields. Of course, the high-quality ones are used for other purposes. In other words, the tribes’ main livelihood is that cotton farming. They sell cotton and some other profitable crops to the empire.”

I finally got a grasp of what was going on.

Imperial companies provide slaves through legal and illegal means, Greenskin tribes make cotton with those slaves, and that cotton is provided back to us.

A cartel based on this cycle has been created.

“It’s an inefficient thing in the long run.”

It seems like this structure is generating profits right now, but cotton farming using slave labor is just a business destined to crash.

There are several reasons. Cotton fabrics are items that will face oversupply unless there are unlimited additional sales outlets, because people don’t buy clothes infinitely.

It would be good to continue to develop that market, but it is impossible due to the empire’s circumstances. The domestic market in the empire is limited, and sales to potential enemy countries surrounded on all sides are limited. It’s not like there are colonies to dump the waste on either.

A bigger problem than this is the opportunity cost. No matter how good the profit is, cotton farming is still agriculture.

Now is the time for both the empire and the Greenskin kingdom to modernize, but if they stick to agriculture, they will just become a banana republic [a politically unstable country dependent on the export of a limited-resource product]. So, it’s inefficient in the long run.

“I know that too. But the base of capitalists is too weak in our kingdom. There is no way to check the farms of the large landowners.”

“We could invest in you, but is that so?”

“I would be grateful if you invested… but even if we build factories, there aren’t many workers. Not only workers, but there are few people to consume them, because slaves don’t have income.”

It is a typical limitation of a slave economy. The reason why slaves disappeared when the Roman Empire collapsed and why the United States abolished slavery even by fighting the Civil War in the 19th century was not only for moral reasons but also for economic inefficiency.

It means that wage laborers are needed rather than slaves.

Come to think of it, this structure was very similar to the United States at the time of the Civil War.

The conflict between the landowners of cotton farming and the capitalist forces… It’s almost the same except that it’s a monarchy instead of a republic like the United States.

“Then there’s only one way: free the slaves.”

“Wouldn’t that cause a civil war?”

“Hey, what’s wrong with Golak? Are you afraid of civil war? If it were you in the past, you would have used it as an opportunity for a purge.”

“……Hmm, that’s true. I guess I’ve become too soft.”

My lips curled up as Golak readily admitted it.

“Of course, I will also help, so let’s give it a try. Who knows, you might be called a liberator later thanks to the achievement of freeing slaves.”

“I never thought I would hear such a thing while living as a Greenskin.”

Golak and I chuckled at the thought of purging the disobedient guys. Both Golak and I were now seasoned rulers.