He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 180

“The important thing is justification. Just saying ‘slavery is bad’ won’t get any support, especially not from the warmongering Greenskins.”

So, what would be a good justification? Of course, you can’t just state the truth.

Saying, ‘I’m going to ruin all the cotton farms and build factories to turn slaves into workers,’ would get Golrak’s head hung on the capital’s gates that very day.

So, we need to present a justification that all Greenskins can agree with, in a sophisticated manner.

“Do you understand? That’s why I’ve called you all here.”

“Y-Your Majesty, but it won’t be easy… Most of the populace is either indifferent or conservative…”

“I know. That’s why I want you capitalists, intellectuals, and nobles to spread the word. Make it… ‘the latest trend for city dwellers’.”

So, what Golrak, influenced by me, demanded of his capitalist collaborators was, first and foremost, ‘creating a trend.’

Greenskin society, too, had its ‘celebrities’ among the ‘higher-ups’ who would lead the trends.

Currently, that’s intellectuals, nobles, and city dwellers.

The last group is the most important, as the vast majority of commoners are influenced by trends through the city.

“How long must we remain trapped in barbarism instead of civilization! What is barbarism? It is enslaving the innocent and good simply because they are weak!”

“Look at the Empire! They do not enslave their own kind! And they haven’t for thousands of years! The Beastmen across the sea are the same, and even the Elves no longer practice slavery! Only we Greenskins still have slavery!”

The speech echoes through the city streets. Those who are interested are captivated by the Goblin orator’s words.

“That’s right! We are no longer a barbaric race!”

“Slavery must be abolished!”

“We support Emperor Golrak’s slavery abolition reform!”

Following this, shills planted among the onlookers shouted. Then, the onlookers started saying things like, “Is that so?” “Maybe so.”

It worked because they were Greenskins in the city. They weren’t exactly people who needed slaves for their ‘livelihood.’

The commoner city dwellers certainly didn’t, and they were more familiar with human residents than slaves.

Even the nobles who owned slaves only had the finest, high-end slaves for show, not for livelihood, and some even freed and married those with good looks.

This originated from the tradition of granting noble status by owning human noble slaves. From the nobles’ point of view, freeing slaves wasn’t such a bad thing.

Because now there were other ways to raise their authority, and having employers or loyal subordinates who weren’t slaves was becoming a way to increase authority.

“Did you hear? Terrible things are happening in the South. They’re kidnapping human families and separating parents from their children to sell them off.”

“No, good heavens. Is that so? How could they do such a dishonorable and terrible thing?”

“It’s because adult slaves and child slaves have different values. Generally, child slaves are worthless, so they sell them off cheaply or find slave owners with special tastes.”

“Disgusting!”

Street speeches weren’t the only method. In the ‘salons,’ a culture that had begun to spread among the Greenskins, intellectuals and high-ranking individuals gathered to converse.

The topic included the reform plan, including the ‘abolition of slavery’ declared by King Golrak.

The intellectuals gathered there—Goblins, Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, and others—all criticized slavery.

“No, but slavery seems like an individual right…”

“Ahem, this person is still saying barbaric things!”

“I didn’t think you were like this! Are we still seen as people who just wield axes and cause bloodshed!”

“Ah, no. I didn’t mean it that way…”

A few oblivious individuals expressed dissenting opinions about slavery, but they were quickly denounced and either changed their minds or were kicked out.

Because ‘barbarism’ was a very sensitive topic for the recently civilized Greenskins, it was taboo among intellectuals and nobles.

Of course, it was a small secret that some were bought off by capitalist forces.

As a result, pro-abolition sentiment took hold in the cities, albeit only in parts of the East and North. As the public opinion in the cities flowed that way, the surrounding small villages also followed suit.

Because even in the same rural village, it was better to get a job at a factory than to farm cotton in the North, so there was no reason to support slavery.

But the South was different.

“What? Abolish slaves? Then who will pick the cotton?”

“No, are they really instigating like this? Do they think we forcibly kidnapped them? They all came because they were in debt!”

“Humans are bringing in Elf slaves these days… This is incitement and fabrication!”

To begin with, the stories spreading from the North were somewhat different from the truth, so there was an unfair aspect to it.

Although the trafficking of Imperial citizens was a fact, the Greenskin Kingdom was currently a slavery nation, and they had only bought the slaves that humans were selling.

Moreover, all the slaves being sold were in debt. Of course, some were unfairly in debt, but many were in debt due to gambling.

But the incitement in the North was comparing the slave owners to demons.

“I published a rebuttal in the newspaper, but it’s no use. The North’s malicious incitement is too quick. At this rate, slavery will really be abolished!”

“That can’t happen! This is discrimination against our southern tribes!”

The effect that Golrak and the Emperor were aiming for was better than expected.

Of course, the vast majority of Greenskins, the commoners, were indifferent or conservative about these issues.

But public opinion is originally advantageous to the side with the loudest voice, not necessarily the side with the most people speaking out.

In that respect, the South was giving up a step. Even if they belatedly refuted, it wouldn’t work well…

“We need logic to present as justification.”

“But how? Even if we talk about our grievances, we’ll just be treated as barbarians.”

Appealing to their grievances wouldn’t help with public opinion that treated them as ‘barbarians.’

“So, instead of talking about grievances, we need to talk about ‘logic.’ Even if it’s the same words.”

“Logic?”

But they soon found a way. Greenskins weren’t stupid.

“We must not lose the purity of our Greenskins! What is our purity? It is conquest!”

“Conquest was our inevitable destiny and desire! Slaves are the spoils of honor that conquest brings!”

“Don’t fall for the North’s deception! Those slaves abandoned by the Empire are actually receiving our grace! Everything the northern hypocrites say is a lie!”

They responded to logic with logic, literally.

It was just that the logic was a somewhat extreme conservatism like ‘pure Greenskinism.’

“Yeah, that’s right. Since when have we Greenskins cared about slaves?”

“The slaves are too full. The nobles are too doting on them.”

“We treat them so well! We give them food, clothes, a place to sleep, and save their lives.”

And surprisingly, this also gained a great response.

Rather than the public opinion in the North, these logics were more easily penetrated into rural villages where the remnants of tribal society were still strong.

“You southern barbarians!”

“Hmph! You northern guys, the shame of the Greenskins!”

“How dare you! I challenge you to a duel!”

“Come on! Do you think I’ll lose to a weakling who sympathizes with slaves!”

The clash of the two logics soon turned into social conflict.

This would have been a big problem under normal circumstances, but not for Golrak.

“It’s a little different from what I intended, but it’s generally going according to plan.”

“If you’re going to start a civil war, it’s better to have public opinion divided like this.”

“That’s true. But you mustn’t officially reveal yourself in the civil war, friend. That’s not only interference in internal affairs but also undermines my prestige. I can’t allow that.”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of doing that. I’m just tracking down suspicious guys during the civil war. I have no intention of openly interfering in the war.”

“Saying you’re not doing it openly means you’ll be interfering secretly. Well, just don’t get caught.”

What I’m aiming for here is to ferret out corrupt forces within the Empire, taking advantage of the chaos.

“Hendrik, I’m giving you a chance to make up for your mistake. Thoroughly investigate those who supplied slaves to the ‘South’ during the civil war.”

“I will obey your command, Your Majesty!”

I gave Hendrik, who had been discouraged by the failure to track down the Dawnlight Society, another chance.

The intelligence department also seemed to be starting the investigation enthusiastically.

“We might as well sell some weapons on this occasion… It would be nice to lay railroads, but that’s going to take at least five years…”

Once the research on steam-powered magic engines is complete, it won’t be difficult to introduce steam locomotives.

We’ll be rapidly advancing from a medieval world to a steampunk modern world, but at this point, there’s no need to suppress it.

“While we’re at it, should we just develop gunpowder? No, would that be more of a loss…?”

Even if not all the technologies sleeping in the Vault of Prosperity are restored, there are many quite advanced technologies.

Now, developing gunpowder is a trivial level, and I’m even wondering if I should deliberately avoid its disclosure.

Because using magic, like magic-triggered guns, requires a separate source of magic, so other races can’t easily imitate it.

Unless it’s guys like the Ratmen [Skaven] who are lurking somewhere and were already using it 3,000 years ago…

“Since technology will spread eventually, there’s no need to suppress it too much. I’ll have to release it little by little.”

After considering it, I decided that even if other civilizations develop, it would be better to gradually release the monopoly on technology.

Of course, even so, the Empire must maintain ‘technological superiority.’ So, we must adjust the pace and implement education so that we can restore and develop more technology ourselves in the future.

“Your Majesty, the intelligence department has made progress.”

“Really? That’s faster than I thought. Have you found out about those who sold the slaves?”

“Yes, it wasn’t difficult to find them. However, there was one thing that bothered me.”

“What is it?”

When I asked, thinking there was nothing more to worry about in this matter, Hendrik said with a serious expression.

“It seems that the Dawnlight Society is involved in this matter.”

“…Those guys?”

“Yes, and the second mastermind behind this slave trade was the Greenskins of Rasgar.”

“Hmm… If I’m not careful, the civil war could escalate into a proxy war.”

The scale of the war could be larger than expected.

“But it could be an opportunity instead.”

It was an opportunity to eliminate potential threats.