Come to another world and become a lord

Chapter 186 Dorenzo's New Plan

In the main hall of Snow Rock City, Lord Mia Doronso sat on the throne, swinging her two pairs of feet happily:

"I'm finally back, hahahaha!" The girl laughed, as if nothing had happened before, "Next, chop off the heads of those traitors!"

Yasha stood beside him, desperately reminding him:

"Mister Mia, Mister Mia, it's fine to chop off the traitor's head, but you must remember what I say. When Mister Karl arrives later, you must show respect."

Mia showed a dissatisfied expression after hearing this:

"But... didn't Yasha say that I am the Earl of Torrenso and the most important person here? Why do I have to please that man named Carl now?"

"This is because... because..." Before Yasha finished speaking, she heard a loud voice outside the door:

"Because I not only saved your life, but also helped you regain your territory!"

Then the door was pushed open, bringing in a gust of cold wind, followed by the sound of armor colliding. Carl was fully armed and walked steadily, his armor shining coldly in the morning light.

Next to him, Altai held a long sword, his eyes as sharp as an eagle. On the other side, the black knight Reinette was wearing black armor, exuding a terrifying sense of oppression. Her helmet covered most of her face, revealing only her blood-red eyes, which made people shudder.

Carl walked slowly towards Mia, his iron boots hitting the ground, and every step seemed to echo in the hall, making the girl's heart tremble.

She sat there blankly, her body shivering uncontrollably, and her brain completely lost the ability to think, even though thinking was a luxury for her.

Karl didn't rush to speak, his eyes swept across the people in the hall, and finally fell on Mia. There was unquestionable authority in his eyes.

Altai and Reinette stood on Karl's left and right, staring at everyone in the hall fiercely. Especially Reinette, she seemed to have a special talent in intimidating people. Just standing there made people around panic, and even Karl could feel a little uncomfortable.

As for the stupid Mia, she couldn't bear such oppression, and tears were already seeping from the corners of her eyes:

"Karl...what are you going to do?"

"Nothing." Carl's voice was low and steady. "I just heard that you wanted to execute all the traitors. This is your internal matter of Doronso, and I shouldn't have said anything. It's just... when Gamond opened the city to surrender, I promised to plead for him, that's all."

"You want us to spare Gamond?" Yasha swallowed.

"This is just a suggestion. The final decision is up to you." Carl continued, paused, and added, "After all, he is Mia's uncle. Why should a family get involved in bloodshed?"

"Okay... okay, then I won't chop off your head~" Mia stammered.

"The death penalty can be avoided, but the punishment of life cannot. Gamond plotted treason and betrayed his master, so his title was stripped, his land was confiscated, and he was demoted to a free man." Yasha added immediately, and then she looked at Carl again, and saw that he did not object, so she breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, Carl was very satisfied with this decision. He didn't care whether Gammond lived or died, but since he had promised it, this matter was related to his prestige. If he didn't protect the other party, who would be willing to listen to him?

"Then there is only one last thing left." Yasha said, leaning closer to Mia and whispering, "Mia, do you remember what I told you to do?"

"Ah, I understand..." Mia finally reacted after Yasha reminded her. After being frightened by Karl and others, the girl had lost her previous momentum and spoke stumblingly.

"Everyone...what was it? Um...we are gathered here today...not to discuss...not personal gains and losses, but..."

"The future of the North." Yasha reminded in a low voice.

"Yes, the future of the North."

She stopped talking here, as if thinking about what to say next, until Yasha handed her a parchment scroll helplessly, she unfolded it and read mechanically:

"Even though the Doronso family was prosperous, it inevitably experienced betrayal. This made me realize that a single family alone can no longer independently support the burden of the entire North. Today, the North needs a strong leader, a duke who can unite all of us and lead us to a bright future. In the past battles, Lord Carl showed unparalleled wisdom, courage, and decisiveness. He not only saved the Doronso family, but also quelled the unrest in the entire North. It can be said that without him, there would be no peace and tranquility today. Wait, Carl?"

She paused here, glanced at Karl, shrank her head, and timidly whispered to Yasha:

"Yasha, didn't you say before that I wanted to be the Duke of the North?"

"Well... Lady Mia... This may be a bit difficult, unless you want to be beheaded by Lord Carl..." Yasha whispered embarrassedly in her ear.

Mia immediately covered her neck with her hands in shock. Her eyes fell on Karl again, and then she continued to read:

"Therefore, in the name of Count Dorenzo, I propose to recommend Carl Flandal to become the new Duke of our North. His leadership has been proven in the flames of war, and his wisdom will become a beacon for our progress. Only under his leadership can the North truly unite, resist foreign enemies, and prosper. The North needs a duke, and he is, and can only be, Carl Flandal!"

With the last sentence, the people below cheered.

Inside the study of the Snow Rock Castle, the atmosphere was quiet. Although it was already spring, it was still chilly. The servants still lit the fire, and the flames emitted a faint crackling sound, casting a soft light.

Carl sat in front of the large desk, tapping his fingers lightly on the tabletop, his eyes calm, as if thinking about something. His armor had been taken off and hung on a hanger beside him. He changed into a dark robe, looking more relaxed than in the hall, his expression no longer tense, revealing a comfortable look, looking at Yasha beside him.

Yasha was reading the words on a piece of parchment. After reading it all, she put the parchment on the table and her face became gloomy.

"How's it going?" Carl asked.

Yasha shook her head.

“You want 70% of our taxes?”

"It's 70% of the surplus. In the future, 70% of the surplus from the tax revenue of Xueyan City and its surrounding areas, minus the current year's expenditure, must be handed over," Carl replied. "Of course, detailed accounts of annual expenditures must also be submitted, indicating where the money was spent and how much was spent. This is not excessive."

"Okay..." Yasha gritted her teeth and then said, "This is acceptable, but what about disarmament?"

"Reducing the number of private troops in various places and abolishing the private guards of the Torrentso family will benefit us all. The quality of the soldiers recruited by various places is uneven. It is a waste of money and they don't obey orders. What's the point of having them?"

Carl paused here and added:

"In contrast, I plan to recruit a standing army of about a thousand people in Torreso. The recruitment scope will be young men between the ages of 18 and 30 in Torreso. The service period will be five years. In the future, they will be responsible for the security of Torreso."

"This is not cheap." Yasha shook her head.

"The expenses of this force will all be borne by Rickburg. Don't worry, I don't lack the money." Carl replied confidently.

"Let's not talk about that for now. What is this "New Serf Law" about?" Yasha said, pointing to the bottom line and reading, "Any serfs from all over the country who enter Xueyan City privately, if they can maintain a stable job in the city for at least two months, their slavery will be automatically cancelled. Those who live in the city for more than one year can obtain city resident rights!"

"Yes, that's what I mean. As long as anyone who comes here can work, they can become city residents." Carl nodded in response.

"This won't do." Yasha said suddenly.

"No?" Carl frowned.

But I heard Yasha reply:

"This is competing with local lords for population. No one will be satisfied then!"

"That's why I need to prepare a standing army," Karl replied, "They won't rebel just for the loss of one or two serfs."

"You are going to offend everyone." Yasha replied.

"In fact, this is a compromise," Carl replied.

He was telling the truth. He was being polite by not directly issuing an abolition order. He needed to develop industry, which required a large number of free people and the freedom of migration. However, the serfdom bound a large population to the land, making it impossible for him to exert his power. But this was a feudal world, and its rule was deeply rooted. These lords formed the main cornerstone of the rule. He could not shake this power by himself, and could only grind it down little by little over time. And this new rule was the first step.

Of course, it is not impossible to abolish slavery. We can first consider piloting in some areas, such as Porter Village and the territories of Selena and Alia. Freeing serfs will also help the development of local agriculture. Again, through a few pilots, let others see that this method is profitable. By then, there will be no need for him to reform himself, and those lords will promote it themselves.

Thinking of this, Carl replied:

"If you are worried about yourself, don't worry. You need to implement these policies. Altai will stay here to assist you... Moreover, once these are completed, people like Gamond will no longer be a threat."

Yasha did not refute, what Karl said was right. However, when she mentioned Gamond, she showed a little dissatisfaction and said:

"You actually spared Gammond?"

"He surrendered after all." Carl said indifferently, "If he had held on, I wouldn't have been able to capture Xueyan City with my limited force."

"But you have those weapons called cannons..."

Yasha wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Karl:

"We can't blow it open. The walls of the main city are too thick."

That's right, after all, it's just a 6-pound cannon. It's okay to attack those small castles, but if it encounters big castles like Snow Rock City, Rick Castle, and Wind Candle Castle, its power is still a little lacking.

"Why, are you not satisfied with my arrangement?" he said again.

"No, I dare not..." Yasha lowered her head.

"Don't worry, I'm here. Even if he doesn't die, he won't be able to cause any trouble." Carl comforted.

"But if Aaron..."

"He won't," Carl replied, "He has given up on Torrentso's plan."

But speaking of Prime Minister Aaron, it is indeed a problem. To be honest, Karl does not want to be an enemy of him, whether for personal reasons or the situation. Now that the other party has been defeated and lost all its elite troops, it is a good opportunity. It is also time to write a ceasefire letter to Aaron.