Prime Minister Alec arrived at the office to see Queen Floria, who was engrossed in state affairs.
“Queen Floria, there has been an development in the North.”
Even though he was her father, they were in the midst of official duties. She made sure to maintain a proper demeanor when others were around.
“What? In the North?”
Tilting her head, Floria received a report from Alec. The information Alec brought was not the behind-the-scenes intelligence from the Defreya Clan, but rather public information from the civil officials. Unlike when Alec was a governor, information from the Defreya Clan was now delivered directly to Floria, who had taken over that role.
Floria’s eyes narrowed as she scanned the report. “They’re proposing annexation into our nation, are they?”
The civil officials working around her looked up at Floria’s quiet remark. Although it was phrased as a soliloquy, she had intentionally spoken loud enough to be heard. Floria was not so careless as to blurt out information that should be kept secret. Alec, who brought the report, naturally knew its contents, which was why he presented it so conspicuously. After all, information that should not be made public would not be brought in such an open manner.
Alec, aware that everyone’s gazes were fixed on him, began to share information not present in the report. “It’s still unofficial, though; it seems to have been presented as a consultation.”
“I see. So, they’re trying to be considerate of the other continent, are they?”
Until now, they had never received a proposal for annexation from the Northern Town. Razek Amamiya was well aware that the Ten Churches of the North Continent were behind the Northern Town. Even so, it would have been beneficial to procure resources and specialties from the North Continent through the Northern Town. From Razek Amamiya’s perspective, the Northern Town served as a good buffer to control the forces of the North Continent. They understood that the Ten Churches harbored a latent hostility, if not outright enmity, towards Razek Amamiya, so they had no intention of poking the bear. That was precisely why they had not actively pursued the Northern Town’s annexation.
“This information is not yet verified, but it appears their aid has been reduced.”
At Alec’s words, Floria’s eyebrows twitched. “What did you say?!”
It was an open secret that the Northern Town received aid from the Ten Churches. Perhaps the Ten Churches made no effort to hide it, as they never denied the rumors. Razek Amamiya found no particular issue with the Northern Town’s continued existence as long as it was sustained by such connections. However, if that aid was reduced, the situation changed.
“…I understand. So that’s why they’re making this proposal now.”
“Precisely.”
“It makes me wonder if that town couldn’t have handled things better up until now.”
“That can’t be helped. They are simply terrible at business.”
Floria gave a wry smile at Alec’s candid assessment.
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Considering its location, the Northern Town could have maintained its current scale without relying on aid, even if it couldn’t have developed further. They could have also used the Ten Churches’ aid to increase their population. However, the Northern Town seemed to have grown accustomed to receiving aid and made no effort to develop any unique characteristics. The result of this was the current situation, which Floria found utterly foolish. However, she was not so foolish as to voice this at the current moment. It was also true that Razek Amamiya had neglected the Northern Town’s situation. Of course, they had anticipated that aid from the North Continent would eventually cease. Once the aid was cut off, they knew the town would be unable to suddenly develop industries to sustain itself. They expected the town’s scale to shrink or for it to hope for incorporation into other towns in the East, West, and South, like Razek Amamiya.
It was also conceivable that they could be fully incorporated into the North Continent’s forces, but predictions suggested this would be quite difficult. If it were that easy to bring them into their sphere of influence, they would have been incorporated long ago. The reason this hadn’t happened was that, despite the development of sea transport, distance remained a significant issue.
“Trade is one of the most important elements of a nation.”
One of the retainers lamented this, and his colleagues around him nodded in agreement. “They’ve become too accustomed to aid and haven’t developed any industries.” Their words perfectly encapsulated the Northern Town’s plight. While they had industries to provide infrastructure for daily life, the town had very few unique industries. Even if new industries emerged, the rulers would simply exploit them for taxes, making the development of new industries a distant dream. Alternatively, merchants would offer bribes to the rulers to gain favor. In such a situation, it was impossible for skilled technicians to emerge, resulting in a lack of industries to foster the town’s growth.
In contrast, the towns in the East, West, and South, which had steadily grown over the past decade, experienced a temporary dip in revenue after being incorporated into Razek Amamiya. This was due to the imposition of national taxes. However, within five years, they were able to collect more taxes from these towns than before incorporation. Consequently, the taxes paid to Razek Amamiya also increased. More taxes meant more financial transactions, leading to a stable population increase. The surrounding towns and villages also grew in scale as a result. The Fifth Floor, now the capital, was developing even more rapidly. The Northern Town, which had come seeking incorporation into Razek Amamiya, was now hoping to be part of this trend.
“Well, since their current constitution is problematic, our demands will naturally be stricter.”
For once, Floria smiled with a wicked grin. The civil officials either returned a wry smile or mirrored her expression. After a decade of no engagement, it was inconvenient to be approached now. Fortunately, Razek Amamiya had proven over the past ten years that it could thrive without the Northern Town. There was no need to take on a town that would be a burden. They intended to use this as leverage to present demands that would force the town to reform its current system. In some cases, they might even consider replacing the entire leadership. However, they had no intention of going that far, as it would likely provoke too much backlash. Still, they could not allow the town to believe it could continue to reap benefits as before. Thoroughly incorporating the Northern Town would require a delicate balancing act. Frankly, they expected that by demonstrating their unwillingness to acquire a city that would likely become a hindrance, they could secure the acceptance of certain demands.
“While the fine-tuning will come later, we must at least clearly establish our demands.”
Alec said this, turning his gaze to the civil officials, who nodded in agreement. “We have something we considered previously. We’ll adjust that and show it to you.”
“Please do. And make it as quick as possible.”
At Alec’s words, the civil officials bustled into action. Watching them, Floria contemplated that a major turning point was likely approaching for Razek Amamiya.
This chapter was from Razek Amamiya’s perspective. The Northern Town, which survived on the “sweet sap” from the North Continent. What choice will they make to survive in Razek Amamiya? And what about the Blue Church?
