Ch.106Land Distribution (1)

A few days after the ‘deal’ with my father was finalized.

Naturally, the ‘workforce’ I had requested wouldn’t arrive in the village immediately. For now, the village was busy dealing with the aftermath of the previous incident and welcoming the new settlers.

This pioneer village had about 30 vacant houses, so accommodating fewer than 20 families wasn’t particularly difficult. Besides, each house was relatively well-built.

Especially with two apprentice administrators joining to handle the administrative work, the settlement process was completed in just half a day.

Thanks to this swift progress, we could focus on other matters—specifically, the treatment of the prisoners currently detained in the village.

While it was essentially confirmed that these prisoners would be exchanged for mages or technicians who could repair the golem armor, we couldn’t just let these 80-plus free laborers—mostly strong adults—consume food without contributing.

So, through the newly joined chimera, I controlled and monitored them, dividing them into groups for labor.

“Come on, work! Work!”

*Slap! Slap!*

The ‘work’ consisted of simple labor where they couldn’t slack off or deliberately sabotage anything.

For example, they were sent to the forest quarry, which had been off-limits due to chimera extermination operations, or used to transport various materials—these were the most common tasks.

In particular, I used their labor generously for what I felt was lacking—specifically, the village’s defenses.

They dug shallow trench-sized moats around the wooden palisade, converted flatlands into farmland, or served as pack animals for various tasks.

Oh, and the dugout where they would stay—reinforced with wooden planks and designated as the ‘gulag’ for future prisoner detention—was also built by them.

And the welfare guaranteed to these hard laborers? Surprisingly, they were provided with two meals a day!

…Though it was oats—the least tasty grain usually fed to horses—mixed with finely ground sawdust. Combined with turnips and boiled in water using their own supplies, it was a meal even hunting dogs of stray origin would refuse.

Anyway, while these mercenaries who had attacked the village were “happily” working every day for their “rehabilitation”…

The mid-tier one was being “stored” in a petrified state as a precaution against unforeseen circumstances.

Regardless of which mid-tier it was, they were powerful beings capable of easily killing hundreds of people single-handedly. Rather than risking what they might do if released, it was better to keep them petrified.

And now, after several days in this atmosphere…

“Charlotte. Here’s a labor reorganization plan. What do you think?”

“…Hmm.”

I submitted my self-drafted plan for reorganizing the village’s labor force and administration to Charlotte for evaluation.

※ ※ ※

Until now, the village’s labor force had been distributed according to strict administrative control.

It was similar to a socialist planned economy. With the village’s small population and isolation from outside contact, this was the best approach at the time.

In a village of just 60 people, forming a market and activating trade wouldn’t be very effective. Besides, since I controlled the entire village’s food supply, this arrangement was inevitable.

Moreover, since most of the village population consisted of destitute individuals who had come alone, the lack of capital for market formation was a critical factor.

At that time, we had to build the village from scratch, so this form of organization was highly efficient, especially for preparing for emergencies.

This planned economy-like labor system and market operated very efficiently, and that remains true even now.

However, such an improvised planned economy has its limitations.

Especially now that the village population has grown to nearly 200 people, and most of the village infrastructure has been completed…

Looking at the current situation, it seems necessary to make the village’s economy and labor environment more flexible.

While we’ve been operating under a quasi-socialist planned economic system, objectively speaking, the village’s economic structure hasn’t been strictly bound by it.

Already, a small market has formed around foraged wild fruits and berries, as well as cottage industry products made in people’s homes.

In the beginning, when there were no houses or warehouses, everything was controlled from the village center. But once everyone had a place to live, I started paying wages to everyone.

…Though I reduced wages under the pretext of food supply, and without physical currency, it was just numbers and letters recorded in a ledger with their names.

Anyway, while most of the economic system was controlled in the past, from the current perspective… it’s time to loosen things up.

Despite being mostly lower-income, about 50 families who had accumulated some capital had immigrated, and since I didn’t prohibit trading in the village, stalls naturally began to appear in the open spaces.

Additionally, as news of the pioneer village spread, peddlers began to visit, and as they started supplying goods, capital and products naturally began flowing in from outside the village.

Of course, there might be some like that fur trader from before, but most became more “anger management conscious” after learning my identity and continued trading at reasonable prices.

Not only am I the future lord, but a village with 200 residents and growing is a useful market for small-scale peddlers.

As a result, rather than seeking excessive profits for a quick gain, they supplied external products at reasonable prices. Some even began taking orders, which has led to an increase in households raising livestock beyond the communal chicken farm.

As the village economy naturally forms in a market-like way—similar to North Korea’s jangmadang markets—

“At this rate, the village will soon reach its limits. So I’ve prepared this method… what do you think?”

“…It seems good enough. Each option has its reasons, and whichever we choose will have pros and cons.”

“I suppose so…”

In the administrative office, which had become separate from my house as the village expanded, Charlotte and I were discussing various proposals to reform the village’s economic structure.

The first idea that came to mind… and the one written at the top of the parchment, was nothing other than the quick establishment of a free market economy.

The plan was to increase daily wages while excluding most welfare provided at the domain level, allowing people to earn money and secure food supplies on their own.

Considering the situation, more advanced labor and products would naturally emerge according to human nature, so the idea was to trust this process and grant freedom to the village, further developing the market economy in its basic form.

However, this approach could lead to several critical flaws inherent in capitalism…

Among them, the one that seemed most likely to occur was the monopolization of goods, capital, and logistics, which happens easily in small-scale villages.

To be frank, a completely free market is only efficient when both demand and supply have a certain scale. In an isolated society with just one blacksmith and one tanner, what would happen if all restrictions were removed?

Since bringing in goods from outside isn’t easy, the village artisans would naturally charge excessive prices, leading to disaster.

“This doesn’t seem right, does it?”

“…No, it doesn’t.”

After both Charlotte and I clearly expressed our disapproval, we naturally focused on the next method I had proposed.

“But this next one… seems quite good.”

“Ah, this one?”

We were referring to what was essentially a compromise solution.