Chapter 56: Side Story: Meanwhile, in the Capital (2)

While the Central Army was firing round after round at the Duke of Barelmud, back in the capital.

“Ugh, why are there so many documents?”

A young woman seated in Carolus’s office let out a long sigh as she paused her writing, lamenting how long she’d have to keep up this work.

“Are you doing all right, Madam Councilor?”

“I’m still holding up, barely. My head’s just spinning from staring at paperwork for days on end.”

Her secretary, who had been standing nearby, asked with concern.

Camilla von Arschach waved a dismissive hand in response.

She wasn’t physically exhausted or on the verge of collapse.

It was just that, after being buried in endless documents and reports for days, her mental stamina was wearing thin.

Compared to the soldiers risking their lives on the battlefield right now, her complaints felt laughably privileged.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of irritation, and she sighed inwardly.

“The purges were too extreme. Arresting and executing every noble indiscriminately was a bit much…”

How had it come to this?

The reason was simple.

The original handlers of the documents she was reviewing had all met their end on the execution block.

Carolus’s abrupt and brutally efficient second coup left deep scars on the kingdom—not just politically but across its entire hierarchical and administrative systems.

The logic had been straightforward, if a noble lived in the capital and their name included “von,” they were considered complicit in or supportive of the monarchy’s resistance and sent to the people’s court.

The result was a massive vacuum in leadership.

About 30% of the parliament members were gone.

Roughly 20% of the treasury staff had disappeared.

In other government departments, a minimum of 20–30% of personnel were purged.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where nobles were disproportionately represented, had lost nearly half its staff.

“How can the government function properly when so many positions are vacant?”

The only reason the entire administrative system hadn’t collapsed was that Carolus, regaining some composure toward the end of the coup, spared his own faction and preserved critical talent.

Even so, countless difficulties and inconveniences arose in the aftermath.

Since it was impossible to fill all the vacancies immediately, the remaining staff had to take on the extra workload.

If a document required approval from a deceased official, it was forwarded upward for review.

Issues that couldn’t be resolved due to a lack of expertise were escalated to higher authorities for instructions.

Even under normal circumstances, such a situation would be overwhelming.

But now, there was an unusually high volume of work due to the aftermath of the coup.

There was property damage to repair, preparations for imminent peace negotiations with the Empire, and the emergency allocation of funds for suppressing internal rebellions.

All of this meant that the burden on Camilla, acting as Carolus’s representative, was unimaginable.

“I just want to go home, take a bath, and sleep.”

This was also why Camilla had abandoned her own office and holed up in Carolus’s room.

Since the room doubled as the command center for Carolus’s faction, important people frequently visited.

Tired of running back and forth to meet with them, she decided to stay put for the time being.

“Just hang in there a little longer. Once His Grace returns, everything will get much easier.”

Despite the grueling working conditions, Camilla’s expression wasn’t dark.

On the contrary, it was filled with hope and anticipation.

Why? That’s simple.

The current challenges were merely stepping stones toward a monumental achievement that lay ahead.

The reduced number of nobles in the government meant that the main instigators of factional infighting were gone.

This presented an unprecedented opportunity for sweeping reforms and restructuring.

Think about how the kingdom’s bureaucracy used to operate.

Getting a government job meant immediately seeking connections.

Without joining a faction, you couldn’t even dream of promotions.

The infighting wasn’t just internal disputes—it was like the departments were entirely different organizations, functioning solely based on factional lines.

There were loyalists to the royal family, anti-royalists, and various duchy-aligned factions, all vying for dominance.

Now, that system could finally be dismantled.

It was an opportunity to foster a cooperative atmosphere within departments, with colleagues working together despite some level of competition.

A rational administrative system where practical work took precedence over political agendas—what a compelling vision for the future!

“Manfred, what was the name of the system His Grace proposed to implement soon?”

“Are you referring to the Examination Bureaucracy System?”

“Ah, yes, that’s the one.”

Once Carolus’s newly designed system was implemented, the manpower shortage would soon be resolved.

The idea was to move away from the traditional recruitment methods based on connections and recommendations and instead introduce a standardized exam to select bureaucrats.

Apparently, the system was inspired by one used in the Daiching Empire (though it was actually based on the Joseon Dynasty’s civil service exams).

It was a simple yet revolutionary concept, selecting candidates purely based on their abilities, regardless of social status or family background.

“If it works, training new recruits will become much easier. We’ll no longer have to deal with clueless idiots who got in just because of their connections.”

“Exactly. At the very least, we’ll be accepting people who meet basic competency standards.”

Currently, the kingdom’s system for recruiting officials fell into three main categories.

1) Hereditary succession.

2) Buying positions.

3) Hiring based on connections (recommendations).

Obviously, none of these methods had anything to do with fairness, meritocracy, or rationality.

Talented but poor individuals, or those lacking social skills, were effectively barred from advancing in their careers.

However, by introducing an exam-based system, hope would be given to such individuals.

At the very least, they’d have a chance to demonstrate their abilities and potential.

But that wasn’t all. Nepotism would also decrease significantly.

While it was unrealistic to expect it to disappear entirely, it wouldn’t be as rampant as it was now.

The existing system, which valued connections over competence, had fostered a culture of prioritizing politicking over actual performance.

This was a deeply ingrained issue in the kingdom’s bureaucracy.

Once a meritocratic approach took root, such problems would naturally diminish.

“When you think about it, it’s actually a blessing that the noble class was swept away. Reforms that would’ve taken ages are now being implemented almost instantly.”

“Every situation has its pros and cons, wouldn’t you agree? Rarely is there something that’s entirely negative.”

“Still, this time, it feels like the positives outweigh the negatives.”

It was a change that would’ve been impossible in the past.

Nobles would have risen en masse to protect their privileges, rejecting any reforms that denied the so-called divine right of their lineage.

They would’ve fought tooth and nail to maintain their monopolized positions within the system.

But now? Most of them were dead.

The few survivors had willingly bowed their heads to us.

With no one left to oppose, reform was completely within reach.

The parliament was filled only with our supporters, and all critical power had been consolidated.

Who could stop us now?

“With those pigs wallowing in luxury gone, the budget’s finally seeing some breathing room.”

Ah, and the national treasury—always lacking—was about to become quite flush.

After all, we’d be seizing the wealth of the noble families that had been wiped out.

Those leeches, who avoided taxes while indulging in endless extravagance, had hoarded vast amounts of riches.

Now, those treasures would finally be used for the good of the kingdom.

It would be a significant boost to the kingdom’s finances, which had been deteriorating after ten years of total war.

Seizing their territories would also allow for centralizing tax collection, making the process more efficient.

When the war ended, even the post-war recovery would be better managed by a government-led effort rather than leaving it to individual fiefs.

It would be far more cost-effective.

“One coup solved so many problems all at once.”

In many ways, Carolus’s coup could be compared to the Soviet Great Purge.

Both were ruthless, causing significant casualties and side effects, yet both achieved undeniable results.

The Soviets had eradicated corruption and chaos from a country on the brink of collapse.

Meanwhile, the kingdom had eliminated the entrenched elite class that had been slowly devouring it from within—all in one fell swoop.

However, considering the scale of the side effects and the outlook for the future, the kingdom’s coup could be considered more successful than its Soviet counterpart.

“Manfred, let’s call it a day. Head home and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“It’s fine. The remaining tasks for today are things I can handle on my own.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

After sending her secretary home, Camilla set down her pen and stretched.

“Aaaah…”

She rubbed her aching muscles and stood up from her chair.

Any longer, and she felt like she’d become one with the chair itself.

“Maybe I’ll make myself some coffee.”

Heading to the small kitchen attached to the office, she set some water to boil in the kettle.

She poured the hot water over freshly ground coffee beans, letting it filter through.

The rich aroma filled the room as she prepared her drink.

While waiting, her eyes drifted to a decorative item in the corner.

It was a pair of crowns—one for the king, the other for the queen.

These crowns, ancient relics symbolizing the monarchy, had been confiscated when the royal family was imprisoned.

It was a clear declaration that they were no longer even nominal figureheads.

“…Would it suit me?”

The thought crossed her mind.

She imagined herself wearing the crown, holding the scepter, draped in opulent ceremonial robes.

In her mind’s eye, she saw herself as a ruler, commanding thousands with the flick of a finger, governing an entire nation with the sound of her voice.

But then.

“No.”

She shook her head.

That wasn’t who she was.

The Queen’s crown sitting beside it would suit her better.

The King’s crown, of course, would be for His Grace.

She imagined herself standing beside him, not just as a subordinate serving her lord, but as his future wife and closest supporter.

“Fufu.”

Camilla covered her face with her hands and chuckled softly, daydreaming about the rosy future that she believed wasn’t far away.