Chapter 474
In the rebuilt Darkland, Edina, Charlotte believed that they were relying too heavily on the Demon King.
This was a qualitatively different issue from the fact that Darkland could not exist without Archdemons.
"So... what should we do?"
"...First, the food problem will inevitably be a long-term policy. For now, we need to address the systemic issues. Petty crimes are rampant, but too many cases that could have ended with simple acts of violence escalate into murder."
"Increasing the size of the city guard seems difficult. Honestly, the existing force is already hard to manage."
"This isn't just about the city guards."
Charlotte shook her head.
"The punishment for criminals is too uniform. It's either execution or hard labor, and the criteria for punishment is established too simply. And there are more cases of being sent to labor camps than executions. It seems like you tend to avoid extreme punishments, equivalent to the death penalty. Is that right?"
"Well... I thought it would be better to use them as labor force rather than killing them..."
Charlotte shook her head at his words.
"Let's assume that someone had a grudge against another and a fight broke out. If violence occurs and the opponent is severely injured, the assailant's sentence to the labor camp is certain. If they kill or beat them down, they still go to the labor camp. Some people just kill because the outcome is the same anyway."
"...What?"
"Of course, this is just an extreme example, and not everyone is like that. But there are certainly those who would make such choices. That's why the punishment for each crime must be inevitably detailed."
Charlotte discussed the problems that arise if those who deserve death are not punished with extreme measures.
"Reinhardt, the purpose of extreme punishments, like execution, is not to penalize criminals but to show the general public the consequences of serious crimes. The fundamental function of extreme punishment, including execution, is to consume major criminals and display them to society."
As a leader, Reinhardt thought it was more efficient to use criminals as labor force rather than killing them, so he avoided extreme punishments. He believed it was inefficient.
But Charlotte was suggesting the possibility that he might have inadvertently encouraged simple acts of violence to escalate into murder.
If the punishment is the same for different degrees of crime, some will choose more serious crimes.
"Edina currently lacks proper laws, but first and foremost, there is no system of punishment. It needs to be established. Edina's situation is completely different from that of a typical country. Inevitably, many outsiders will enter, and the problems between people will only increase, not decrease. Therefore, punishment should be harsher than necessary. The Empire is currently in extreme resource scarcity, making it impossible to reduce crime rates through execution, but Edina is not. So, it's still possible to handle criminals through punishment."
"I see..."
"And it's true that there's an absolute shortage of city guards. It's going to be difficult to increase their numbers in the current situation."
Charlotte then seemingly reached a conclusion with ease.
"Make the refugees organize their own vigilante groups."
"Vigilante groups? This is the capital, and we can't manage the capital well enough, so we're making them organize vigilante groups... Is that right?"
"We don't have the luxury of considering that right now."
"Hmm..."
At Charlotte's words, Reinhardt rolled his eyes as if he couldn't agree.
"But that so-called voluntary vigilante group is like volunteer work. Who would do such a thing for free? If they don't want to work for free, you have to give them money. But if you do that, you're financially supporting the vigilante group after organizing it. How is that different from the guards? Then why form a vigilante group instead of incorporating them into the guards? I don't understand."
At Reinhardt's words, Charlotte shook her head.
"Don't give them money, give them a little authority."
"Authority?"
"Yes, or in other words, power."
Charlotte calmly stared at Reinhardt.
"There will be many people who are desperate for even that small amount of power. Money? They don't need it. There are people who have power itself as their goal."
"Ah..."
"Give them the authority to appoint a vigilante leader and recruit members. And give them the authority to arrest or interrogate people. Then, even without earning a penny, they'll patrol the streets at night, thinking they've accomplished something. As a result, the vigilantes will patrol the streets at night for free. That's all you need, right?"
Understanding human vanity and hunger for power, Charlotte knew that people could be moved by power alone.
Reinhardt broke into a cold sweat at the seemingly wicked policy.
"No, I mean... I understand what you're saying, but... If you ultimately give the vigilantes some power over the refugee area, they'll inevitably cause trouble, right? Autonomy is relatively free from control, so it's bound to become corrupt."
"Yes. They will inevitably become corrupt, an interest group, and a corrupt power that commits crimes without punishment. No, they can't make money from vigilante activities, so they'll want to fill their pockets in other ways. They have to. Vigilante work is busy, but it can't be turned into money. They have to do it inevitably."
"So, that's what will happen."
"Why worry about it?"
Charlotte made a gesture of cutting her own throat.
"Kill them. Replace them. That's all you need."
"Ah..."
"The corruption of the vigilantes is not our responsibility since they are not a government organization, right? The government's power executes the corrupt vigilante leader. It looks just and good. In reality, the government has handed over security work to the vigilantes, creating an environment where they have no choice but to become corrupt since they can't earn money. But will the public know that? When the vigilante leader is a worldly figure, and the vigilante group's wickedness is severe, hanging them will benefit the government's support."
Charlotte spoke with a calm expression, not smiling, yet not looking evil either.
Use people just enough and throw them away. Create a group that has no choice but to become corrupt and use it. Moreover, without giving them a single penny.
Charlotte knew how to do something that even the Demon King couldn't.
Corruption is bad.
So far, Reinhardt had thought of excluding the possibility of corruption.
But Charlotte was different.
She formed and used an inevitably corrupt power.
When that corruption reaches a breaking point, replace it, and make the replacement process beneficial for the government.
Pass the blame for the government's wrongdoing in forming a power bound to become corrupt onto the corrupt individual.
Their ways of thinking are fundamentally different.
"Reinhardt, there's something very important you don't understand."
"What is it?"
"The purpose of a nation is not the realization of justice or good intentions, but the preservation of the nation itself. There is no justice, relief for the poor, or charity in a vanished nation. If there's a single absolute priority a nation must protect, it is the nation's own existence. That's all."
A government does not have to be good and just.
A government exists to be maintained.
Without fulfilling this basic condition, no further projects or policies can exist.
Reinhardt hadn't been considering things from that perspective.
Even if there's injustice or wrongdoing, a nation must be preserved, and policies and projects must be carried out for that purpose.
This was absent in the Edina Archipelago, and Reinhardt hadn't considered it.
The scale was growing, but the system was weak.
That's why Charlotte believed a system needed to be created.
Since the current size is becoming difficult to handle, temporary measures are necessary.
In terms of national preservation, Reinhardt couldn't deny that Charlotte's approach was better than his own.
"I'm just beginning to grasp that you're of royal blood…"
Reinhardt nodded blankly with a stunned expression. Charlotte looked down, narrowing her eyes.
"There's nothing to be done if you're disappointed… If this is the only way I can help you… Somehow, I have to do well."
"…"
"So it's right for me, who will be the regent, to do this. You just need to remain a kind and benevolent ruler for the people. The more people fear my regency, the more certain their support for you will be."
And so, Charlotte decided to take all the blame for the cruel rule she would impose from now on.
The more people hate the regent. The more they despise the regent.
The support for the Demon King becomes even more solid.
Like using the vigilante group, Charlotte intended to use herself to strengthen Reinhardt's rule.
—---
Whether Charlotte had finished what could be called preparation was uncertain.
Just as I became king unprepared, Charlotte didn't sit on the throne after completing full preparation to become a queen.
In my unprepared state, I hastily built a country, so it was bound to be a disaster.
We can maintain it for now, but it's unclear how long that will be possible.
That's why I brought Charlotte to consolidate our foundation.
Though I tried to make it as plausible as possible, to Charlotte, Edina seemed like a grotesquely constructed structure.
It's uncertain if Charlotte can handle all those issues.
But Charlotte could think of things I couldn't.
Sometimes, knowing how to use people for a purpose, even if it means discarding them, is necessary.
It's cruel, but I couldn't deny the need for it.
Charlotte's approach to issues and problems was on a different level from mine.
While it's not possible to think that everything will improve just because Charlotte takes charge of the Edina Archipelago, it's at least better than me continuing on the throne.
I had long reached my limit in handling the political tasks arising in Edina.
Someone to take my place.
Someone who can undoubtedly do better than me.
And.
In some ways, an even more terrifying figure than me, the most fitting person for the Demon King.
"Introduce her."
In the hall where the nobles gathered, I carefully seated Charlotte, clad in a black dress, on the throne as she looked down on the people.
"From today, Charlotte de Gardias will be the regent of Edina."
At my words, the tense nobles, already on edge due to the mysterious presence, let out a sigh of relief.
Charlotte de Gardias.
From that name alone, one could easily tell where Charlotte was from.
"Remember that she is my proxy and an existence of equal standing to me."
I stood up, and Charlotte, who took my place on the throne, quietly looked down at the nobles.
"I will keep it brief."
Charlotte didn't offer any pleasantries or other such formalities.
From the first imperial princess of the empire, she had become the queen of Darkland, and she looked down upon the people.
"All things..."
Her voice was not particularly powerful, nor brimming with confidence.
"...will be much different from now on."
However, everyone seemed to be overwhelmed by the charisma that emanated from Charlotte's very presence.
Charlotte began addressing the most urgent matters first.
The systematization of punishments.
And the organization of the vigilante corps.
It was a system that made the refugees responsible for the security of their own residential areas.
The next day, I saw a scaffold being constructed in the central square of Lajak city.
Depending on the severity of their crimes, some people would be flogged there, while those with heinous crimes would be beheaded or hanged.
The residents of Edina would witness someone's death on display and become fearful of committing crimes.
The effects of public executions could not be measured, but considering the current situation in the Edina Archipelago, I could not deny Charlotte's opinion that such measures were necessary.
I was not unaware of the necessity either, but perhaps I had avoided making such decisions, citing efficiency.
Ultimately, I may have not yet shaken off the petty notion that such acts were barbaric and evil from a modern perspective.
From now on, practically everything I had done in the Edina Archipelago would be done by Charlotte.
Now, I would step down from the throne for a while and do what I needed to do.
Charlotte began governing with an iron hand.
The rate of warp gate destruction slowed down.
Though we had destroyed a considerable number of warp gates over the past two years, we would not be able to destroy all of them in the near future.
So, there was still time before the final battle approached.
In preparation for future events, there were things I needed to do.
Having brought Charlotte here, I could finally shed the ill-fitting role I had been wearing.
Though there were still no outsiders to see, I gathered the people and began to speak.
"I will be leaving my post for quite some time."
"Leaving your post?"
At my words, everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
"I'm not sure how long it will take, but if the situation becomes unfavorable, I'll return. So, don't worry too much."
As an Archdemon, Charlotte also had control over the demon race. Furthermore, she would lead the government more wisely than I would.
Therefore, there was no real reason for me to be in Edina any longer.
So, I planned to do something I hadn't been able to do until now.
"Are you going to do something dangerous again?"
At Olivia's question, I shook my head.
"In a way, it's to prepare for dangerous situations... But nothing is certain yet, so it's difficult to say. Still, I'll be taking plenty of teleport scrolls, so don't worry too much."
"Even so, going alone is a bit... No matter where you go, it seems dangerous..."
It was Harriet who spoke.
Everyone knew that I would somehow manage whatever it was.
I knew that I wouldn't die so pathetically at the hands of roaming monster hordes on the continent, but it seemed inevitable that they would worry.
"I'd like to take someone with me, but it's not a place where that's possible."
I didn't particularly want to insist on traveling alone.
However, the place I needed to go now was one where I didn't even know if I could find it by myself.
Olivia, Harriet, Charlotte, and Airi.
None of them opposed my decision, but their expressions were full of worry.
"It won't take too long."
Before the gate situation is resolved, I must become much stronger than I am now.
That's why I brought Charlotte here to govern, and I have to do what it takes to become stronger than I am now.
The monster of the last gate, too.
And in a possible fight against Ellen.
I have to become stronger in order to survive.
Airi, seemingly concerned, asked.
"Can't you at least tell us where you're going?"
"...I'm sorry. I can't tell you."
It's a place where I'm not even sure if I can find it.
And even if I can find it, I don't know if I can obtain what I want.
I can't tell them where I'm going because they'll surely prevent me from going if they knew.
Ellen's hometown, Rezaira.
That's where I intend to go.
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