Chapter 191 - 170: Everyone Makes Mistakes
"Tommy, I know you’ve done a lot for this territory, but I need an explanation for what happened today."
Tommy, who had slept until four in the afternoon, sobered up instantly when he stepped outside and saw the row of heads in the square. A cold sweat broke out all over him.
’Wait, what? What’s going on? How did a whole group of my men end up dead after I took a nap?’
’Is Henry dissatisfied with my performance as Civil Servant?’
Now, Tommy stood in Henry’s study, looking at Henry’s calm expression, feeling incredibly anxious.
The air in the study seemed to have frozen. The only sound was the crackling of firewood in the hearth.
Henry said nothing more, just quietly watching Tommy. His gaze held no anger, no blame.
But it was this very silence that put Tommy under unprecedented pressure. He would have preferred Henry to shout at or punish him; this quiet calm was far more terrifying.
Silence can sometimes be more terrifying than an angry outburst, because behind silence lies potential disappointment.
And Henry was, in fact, a little disappointed. He had hoped Tommy would become a Civil Servant he could completely rely on to manage a territory in his stead.
That way, when Henry was away from Westwood Laine Castle, Tommy could manage it with full authority. And when Henry was present in the fiefdom, Tommy could oversee the development of Ximira Castle.
Under immense psychological pressure, Tommy spoke candidly. "My lord, ask me anything, and I will answer truthfully. I truly don’t know why they were punished."
Henry sighed and pushed a stack of documents across the desk toward Tommy.
These documents recorded the evidence of the Record Keepers’ crimes, as well as the grievances of their victims.
"This is all evidence of the Record Keepers’ crimes. They used their authority to exploit my people, even threatening to shut down their shops. This behavior has severely damaged the people’s morale and loyalty here in Westwood Laine.
"It’s a serious blow to my prestige and reputation."
Tommy’s face grew even paler as he looked at the documents. He truly never imagined the Record Keepers were capable of such things. He was so busy with his duties every day that he had no time to pay attention to these matters; he could barely even leave his office.
Cold sweat beaded on Tommy’s forehead. For something like this to happen right under his nose... This was extremely serious. He had to give Henry a satisfactory explanation.
This incident could affect his standing in Henry’s eyes.
"My lord, I truly didn’t know about any of this. I will accept any punishment, but please, give me a chance."
Henry looked at Tommy, his expression free of blame or ridicule. He believed him. But he also knew that as the Civil Servant, Tommy had a responsibility to be aware of these matters. What happened was a dereliction of his duty!
"I’m not going to strip you of your position. I just want to remind you to pay closer attention to the people who carry out your orders.
"You might want to make the streets cleaner, telling people not to litter or relieve themselves in public. But the men enforcing that order might turn around and force the shopkeepers to manage street sanitation, then extort money from them if the street is dirty.
"Do you see? Do you understand what I’m saying?"
"My lord, I will place all the Record Keepers and Agricultural Officials under strict management. I swear I will make this right."
Henry shook his head. "Tommy, it’s not me you need to answer to, but yourself. Whether or not you’re truly suited for the position of Civil Servant is entirely up to you."
Tommy nodded firmly. "My lord, I will immediately begin investigating the Agricultural Officials and temporary village heads in every village and on every farmstead.
"If this level of widespread corruption and extortion can happen right here, so close to me, I strongly suspect it’s happening elsewhere too."
"I believe in you, Tommy."
Tommy nodded. "My lord, I will not disappoint you."
"Go on, Tommy."
Tommy bowed, then turned and left the study. He’d had only a single night of rest, and now he had a mountain of work to do again.
’Those damn bastards! Dragging me down with them!’
He would show the people that Henry was a just lord who would not tolerate any action that harmed their interests—that he had the power to protect them.
After Tommy left, a side door in the study was pushed open gently, and Claude stepped out. He had been in the small adjoining room, observing the situation through a hidden door.
"My lord, are you truly disappointed in Tommy?" Claude asked quietly.
He and Tommy were old friends; he didn’t want to see Tommy’s career ruined over this.
Henry shook his head and sighed. "Claude, you should know I don’t hold anything against Tommy.
"Everyone makes mistakes. And this isn’t an unforgivable one. It’s an opportunity for him to grow and improve."
Claude breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed his lord wasn’t the type to write someone off completely over a single mistake.
"My lord, I believe you should establish proper administrative departments as soon as possible, with clearly defined powers and responsibilities for each official."
Claude continued his suggestion, "The roles of Record Keeper and Agricultural Official are too vague. That management model is only suitable for the fiefdoms of ordinary Barons and Knights."
Henry nodded. He knew Claude was right.
Henry’s current fiefdom, in terms of population, area, and so on, was already the size of a Viscount’s holdings by the Empire’s standards.
After the capture of Ximira Castle, all the uninhabited mountains, forests, and plains between it and Westwood Laine Castle now belonged to Henry.
And that wasn’t even counting the fact that Henry planned to pioneer and settle the lands beyond the Empire’s borders.
Claude continued, "Furthermore, the number of merchants, artisans, and free farmers in your fiefdom is growing. You can’t govern your territory using the same methods as one would to manage serfs.
"They require effective governance. Without a proper administrative structure, this sort of thing is bound to happen again."
Henry frowned, knowing Claude was right. Only by establishing a more complete system of governance could he ensure the fiefdom’s stable development.
"Do you have any suggestions, Claude? Tell me what you’re thinking."
Claude had already thought this through. He had always paid close attention to matters of internal administration, even though his current job was more akin to that of a Quartermaster.
"First, you need to establish a detailed hierarchy for officials, clearly defining the responsibilities and authority of each rank.
"Second, you need to create an oversight mechanism to ensure officials adhere to regulations and do not abuse their authority.
"Finally, you need to establish a transparent tax system so you can know exactly how much tax your people are paying."
Henry nodded. "I’ll draw up a detailed plan as soon as possible, Claude. And of course, I’ll need your help."
Having Claude’s help was much better than racking his brains all alone.
Henry suddenly slapped the table. "Right, Claude, there’s another very important matter that needs to be handled immediately."
"What is it, my lord?"
"Mobilize twelve hundred serfs at once. I’m going to train them as new recruits and hand them over to ’Iron Fist’ Carlos to earn us a commission."
Claude’s first instinct was to remind Henry not to pour all their finances into the military.
But then he remembered that the Third Prince was apparently sending Henry a large shipment of supplies. This meant that the food, weapons, armor, and other necessities for training these new recruits wouldn’t have to be paid for out of the fiefdom’s own accounts.
’So, the only real cost of training these new recruits is time? And once their training is done, they’ll start making money for Henry.’
’With a large influx of Dinars into Westwood Laine, they could finally start on major infrastructure projects!’
"Yes, my lord. I’ll see to it at once."
In the days that followed, Tommy began a comprehensive investigation and crackdown.
He visited every village and farmstead, speaking with the people to understand their living conditions. He discovered that it wasn’t just the Record Keepers; even some Agricultural Officials and temporary village heads were involved in corruption and exploitation.
Even if the harm they caused was minor, Tommy showed no mercy. He immediately meted out severe punishment to these corrupt officials.
Meanwhile, Claude took Henry’s written order and mobilized twelve hundred serfs from the various farmsteads, gathering them at the barracks in Westwood Laine Castle.
These serfs were all healthy men, selected to undergo military training and become Henry’s soldiers.
Inside the barracks, the Skilled Infantry prepared the necessary equipment and supplies for the training.
Spears, swords, shields, armor, and other military gear were neatly arranged in the armory, awaiting the new recruits.
On the training grounds, Henry and the veteran soldiers demonstrated various combat techniques, their movements clean and efficient, possessing a certain powerful grace.
These serfs would become Henry’s soldiers, and they would fight for him.
Under the veterans’ guidance, the serfs began basic physical conditioning: running, lifting weights, and practicing hand-to-hand combat techniques.
Though their movements were still clumsy, their eyes shone with determination and resolve.
’Who would choose to be a serf when they could become a soldier?’
As the days passed, the serfs gradually adapted to the intensity of the training. They began to learn how to use weapons, how to coordinate as a team, and how to execute battlefield tactics.
While Henry trained his soldiers, Tommy threw himself into his own work.
He began a sweeping review and supervision of the officials within the fiefdom, ensuring they would faithfully execute Henry’s orders and that acts of corruption and exploitation would cease.
Henry was busy training the new recruits, so the new system for officials and departments had not yet been fully implemented. For the time being, he could only allow Tommy to continue his "rule by man" as a way to atone for his past failure.
Tommy’s efforts earned the people’s approval, and they began to trust their Civil Servant once more.
Henry, too, was satisfied with Tommy’s performance. He knew that Tommy had learned his lesson from the incident and had become more mature and level-headed as a result.