"So, what are you going to do, kid? What exactly does that policy mean?
"Well, if you blame me, you just want to introduce the previous Barca method of territorial management into Fontana."
"When it comes to the Barca method, which one are you talking about?
"I guess the first thing that matters is to increase food self-sufficiency, after all. Barca's magic needs to be used to dramatically increase yields. You need to sell wheat cheap to the Memento family."
"Well, that's most important, isn't it? So you're saying we should be more proactive in the contingent business Barca has been doing? No, would it be better to improve farmland for free than that?
"You can't do that, old man. Basically, we don't improve farmland for free. Barca is always short of money. And I want to lend money to knights from all over the country."
"Give the knight some money? Why would you do that? You don't need a loan of money if you're gonna defend Fontana territory in unison, as the boy said, do you?
"No, I'd like to reduce the number of knights who have their own territory, if possible. It would be annoying if you disobeyed me. I want to take it to a situation that makes it easier for Barca to hear what he has to say by letting him carry his debts. Whatever. As much as I want to confiscate my territory as the quality of my debt."
"... well, I don't know what the boy's trying to say. Sometimes I wonder. Leave that alone for now, and the Barca method isn't the only way to improve agricultural land. What else are you gonna do?
"I still think we need to keep the army strong and ready. I would like to introduce conscription throughout Fontana territory if possible..."
"I can't do that, kid. Try to take the peasants away from knights who have their territory for a long time, they are definitely set to rub it. Besides, if they take the manpower, the knights of the realm won't be able to make up their troops."
"That's right. After all, is it difficult to conscript from the knights? I can't help it, do you want to conscript from the direct jurisdiction of the Fontana family and the part-time knighthood of the territory of Barca, and more from the Barres knighthood of Bargas? Can you estimate how many soldiers you can secure with that, old man?"
"Okay. As soon as it's calculated, I'll soak it up. But you're gonna need a calculation other than the number of soldiers, kid. Are you sure you're okay with doing that?
"Are you okay, what do you mean?
"Money. Using the guys named by the kid, farmland improvement will indeed work. I believe the increase in yields will be successful. But the conscript army you've introduced into Barca is a bunch of goldeating bugs that always cost money without a fight. If you just want to increase your military strength, why don't you just gather peasants from all over the country during your peasant days and let them train you?
"Well, that's okay, but there are other goals for conscription."
"Other aim? What the hell is that?"
"Bring the younger fellow generations together in one place for the same training. That purpose is also military training, but it means another thing. Is it a sense of mission that we live in the same land and defend our land with our own strength, or a bond by group? I want to tell you what it means to fight for Fontana. Every soldier fights not for their lords, but for themselves."
If you just want to gather and train peasants in their idleness, that would be good too.
But in that case, basically, the guys who are trained will only have the idea that they're being made to train.
But what I need is a stronger army.
I want to build enough armies to protect even when the three great aristocrats attack me.
When I thought about it, it was still the spirituality of the soldiers that had to be given the utmost importance.
Peasants who are caught out only in battle easily escape when their own armies are at a disadvantage.
But you can't fight satisfactorily with a soldier like that in the current state that assumes an overwhelmingly strong opponent.
Then it is necessary to ensure that soldiers in their own armies do not flee easily even in front of strong opponents.
When I thought about it, I thought it was necessary to create a reason for soldiers to fight.
Not like vague hopes, like before, that if you work hard, you might be able to emerge.
If we lose to them, our own land is rooted down and our families are killed.
If we think about it that way, we won't get away easily to protect our own family.
That's why we make it conscription and we bring the young guys together in one place to teach them.
It's a bad way to put it, but it could be called a kind of brainwashing.
but this way, as the old man points out, it costs money to tease.
Anyway, normally, we have to take young men from farmers who should farm, train them day and night for unproductive things, and feed them.
It costs a lot of money.
Even the Barca army has had quite a bit of money drooling up to now, but doing so in the direct jurisdiction of the Fontana family will dramatically increase spending.
It would also mean that you know Barca's vault number old man cares.
"Sure, you're right about the old man. It costs money, and I don't know if Barca can continue to secure that financial resources right now. It could be like a very dangerous bet."
"Right. So, shouldn't we stop conscripting after all?
"No, I'll still do it. I'll get you some money."
"Come on, you can't shake a sleeve without it, can you? Or what, you want me to make something new and sell it again?
"This time I'll take another way. I want to get my money faster."
"Another way? What are you doing, boy?
"Turn paper into gold. This should temporarily solve the problem of Barca's lack of money."
That's the one piece of paper I gave my old man.
Plant paper made in Barca, which is already no longer so rare in Fontana territory.
I decided to use it to cover my military expenses.