Chapter 572: Chapter 543: New and Old Systems (Part 2)

He gave a slight bow, his tone shifting. "I’m just not sure—once we join the Empire, will we be required to relinquish our territories? Or, perhaps, you have other arrangements in mind for us?"

Ronin smiled faintly. "Traditional nobles are required to offer their loyalty to the King and fulfill obligations such as military service. The nobles of the Star Kingdom are no different in that regard, but there are some distinctions."

He explained, "Traditional nobles must be self-sufficient, deriving their income from managing their own territories. For the nobles of the Star Kingdom, however, the lands granted to them are their private property. While they must pay a ten-percent tax to me, I, in turn, must pay them a salary."

Ronin raised his finger and pointed to Karda. "Take Karda, the Governor of Screaming Island, for example. The base salary for the Meteor Level is 420 Gold Coins a month. Add to that the 100 Gold Coin monthly subsidy for governing a large city, and that’s 520 Gold Coins per month. With a six-month year-end bonus and other benefits, his annual income is nearly ten thousand."

Many of the nobles gasped in quiet astonishment.

’A new noble with no powerful backing, with just over ten thousand mu of arable land, can have an annual income that surpasses many Viscounts? And that doesn’t even include the profits from his land or other ventures? This is outrageous!’

Ronin continued, "If any of you are interested in this system, you may submit an application to me, and I will approve it. I will not only preserve your Noble Titles, but I will also appoint you as the Governors of your original territories."

"The Governor’s subsidy depends on the city’s population. For cities smaller than a large metropolis, it is 50 Gold Coins per month."

Once he said this, many of the nobles began to weigh their options. Some even started asking about the base salaries for Silver and Golden Knights.

’Our status as nobles would remain unchanged. Our rights might be restricted, but our income would increase substantially, and we’d be free from the headaches of managing a territory. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?’

Ibn, however, frowned slightly. He was bent on establishing his own Duchy and would certainly not be swayed by this level of financial gain.

In fact, many of the great nobles would not be tempted, as their own revenues far exceeded these salaries.

Just then, Ronin’s voice rang out again.

"Of course, this is not mandatory. Any nobles who have reservations about this new system can still join the Star Empire and continue to follow the old ways. At the same time, you may apply to switch to the new system at any point."

"However, I do have one other requirement..."

At these words, Ibn and the other nobles instantly felt a sense of relief. This arrangement was far more suitable for them.

Ibn couldn’t help but praise, "Your Majesty, your dual-system proposal for both old and new is remarkably thoughtful! With this, I believe most nobles will be eager to join you in building an unprecedented, prosperous era for the Empire!"

Ronin laughed. "Thank you for your praise, Count Ibn. Your contributions to the Oduin Kingdom are plain for all to see. There should certainly be a place for your Duchy within the Empire!"

"And aside from Ibn, the rest of you nobles have fought for years, shedding your blood for the Oduin Kingdom. You should be rewarded just as Count Ibn will be!"

Ronin knew of Ibn’s ambition. He had known since they first met in the estate at Golden Feather City.

Upon hearing this, the corners of Ibn’s mouth curled up slightly. This was the first time Ronin had expressed his stance so clearly. That being the case, Ibn had no further reservations.

"I wonder, what is this requirement you mentioned, Your Majesty?" he couldn’t help but ask.

Ronin stroked the gemstone on his Scepter.

Although he was allowing nobles to adhere to the old system, he wasn’t about to do nothing at all.

The way these nobles ran their territories was manageable as long as he was present. However, if he had to take Ridder and the others and leave the Orland Continent for an extended period, these nobles, once grown powerful, might obstruct the implementation of the Kingdom’s policies.

’Roland doesn’t have a Golden Finger. His Cultivation speed could never be as fast as mine.’

"I’m sure you all have some knowledge of my past. Back then, to help his own grandson—my younger brother, Bretton—secure the right to inherit the title of Marquis of Wushan Territory, the Ossen Count used some underhanded tactics to frame me. I even survived several assassination attempts and came close to death."

Lurans nodded. "That did indeed happen. It’s a good thing Ronin was lucky and resilient enough to survive."

The others nodded. They had all studied Ronin’s past and were quite familiar with the matter.

They were simply curious as to what this story had to do with Ronin’s requirement.

Ronin continued, "So, I sometimes find myself wondering: back when I was to inherit the title of Marquis after my grandfather and father passed away, if Bretton had also possessed a right to inherit a portion of the territory, would my situation have been any better?"

He was simply using this story to introduce the policy he intended to implement.

"Therefore, I believe that when a noble passes away, their territory should no longer be inherited solely by their eldest son. Their other sons should also have the right to a share of the inheritance!"

Ronin said, "Of course, the eldest son will receive the largest share. As for how the remainder is divided among the other sons, a noble can submit a distribution plan to me for my approval during his lifetime. If a noble passes away unexpectedly without having submitted a plan, the Kingdom will then handle the distribution based on the circumstances."

This...

All the nobles fell into deep thought.

Many among them were highly capable individuals. Although a proposal like Ronin’s was unprecedented, it took them only a moment of reflection to grasp its crucial implication.

Once such a system was implemented, a noble’s territory would be fractured into many smaller pieces within a few generations.

They might all be one family, but who could guarantee they would always be of one mind?

The nobles could, of course, try to circumvent this by having only one son. But if that son were to die, the entire territory would become lordless and could potentially be reclaimed by the Kingdom.

The more discerning nobles couldn’t help but frown, finding Ronin’s "requirement" both startling and troublesome.

They couldn’t understand how someone so young could propose a policy that was so politically shrewd.

Most importantly, fearing Ronin’s power, influence, and prestige, they simply did not dare to disagree.

Ronin saw them putting their heads together, discussing in hushed tones. He didn’t press them, as there was plenty of time.

"For the nobles who implement this policy, the Kingdom will grant them compensation in the form of honors, political standing, and economic benefits."

As he spoke, Ronin rose from his throne.

"You may all consider and discuss this matter. Texas from the Ministry of Justice will be in charge of this. The Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Personnel, and all of you nobles may participate in the discussions to formulate a legal framework that accommodates everyone’s needs."

Ronin left the great hall, which immediately erupted with heated discussion.

He couldn’t help but smile. ’These nobles will almost certainly agree.’

These nobles would almost certainly agree.

First, the Kingdom was offering political, economic, and other forms of compensation for implementing the policy.

Second, competition and conflict already existed among the nobles. Since they couldn’t resist the new system, they would inevitably seek ways to gain more advantages within it.

Finally, and most importantly, they faced immense pressure from Ronin and lacked sufficient Power to resist.

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