Chapter 24: Magic Production Corps
Edgar taught chemistry to Pelca. He only remembered a little about chemistry. If he were to write it, he could only fill in one page of information. He did not even fully understand what matter is. He just gave directions for research and what can be studied under a microscope.
In the afternoon,the team of Feiyu and Dan finally returned together with rescued captives, prisoners, and confiscated wealth from bandits. Baron Bass will be publicly executed. His crimes will be exposed to the public.
News of Baron Bass' execution spread. Commoners were cheering, but nobles felt fear. The royal guard was so powerful that it quickly wiped out bandit dens in the whole kingdom. Nobles who had connections with bandits were trembling in fear that they might be next to the gallows. They kept asking for information and felt a sigh of relief that only Baron Bass would be hanged, but they were told to behave and know their place.
Nobles realized that the royal court had a sword of Damocles hanging above their heads. They had a better attitude toward the royal court. When they asked who sent the royal guard, Albert said that it was the prince, but Edgar secretly spread news that the king sent the royal guards to wipe out remnants of the forces of Duke George, and then the prince would take the honor and awe from people instead of the king. He subtly guided the thought of spies that the good things that were happening in the kingdom were a parting gift of the king to make the image of the prince wise and diligent. He wanted his enemies to think that he was still an incompetent prince.
The royal guards that did not participate in raiding bandits were so envious of the returning guards. The guards were rewarded with so much money. They bought new houses, land, clothes, foods, and materials for their new house. Their family was so happy. They finally had the face that a family of royal guards must have. All the royal guards seemed to have been injected with steroids. They increased their intensity of training and hope for another mission. They were sharpening their blades for fools who will lose their heads when they offend the royal court.
Edgar ordered Elena to arrange the rescued captives, prisoners, and captured wealth. He let the rescued captives be tested for their aptitude for magic. If they can't become magicians, he will let them become teachers.
He met with Calvin in his study room. He liked the man's bravery and loyalty.
"Your highness, thank you for saving us commoners from the savagery of bandits," said Calvin as he deeply bowed.
Edgar smiled. He stood up and helped Calvin stand straight."I should apologize that the royal court was not able to help you all immediately. The kingdom had just experienced a civil war and enemies are everywhere. If we are not careful, our kingdom could be destroyed and many more people will suffer."
"I understand your highness. We are not blaming the royal court. The news already spread that the remaining forces of Duke George were deliberately targeting us because they want to start a rebellion. We are very thankful that you are even using the wealth taken from bandits to help the villages and towns affected by them."
"That is not even enough. Once the treasury has enough money, I will give more help to them. Sit first, I have something important to tell you."
Edgar looked at Calvin seriously."I want you to work for the Shadow Department, the unit in charge of the intelligence in the kingdom. You did not betray us, even when you and your wife's life were in danger. I am not sure if the members of the Shadow Department can do the same when the kingdom is on the brink of destruction. I will be completely blind if they betray me. You will not only be my eyes and ears in the kingdom, but within the Shadow Department as well. I will help you gather and develop your own men in that department."
Calvin looked very serious while he was listening to Edgar."Your highness, I will do my best not to disappoint you!"
A few moments later, Scyte was walking toward the study room of the prince while thinking."Hanging a noble to warn the other powerful households. Spreading his heinous deeds and the remaining forces of the Duke. Eliminating them secured the kingdom and gathered good will from the people. Deliberately leaking to the spies that it was the king who ordered it. The prince is hiding from the shadow of the king. The disadvantage of the prince as lazy and debauchery became an advantage. It is a good plan, your highness."
Scyte came into the room with permission and saw another man aside from the prince.
"Chief Scyte, I want you to train someone as a member of the Shadow Department. He is Calvin. He was just a layman, but he had the courage to enter a monster den. Because of him, raiding the huge bandit den of Viper was much easier."
Scyte smiled as he looked at Calvin who was looking at him seriously and thought,"Checks and balances. It's a good way of a king."
Scyte and Calvin left, then Edgar met the minister of public works and construction. He streamlined the royal court functions for efficiency. He divided royal court functions into a few departments. He no longer needed to decide on many things. Each minister could decide on their own. Only a few things need to be discussed with him.
The name of the minister of public works and construction was Topas who was almost sixty years old and had dark skin. His dark skin was due to his dedication to his work. He supervised various projects in the kingdom very well. Topas did not expect that he would become a minister. He thought it was Albert who would help him. He was shocked when he knew that it was the prince who promoted him.
"Does the prince have an ulterior motive? Is he interested in my granddaughter? What if he asked for her hand?" asked Topas to himself while he was walking to Edgar's office. A battle of good and evil was happening in his mind.
Topas knocked at the office, and Edgar let him come in. His face and palm were sweating.
Edgar noticed the old man's uneasiness. He was puzzled at first, but he seemed to understand. Few people know his true character. Nobles and most of the top of the royal court still think that he was a debauchery prince, which was his deliberate intention.
Edgar would like to tease the minister, but he might suffer a heart attack, so he did not do it.
"Don't worry, I'm not after your granddaughter. I called you here to give you instructions," said Edgar with a teasing smile to the minister.
Topas was surprised while looking at the prince. The person in front of him did not resemble the debauchery prince in rumors, then he felt ecstatic. His body was suddenly full of strength. "You're highness, I will definitely carry out your instruction!"
Edgar smiled at the lively minister who was just nervously sweating earlier. "You should start hiring earth magicians to speed up the construction of roads but keep the job of ordinary people. Construction will be easy later. I will train magicians dedicated to construction. We will make a contract with them. Later, you have the power to command a group of magicians for construction."
"Magicians for construction?" Topas imagined a future with a group of earth magicians working at the same time. Making a road for a few hundred meters will only take a few minutes! Building canals will only take a few minutes. Construction will be very easy! He felt very excited.
Edgar saw the excitement on his face and reminded him. "It will take time to train them. We must let them work with ordinary people first. We cannot make ordinary people lose their jobs. Also, build roads to mountains or places where adventurers could hunt. Build a town where adventurers can trade. I can promise the adventurer guild that their rent would be free. We don't need to put too much guard in that place because the adventurer guild will have the initiative to defend that place against magic beasts.
Remember, investing in public roads must have a return. The roads you are currently building are increasing the income of the royal court. Building roads for adventurers will also have a return. When they built roads in the territory of Duke George, there was no return. The money for construction almost became empty. The kingdom did not benefit. It only made it comfortable for Duke George to travel."
"Your highness, I didn't know that by simply building a road, the income of the royal court would increase." Topas smiled. He finally understood where to put roads first.
"You can promise to the Adventurer's Guild that I will let the potion and runesmith departments regularly place commissions in the towns that we will build. We will not let them run out of business. I will also let Medres contact interested nobles and merchants about placing commissions or building businesses there."
"Your highness, if that is the case, the town that we will build will definitely thrive. When was it so easy to build a town? It feels like a dream." Topas was shocked that Edgar could easily mobilize resources to build a town that could thrive.
Edgar smiled at the astonished minister. "It is easy to build them if the place is right. Nobles and merchants aren't fools. If their investment cannot have a return, they will ignore us no matter how much we try to talk with them. If the projects of the royal court are put in the right place, we can mobilize nobles and big merchants in our kingdom.
One of the reasons why I established the Chamber of Commerce is to have a network that will connect us with them. We will know what kind of business they have. If we need businesses in the place that we will build, we just need to connect with them."
After talking for a while, Topas left the office with a still stupefied expression. Chamber of Commerce that connected all the nobles and big merchants in the kingdom! There was actually a hidden function! It was a powerful network that the kingdom could use!
Edgar closed his eyes and started thinking. While thinking of construction, an idea crossed his mind that he needed to create the epoch-making cement. It will make construction a lot easier.
Elena came back to the office, and reported the aptitude of the rescued captives. "Your highness, only three are capable of becoming magicians, including Martha. She has an aptitude for water magic. Calvin has no aptitude for magic."
She paid special attention to the husband and wife because the prince wanted to cultivate them.
Edgar made a series of orders."Magic is not needed in Calvin's future work. He will be taught with aura. Let those with no aptitude to magic become teachers. Set up a class for teaching magic. We will build a magicians group for production. Cultivate Martha. I want her to lead the Magic Production Corps later. Those that want to join will be given a contract. We will teach them and train them, but they must work for us for 5 years. They can decide to stay or leave after 5 years.
We will establish a point system. Materials that are needed for their magic cultivation will require points to be bought. Points can be earned by studying or working. They could work on construction or make magic appliances. Their work will be paid with a salary. We will only provide a free basic allowance and daily necessities. We will not train them in vain. We must use their magic to accelerate the development of the kingdom. There must be periodic tests. Those that don't have enough points will be kicked out. We will not raise lazy worms! Their help will increase the kingdom's treasury. When the Treasury increases, we will also increase the production corps a little. The cycle will continue.
Find adult people who have an aptitude for magic. People who only want to earn money to feed their families. Train them to work in factories for magic appliances or be a dedicated magic construction team. They can have a choice to join the point system, but make it clear to them that they won't have a fixed salary and they will have a periodic test. We must catch up with our neighboring kingdoms and the empire. Using magicians for production will shorten our gap with them quickly! "
Edgar stopped talking for a moment and looked at Elena, who was listening intently and writing his orders. Then he stated his hidden plan. "Another purpose of the Magic Production Corps is to have a reserve army of magicians!"
A long time ago, there were only a few people with an aptitude for magic. Each magician was important to the kingdom, but as time passed, more magicians appeared, and many people have the aptitude for magic. Children that were sent to study in a magic academy for free were those with a high aptitude for magic. Free testing of magic aptitude was only done after a few years. The royal court did not have enough money to support many students for free.
Edgars' targets for the magic production corps were those who were not qualified to enter the magic academy for free. Elena became busy again, arranging his task. Edgar thought that he needed to give her assistant secretaries.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone