Magi Craft Meister

Chapter 684 – Household Registration

On December 9th, after breakfast, Jin approached Elsa.

“…What’s wrong, Jin-nii?”

“Ah… yeah. Um, today, I was thinking of going to Elsa’s family home.”

Hearing this, Elsa tilted her head in confusion.

“Why?”

“Why… well, to greet Elsa’s parents.”

“Eh…”

Realizing Jin’s intention, Elsa blushed.

“Well, you see, I’ve never greeted Elsa’s… mother here. And now that I am a baronet, it would be strange for me to be called your sister, right?”

“W-well…”

As they were discussing this in the hallway, Reinhardt arrived, looking flustered.

“What are you two doing here? Today, the Emperor is making a royal tour!”

“Eh!?”

A royal tour refers to the Emperor visiting various places. The nimble Empress is scheduled to visit this region at the end of 3457.

“…We’ll go to Elsa’s family home after that.”

“…Yeah.”

So, at the Reinhardt residence and in Kartze village, preparations for the Empress’s arrival were hastily underway.

Then, at 11 a.m., the carriage of Empress Gelhart Hilde Von Rubies Shouro arrived in Kartze village.

“Empress of the Shouro Empire, Her Majesty has arrived!”

The voice of the guards echoed as the carriage door opened.

First to alight were Degauss, the Minister of Magi Technology and escort, the female knight Flora of the Royal Guard, and the secretary. Finally, the Empress herself stepped out.

“Everyone, I appreciate your warm welcome.”

The Empress addressed the villagers, who bowed deeply, and then turned to Reinhardt.

“Lord Reinhardt Randall, it seems you are governing this land well.”

“I am honored.”

The Empress, protected by the Royal Guard, then proceeded to Reinhardt’s residence, the Rankenhaus.

“This is quite a fine residence.”

Settling into the reception room of Rankenhaus, the Empress returned to her usual tone.

Present with her were Degauss, the female knight Flora, and the secretary.

“I’ve heard about the new ship from Degauss. Reinhardt, Elsa, and Jin, you’ve all done well.”

The Empress then turned her gaze to Reiko.

“Reiko-chan, you haven’t changed at all.”

The Empress spoke kindly to Reiko, who was an honorary knight.

“…I am an automaton. As long as my father wishes it, it is my duty to remain as I am.”

At that moment, the automaton maid, Belle, brought in tea.

“Thank you. …So, Belle, you are Reinhardt’s automaton?”

“Yes. My name is Belle.”

“I see. You’re a splendid automaton.”

Degauss, the Minister of Magi Technology, tasted the tea first, as a precaution against poison.

“That’s quite a delicious tea.”

Upon hearing this, Flora, the secretary, and the Empress all took a sip of the tea.

“Indeed, it’s very good.”

“It is an honor.”

After enjoying the tea for a while, the Empress, due to her position, could not relax for too long.

“The reason I visited Lord Reinhardt Randall is that I heard you have implemented the ‘household registration’ system.”

“Yes, indeed.”

Since becoming the lord of Kartze village, Reinhardt had been diligently working on establishing the household registration system.

“I would like a detailed report later, but for now, I’d like to hear a summary.”

“A summary, you say?”

“Yes. I want to know the difficulties and points of caution in creating the household registration system. More importantly, I want to understand why it was created and how you intend to use it.”

Unlike modern Japan, where concepts like registered domicile and resident records are standard, introducing a household registration system in a society with no such concepts is a challenging endeavor.

Above all, if the system does not benefit both the lord and the residents, it will not proceed smoothly.

“If it’s just about creating a household registration system and using it to collect taxes, residents who don’t report their information will likely emerge, right?”

The Empress was indicating that a system benefiting only the lord would not work effectively.

“Yes. So, we thought about it. First, we gathered all the residents and held an explanatory meeting.”

“Then?”

“We proposed creating a ledger with the residents’ names, birthdates, and addresses.”

“Were there any objections or complaints?”

The Empress’s guess was correct.

“Yes, that’s right. So, next, we explained the benefits to the residents.”

The Empress, who had knowledge from the “Leader Fuehrer” about managing residents through household registration and resident records, knew this in theory but had not seen it in practice.

In the capital of the Egelia Kingdom, Asunto, there is a system that could be considered a prototype of household registration, but the high turnover in the capital has made it ineffective in practice.

Moreover, since the knowledge from Führer is at a basic level, it likely falls short for a ruler. However, Reinhardt, having been with Jin, had acquired more advanced knowledge.

Although the Empress did not know this fact, she came with the expectation that something different might be happening simply because of Reinhardt’s friendship with Jin.

“We considered welfare.”

“Welfare, you say.”

Welfare here means providing a minimum level of happiness and assistance to residents.

“But since residents might not understand the concept of welfare, we provided concrete examples.”

The Empress nodded silently.

“If someone is the victim of theft or violence, those listed in the household register will be given priority in handling their case. Conversely, those not listed will face harsher punishments if they commit a crime and are caught.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Next, if someone faces difficulties, those listed in the register can receive advice. Additionally, we offer interest-free loans up to 50,000 tolls for up to six months.”

“That’s quite a bold move.”

Unlike in Loizart, 50,000 tolls is a substantial amount in Kartze village, enough to support a family of five for about four months.

“Yes, this was, so to speak… to show some ‘bait’.”

Reinhardt added that it was done to entice and motivate the residents.

“Before actually lending the money, we conducted thorough background checks, emphasized how the funds should be used, and made it clear that the results would need to be reported. If the use of the funds was unclear, we instructed that they should be returned immediately or seized.”

“And how did it go?”

“Yes….”

In the initial month, there were four loans, one of which seemed suspicious. Upon investigation, it was found that the money was intended for gambling.

“As a result, we established that those who engaged in such fraud would be exiled, and since then, similar fraud has not occurred.”

“I see. And from our side, with a clearer understanding of the taxable items, it becomes harder to hide harvests, which ultimately leads to increased revenue.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

In any territory, peasants always aim to reduce their taxes as much as possible, while the lord tries to collect as much as possible, creating a deep divide. The only place without such a divide is Jin’s Kaina village.

By implementing the household registration system, Reinhardt aimed to clarify taxes and bridge this divide.

“I understand most of it now. The details can be covered in the report. We don’t have much time.”

The sundial outside the window indicated noon.

“If you don’t mind, I would like you to join us for lunch.”

This invitation came from Jin, not Reinhardt. The Empress’s eyes widened for a moment but then softened into a smile.

“How delightful. I look forward to it, Lord Jin Nido.”

After leaving the reception room, Jin instructed Reiko to relay orders to the elderly servant. The content was: “Send miso and bonito flakes for ten people”

And the task was carried out immediately.

“Alright, Reiko, help me out. …Actually, I’ll leave most of it to you.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Reiko was in the Reinhardt residence’s kitchen, making miso soup. The ingredients were topopo mushrooms and a round onion.

There was no need to worry about cooking the white rice, as those in the kitchen were well-versed in it.

The rest of the menu was left to the head chef.

“Well, what is this soup!? It goes so well with rice!”

Jin felt relieved when the Empress expressed her satisfaction with the miso soup.