Chapter 110

After ordering Wilke to shake Maxburg, I immediately commanded my subordinate officials to investigate the conditions of the factories and workers affiliated with the guilds in Nante, Blueport, and Helzman.

Because, unlike the serfs who work under similar conditions to ours in modern times due to customary laws, the lower workers affiliated with the factories and guilds are likely working in truly terrible conditions without much legal protection.

Of course, it’s not that I haven’t created laws like a labor standards act for them…

Even in modern times, it’s common to see convenience store workers not being paid for their off days or night shifts due to the owner claiming a lack of funds. Let alone in this era, where such laws are just beginning to emerge…

There’s no way a labor standards act can function properly. It’s clear that there will always be those who exploit the livelihoods of the poor, especially the second and third sons of farmers.

And because of such people, movements like the Luddites, who smashed the machines of manufacturers during the early industrial revolution, and Marx’s Capital were born, so it has to be stopped.

Now, what else needs to be done…

As I was lost in thought about the welfare or treatment necessary for the workers, I heard Chris’s voice from outside the door.

“Your Excellency, this is Chris Belladora. May I come in?”

“Come in.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Chris elegantly opened the door and handed me the report.

“This is the labor environment report for the factories and guilds based on the investigations conducted by my subordinates and Short Lieutenant’s subordinates.”

“You’ve worked hard. I have to read this report, so you can sit on the sofa in front of me and have some tea and snacks.”

Then, I rang the bell to summon a maid to bring tea and snacks and began to read the report.

Let’s see, it seems like they are gathering women who think working in a factory is better than becoming a courtesan, not just the second or third sons of serfs.

This flow is what I instigated, so it doesn’t matter, and the important thing is not the background of the incoming workers.

Next, I turned the page and read the part about the treatment of the workers.

As expected, our guild masters forced working conditions on them just as I imagined.

Working more than 80 hours a week was the standard, and in severe cases, they worked over 90 hours a week.

Meanwhile, they were only paid 1 to 2 silver coins a month, and those who expressed dissatisfaction were met with all sorts of threats.

“We can find countless better people than you, who are so stupid and full of complaints, but if you get fired from here, you won’t even be able to eat a bowl of rice.”

“In the neighboring factory, they make workers work 17 hours a day for 7 days a week, yet we’re only asking you to work 15 hours a day. Do you think a noble like Count Your Excellency would even care about such trivial things?”

“You just have to work! Work until you die! And if you die, you can die at our place, and we’ll take care of your funeral. But if you get too tired, then die at home alone, you lazy piece of trash.”

Especially the threats made against unmarried women were even more outrageous.

“If you want to work in a better environment, you know what you have to do, right? Just finish up by tonight and come to my quarters.”

“Oh, pretty girl, if you’re tired, you can rest in my bed… since judging by your condition at work, you won’t last here, so why not just work in my room?”

“Get out of here! I don’t need workers like you! The only good thing about you is that face and that pathetic body, so how about you serve me with that body?”

Such threats were not uncommon, and they even threatened young unmarried mothers or, in severe cases, harassed girls who weren’t even adults.

Even in the Victorian era, it was said that gentlemen silenced maids with similar claims of livelihood, even when they were sexually harassed, or rather raped…

It seems that no matter how different the world is, scum like that appears in similar environments.

Thus, I quietly read the report, and once I finished, I threw the report, which was in book form, against the wall where my portrait hung and said,

“Did you see those scoundrels who should be torn apart and exterminated across three generations? These are the real traitorous bastards! Defying my orders and exploiting citizens!”

When I turned around, Chris spoke in a very calm voice, as if expecting my anger.

“The content of the report is as stated. Furthermore, there is something I personally investigated that I did not include in the report…”

“Speak.”

“Among the women mentioned in that report, a significant number were cast aside, unable to even be someone’s mistress, and are now being sold into courtesanship. The rest either became disabled or committed suicide.”

Is this a place where, unlike the 21st century, free sex is possible? How could these crazies enjoy and then cast them aside?

No, if it meant being treated as a burden in the rural areas, then rather than living a life of contempt, people would prefer to endure hardships in the city…

But doing such things… wouldn’t they all rise up like Marxist communists?

I then calmed my anger and said.

“Send summons to all the guild masters in Nante, and those who have been accused of raping women will be tried by me personally.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. And as for the next schedule…”

“The visit to the orphanage with Ela will happen after this issue is resolved. Please inform Father Peter, the head of the orphanage, of that.”

At those words, Chris bowed her head and quietly withdrew.

**

The day after receiving Chris’s report, I continued to review materials related to sexual crimes committed through abuse of power in the office.

While I was contemplating the actions to take, I heard someone knock on the door.

“Count Your Excellency, all the guild masters from Nante have arrived in the conference room.”

“Let’s go right away.”

Then I took the well-sharpened saber with my crest hanging in the office and put it on my waist as I headed to the audience hall.

Outside the audience hall, I could hear the guild masters talking.

“No, didn’t I say to just eat moderately! Cloth Guild Master! When I said not to exceed 15 hours a day, you went, ‘Oh, we can do 16 hours too!’ Didn’t you bring a good person like me to this?”

“You were making them work on Sundays, weren’t you? I didn’t do that.”

“So what, it was only 14 hours a day, wasn’t it!”

“Please, keep your mouths shut. Why are you all arguing like children in the conference room?”

“If we’re talking about that, the Food Guild Master made them work for 14 hours and fed them food that couldn’t be sold, reducing wages, right? And I heard there’s a girl who just entered the ranks of the laborers at your place…”

“Hey, I legally confessed that it was a relationship. That’s all a misunderstanding.”

What pitiful characters. I originally wanted to strip the Food Guild Master of his position and seize his property…

But that fellow at least had a conscience. Taking a concubine and treating her family well makes it ambiguous to punish him, and since he’s also a councilor…

Normally, he would be subject to punishment, but there are many who have committed worse crimes than him, so it’s quite remarkable that he has survived.

But from now on, I need to leave a painful lesson for them so they won’t do such things anymore.

“Count Croilet is present. Guild Masters, show respect!”

At that, the guild masters stopped their chatter, looked at me, and knelt on one knee in respect.

I waved my hand to get them back on their feet before speaking.

“First, thank you for coming. Before we talk, there’s something I need to show you. Bring it in.”

A moment later, a man in his fifties, haggard and chained, was brought into the conference room.

Seeing the man, the Cloth Guild Master stood from his seat, pointed at him in horror, and exclaimed,

“Your Excellency, why is our guild’s senior craftsman being tortured and chained like that? Release him!”

Hearing that, I clicked my tongue and replied.

“Tsk, tsk. This fellow operated the third workshop of the Cloth Guild in violation of laws I have proclaimed. He woke workers at 4 AM and made them work until 7 PM, not to mention he laid hands on a virgin. According to Chris’s investigation, that girl has now been sold to the courtesans.”

“But they’re merely serfs, we have the right to employ them!”

“That’s right, you’re entitled to employ them because you’re paying. However, that does not justify violating my decrees, does it?”

The Cloth Guild Master was left without a single retort.

“It has been a year since my law was proclaimed, and the punishment for disobeying my orders will be death, Master Baris. All your property will be confiscated, and your family will be reduced to serfs and sent to undeveloped villages for settlement.”

If this were direct treason, I would have to kill his entire family, but since this is merely an act of defiance, this is the maximum sentence.

When I announced the punishment, the faces of the surrounding guild masters turned pale, and Baris knelt on both knees, clutching my ankle and begging.

“Please spare my life… I promise I won’t do this again, Your Excellency…”

I swung my sword at the begging Baris, and he met his death like that.

Blood gushed from his severed neck, splattering not only my sword but also staining my clothes red.

Along with that, the expensive carpet was rendered unusable due to the overflowing blood.

“It’s quiet now.”

At my words, the guild masters looked at me with fear-filled eyes, trembling.

Among them, both the Cloth Guild Master and the Food Guild Master seemed to have realized the severity of their sins and appeared to have soiled themselves from terror.

As I looked at the frightened guild masters, I sat down with an evil smile and said in an indifferent voice.

“Don’t worry, if you die, there will be no one to manage the factories, and everyone will become unemployed, so there’s no need to fear losing your head.”

“Thank you…”

“Thank you for your grace, Your Excellency…”

When the guild masters realized I wasn’t going to kill them, their faces regained some color.

“However, violating my orders is a serious crime… so I will issue a punishment. First, I impose a fine of 1,000 gold coins on all the guilds. Additionally, I order the guild master to pay 50 gold coins, and those holding ranks of senior craftsmen or higher in the guild to pay 10 gold coins.”

If this were a guild from another city, they would definitely face bankruptcy after being hit with a fine of 1,000 gold coins.

However, for the guild masters in Nante, who are gathering money by the rake across all of Europa, this level of fine is not unbearable.

With some adjustments, they could repay it by cutting back on luxuries for a year or two…

No matter how unfamiliar my decree is, it would be a bit much to purge them all over this, so that’s the best solution.

Then I walked over to the chair where the Food Guild Master was seated and placed my hand on his shoulder.

I then tightened my grip with one hand.

He cried out in pain as he spoke.

“It’s painful, Your Excellency! Aagh…”

I held his shoulder for a moment before releasing it and said.

“If I hear that you’ve abandoned the girl you took as a concubine… you’d better not think about dying comfortably. No, I could execute the entire three generations of your family. I’m serious.”

“Y-Your Excellency…?”

“When my beloved Ela was threatened by a bailiff to serve me, the image of that crying girl is still vivid in my mind. But to do such a thing in my territory again? Are you asking to die?”

“So if you have a girl you’ve taken in as a concubine until now, please do not abandon her, as I might not know what I’ll do. And from now on, do not engage in such acts; otherwise, I will definitely execute you by beheading.”

At those words, all the guild masters bowed their heads.

“Lastly, from now on, it is prohibited even for laborers from serf backgrounds to work more than 6 days a week. At the same time, working more than 10 hours a day is also forbidden, and all factory managers are obligated to provide lunch for them.”

Hearing that, the blacksmith guild master, who had the least wrongdoing, raised his hand.

Just because he had the least wrongdoing doesn’t mean he’s good; it’s just that the blacksmith guild does not allow women to enter and requires years of work before a skilled craftsman appears, so conditions have historically been better.

“Speak.”

“What if we need to make our hired laborers work overtime due to urgency?”

That’s not entirely wrong; there might be instances in a factory where it becomes necessary to order overtime across the entire staff.

“In that case, you must pay the laborers for the overtime on a daily basis at 1.5 times the regular wage, and they should not exceed three hours a day. All laborers must receive at least 3 silver during their probation period and 4 silver once they become regular workers. That’s all. You may return.”

Although I said that, since the factories are beginning to stabilize…

It would be wise to reduce taxes or grant various honorable titles or symbols to those who adhere to what I said.

For those who do not comply, they can be captured and appropriately punished, and for that, I’ll have to assign the street gang under Short to act as inspectors.

For the poor souls who only live their lives fighting, extracting accurate information as payment for their employment seems like a fair deal.

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