The Overspace Magus Emperor - Chapter 15 Plight of The People

From afar, I could see a big majestic white colored administrative building. It has a big stair in the middle and two statues beside the entrance of the building.

A group of officials could also be seen at the side being tied with a rope. There was also a group of robots not far from them, watching and securing the people by holding the rope tightly.

The officials were having an expression of gloom and were down casting their gaze below as if waiting for an execution. Seeing this, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Then, I approach the crowd and ordered the robots to bring the official inside the hall. The hall resembled a roman styled building with having a big white pillar at the front and inside to support the structure.

As I got to the center of the hall, the officials were untied and presented in front of me. The officials were a little bit surprised to see that the master of the golems they see, was only an 11-year-old boy or so.

“Let’s just make this short but first who is the magistrate of this city?” My face becomes serious as I inspect the officials in front of me.

Then, one of them that seems to be the leader come forward and bow his head a little before answering,

“I am the magistrate of this city, Sir. What are you going to do to us?” His face showed an expression of pleading and worry, as I inspect his characteristics. He was a middle-aged man with gray hair and had an amicable face.

“Are you? I’m not going to do anything sinister, as long as you have a good record as officials and pledge allegiance to me, I promise to spare and give you the same position just as before.” I inspect all of the officials from the left to the right with a smirk.

“Yes, I am magistrate Bryant, Sir. But could you state yourself first, Sir?” The magistrate asks with a calm expression on his face.

“I am Viscount Xendra of the neighboring territory that your Lord had just attacked but failed.” I declared with seriousness showing in my face.

After hearing what I stated, the officials were in a fuss after knowing that their Lord had failed miserably. Then, I clap my hand to gather attention.

“I don’t have much time, decide now whether you want to pledge or not!” Seeing that the officials were still hesitant, I could only sigh.

“Lord Viscount, I will pledge my allegiance to you, as long as you spare my family.” The magistrate stated with pleading in his face.

“Good, I promise that I won’t harm your family.” I nod my head with a smile and a little surprise that the magistrate cared so much to his family.

Noticing that I wasn’t an evil person and quite reasonable, he decided to pledge his allegiance to me. “I pledge myself to Lord!” Finishing his kneel, he continued, “The other officials here were trustworthy as most of the ambitious and corrupt ones were following the Count, Lord.”

“As for the one that was here, the Count’s right-hand man seems to be on the wall and as for the other officials, they were going to the bar and brothel to have fun. This makes us work twice as hard.” The Magistrate started to boil regarding the bad treatment he got from the Count and other officials.

Remembering the bad treatment they got and seeing that the magistrate pledges his allegiance to me, the other officials decided to follow suit and kneeled.

“””I pledge myself to Lord!”””

I receive their submission with a beaming smile.

“Good good good, I won’t mistreat you.” Then as I remembered something, I resumed, “I will give you guys the first mission, prepare personnel for transporting gold from the Manor.”

“””Yes, My Lord!!!””” All of the officials salute with a slight bowing then left to gather personnel.

Actually, moving the gold from the Manor could be done by the robots but as I need it to do something else and it will attract attention, I decided not to. The gold coins were also had been move from the secret room to the other room in the Manor.

After I finished giving the order, I continue my occupation of the County. As Sanchez County has 1 medium to big sized city, 3 small towns and 14 villages with a total population of around 70.000, I need to split my force.

I decided to dispatch 180 robots and split it into three to take down the town before splitting further into 14 to occupied the surrounding villages. I had the remaining 20 robots to capture the bad officials at the town and guard the wall of the city.

As hours would be needed for the robots to occupied the surrounding even with the advanced transport troop helicopters, I set to explore the city more thoroughly to gather information.

The Oxford City has a population of 35.000, so it had the sized of around 3.5 times that of Moonmoor.

As I explore the city, I realize that the main road feels quite desolate. The people also seem to not realize that the city had fallen to another hand because the robots manage to incapacitate the guard swiftly without warning the people but even if they know, they probably will not care that much as it was seen from their desolate face.

The expression the people have in this city seems quite gloomy as if troubled about what to eat tomorrow. They also seem quite malnourished a little.

Just as I walk for about a minute or so, I spotted a store in the side that catches my eye. Then, I approach it to gather more information on the people.

As I got inside the store, I see a plump middle age woman sitting behind a counter uncaringly gazing at the side as if in a trance and it requires a full ten seconds before she realizes I was inside the store.

“Oh.. a costumer? Do you need anything?” she said while holding her head lazily without glancing at me fully.

“This…” I glance at the surroundings and realize this was a material store.

“What? You came without any plan to buy anything? Get out if you just here to hinder me.” She starts fuming irritatingly. Then as she moves her head and gazes at me, she realizes that the clothes I wear were fancy and begins to size me up apologetically, “I’m sorry for being rude, what does young sir here want?”

‘Interesting, despite just seeing my clothes, her attitude change 180o’ I begin stroking my chin in ponder before I said,

“I am a traveling merchant from the neighboring territory, could you please explain the situation and prize of common goods in this County? Of course, I will be paying” Then I show her a few gold coins from my pocket.

Seeing a genuine gold coin, her eyes began to shine in greed before she nods and starts describing the situation in the fief.

As she explains the situation and causes of the current bad atmosphere in the city, I realize that my guess is right, ‘No wonder the people in the territory have quite a gloom atmosphere.’ I recalled what she just said.

Although the Count’s territory was in a tradeline and connected to the main road to the Capital of the Kingdom. The Count was displeased by the measly amount of tax that he got from his people. Then, As the Count resolve to attack my territory, he uses that as a pretext to increase the tax percentage as well as adding new kind of tax to his people and also taking their good.

After gathering the information, I pay the woman with gold and inspect the goods before finding nothing that interests me.

Just as I get out of the store, I see a young boy was running while hugging a loaf of black bread in his chest. A middle-aged man was chasing him while shouting,

“Come back here! You little thief! Just wait until I catch you!” He was swinging some kind of rolling pin in the air while shouting.

The child was running desperately without minding much what’s in front of him, making him crash into me and he falls to the ground since I have a knight apprentice constitution, I was fine.

“Finally caught you, little thief.” The man lifts the boy in the air while grinning maliciously.

“Hey, stop what you are doing! Take this and let the boy go.” I implored to the man, as I give him two silver to compensate him.

Then, he swiftly snatches the silvers I gave with greed and smiled, “You’re lucky this time boy, remember that there is no next time!”

The boy then bows his head to me before left hurriedly, as if being chased by something.

“Well, whatever. I was planning to solve the city’s problem anyway.” I said with a smirk, as if the city were already officially mine.

As the golds seem already been piled in the city hall, I set to check that out first. Since the officials monitor the movement of gold, the worker didn’t dare to take even one gold.

Then, I got to the inside of the city hall and find Magistrate Bryant,

“Magistrate Bryant, I want you to buy grain with this gold and distribute what we have right now to the people, 10 kg for each person,” I decreed firmly.

“Yes, I will do that immediately!” The magistrate dismissively replied.

“Also prioritize people in the slums and in poverty one!” Remembering the boy that was carrying a loaf of black bread before.

“Yes, as you commanded!” Then, he bows and left to instruct personnel to start distributing grain.

After that, I go back to the Manor to rest and wait for the robot’s full occupation of the County, as well as waiting for the officials from Moonmoor to arrive.

***

In a certain town in Sanchez County, the people in town were busy doing their daily job. Although the town also had a quite gloomy atmosphere, the people were still desperate to exert to meet their daily needs.

On the outskirt of the town, six transport troop helicopters were approaching. Bringing within them robots with obvious intent.

As they reach above the town, the robots start descending and occupy the town swiftly and easily as the guards that were supposed to guard the town mostly being conscripted by the Count.

The people also just accept their town being occupied, as they just got inside the house and pray for not being killed by the golem they see.

As the robots finish occupying the town, they left 10 or so robots to defend the place before leaving to occupy other towns and villages. This was also happening at the other two towns and 14 villages consecutively. The Sanchez County had been fully occupied.