28 Trouble of Eastern Region
[Royal Capital City]
As the most prosperous city in the entire Buraford kingdom and also its capital, the founding king named it Utopia as he wanted it to be a place where all citizens can live in peace and security, well there was a time like that also but not in current era, due to poor policy of the current king, who has turned is back on his citizens, entire kingdom is facing an economic crises and social instability.
Adding to the fire are corrupted nobles who are exploiting the citizens by making them pay a high tax rate, while enjoying their luxurious lifestyle;With no one taking care of law and justice, nobles are doing as they please, having no one is there to look out for citizens.
[Royal Palace]
Currently in Royal palace King chamber
AHHHHHHH
With a sudden noise, the silence of the palace was broken.Hearing the noise coming from the king chamber the palace guards rushed toward the chamber, to King's body lying on the bed without any heartbeat and a deep red line around the neck of the king.
Seeing this guard captain stood up and looked around the chamber and found the doors of balcony open and hurriedly order the guards.
"Somebody go and informed the council of elders as well as three Prince. While other head out and alert the guard at city gates and entire city guards to capture anyone found suspected, no one is allowed to leave the city before the person who assassinated a king is found same goes for the palace worker"
Following the order guards captain order. The guard left one by one in hurry to carry out their orders
After the guards left he looked at the dead body of the king and looked at the opened door of the balcony and walked towards the balcony and looked at the dark clouds covering the moon and the bright and colorful city.
"Capital is about to become chaotic" as he went outside the chamber without turning around to look at the King again.
[Almon City]
In administration office of City Almon,The office was adjourned to Duke office,with white marble floors, a red carpet was placed on top of it;As windows were open, the sound of whispering of winds can be heard with sunlight coming inside the office making the entire office refreshing and calm.
In the middle a table and chair is present,unaware of all this, Kai was sitting beside Diana who was busy with her work, as she carefully read every paper and sign which needed to be signed and which is not.Diana has already taken back the command as chief executive of the administration department which she has left for so much time.
In her absence, bundles of paperwork have gathered, which requires her permission.It can be seen on the face of how serious she takes care of her duty.
Kai who was looking at the giant bundle of paper and completely speechless and can't help but think
'it was a stroke of good luck that I never have any interest in becoming a government official or I have to deal with this type of bundles of paperwork'
Just then an old man with white hair entered the office, he was a little fatty, with a height of 150cm, his face had wrinkles beside his eyes and forehead.
He was breathing heavily seems like he has run all the way here, on his right hand, he was carrying a thick folder as he put it on the table and presented it to Diana
"Lady Diana, here is all the file about the economic, social and war power report of the eastern region," said the old man as he takes long breaths.
looking at the old man and the folder Diana nod"Norman, thank you for collecting all reports do quickly, go and sit on the sofa, I will look into it"
"No, a lady no need to thank the old man I am just doing my duty" as he sits on the sofa beside Kai and started to chat as Diana go through the files
"Nice to meet you Mister Kai" as Norman extended his hand to shake hands with Kai
"Nice to meet you also sir Norman"as they again sit down on the sofa
"it nice to meet you, mister, I have heard how you saved miss Diana life, for that I am grateful for you" as Norman bow his head before Kai
"No need for that I just did what I wanted to do," said Kai
Hearing Kai's response Norman nodded as he looked at Diana who was going through the document attentively.
Noticing the kind graze of Norman, Kai smiled.
"You seem to have known Diana for a long time sir Norman"
Norman nodded"I have been here since I have 22year old when I have just passed the government examination and was assigned to Almon city, that time Lady Diana was just a small girl of 3year old, it was I who taught her administration management"
"Now that 3year girl have become 100years taking full control over administration authority of eastern region,"
"So what are you currently doing sir Norman"asked Kai
"I have been taking care of Miss Diana work in her absence all these day, but now she had recovered, so I am taking care of information collection department"
"Oh! information collection department"repeated Kai
"Yes, it's our work to collect all information of eastern region and report it to Almon city, we do a survey yearly. Throughout the eastern region to analysis social welfare, economic conditions, land condition for agriculture, growth of population, the military power of the region, etc"
Hearing that Kai was impressed just by think about the amount of information they connect on various sections of life, from the whole eastern region.
"Must be a tough work to do"asked Kai
"Ya, it can be tough some time as we have to analysis it also. So, we have to collect all information within particular time and send it to administration office. After, that they can analyse, the progress as well as the drawbacks and find ways to solve them"
As Kai and Norman were talking, time passed by,one hour later, Diana finished reading all the reports and was having a headache looking at the report and called Norman.
"Looks like this year the condition has become worse than the previous year if this continues people will start to protest"
Hearing that Norman didn't replied immediately, he was so concerned about the current situation. Only after some thoughts did he replied.
"Yes, lady I have seen the report and come to the same conclusion"
"What did the capital say about it?"
"It's the same, My lady like before"
BANG,
Diana, punched the table and the table breakdown as all the paperwork gets scattered on the floor.
"Does the king really doesn't care for his citizens or he is so dumb to listen to the others advice with no sense of crisis. This people are going through due to his one after another foolish acts. If these taxes are applied the people of entire eastern region will be left to die through starvation" shouted Diana.
Looking at Diana's reaction Norman was also feeling helpless, when he read the report he also had the same reaction.
"Norman is this report from capital real"
Hearing Daina, Norman nodded with a helpless expression"From my source of information. I got this info that they are going to implement this rule from Next year," said Norman
"The current condition of the Eastern Region is already not good with such high tax and revenue, if they implement its policy, entire eastern region people will not even have means to live"
Listening to Norman and Diana discussion, Kai can also understand that the eastern region is facing a great problem
As Kai stood up from the sofa and approach them"You guys seem to be discussing a very great problem, do you mind if I join the conversation also"
Daina and Norman looked at him
"Mister Kai, we don't mind, we are just thinking of solving a great problem but cannot come up with any solution," said Norman with anxiousn face.
Seeing Kai also interested in this topic Diana begins to explain the problem faced by the eastern region.
"Kai, our eastern region is different from other regions of the kingdom unlike other parts of the kingdom. Entire region is fully under the command of Almon Family with no other noble in this region. But there is a reason behind that, Almon family ancestor was great commander under founding king. To the King he was like a brother to him and asked him to choose any land he wants, so ancestor asked the King to grant him the authority to command the entire eastern region as he wants to protect the people from attack of magic beasts"
"So, he was given command of the entire eastern region permanently; making it such that no noble can rule or have ownership of any property in Eastern Region and for the management of the whole region they adopted, a system of city management.
With the great city of Almon, at the peak of authority and under which city of different zones will work, under them will be towns and villages, all of zones management is done by these city, while cities report to Almon City. Basically, it's like this Almon City> zone city> town> village, this is how the system operates"
"Ever since that it has never changed, but the current king who became king about fifty years ago, under the support of Duke William who ruled over the western region"
"With other nobles support, Duke William made King passed a law and changed the entire tax and revenue collection of eastern region, when Founding king passed the eastern region he passed a law that if anyone wants to rent a land and work on it they have to pay 25%of their income to the capital and 10%must be paid to Almon city for development and management of this region. Making it total 35% of the total income which they have to pay"
"Miss Diana let me say from here on"
Diana stopped to catch her breath and nodded to Norman
"Mister I but it changed 50years ago. The king's new policy implementated that with 35%, they also have to give tax to capital. Their logic was that 25% they pay as land rent and 10%as tax to Almon city, yet they don't pay any tax to capital and implemented 20% of the income as tax for capital making it, 55% of their total income"
"This creates a problem for common people, To regulate it, Almon city responded by reducing its tax from 10%to 5% as lower than 5% was not possible as we also needed to manage whole eastern region"
"But now they want to implement a new policy that we have to pay 20%as security to maintain an eastern division of military"
"If this is implemented 70%income as tax, which will break the back of entire eastern region economy which will affect all people of eastern region"said Norman bitterly
"What will does noble get from this?" asked Kai to Diana
"To them eastern region is a big cake but they are not able to take even a single bite of it, they want to make entire eastern management collapse and want to make a new system. All this is to satisfy own selfish desires"
Listening to entire thing and understanding the entire situation.
Kai frowned and thought
'Just how dumb is this king. Even I can tell this kind of logic behind tax collection is illogical. This is just like destroying the bridge after crossing it, while knowing it well, that you have to return back to cross the bridge'
Suddenly, the door of administration office open and Alfred entered the room
"All of you come with me, just now a letter has come from capital, Father is waiting for us in his office"
Hearing that Diana and Norman looked at one other and nodded
"Let's go meet father first and see what is the message"said Daina
As they follow Alfred to Duke office.
