Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

That night, Masinissa took over the defense, and I had a good sleep.

The team transporting supplies, led by Avustern, began to return one after another from the afternoon of the next day. However, Lei Mei and Floki were escorting the prisoners at the back and did not show up for the time being.

I found Lund and told him about the deal between me and Hawkes.

"That's a good idea. I've always worried that the Khajiit caravans might monopolize Granite Village's supplies. If there were competition, they wouldn't dare set prices too high. Speaking of which, Resard once suggested he become the tax farmer. What do you think?"

"What is a tax farmer?"

Lund wasn't surprised by my lack of knowledge, but simply explained. It turns out that the nobles of Skyrim, to save trouble, had sold the right to collect taxes. The tax farmers would first pay the nobles the full amount, and then receive the right to collect taxes within the territory for a certain period of time. Resard, the old cat, also hoped to replicate this in Granite Village.

"Actually, there are advantages to doing this. Collecting taxes has always been a thankless task, requiring the support of numerous staff members and the regular verification of large amounts of data. If it's an agricultural tax, then you also have to consider the harvest season and crop prices, which is quite troublesome. If it's a lump sum tax, you can get cash in one lump sum without having to pay for hiring people. Besides, the Tiger Caravan has a monopoly, and Granite Village's output should be purchased by them. And..."

Seeing that I was still frowning and silent, Lund smiled.

"Besides, collecting taxes is bound to offend people. Let these tiger people do it. If they really cause public outrage, you can always push them out to take the blame."

"This isn't a good idea. Let me think about it. When Lydia comes back, call everyone to a meeting."

After Lund left, I tapped the table and took stock of the personnel and arrangements under my command.

The traditional way of governing Skyrim is, in my opinion, very crude: the lord distributes land and property to nobles of all sizes, and then lets these guys do whatever they want.

Whether lords or barons, or even the lowest-ranking knights, their most important identity was that of a military noble, and therefore, without exception, they focused their primary energy on honing their combat skills. The significance of a territory was to ensure they had sufficient wealth to provide combat troops when needed and to maintain their luxurious lifestyle.

The vast majority of nobles were neither skilled nor interested in business. Their sole concern was the income they could generate from their estates, with no regard for how this income was generated. Consequently, the power to manage specific matters was further decentralized, placing it in the hands of retainers.

Almost every noble had a steward who was responsible for all matters related to the prime minister. The powerful would also employ other staff members, such as the chief of the guard, the treasurer, the tax farmer, etc. These staff members were the noble's confidants, and their scope of authority and the specific affairs they were responsible for were determined by the noble's wishes.

The wealthiest nobles might even maintain a court wizard for expert advice on magical matters. However, in most cases, the relationship between the two parties was more of a partnership than a subordinate one. Court wizards often cared little about who sat in the lord's chair. Even if a coup d'état occurred, they would choose to stand aside and observe.

This system was undoubtedly inefficient, and those staff members often relied on the trust of the nobles to run rampant in the countryside and oppress the people.

As Lund suggests, collecting 90% of the rent from the tenants might simply be the result of layers of exploitation. The landlords themselves might not even be aware of this percentage, as they were content with a satisfactory income. Or perhaps knowing it didn't matter. After all, in the eyes of the aristocracy, the words "people" and "livelihood" were irrelevant; the people's power was paramount.

These untouchables farm, pay rent, and serve in the army. As long as they can work for me, that's all that matters. Who cares if they can survive or not?

This is the situation in the entire Skyrim Province. If you don't do it, there are plenty of people who will.

Of course I am not willing to go with the flow.

I've long harbored the desire to make a major move, but I've always felt a lack of talent. For example, Rydia, who was reasonably strong in the game, performed only moderately well under me, and unfortunately, she even needed a major overhaul. And characters like Lund, Hrata, Agis, Lahlan, and Talver—some had minimal roles in the game, while others were completely obsolete.

But today, Lund's hurried figure made me feel dazed. Is this still the fellow villager whom I once regarded as mediocre?

Last year in the month of Morning Star, Lund replaced the pregnant Rigel as the temporary head of Helgen's finances, but he was ultimately backstabbed and branded a cruel official. A month later, he became my steward and has worked diligently and discreetly for me ever since.

His approach to various matters also gradually changed from initially stubborn and rigid to becoming smooth and thoughtful. Back at the Bloody Throne Fortress, he even laid out a long-term plan for my territory's development. Unfortunately, with my marriage to Irina, he lost the opportunity to personally turn that blueprint into reality.

Because of me, Lund's job was reassigned several times, but he never complained and always gave it his all. He not only quickly sorted out the key points and difficulties, but also proposed targeted solutions. Although I didn't always agree with his opinions, I have to admit that his suggestions were very helpful to me.

Before I knew it, he had become one of my most reliable subordinates. This demonstrates that even those with mediocre talent can continue to improve and ultimately achieve success if they are open-minded and dedicated to their work. With such a successful example before me, why not provide everyone with an opportunity to grow and develop?

The following afternoon, the meeting officially convened. Besides Lei Mei and Floki, who had just returned, there were Lund and his wife Nari, the dark elf Tarver and his wife Kalan, the Redguard Masinisha, the orc Rohag, and the little girl Lucia.

After a brief opening statement, I officially announced the appointment of Rund as Chief of Political Affairs and Lydia as Chief of Military Affairs, responsible for internal affairs and defense respectively.

The Chief of the Interior had three subordinates: the financial officer, the construction officer, and the secretary.

Lund will temporarily assume the concurrent position of Treasurer, primarily responsible for managing the territory's revenue and expenditure, departmental budgets, and other financial matters. Considering that land rent and taxes will be my primary source of income in the future, this position also includes the task of increasing the population. Furthermore, taxation will also fall under the Treasurer's responsibility.

Lund's assistant is Lucia, a little beggar I picked up from Whiterun. She only turned twelve this year, but she possesses a calmness and steadiness far beyond her years. Helata and Ariana also continue to serve Lund. Though illiterate, these two former hunters have always been loyal and reliable, and can be relied upon to carry out specific operations.

The Dark Elf Tarver has been chosen as the Construction Officer. He will oversee engineering matters within the territory, including building houses, digging canals, constructing defenses, and quarrying, mining, and smelting. A former miner, he later succeeded Runde in managing the mines at the Bloodthrone. He possesses extensive experience and a prudent approach. I believe he is up to the task.

Talford's assistant was Avustern of House Greymane. He facilitated a deal to supply iron ore from Falkreath to the Skyforge, relieving the supply crisis during the battle between Tullius and Ulfric for Dawnstar. Consequently, Vignar, the head of House Greymane, greatly appreciated him and granted him greater freedom of action.

This guy immediately came to Granite Village with a few close friends. In name, he was here to consolidate the friendship between the Gray Mane Family and me, but in reality, he was attracted by the convenient transportation here and hoped to find out the whereabouts of his brother Thorad.

Avustern is backed by one of the most powerful families in Whiterun. I wouldn't mind giving him a sinecure and spending a little money to support him. While my base is in Falkreath, I still understand the principle of a cunning rabbit having three burrows.

The final civil service position is that of clerk, responsible for managing all documents and archives, such as deeds, contracts, appointments, judgments, and so on. For this position, I appointed Talver's wife, Karan. She is the daughter of a minor noble, well-educated, and one of the few educated people under my command.

Kalan's assistant is tentatively Nari. Lund's wife, a former waitress at the Dead Man's Brew Inn in Falkreath, had also mentioned the idea of ​​opening an inn in Granite Village. However, the village hasn't been completely rebuilt yet, so the idea has been put on hold. She's willing to work for me for a while until the time is right.

Their immediate priority is to establish a series of regulations and laws. The Reach's inhabitants of Granite Village are a mix of tribesmen who originally lived by hunting and fishing, and those who have assimilated into the Nordic culture and settled down. My followers are also a diverse group: Nords, Redguards, and now, Khajiit and Orcs. Different groups have different lifestyles.

Aside from the Imperials of Cyrodiil, most ethnic groups in Tamriel lacked written laws. For example, the Orcish tribes' Code of Malachis was customary law. Of course, for a race as violent and impulsive as the Nords, or a Khajiit who took pride in committing crimes, laws were often ineffective.

But I hope to reverse this disorder in the territory and establish an enforceable system at least in terms of property, as this is closely related to taxation.

The military commander has two subordinates: the instructor and the sheriff.

The drill sergeant is responsible for recruiting and training soldiers. This is a top priority at this stage, so Lai Mei is personally responsible. I have two requirements. First, I want to recruit as many soldiers as possible from respectable families, preferably farmers with land in Granite Village. Second, given my goal of recapture Loristed Town and Snake Cliff Ridge, the troops must be capable of operating in both plains and mountains, and possess a certain level of offensive capability.

The orcs Rohag and Floki were appointed as Lydia's assistants. Old Floki had been an archery instructor in Helgen, and the reason he crossed Lake Irinata to find me was that I was the only one who had completed the first round of the Gine Trial.

To this end, after meeting me, he solemnly announced the second round of quests, which were to hunt the bear spirit in the dense forests of Falkreath, the tiger spirit in the glacial canyon of Winterhold, and the mammoth spirit in the mammoth boneyard of Whiterun. This time, we would face real beasts, and I also mentioned the injury I had suffered while hunting the mudcrab spirit.

Old Floki said there was no need to worry.

"Didn't you notice that those wounds healed the next day without leaving any scars? If you can't even feel pain, it can't be called a trial. But don't worry, even if you are killed by the beast spirit, you will wake up after 24 hours. Of course, during this time, it's best to have someone nearby to watch over you, so that other passing animals don't take advantage of you or freeze to death."

I reserved my opinion of his statement and used the complicated affairs of the territory as an excuse. Floki replied that he and his grandson Hamin planned to move to Granite Village, where they had plenty of time.

I've incorporated the strongest orcs into the regular army, while the Red Guards will form the basis of patrols. This unit will serve as a reserve force, primarily responsible for maintaining stability within the territory. They can help curb petty violence and encourage villagers to abide by the law, while also preventing infiltration by criminal gangs like the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood.

Considering that Masinisha and I are merely hired servants, the position of sheriff falls to Stein. It might take two or three days for this guy and Irina to escort the supplies.

"This is the preliminary arrangement. I ask that you all work together for this great cause. If you have any questions or require cross-departmental collaboration, please feel free to contact me or the two managers for coordination."

Without waiting for the meeting to end, Lei Mei pulled Floki and Rohag aside to whisper. I stopped the solemn-looking Kalan and asked her to draft a simple decree as soon as possible to be promulgated at the public trial in five days.

Actually, I have one more appointment that has not yet been announced: that of an intelligence officer. This position will report directly to me and will be responsible for gathering and compiling intelligence, as well as monitoring the performance of the aforementioned officials. The current candidates are Hayo and Agis.

Tiger people have good stealth skills, making them suitable for being spies. Moreover, the cousins ​​are not very familiar with Lund and Lemei, so they can stand on a relatively impartial position and supervise everyone's work.

In the following days, Rund and I were busy preparing for the public trial, such as organizing the victims' families to identify the murderer and preliminarily determining the bears' sentences.

Three days after the meeting, Kahlan submitted the first draft of the Locke Laws. Modeled after the Imperial Code, the document was simplified and rigorously legislated. Its title page stated: "Everyone is guilty until proven innocent."

As we were going over the decree line by line, Irina arrived at the shack. This woman had arrived in Granite Village early yesterday morning and had been housed by Lund in a small courtyard south of the village. I was busy with official duties, so naturally, I had no time for her.

"Sir, this lady Annis is here to visit. I brought her here..."

Before Irina could finish her words, she was pulled aside by her aunt.

"Locke, why don't you go and rescue Helgi, but attack our people instead? What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh, Ms. Annis, please sit down. Please sit down."

I pushed my aunt into a chair and calmly poured her a cup of pine needle tea.

"Please be patient. I also want to rescue her as soon as possible, but Markarth is a famous fortress in Skyrim after all. With our current strength, we can't even reach the city gate. I have already sent Aegis, and the kitten hasn't returned yet, which means Helgi is still safe."

At this moment, Irina, who had just stood firm, was pushed away again, and Aigis jumped in.

"Oh no! Something big happened in Markarth!"

Annis fainted on the spot.