Episode 5: The Governance of an Evil Domain

“W-What’s going on here…!?”

“T-The magistrate Gessler is dead!?”

“T-That carriage’s crest… it’s the Count’s…!”

Hearing the commotion, I shift my gaze. A group of farmers stands at a distance, watching me warily. They must be passing through on their way back from fieldwork or something similar. I turn to face them and speak.

“Since the opportunity presents itself, let me make this clear. I am Siegfried von Kreving, the new head of the Kreving family.”

At my words, the farmers drop to the ground as if struck by lightning.

“T-The new head of the family!?”

“That’s right. And as for the magistrate Gessler, I was the one who purged him.”

Following my declaration, the couple from earlier chimes in to elaborate.

“Lord Siegfried protected us from Magistrate Gessler.”

“And he exposed the magistrate’s corruption, too.”

The farmers exchange glances at these words… and then erupt in excitement.

“Oh! That’s… incredible…!”

“Thank you, Lord! We’ve suffered so much under Gessler’s rule!”

“We were threatened that if we reported him to the lord, he’d kill us…! N-Now, our lives will finally get easier!”

The farmers gaze at me with gratitude. But I merely look down at them with a cold, unyielding expression.

“What are you talking about? Do you actually think I’m some kind of benevolent lord?”

“Huh…?”

The air around the farmers grows heavy with tension.

“It’s unfortunate for you, but… I am a far greater evil than Gessler ever was. I didn’t act out of some sense of justice to save you.”

The farmers are stunned into silence. They had just rejoiced at the downfall of a vile scoundrel like Gessler, only to learn that a new evil has taken his place. It’s only natural they’d be shocked.

“My goal is to one day build an empire of evil and dominate this world. And as the first step toward that…”

I hear the farmers swallow hard, their breaths catching in their throats.

“I will drastically lower the tax rate in this region. Next, I’ll dispatch people from the Kreving family to repair homes and improve the roads. I’ve also noticed there’s no hospital here, so I’ll have a clinic built. And furthermore, a school.”

“W-What!? You’ll lower the tax rate and do all that for us!?”

The farmers cautiously look up at me, their faces a mix of fear and disbelief.

“F-For us, you’d go that far…!”

“No. I just told you, didn’t I? I’m not doing this to save you. All of these measures are for my benefit.”

I sweep my gaze over the farmers.

“Listen. This region has been bled dry by Gessler’s corrupt governance. If things continue as they are, it will collapse entirely.”

Judging by the farmers’ conditions, they’re teetering on the edge. If their current lifestyle persists, malnutrition will claim more of them, and a single outbreak of disease could spell their doom.

“That’s why I’m lowering taxes, improving housing, and building a clinic. And for the future, I’ll establish a school to educate and cultivate capable individuals. All of this… is for my sake.”

To become a formidable evil, I need sources of revenue and loyal subordinates to act as my hands and feet. I’m reforming this domain to create those. That’s all there is to it.

“So, you lot had better work diligently for my sake and send your children to school. Oh, and one more thing… If this region’s productivity improves and crop yields increase in the future, the Kreving family will buy the surplus at a fair price.”

At that, the farmers burst into excited chatter.

“W-What!? You’ll buy our crops if we produce more!?”

“U-Until now, no matter how hard we worked, our crops were just taken as taxes…!”

The farmers seem stunned by my words, but to me, this is nothing surprising. As a reincarnator, I know a modern truth: to motivate people, you need incentives.

Salaries drive workers to toil, fan support fuels actors and idols to strive, and stars or hearts inspire web novelists to write with passion.

So, if you find a novel even slightly entertaining, shower it with stars or hearts. Getting the author hyped up might just improve the story’s quality… maybe.

Heh… I got sidetracked.

Anyway, until now, no matter how much the farmers produced, it was all siphoned off by Gessler. In that kind of environment, who would bother working hard at farming?

That’s why this region’s productivity has been steadily declining.

But… what if working harder meant earning more? There’s no doubt people would start putting in the effort to increase their income.

I don’t demand ‘justice’ or ‘sincerity’ from others. I’m a villain. To move people, I stoke their desires. The desire to earn more, to live better—these are the flames I ignite to develop my domain.

And one day… I will build an empire of evil.

“I-I’m gonna do it… I’ll clear new land and make a better life for myself!”

“Yeah! Working hard used to feel pointless, but now…!”

“My kid actually loves studying. But schools are only in the cities, so I thought it was impossible to send her. If a school’s built here, though… I know she’ll study hard and love it!”

The farmers voice their joy. Kukuku… That’s right. Work hard for your own happiness. In the end, that will pave the way for my rise as a true force of evil.