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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 2: Voluntary Overtime
The most important thing for a ruler is to win the hearts of the people.
No blessing or magic is greater than earning the people's trust.
Remember this, O rulers.
When you truly win the hearts of your people,
You will witness miracles unlike anything you've ever seen before.
▪〈Endorsed by the Emperor of the Novarens Empire / The Great Sovereign / Page 1〉
＊ ＊ ＊
Barron, who worked at the Cron family’s salt farm, could never forget that day.
“Hey, is this for real?”
“I know, I can’t believe it either.”
That day, the workers at the Cron salt farm were all buzzing with excitement.
The news had spread since morning—
『Starting today, daily wages are doubled.』
The notice posted on the salt farm’s bulletin board clearly said so.
It sounded like a lie.
Could such a thing happen to workers like us?
For twenty years, our lives had been spent scraping the earth, living day to day by whatever we earned.
And suddenly, wages doubled?
I couldn’t believe it.
“I went to check just in case, and it was true.”
“And it wasn’t just talk—they really gave us double the pay.”
At first, everyone was doubtful, thinking they must have heard wrong.
But after work that afternoon, holding ten silver coins in hand, no one could deny it.
Our daily wage was five silver.
But overnight, it became ten.
Hans, the eldest worker at the salt farm, touched the coins with his deeply wrinkled hands and choked up, saying—
“This is the first time something like this has happened in my life…”
Tears welled up in his eyes.
I felt my chest swell with emotion, too.
We were always treated the same.
No matter how much salt was produced, no matter how much the lord’s wealth grew, our share was fixed.
But this time was different.
Our efforts were finally rewarded.
That’s when Steward Hart came to the salt farm himself.
With his white hair and commanding presence, he looked at us and said—
“Everyone, listen quietly.”
The workers fell silent.
Steward Hart, who served the Cron family as steward for two generations, was someone we rarely saw.
And it was the first time he personally came to the salt farm.
What was he going to say?
He looked around at each of us and spoke quietly but firmly.
“This is not a favor the lord is granting you.”
We tensed, waiting for his next words.
“The Cron family has lived by one motto for generations—‘From the lowest place, think of the highest.’ The lord has not forgotten this. Without you, this family cannot exist. It is because of those who work in the salt fields that the family endures and the territory prospers.”
Steward Hart stepped forward.
In a calm but powerful voice, he declared—
“Therefore, by the lord’s command, your daily wages will be doubled. This is the rightful reward for your blood and sweat.”
A moment of silence followed.
None of us spoke.
Then, seconds later, a roar of cheers erupted, shaking the salt farm.
“Long live the lord!!!”
“Long live Lord Calyx!!!”
Some people cried.
Others raised their fists in the air.
A wave of emotion surged through us, like a fire lighting up our hearts.
We had thought no one cared about us.
But someone had not forgotten.
The lord recognized our efforts.
We couldn’t stay silent.
We had to repay what we were given.
That night, at the tavern, we drank joyfully and discussed.
“We’re not just going to work—we’re going to do it right.”
“Of course!”
“Now we can properly feed our families every day!”
“Since the lord cares about us this much, we have to work even harder!”
Even Hans, who always said—’I hope I die soon’—started encouraging everyone to work harder.
Ideas exploded at the tavern.
“Our current salt production method is like this—We bring seawater to the ponds, let the sun evaporate the moisture, and the salt crystallizes. The problem is it takes too long.”
“Is there a better way? Salt has to dry in the sun, after all…”
I shared the ideas I had been thinking about but hadn’t spoken up until then.
“Right, so here’s an idea. What if we use the wind? If we carefully cut down some of the trees around the salt farm to let the wind blow stronger over the salt beds, the moisture will evaporate much faster.”
“Oh! That would reduce the crystallization time!”
Everyone buzzed after hearing me out.
Then Leon added another suggestion.
“What if we make the ponds shallow? Shallower water dries faster. Instead of filling a deep pond once, we could do multiple shallow layers repeatedly. That might increase production.”
“Exactly!”
“Let’s place stones next to the salt fields to keep the heat consistent even at night! The stones will absorb sunlight during the day and slowly release heat at night, which could help the crystallization process continue after dark!”
That’s how we started working voluntarily for the first time in our lives.
We all put our heads together to improve how we dry the salt, speed up evaporation, and use the wind more effectively.
Working late into the night became normal.
As a result, salt production increased exponentially.
“If we keep this up, we can produce twice as much as before.”
“No, not just twice—maybe three or even four times as much!”
Everyone was sweating but smiling.
Hard work? That didn’t matter anymore.
We had begun to take pride in what we did.
A few days later, we stood again before Steward Hart.
After hearing our report of increased salt production, his face lit up with emotion as he looked at us.
“…You are the greatest pillars of the Cron family.”
After the production report, Steward Hart gave us additional bonuses.
The extra pay was doubled too!
That night, everyone working at the salt fields gathered to raise a toast.
Under the warm glow of the lanterns, we embraced one another, fully realizing the miracle we had achieved.
For the first time, hope filled our hearts—that our lives could actually change.
We were no longer just simple laborers.
We had become the backbone of the Cron family.
＊ ＊ ＊
“As a result, salt production increased by 300%, or more precisely, 312%.”
Steward Hart’s report gave me a headache.
The document he brought detailed the miracle brought by doubling the daily wages.
It explained that the workers’ labor efficiency improved, a new salt crystallization method was developed, and with the addition of voluntary overtime, salt production efficiency increased by 312%.
Consequently, the salt fields’ profits rose by 280%, and even after subtracting the doubled wages and salt tax, the net profit still increased by 82%.
An additional profit of over 80%... For someone like me who had suffered an 80% loss as a bureau chief in my past life, this was unbelievable.
While my mind was reeling from a reality I couldn’t accept, Steward Hart looked at me with a face full of emotion.
“Lord… this is truly inspiring.”
“What’s so inspiring about it?”
“All of this is thanks to your decision to improve the treatment of the workers!”
Hart’s eyes welled up with tears.
Why is this old man suddenly like this?
“At first, we all had concerns. We thought doubling the daily wages all of a sudden would destabilize the family’s finances. But I failed to fully grasp your deeper intentions!”
I screamed inside my head—
That wasn’t what I meant!!!
But it seemed my thoughts didn’t matter.
Hart, his chest swelling with emotion, continued, tears glistening in his eyes.
“At first, the workers didn’t believe it either. But when they saw their daily wages actually doubled, they were deeply moved. They felt recognized by you, Lord!”
Wiping tears from his eyes, Hart looked at me like a proud grandfather watching a well-grown grandson.
“All of this is thanks to your profound insight!”
“......”
“You told us to think of those at the lowest place. Isn’t that the motto of the Cron family? Your command was never a simple act of generosity. It was a noble policy that touched the hearts of the people!”
“......”
“Because of that, the workers now truly respect you. They work not because they have to, but because they want to!”
I was speechless.
Earning the workers’ love was part of my plan, but having them work this hard was not.
Hart looked at me with eyes full of respect and spoke again.
“I am now certain. You will become a great lord who surpasses your predecessors.”
With that, Hart knelt down and swore loyalty to me.
“Hart Ansus, in the name of the Ansus family, I pledge my loyalty to you once again, my Lord.”
The aged Steward knelt before me, swearing loyalty.
Looking at his white, aged hair, I clasped my head in disbelief.
What is this... It was supposed to be a perfect plan...
Something has gone terribly wrong.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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