Chapter 257: Population Policy

Balin and the few civilian Dwarfs around him served as secretaries, cashiers, telegraph operators, and other such roles; from the start of the expedition until now, Sinuoli had not yet delineated their specific duties in detail.

On one hand, the Expeditionary Force was small in number, matters were minor and miscellaneous, and the civilian staff was limited. On the other hand, Sinuoli believed that while full trust had not yet been established, a certain degree of functional overlap helped ensure efficiency and integrity.

In fact, he had still underestimated the loyalty and reliability of the Dwarf race; even though he had intended to secretly observe and test these young clansmen, they did not disappoint him.

Sinuoli arranged for Balin to serve as Internal Affairs Officer, with the other clansmen as his subordinates; his cousin had become an administrator at an exceptionally young age. This was quite rare in the Mountain Kingdom, as most lords preferred to trust in the length of a beard.

Sinuoli also promised that he would establish more than one middle-management position in the future; he did not want his territory to become a stagnant pool at the very beginning of its creation. Such an arrangement indeed boosted the work enthusiasm of his subordinates.

"My territory needs population, the more the better, and the faster the better! Speak your minds." Some of the methods Sinuoli used in his past life were not necessarily suitable for transplanting here, so he decided to listen to the wisdom of the locals.

"We should use the Runic Telegraph to spread the news throughout the entire Mountain Kingdom!" Noli, the telegraph operator, jumped out to answer first.

"That's not enough; the clansmen who can afford a Runic Telegraph are a minority after all. You can't expect the leaders of the settlements to come over and pioneer themselves, can you? If you ask me, we must make use of the taverns!"

The young man's point was immediately refuted. The speaker was named Ouyin; he was two hundred years old and the eldest among Sinuoli's civil official team. He had originally served as a clerk in the High King's Court, but because of his common background, he had no opportunity for promotion, which was why he signed up for the expedition to seek opportunities.

"Your Majesty Sinuoli, you are renowned throughout the mountains by the title of the Generous One. If we give the tavern owners some referral fees, I believe they will be more dedicated when doing the promotion."

Ouyin, having reached middle age, had a more thorough understanding of social conditions, and the idea he proposed was approved by Sinuoli. Taverns were the information hubs for Dwarfs, and the role of owners and bartenders in promotion might be no less effective than that of a lord.

"The clansmen who are willing to come might, perhaps, not have much savings." Balin did not want to fall behind his subordinates, so he spoke after careful consideration. These days, he had learned a skill essential for those in power—leaving room for maneuver in one's speech.

"I think we need to provide them with temporary housing, and consider supplies along the way. More importantly, after the clansmen arrive here, we must bear the costs of their daily needs until the production and trade systems are established."

Balin's words hit the nail on the head. Although there were quite a few powers around Gaoyuanbao, currently the Dwarfs had only concluded trade agreements with the Lizardmen. Before the entire economic system was running, the lord needed to carry out regulation.

"I have considered this," Sinuoli said, pushing the draft for road construction in front of the civil officials. Although they had long known of Sinuoli's style of treating gold like dirt, a simple calculation of the consumption of such a massive project made every Dwarf gasp.

"By the Ancestor Gods!"

"Buluokesen is going to be overjoyed!"

"Was it not the Ancestor Goddess who taught us to save?"

The civil officials let out a chorus of exclamations, which were, of course, all within Sinuoli's expectations. It was precisely for this reason that he had made the decision to build the railway without discussion; Dwarfs were naturally unwilling to spend money, a point that even someone as wise as Thorgrim would be influenced by.

"With such a large project, I believe that as long as they are willing, everyone will be able to support themselves," Balin said blankly. Work-for-relief was a policy that had been proven effective in both worlds.

"If that is still not enough, helping the Lizardmen rebuild their Temple City and clearing out Coffin Canyon can both be put on the agenda, though the latter requires combat experience," Sinuoli added. He did not want his clansmen who had come from afar to suffer heavy losses under those fellows.

"As for the startup capital for the first phase of construction, in addition to our existing wealth, the proceeds from the land on the Lost Plateau can also serve as a supplement," Sinuoli said, his tone shifting as he narrowed his eyes.

How to dispose of that vast expanse of fertile land on the Lost Plateau was a very difficult problem. He felt as if he were walking a tightrope; one wrong step would cause great adverse consequences for the future.

"That is our mountains, after all!"

"This, this is very difficult..."

The members of the Expeditionary Force all knew that Sinuoli had promised the Knights that he would carve out territory on the Lost Plateau, but everyone avoided talking about it in private. Now that it was brought up publicly and there were no outsiders present, the civil officials decided to remonstrate once more.

Although everyone acknowledged that these Knights had good combat power and had made considerable contributions along the way, the mountains had belonged to the Dwarfs since ancient times! This was a "decision that betrayed the ancestors" in the true sense, and it was purely due to Sinuoli's prestige that the noise was suppressed.

"I understand your thoughts, but introducing the Knights and their people has many benefits. First is military force; they must, of course, protect their own homes. That plateau is too vast and lacks supporting fortresses; it is difficult for us to control it alone. Moreover, when there is external warfare, cooperating with us is a promise they must keep."

Sinuoli took a sip of coffee; the rainforests of the Southlands produced this stuff. He decided to do the ideological work on these most sensible subordinates first, as he would have to rely on them later to soothe the opposition from the clansmen below.

"In addition, they will become an important part of our economic cycle. The farmers' cultivation and grazing will provide us with food; they will need tools and will want to build houses, which in turn will bring us market demand. Our economic characteristics are clear: we buy in agricultural products and export high-value-added goods and craftsmanship."

"Indeed, selling some of the unique specialties of the Southlands is fine, but if we were to transport highly homogenized handicrafts back to the Old World to sell, I fear that would be a foolish act only a Goblin would commit." Balin understood instantly; transport costs dictated that the Dwarfs of the Nan Shijie Bianyuan Shanmai must find markets locally.

"The price for the land transfer cannot be too high; after all, migrating the farmers is the Knights' own affair. If they cannot manage it, then the farmstead will be a one-off deal." Seeing the civil officials nodding one after another, Sinuoli continued.

"We need to screen for buyers who are strong and upright. The Ancestor Goddess has awakened, and She told me that the birth rate will gradually increase. There are not many good places without owners left in this world; we should leave some room for our descendants." The system upgrade by the Old Ones prompted Sinuoli to make these additional considerations.