Chapter 698: Harsh Measures

One administrative change after another leaves the officials looking miserable.

Just when the military officers think they have escaped unscathed, Henwell turns to Rawkins. "Starting next year, salaries throughout the military will be cut by one-third."

"I will also assign Lord Iron Guards to work with auditors from the finance department and inspect the army's accounts."

"You had better make certain those accounts are clean. Do not make me kill too many of my own soldiers!"

Rawkins stares at him in disbelief. "My lord, is that not too steep a cut? Should we not take this more slowly?"

Henwell glares at him. "Even after a one-third cut, the salaries I pay will still match those of the elite legions in other nations!"

"The lost income will not leave them starving. It will merely make it difficult for them to live in Peace Haven's Central District, where prices are highest."

"That is precisely what I want. I need some of the population to move out of the Central District."

"They can relocate to the areas where they are stationed. Housing, prices, and opportunities are all better there."

Anger fills Henwell's face. "I gave you two years to devise a population relocation plan, yet the situation has not improved at all."

"Since you have no solution and none of you wants to play the villain, I'll do it myself!"

"From now on, raise housing prices in Peace Haven's Central District again and tighten the requirements for residency rights."

"Issue another order: Peace Haven will no longer tolerate able-bodied idlers. By next March,"

"every able-bodied adult without a job is to be detained and put through standardized training!"

"I do not care whose relative they are or whose son they are!"

"If they come to Peace Haven, they will make themselves useful!"

"Even wealthy people who settle here and purchase sufficient property will have to go out and find something to do!"

"I want everyone in Peace Haven who can work to get moving. All able workers must put their skills to use!"

"Peace Haven does not belong to me alone!"

"I will not keep risking my life out there while others contribute nothing and spend every day strolling the streets in comfort!"

"Tell your families to find useful work as well. No one gets to sit idle!"

"If I catch them doing so, I will send them to the Penal Labor Bureau!"

Henwell then turns to Horace of the Constabulary. "Take a warning to Peace Haven's underworld factions!"

"They have grown remarkably bold lately. They even dared to loot and kidnap people amid the chaos."

"Damn them! They crippled children just so they could parade them through the streets to beg for sympathy."

"How many times have I said that people are our most important productive resource? I told them to show some basic humanity. Did they think my words meant nothing?"

"Do they truly believe they are the kings of Peace Haven's underworld? Or are you trying to become its underworld king, Horace?"

The accusation hits hard. Horace's face goes black with anger, and he rises through clenched teeth. "Rest assured, my lord. I'll give you a proper answer!"

The thought of these vile affairs makes the veins bulge on Henwell's forehead. He sits down and takes several long drinks before finally calming himself.

Henwell continues, "Horace, investigate this thoroughly and deal with it without mercy. No matter whom the chain of corruption implicates, act without hesitation."

"Do not come to me claiming that someone involved is beyond your authority. Dalton will accompany you."

"I do not want their explanations. I want their heads!"

"Put those heads on my desk as quickly as possible. I will have them made into drinking vessels!"

Henwell sweeps his gaze across the senior military and administrative officials before him. "Nor do I want to see any of you coming to plead for them! I want them dead!"

Everyone understands that Henwell is genuinely furious.

Henwell knows there is a great deal of darkness in Peace Haven, but until now, he has not had the time or energy to deal with it.

He does not want to be the kind of ruler who decides life and death at a whim. He, too, wants a sound legal system.

But Peace Haven is not ready yet. It still lacks the material and institutional foundations such a system requires.

Peace Haven's territory and population have expanded dramatically, and the realm is about to enter a period of all-out development.

During that process, the shortage of administrative personnel will inevitably produce many terrible consequences.

To prevent at least some atrocities, Henwell has to be ruthless.

A wave of executions will warn the rest and help Peace Haven survive this exceptional period.

He is even tempted to have them flayed and stuffed, then hang the bodies in every department as a warning.

"Eulen, how much steel did we produce this year?"

"Two hundred seventy thousand tons!"

"Next year, it will be four hundred thousand!"

"My lord, that..."

Henwell raises a hand, cutting off Eulen's explanation. "I am not negotiating with you. This is an order, so do not bargain with me!"

"Go back and make every smelting plant manager understand how serious I am!"

"If the target is not met, people will die this time next year!"

Eulen's head pounds, but all he can do is slump back into his seat.

Henwell then sets extremely demanding targets for agriculture, health care, education, and every other department.

He is not making empty threats. If they fail to meet those targets next year, people really will die.

Sometimes people need to be pushed. Henwell has run the numbers, and the targets are achievable if everyone works hard enough.

Next, Henwell orders the Ministry of Commerce to raise the prices of Peace Haven's exports by twenty percent.

All three countries have offended him, so raising prices now also makes his position clear.

The decision is not without cost.

Peace Haven's trade revenue will increase, but its sales volume will inevitably decline to some extent.

Yet Peace Haven now has an enormous new territory, and Arius will require a vast quantity of supplies as he consolidates the Vorry Kingdom.

Concerns about excess production capacity are still far too premature for Peace Haven.

The higher commodity prices will have another adverse effect.

With Peace Haven raising its prices, products from Obilian's new industrial district will seize a large share of Lumir's domestic market.

Henwell announces another round of appointments. "The Military Intelligence Office failed gravely during this incident, leaving Peace Haven in a vulnerable position."

"Chick is hereby removed as Director of the Military Intelligence Office and demoted to regional intelligence officer."

"Cumberland will take over as Director of the Military Intelligence Office. Senra will step down as commander of the Wind Raider Cavalry and become Deputy Director of the Military Intelligence Office."

"DeWitt will command the Wind Raider Cavalry while also serving as combat training officer for the Military Intelligence Office!"

DeWitt is a squadron leader in the Lord Iron Guards. His appointment makes Henwell's intent clear: he means to tighten his grip on the Military Intelligence Office.

Everyone cannot help looking at Chick. As one of Peace Haven's leading figures, he accepts the decision with perfect composure.

The senior officials, however, do not believe Chick has lost his influence.

He is one of Henwell's closest confidants, after all, and his only fault in this affair is a failure of oversight.

Meredith belonged to the local faction from the beginning and also served as Deputy Director of the Military Intelligence Office. Chick could hardly investigate or monitor her too aggressively.

Now that something has gone wrong, Chick naturally has to be punished as the head of the office.

But given his ability, everyone knows he will be promoted again after spending some time in a regional post.

Only officials below this level imagine that Peace Haven's intelligence chief has fallen out of favor.

Many other matters still have to be arranged, and the meeting continues late into the night.

By the time the lights in Peace Haven's homes go dark, the people still have no idea that their "hard times" are about to begin.