Unfortunately, I’m Not A Hero: 114

Unfortunately, I’m Not A Hero: 114

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Commissioned by Shaderic

Wordcount: 2500

…

I’d like to say that the slums forming on the outskirts of my city was gone by the time I returned and that my new residential zones had room to spare, but that wasn’t the case. Roseanne appointing me to my new position had my name travel around the Kindred lands and verified all the rumors about Ylstu being the place to be. That meant that even with more housing being built and rented out, there was a still a significant amount of people living on the outskirts of the city in tents and ramshackle huts.

According to the projections and data gathered by my border guards, even if I increased the amount of residential projects, I was going to have issues with housing for the foreseeable future. A lot of Kindred were heading my way now. It wasn’t just craftsmen and merchants who wanted to move into new markets, but people who wanted better lives instead of the stable ones that they already had. Instead of having to lure people over with government subsidies to start their businesses, I was receiving a stream of hopeful people who wanted better lives, and I found Ylstu glutted with labor all looking to build a better life for themselves.

Thankfully, all the projects that I had going needed a lot of workers and the amenities I set up to care for armies passing through Ylstu to reach the Empire was enough to satiate the new workforce, but places to rest and sleep were in short supply. The apartments I was making wasn’t enough, and I could build skyscrapers without making big targets for enemy mages, so I had to improvise and make worker housing. Long, squat, and three-stories tall, the buildings were meant to be impermanent, but they had communal kitchens, baths, living rooms, and places to do laundry as well as rows and rows of bunk beds.

I’d honestly dislike living in a place without that much privacy, and just a locker to keep all my things in, but most people who came were used to living in more cramped, darker, and dirtier conditions without access to all that I offered. There were some complaints about not being able to work and get an apartment after earning enough money to lease it from me, but Kurama came up with a system to handle that with the fact we had IDs for everyone who came into Ylstu. Those who came earlier and had the money could put down payments on an apartment sooner than those who just arrived.

We only get the money once it was delivered according to specifications and the new workers got peace of mind that they’ll eventually get their dream home, while having a roof over their heads.

Still, though, the new worker housing and residential housing would only continue to expand as long as there were jobs. While the new mines, factories, constant expansion of farms, and processing of all the new cattle herds of the Kindred were absorbing all the new workers, if the tide wasn’t stemmed in a few years, I was going to find myself with a large, unskilled, and discontent workforce on my hands.

For that problem, I had to turn to a horrific tactic that would condemn my soul into the deepest, darkest depths of hell… to presumably get congratulated and get eyed at by Demons.

Yes, that’s right.

It was time to unleash the evils of corporate bureaucracy upon this world.

…

It was going to be a few years until I could have the first batch of educated Kindred working for me. The kids who came to Ylstu were learning quickly, but it was going to be a while until they got through the entire curriculum planned for them. However, anyone who came to Ylstu was instructed to take a test to verify their level of education and potential, so that they could attend the classes necessary to participate in society.

For most Kindred entering Ylstu, that was the end of things.
The instructors and examiners told them they needed to attend some reading and basic math classes, so that they how to clock into their jobs, read the time, and know how money and taxes worked. A lot of Kindred’s education ended with that… but those who had talent were gathered up and sent to learn all that they could. They received crash courses from Tanis and Roseanne’s scholars on how to handle reports and ledgers and became part of the governing body that made sure Ylstu plodded onward with proper records and audits.

The best of those people, though, I sent towards Henri to learn how to lead, delegate, and handle larger projects. A lot of them couldn’t cut it, and they got placed under Tanis as assistant managers to become future heads of departments when I specialized my bureaucracy some more. A few of the elites also didn’t have the temperament to handle a lot of employees, so I had them sent over to my budding military to be trained as officers. It was an extensive screening process, but in the end… I got what I wanted.

Kindred who saw what I made in Ylstu and wanted it for themselves. They wanted the power that I had and threw themselves and all their talent towards learning everything they could get their hands on. My assets, my citizens, and my luxuries made them hungry enough to throw themselves into studying and grinding their brains into mush in the present, so that in the future they could call upon the information they gathered to their own ends.

In other words, they were people I could count on to do what I said, as long as I gave them enough leeway on their leashes to rule over their own petty kingdoms within my organizations. They knew every tactic, strategy, and reasoning why I made Ylstu the way it was. I filtered them through every possible measure I could think of, then threw them into an environment where they could fail if they ever let their guard down, until they could be what I wanted them to be: corporate managers of Ylstu’s future points of expansion.

I looked at Tanis while the eight graduates ate and chatted together around a dinner table. They ate according to noble etiquette, slowly and primly, but they ate, asked for more, and kept eating and asking.

“So, what do you think?”

“I think that they are vicious creatures of bureaucracy and naked ambition wearing Kindred’s skin, my lord.”

The graduates were all smiling, but their eyes were dead and empty, as they all knew that they were all rivals. I was bankrolling the small outposts they were going to make in the territories of my allies, where they were going to do their best to start gathering resources to send my way. Their overall goal was to send luxury goods or raw material for industry my way using the budgets that I could give me. They chatted with one another, but each other sentence after some charming quip was an attempt to get information and an advantage over the other, which was deflected by a smile or another humorous quip.

Tanis shivered a little and held herself whilst looking at them.

“You told me that you thought that more than half of them would fail, but I cannot see that happening. They know how you built Ylstu, the reasoning behind all you did, and your future… as well as the intellect and talent to see those plans through wherever they find themselves.” Tanis spoke softly and pushed up her glasses. “I am sure that all eight of these Kindred will carve out their own niches wherever you send them, do exactly as you’ve done with all the surplus that they acquire, and forge towns of their own.”

I read between the lines of Tanis’s line of inquiry and answered before she mustered the courage to ask.

“You’re worried that their towns will compete with Ylstu, right?”

“Of course. They will compete with one another, but they are smart and capable. They will see that you hold true power in the end. How can you be sure that they’ll be content with working for you when they can become their own masters?”

“I’m sure that they will.” I answered Tanis bluntly and earned myself a confused look from the Kindred. I looked at the gathered Kindred with crossed arms and shrugged. “I hope they will, because that way they’ll innovate and figure things out that I’m missing.”

That piece of information made Tanis blink a few times before realizing what I was getting at.

“Ah, of course. You’ve raised them up to expand your sources of information and knowledge.” I nodded at Tanis’s words. I was just one guy and I didn’t know everything there was to know about managing a city or an economy. The biggest advantage that I had was that I could fix my mistakes since I had detailed reports about everything that was going on. Those reports could be used by other people to improve their own cities and economies… but I couldn’t do the same unless I had people on my level doing the same in different areas to come up with new innovations or figure how to do something better. “You have access to all of Roseanne’s archives and they will have to send reports to her as well once they become noteworthy. Amazing, Lord Hikigaya.”

The statement made me commiserate with a certain, non-lewd Lich surrounded by his own band of devoted followers, but I managed to resist blushing and palming my face, despite lacking the emotional nullifiers that he had.

“It’s nothing new. It’s the same as sending out journeymen out to different lands to get better, improve, and send back knowledge. I learned it from the Dwarves.” I did my best to stave off the intense stare being sent my way by the albino Lamia. Her amethyst-like eyes glittered as she stared at me like I was some sort of genius. Stop it. I’m just using everything that I can get my hands on to succeed. Literally nothing I’m doing is original. “Besides, it doesn’t matter if they don’t succeed. How are their efforts to poach some of your staff going?”

“You know about that already? You never fail to impress, Lord Hikigaya.” I was sure Tanis was teasing me now, but thanks to being constantly being on the defensive against A’Bel and Kurama, I was able to send a glare her way. The Lamia, naturally, spoke and ignored my unspoken demand at the correct moment. In the corner of my vision, I was sure that I saw one of the Kunoichi guarding me clapping and nodding quietly in respect. Traitor. “A few of my newer staff members have inquired about getting their certifications and a letter of recommendation from me. If they lied about their intentions, I didn’t give it to them, but if they were earnest, I gave them my blessing.”

“Good. These guys are good, but the need honest people helping them out. Not people that’ll steal what they have and run for it.” I was lucky to have Ur and the other Amazons beside me at the start of Ylstu. I had to do a lot the paperwork myself back then, but they made sure the things I wanted to get done got done. I was providing my project managers with the muscle they needed, but they had more paperwork to handle than I did at the start, so they needed trustworthy bureaucrats more than anything else. “How many can we spare?”

“With the assistance we’re planning to give to Lady Roseanne, as we need to train an entire department for her and organize her existing structure? We can spare them a competent, trustworthy individual each.” Tanis gave a decisive nod. Since I wasn’t an idiot, I didn’t see any reason to doubt her. If she was lying, I’d find out by an audit later, but her track record was exemplary so it’d be a waste of time to question it now. I had a strained bureaucracy henceforth and I had to just accept that. “Hopefully, the first graduates of your school systems will alleviate the issue soon enough. They are nearing their fourth and final year. Their test results are exemplary.”

“Pick up some new blood anyway. I don’t want anyone burning out, especially when we have more projects that need to be handled.” Tanis bowed at my words as I stalked away from the shadows overlooking the small celebratory party. After passing through a door, I entered the rest of the inn, where many Kindred were drinking, celebrating, and eating well after a long day of work in Ylstu. Tanis followed closely behind me, but neither of us were recognized because of charms drawn up by Kurama at my request. Unless someone was looking for me, or trained in detecting hidden people at all times, they wouldn’t be able to locate me by any of their senses.  “I have some leftover treasure from the desert. Ask Kurama to allocate you the funds that you need.”

“Your support is appreciated, Lord Hikigaya.”

“You say that like I can do as well as I can without you and your department.” I grunted and went through the filled tavern. A lot of Kindred were carousing and enjoying themselves. Alcohol flowed freely, but all the drunks were happy. Several musicians chatted around the stage while others performed. Servers were quick on their feet to deliver food and the kitchen was bustling with chefs. Money, food, and good times flowed with ease. It was almost impossible to believe that the inn I was in now was I fought for my life dozens and dozens of times with an executioner’s blade around my neck. “I might have other duties now, but Ylstu is still my first priority, Tanis. Remember that and remind me if I ever do.”

Tanis bowed deeply at my words and a smile was on her face when she raised her head.

“Of course, my Lord. It shall be as you will.”

Honestly, I wanted Tanis and a lot of the other people here to be loyal to Ylstu instead of me, but for now that was enough.

At the very least, all the Kindred here weren’t here to risk their lives for dick anymore.

I hope.

Maybe.

Look, after all the work I’ve gone through, I’d like to think I made SOME sort of massive achievement not attributed to violence, okay!?