Beside Luke's residence stood a stone-and-timber building.
From the outside, the structure looked unremarkable — even sowhat plain compared to the surrounding wooden houses and stone towers. Yet the guards standing at the entrance and the constant flow of staff hinted at its importance.
This was Luke's working headquarters.
He frequently held territorial etings here.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door revealed a spacious hall. In the center was a long conference table, painted dark and polished to a smooth finish.
Luke sat at the head of the table, leaning back against a massive map… a detailed survey of Draco and its surrounding regions, with mountains, rivers, roads, and towns clearly marked.
On the other side hung an enormous map of Westeros.
Seated along both sides of the table were his core team.
Arthur occupied the first seat on the left, holding a thick folder. A pair of glasses from Earth rested on his nose. Since the old man's eyesight was poor, Luke had provided him with several pairs.
Mars sat in the first seat on the right, back straight and uniform immaculate. He was the overall commander of the family guard and now led an army of ten thousand.
Coben sat beside Mars. The "mad maester" expelled from the Citadel was currently buried in docunts, muttering to himself.
Aurora sat in the corner. As the head of the "Web," she controlled the intelligence network. Dressed plainly, she looked like an ordinary rchant's wife, yet her eyes were terrifyingly sharp.
Matthew, Lucas, Syrio, and others were also present, each in their respective roles.
Most notable were the two additional rows of tables on the outer sides.
More than a dozen young n and won sat there, all holding pens and notebooks with ink bottles in front of them.
They were the eting recorders.
Luke felt the "Small Council" in the original Ga of Thrones was too crude… a few people chatting with no records kept and no proper procedure.
These were bad habits of the "native world" and could not be tolerated.
Luke supplied unlimited paper and pens, requiring complete written records of every eting, along with audio recordings.
A small recording device sat in the center of the table, its red light blinking as it worked.
The benefits of eting records were many:
Prevent "post-eting amnesia"
Create written evidence
Assign responsibility and drive execution
Provide information synchronization for absentees
Preserve team wisdom and thought processes
Structure etings and improve efficiency
In a world with extrely low literacy rates, the recorders Luke had trained were all treasures. They had to write quickly, accurately understand the content, and organize it into clear, structured docunts.
After each eting, the records were compiled and bound into three copies for archiving.
These were not only records of work but written proof of policies and decrees.
Today's topics were taxation and farmland.
Arthur cleared his throat and began his report.
"My lord, this month the territory collected 55,000 gold dragons in taxes. Half ca from comrcial taxes, the other half from personal inco tax."
Luke nodded, signaling him to continue.
Arthur pushed up his glasses and opened another ledger.
"We have implented a new tax policy — rging all taxes and collecting in silver. Various miscellaneous taxes have been combined into one, paid uniformly in silver coins. Most smallfolk praise the new system because it is simple and clear, eliminating the need to deal with endless different levies."
He paused and added, "Most residents don't mind the personal inco tax because their wages haven't actually changed. Since the territory itself pays most salaries through our own industries, the implentation of inco tax has gone smoothly."
"Six thousand new jobs were created this month. Most are in construction, with others in newly opened shops and factories."
Luke nodded with satisfaction.
Six thousand jobs ant six thousand more families could eat their fill.
But he was more concerned with another issue.
"How is the spring planting going? What about the new farms?"
Arthur was prepared. He opened another folder.
"My lord, spring planting has already begun. We currently have two thousand farming households distributed across ten villages in the southern suburbs of Draco. We have opened up one hundred thousand mu of arable land."
He paused, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
"Although we provided tools and seeds, most residents still prefer working on construction sites. Wages there are higher and more stable. Farming requires waiting until autumn harvest for returns, and it depends on the weather."
Luke fell silent in thought.
This was indeed a problem.
There was land, but no one wanted to farm it.
The territory was undergoing massive construction and needed far too many workers.
Construction sites offered daily work and daily pay.
Farming, on the other hand, required large upfront investnt, had a long return cycle, and was full of uncertainty.
If left unchecked, much of the farmland might go to waste.
After thinking for a mont, Luke spoke slowly.
"It's fine. Distribute the farmland to newcors. Let the new immigrants who just arrived in Draco farm it."
He thought again and added, "All excess farmland will be incorporated into family estates. I will summon so large-scale farming magical tools for cultivation."
He looked at Arthur.
"Tell the farrs that I, Luke Jaqenion, will provide tools and seeds for free. As long as they pay the land tax and territorial tax, everything else belongs to them."
This was Luke's attempt to implent a version of the "household contract responsibility system."
He had legislated that all land belonged to him… which was not illegal, as land naturally belonged to the noble lord.
Then he distributed usage rights to the smallfolk — not ownership, only permanent usage rights.
All forms of land sales were strictly prohibited.
As a modern man, Luke knew the dangers of "land consolidation" too well.
Once land sales were allowed, it would only take a few decades for most land to concentrate in the hands of a few. Countless landless peasants would beco vagrants and sources of social unrest.
Almost every feudal dynasty had fallen because of land consolidation…
For land granted to ritorious officials, Luke used a "fief inco system."
Everything was converted into gold and silver. Most people accepted this novel system. After all, they didn't have to worry about collecting rent or managing troubleso affairs — they simply received money every year.
A small number insisted on land. Luke allowed it, but they had to pay land taxes and territorial taxes, and the land could not be left fallow. If it was, they would be fined.
Once this condition was added, most accepted the fief inco system.
Currently, eighty percent of Draco's population were "urban workers," with only twenty percent being farrs.
But the south shore of the God's Eye had vast tracts of arable land. Luke could not allow it to go to waste.
He decided to import large agricultural machinery from Earth for reclamation and cultivation. All such land would be incorporated into "royal estates," managed collectively with chanized production.
This would ensure food supply while freeing up more labor for construction.
After discussing taxation and farmland, the next topic was even more sensitive.
Reform of the Faith of the Seven.
Luke now spoke with Septon Patrick every day. This assistant to the High Septon from the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing had been completely "converted" to Luke.
The thod of conversion, of course, was spiritual brainwashing.
Luke was planning sothing big.
He wanted to position himself as the "incarnation of the Seven Gods on earth."
He wanted to control both "divine authority" and "military authority" — to be both Pope and Emperor.
The narrative that "Lord Luke is the incarnation of the gods" was already spreading in Draco.
Because Luke had perford too many "miracles."
All kinds of "magical items" — bicycles, magical lamps, magical sound boxes, printers, photography studios.
These things were unheard of and unseen — if not divine power, then what?
There were also "magical potions." The territory's hospital had drugs that could cure difficult illnesses with imdiate results.
They were simply modern dicines… anti-inflammatories, cold dicine, antibiotics, etc.
But to the natives, these were divine elixirs!
Most crucially, so people had seen Lord Luke fly!
He could fly!
Was that not a god?
Add to that Luke's generosity and benevolence — providing land, lowering taxes, supplying advanced tools and seeds, paying wages, giving rest days, and sotis even providing food and lodging…
If this wasn't a god, then what was?
Luke was currently studying the core doctrines of the Faith of the Seven.
He planned to compile a Seven Gods Bible.
Then mass-produce and spread it so that everyone in the world of ice and fire would have a copy.
The content, of course, would center on maintaining his rule.
He was also researching how to use spiritual power to control and enslave others.
The test subjects were priests and septas from the Faith of the Seven.
He had no interest in playing political gas with the Church.
Brainwash and enslave them all.
When he eventually founded his kingdom and ascended the throne, he would be the legitimate authority.
The High Septons of the Starry Sept and the Great Sept of Baelor would all need to receive their positions from his investiture.
Otherwise, they would be illegal heretics.
The eting continued.
The recorders wrote furiously, the red light on the recording device flashing steadily.
Sunlight stread through the glass windows, shining onto the long conference table.
Luke sat at the head, his gaze sweeping across everyone present.
Arthur, Mars, Coben, Aurora…
These people were the foundation stones of his future empire.
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