Ian broke the silence in the parlor, which had grown cold with the chancellor’s anger.
“Chancellor, before I delve into the details of the incense and embezzlement, I have a request.”
“What is it?”
“Please entrust me with the task of reforming the Tax Bureau’s system.”
Despite Ian’s sudden shift to the topic of tax system reform, the chancellor did not seem flustered. Rather, he sensed a connection between the embezzlement and Ian’s proposed reform of the Tax Bureau’s system.
“Hmm, could you explain a bit more about what you mean by reforming the Tax Bureau’s system?”
“When people work, mistakes are bound to happen. However, there are places where such mistakes should never occur. One of those is the taxation process.”
The chancellor nodded slightly in agreement.
“In principle, I agree with Your Highness. However, the scope of tax work is too broad, and there are too many stakeholders involved, making it difficult to completely eliminate mistakes.”
“What if there is a way to completely eliminate those mistakes?”
Hearing Ian’s confident voice, the chancellor looked at him with anticipation. The ‘Detector,’ which Ian had been developing, had already shown the potential to greatly improve administrative efficiency.
‘Could he be planning something else related to the tax system?’
The chancellor was eager to see what Ian would unveil this time.
“The ‘Detector’ seems difficult to apply to the tax system. Please, don’t keep this old man in suspense. What is it?”
“Instead of explaining a hundred times, it’s better to show you once.”
Ian took out a ‘scanner,’ a ‘pad,’ and a ‘tax ledger’ from his pocket in sequence.
“These two are new to me. Are they the tools for reforming the tax system?”
“Let me show you.”
Ian inserted the tax ledger into the scanner and pressed the [Scan] button. The tax ledger was sucked into the scanner and then ejected.
Ian showed the updated data on the pad to the chancellor.
“Can you make sense of these numbers on the screen?”
“Hmm, these numbers…”
The chancellor quickly compared the tax ledger he had just read with the numbers displayed on the pad.
“Could it be that the numbers from the tax ledger are being recorded by this machine?”
“Yes, the ‘pad’ collects and displays the data scanned by the scanner.”
With a generous smile, Ian placed a stack of tax ledgers on the scanner and pressed the button.
The chancellor, observing Ian’s scanner and pad, thought that if these machines were properly implemented, the administrative staff at the Tax Bureau could be reassigned to other duties.
Considering the areas that had been neglected due to a lack of administrative personnel, the chancellor looked at Ian with a slightly flushed face.
“Did Your Highness devise these machines?”
“I haven’t heard of anyone else in the empire making such machines, so it must have been me.”
“Haha, this old Artaeus is once again greatly surprised. These machines planned by Your Highness will lead to tremendous growth for the empire. To plan these machines, you must have had a deep understanding of tax ledgers. Did you study that as well?”
The chancellor had heard that Ian barely slept and studied constantly, but he had not expected it to be to this extent.
“For the sake of the empire, I had to sacrifice some sleep. And once I studied it, I found it rather simple. The most important aspects of taxation are the total tax revenue, the allocated budget, the expenditures by budget category, and the remaining amount.”
Working in planning, Ian was familiar with budget management, so the terms used in tax ledgers were not foreign to him.
The chancellor, feeling a surge of pride as if he were the tutor of the third prince, thought deeply about Ian’s understanding of the tax system.
‘If His Highness is so dedicated to administration…’
As the scanner finished scanning the stack of papers, Ian pointed to the pad the chancellor was holding.
“Chancellor, new records have been entered. Please take a look.”
The chancellor’s expression was like that of a new employee seeing Excel’s ‘pivot table’ function for the first time.
The pivot table is a magical data summarization feature in Excel that condenses large amounts of data according to user-defined criteria. Using this function could save at least three to four times the time compared to manually summarizing the data, significantly reducing the workload for planning teams.
“This… this is truly possible?”
“In a world where magic is possible, what can’t be done?”
Seeing the scanner and pad, the chancellor made a resolution. Even if it meant creating a budget from scratch, he would support the mass production of the machines Ian had planned to make the empire’s system more efficient.
“The core function is this, but there are additional features as well.”
When Ian reinserted a previously scanned document into the scanner, the pad displayed the following message:
※ This document has already been scanned. Rescanning requires authorization from a higher official. ※
“It’s a feature to minimize human error.”
As Ian winked, the chancellor tried to maintain his composure, but he couldn’t hide his slightly trembling hands.
“I can only say that it is remarkable. Did you discover the evidence of embezzlement with this as well?”
“Yes. I found the evidence with just the first quarter’s data. If we scan and organize past data, we will likely find more evidence. I plan to use the scanner, pad, and detector to reform the tax system. Will you entrust me with this task?”
The chancellor, who seemed about to nod, surprised Ian with his next words.
“I think the utility of the machines devised by Your Highness is overwhelming compared to anything else. However, there is one concern.”
“What concern?”
“As you know, tax-related data is highly confidential. Therefore, only the Emperor, myself, and the Finance Minister know all the details of the tax items. Even the Tax Bureau chief does not know everything.”
When Ian nodded, the chancellor looked at him intently.
“But applying these devices to the tax system creates one problem.”
‘Is he worried that I’ll see all the tax information?’
“What is the problem?”
“The tax information would be shared not just with the three people I mentioned but also with the person who made these devices.”
Understanding that the chancellor had realized his intent to gain insight into the empire’s power dynamics through tax reform, Ian decided to be forthright.
The chancellor, having tasted modern innovations, would not easily give them up. Once someone has experienced a smartphone, it is difficult to return to a 2G phone unless there are special circumstances.
“Yes, I want to understand the tax landscape of each noble. After all, estimating their power through the amount of tax they pay is possible.”
“I see.”
After contemplating briefly, the chancellor spoke.
“Is that why you came to me first?”
“Yes, I knew the chancellor would understand my hidden intentions. I hoped you would help persuade the Emperor. For someone like me, who lacks other talents, ‘information’ is crucial for survival.”
“The ‘information’ Your Highness will gain through this reform can be stronger than swordsmanship or magic, depending on its use.”
“Chancellor, I sincerely wish for the empire’s prosperity. Wouldn’t it be better for the third prince, who manages this, to handle it?”
To persuade the chancellor, Ian pointed out another structural flaw in the current tax system, emphasizing the usefulness of the scanner and pad.
“Chancellor, the people who pay, collect, and verify taxes are all nobles. Isn’t it strange that there are no problems when people on the same side monitor each other’s work? I believe the scanner and pad will greatly help resolve this structural flaw.”
Hearing Ian’s answer, the chancellor’s expression became unreadable.
“If you present this ‘scanner’ and ‘pad’ at the next internal meeting, you will become a public enemy among the nobles. Surely you know they are already watching you closely?”
Ian, with a confident expression, responded.
“Chancellor, I have no intention of stepping back. My way of surviving in this palace is not to hide ambiguously but to show that I have the power to control my enemies. Also…”
After a brief pause, Ian continued.
“The longer the Emperor’s gaze lingers on me, the harder it will be for others to deal with me.”
After contemplating Ian’s words, the chancellor began to ask more specific questions about the embezzlement.
“Is the evidence of embezzlement conclusive?”
“I have already scanned the first quarter’s data. I have confirmed multiple times that the scanner and pad are functioning correctly.”
“I see.”
Having made up his mind, the chancellor spoke to Ian.
“I will support Your Highness in reforming the tax system using the scanner and pad when we present it to the Emperor. How could I not support the empire moving in a better direction?”
Feeling elated, Ian took a sip of his tea, savoring the minty aroma that he had been too tense to notice earlier.
“Now, could you tell me more about the incense? We haven’t been able to act on ‘Sweet Heaven’ due to a lack of concrete evidence.”
“Incense and smuggling are occurring together.”
“So smuggling is involved too. I have been too indifferent.”
“As the sun’s brilliance grows, so does its shadow. Without the sun’s strength, there wouldn’t have been an opportunity to notice such shadows. It’s a valuable chance to prove my abilities to the Emperor and the chancellor.”
The chancellor no longer saw Ian as a fifteen-year-old boy. His maturity and attitude were far beyond his years.
“And, in monitoring all tax-related activities, not just embezzlement, within the empire, I believe the Emperor appointed me as the ‘tax inspector.'”
“Your understanding of the Emperor’s intentions is much appreciated. However, since you have employed an unofficial group instead of imperial soldiers for the incense matter, it seems you do not wish to escalate this issue?”
“Correct. ‘Embezzlement’ is sufficient to cut off Viscount Steel. I aim to achieve something else.”
“Are you trying to gain influence outside the inner palace?”
“Chancellor, it is always easy to converse with you. You understand my intentions without me having to voice them.”
“How could I not pay attention to Your Highness’s actions? As you know, the Emperor also takes great interest in your movements.”
Hearing that the Emperor was interested in his actions, Ian briefly thought of CCTV. CCTV ensures safety while simultaneously handing over one’s actions to others.
This was another matter he would need to negotiate with the Emperor at some point.
“That is fortunate. I need the Emperor’s attention now more than ever.”
“Haha, indeed. Then we can look forward to this upcoming internal meeting?”
The chancellor looked at Ian with the anticipation of someone waiting for a new blockbuster film to be released.
Cliche Novel 