I Am Not The Duke's Evil Son
Chapter 45: An Annoying Person

Chapter 45: An Annoying Person

The census was extremely necessary. Knowing the population count, their age distribution, and their occupations would make many things easier, such as selecting qualified labor and identifying priority groups. Not to mention that the upcoming crisis demanded comprehensive knowledge in order to prepare properly.

Likewise, knowing the area of arable land and the number of livestock was essential so that he could implement a suitable and excellent system to increase and improve production.

Everyone present was surprised when they heard his orders. After a brief moment of silence, one of them suddenly spoke. He was a handsome young man in his twenties, with an elegant appearance, blond hair, and greenish-brown eyes.

"Milord, conducting a census of the barony’s population is a great idea, but it’s a bit difficult and will take a lot of time. So, I’d like to ask—and I know you have the answer—do you know of a way to make it easier for us?" The young man spoke with such tact and respect, and his expressions and gestures matched his status so strangely well that anyone would accept his questions openly. In fact, everyone in the hall nodded in agreement with his inquiry.

Naturally, Arthur had a plan that would ease the census process. It was based on the system used in his world. But for some inexplicable reason, he found himself slightly impressed by the young man’s way of speaking. He calmly replied:

"Yes, there is. Simply put, we’ll divide the barony into twenty-five sections. Each of you will be responsible for a specific section. Every house you count will be marked with white paint on the door, so there’s no confusion.

When I say ’counting the people’, I don’t mean tallying them like livestock. It’s not that simple. You must sit with the head of each household and ask in detail: How many people live in the house? What is their relationship to him? How many children does he have? What are their ages? Their genders? Does he live with his parents? How many wives does he have? If more than one, what is his occupation? What skills does he possess? Does he have any adult children living outside the barony?

Does he own any farmland? If so, he should inform you of its area, location, and what crops he grows. Also, the annual yield from each plot.

Naturally, there are more questions, but now’s not the time to discuss them. Before you leave, each of you will receive a sheet containing all the required questions and the area you’re responsible for.

And, before I forget—you must ask each question twice to ensure the accuracy of the information. If anyone lies or falsifies facts, they will be fined five silver coins. If any of you cover for someone or falsify data, you will be imprisoned and stripped of your property. Am I clear?" Arthur looked at them with stern, threatening eyes.

Everyone quickly replied, "Yes, Milord."

As for the young man who had asked, he nodded in understanding and then asked again, "As expected of you—you’re wise, Milord. Forgive my boldness, but could you tell us the purpose of this census?"

"The census is very important for my future plans, and what will ha—" Arthur suddenly fell silent, and a strange look appeared on his face as he barely suppressed his shock.

He had almost told them that the census was necessary to prepare for the upcoming goblin invasion.

’Why am I answering their questions at all?’ He didn’t understand how it happened, but it didn’t take him long to realize something was off.

He quickly looked at the young man in front of him and used the skill: "Plot Savant." His mouth nearly dropped open from the shock.

[Name: Orin Ashvale]

[Race: Human]

[Level: E]

[Class: Boundless Knight]

[Skills: Solid Body (E), Swordsmanship (E), Horsemanship (E), Logical Analysis (D), Enchanting Words (D), Calligraphy]

[Carried Items: Defensive Magic Scroll (D)]

[Enchanting Words: An advanced skill that allows the user to influence others using only their words.]

’This is really annoying.’ When Arthur saw the nature of Orin’s skills, he felt like standing up and punching him, but he couldn’t. The "Enchanting Words" skill was no trivial matter, and he knew how dangerous it was. In the fourth volume of Rise of the Sword Sovereigns, a character with this skill appeared, and just through speech, they could ignite or end wars.

Not to mention, Orin also had "Logical Analysis." That might seem ordinary, but it wasn’t, it meant only one thing.

’That bastard is really smart. I need to be careful around him. But where did he even come from? I don’t remember seeing him in the novel. Wait, his last name is Ashvale—the same as the secretary I imprisoned along with Edgar’s followers.’

Using the only clue he had, Arthur mentally flipped through every line of Volume Two of the novel at lightning speed, and then he remembered a small hint.

’Even though it was just a single line, the novel mentioned that the secretary had an adopted son, described as intelligent, who left the barony a week after Arvan’s arrival. He was never mentioned again, only that the secretary grieved deeply over his departure.’

Sigh...

’This is troublesome.’ Arthur didn’t like people who were *too* smart—especially ones with exceptional skills.

In this world, skills were divided into four types. First were physical skills, which were mostly acquired through training, like Solid Body, Swordsmanship, and others.

Second were magical skills, determined by one’s magical affinity, like Fireball , Water Blade , or Earth Wall.

Third, and most difficult, were mental skills, also called "spiritual" by some. Unlike the others, training was useless, and magical affinity meant nothing. What determined one’s potential for mental skills were psychological and intellectual qualities, how a person thought and perceived the world. Thus, mental skills varied widely from person to person. Some were strong and commanding like : Iron Will, Enchanting Words, Absolute Presence, or Mystery Eyes. Others were calm and wise like Wisdom or Tranquil Soul.

Most people believed that mental skills were always associated with leadership or wisdom. But that wasn’t true. In reality, there were also negative or destructive mental skills—like : Blind Insight, Blissful Ignorance , or Madness of Mind. However, it was rare for someone to acquire such a skill unless they suffered severe mental breakdowns or were cursed by a powerful warlock.

Finally, there were crafting skills—all skills that could be acquired through mastering a trade or art, like blacksmithing, carpentry, or calligraphy. Most of these skills had only one level and didn’t enhance a person’s general stats.

Because Arthur had paused mid-speech, everyone in the hall began to react with mixed expressions. After a short silence, Orin asked,

"Milord, is something wrong? What did you mean by ’what will happen’?"

Hearing the worried question, Arthur cleared the confusion from his head and stared into Orin’s face. Their eyes met—and unlike most people’s eyes, which were filled with fear or reverence, Orin’s were very different. Inside them was clear rebellion, and a subtle coldness.

’That bastard realized I was about to say something very important.’

"It’s nothing. Don’t concern yourselves. All you need to focus on for now is the census process."

Without giving them any more attention, he gestured to Octavia, who had been standing by his side the entire time like a statue, and spoke softly:

"Go to my room and bring me the papers beside my bed. On your way, tell Brock to gather as many sheets and ink bottles as possible."

"As you command, Milord." Octavia quickly ran off to carry out his orders.