Reborn as a Mind-Reading Empress
Chapter 95: Finally Over

Chapter 95: Finally Over

Arabella was relieved that the financial problem would be greatly lessened by returning the money Gulliver got from the people of Prudencia.

’All the children wouldn’t have to help with work all the time now and would at least have some time to study, relax, and play.’

And of course, Ferdinand did not forget Arabella’s suggestion. Since Gulliver was given a chance, the mercenaries’ lives and their families were also spared.

The mercenaries would not be executed anymore but would still be prisoners. And they would have to provide manual labor to Prudencia in order to pay for their crimes and for their families to be spared.

Gulliver and all the mercenaries would also be given lashes using their own whips once all the announcements were done for them to experience at least once what the common people of Prudencia had experienced.

Everyone who had witnessed the lashings or experienced it themselves was elated at this.

Meanwhile, for the food shortage, Ferdinand granted Prudencia a supply of grains from the Imperial Granary.

Other food supplies from the Imperial Storehouses were also granted to help alleviate the food shortage in the interim while Prudencia was trying to go for the long-term solution of once again cultivating the abandoned lands that could be tilled.

With these, Arabella no longer had to worry about the food shortage.

Ferdinand also allowed the Imperial Minister of Agriculture to give subsidies for landowners and farmers in Prudencia which included monetary support and free seeds of crops eligible to plant this season.

Ferdinand also approved a budget allotment granted to Prudencia as a whole to help them with the current problems related to the irrigation system, dikes, and flooding in Rowell County and other areas facing the same issues. It was also for the repair and maintenance of roads in Prudencia as a whole.

Moreover, accompanied by knights from Riva, some of the mercenaries would be assigned to help build the irrigation dikes and canals in Rowell County to solve the flooding problem there as soon as possible and prevent further casualties and damage to crops.

Alwin and the investigators gave Theodore a list of the mercenaries Gulliver assigned per territory in Prudencia to avoid assigning them in the same location they collected tributes from or else some people still overcome with anger might try to put the law into their own hands and get back to the mercenaries in their own way.

They’d rather not have the citizens getting punished as well for committing crimes.

They understand the people’s fury but the prisoners still had their rights. And they were being punished to provide manual labor for them to pay and reflect for their crimes.

The nobles got skeptical though when Ferdinand announced he would be sending more knights from Riva to the northern borders of Prudencia and some more to roam around dukedom and help watch over the mercenaries.

However, the nobles knew they needed the help since their military had greatly weakened after the war and had not yet recovered due to Gulliver’s control over Prudencia for the past three years so they did not complain about it in the end.

Once all the necessary announcements were made, Gulliver and the mercenaries were then given their lashings outside Prudencia Palace with all those who attended the trial as witnesses.

After that, Alwin transported all the goods granted to Prudencia.

Everyone including the mercenaries were astounded as the ground glowed with a gigantic magic circle and in a matter of seconds, all the food supply and subsidy money and seeds were brought by Alwin all at once along with other magicians and knights guarding it from all sides.

Transporting goods from Riva with this amount would take a month or more because of the quantity but it happened in a matter of seconds.

Transporting that much valers in gold was also dangerous since bandits may attack on the road but it arrived safely in Prudencia with the convenience of Alwin’s teleportation ability.

Gulliver and the mercenaries realized that they had no room for escape indeed with the Emperor having magicians of this caliber.

Meanwhile, Theodore and the faction leaders were very much relieved that they were under Valeria’s protection now instead of an enemy.

The help the people needed arriving this quickly was so much more than they could have ever hoped for a few days ago when Gulliver still controlled everything.

But now, they were suddenly free from the Marquess and had the help they needed most.

It was an overwhelming sight.

They were very much grateful and all, but everyone from Prudencia also further understood that they were indeed powerless against the might of the Empire.

Having knights from Riva stay in Prudencia was not even necessary if Ferdinand wanted to control Prudencia directly. He could do it whenever he wanted to without having to use his knights first.

They realized the knights were indeed just sent there to do their job as was formerly explained by the courtiers.

Duke Theodore and Ferdinand’s assistants would take care of the details so once their part was done, Arabella and Ferdinand returned to Valeria Palace.

Odette and her siblings remained in Prudencia to help in sorting out things since there was so much work to do.

Odette would return to Riva with one of Ferdinand’s magicians a day before her work as Arabella’s assistant begins. Her three older brothers would probably remain in Prudencia for a while too to assist Theodore.

. . .

"It’s finally over," Arabella sighed in relief and laid down on her bed.

The trial was long and tiring. It took about six hours so her head was throbbing from all the thoughts she had been hearing.

It was difficult for her when the people were filled with so many emotions. Their thoughts were heavy to process and listen to even if she tried to focus on specific individuals.

Arabella didn’t look well so Ferdinand escorted her to her room and told her to rest and sleep. He said he would wake her once dinner was ready.

And before she knew it, she did fall asleep so easily because of exhaustion.