Chapter 72 Overhauling Government System
Riz and Theodora walk through the dull greyish-stone corridor of the mansion.
Although the interior decoration of each room can be said 'luxury' from others' perspectives, it is still far from the luxury Riz has ever seen on Earth.
Perhaps his standard is high because he has seen something better. He is determined to build a breathtaking residence for himself in the future.
'One day, I will demolish this mansion and build a palace that is much bigger and grandiose.'
Both of them walked out of the mansion which only occupied forty per cent of the total area of the Noble Hill. The rest is the garden which consists of a variety of fruits, vegetables and flowers. The servants were assigned to tend all of it every day.
They just leisurely walk as the government plaza is only located at the foothill. Ten minutes of walking is all it takes to arrive.
The government plaza occupies an area from the foothill to the riverbed of the Givry River. Many inhabitants in the area have been relocated to another place. They're naturally being compensated in the form of new residences made of concrete.
[A/N: Sketch of the plan]
"Wow! I have never seen this kind of architecture before."
Theodora was amazed by the neoclassical architecture of the buildings. To this world, it's certainly new. Its characteristic which is grand in size and simplistic geometry fits Riz's desire perfectly.
The entire government building complex is currently white with each building being five-storey high. Riz is still undecided about either painting the outer wall or leaving it alone. To his knowledge, most of the neoclassical buildings on Earth are white or painted with a lighter colour. All ministries' buildings are connected side by side. In front of the building is a flat smooth plaza. Like the buildings themselves, it is made from concrete and not cobblestones. Furthermore, there is room for expansion if Riz decides to establish another ministry.
Yes. Riz doesn't call it 'Department' as he initially planned but 'Ministry'. Given their duties, he believes the word 'Department' is a kind of an understatement. He also re-planned the government system agreed upon by his late father before. Initial plans were made conservatively to avoid angering the royal family.
Now, Napuna Dynasty poses no threat to him and he doesn't need to consider their relationship anymore. After what has happened, he is insane if he shows them respect.
Back to the government system, the highest level of authority is the lord. No one can refute this fact.
Then, followed by the ministry of law headed by the lord himself. This ministry is special because its position is laid above other ministries.
Below the ministry of law are other ministries. They are responsible for making regulations related to their own field. The regulations needed to get approval from the lord for them to take effect. Some ministries will have departments under them which are responsible for executing the order or policy. Their office is located throughout the cities within the territory depending on their need and suitability.
To put it in simple terms,
Ministry of Law And Policy, Head of all ministries.
i) Responsible for creating, amending and discussing the law, policy, and regulations proposed by other ministries.
ii) Creating civil law and legal boundaries for citizens.
Under this ministry are a military court and a civil court to settle disputes and execute the law for the citizen.
The role of this ministry is somewhat similar to the parliament. Riz doesn't want to let go of his power just yet. He feels like it's not the right time to do so.
As for other ministries, it's summarised below;
Ministry of Finance:
i) Responsible for government expenditure, revenue and budget.
ii) Developing economic policy
iii) Overseeing financial legislation and regulations.
- Departments under the ministry are Customs Department, National Audit Department and Tax Collection Department.
Ministry of Education:
i) Responsible for the education system, curriculum standards, personnel training, standardized textbooks and examinations.
ii) Creating education policies and regulations for both local and foreign students.
Due to its sheer job, the ministry was divided into several divisions; Education Development Policy Division, School and Institute Management Division and Educator Training Division.
- The Department under them is Ryntum Examination Council and Literature Institute.
Ministry of War and Defense:
i) Responsible for defence, national security, army, navy, intelligence and counterintelligence services.
ii) Handling the recruitment and training of personnel.
iii) Developing military law and punishment.
- Department under this ministry is Ryntum Military Base which will be built in various locations in the territory, Spies Intelligence Network which will act as both espionage and counter-espionage and Soldiers and Personnel Training Department.
Ministry of Trade and Industry:
i) Responsible for overseeing trading and industry activities and their regulations.
ii) To monitor the productivity of small, medium and large enterprises.
iii) Planning and searching for strategic trade items inside and outside the territory.
It was divided into Trade Division, Industry Division and Strategic and Monitoring Division.
Ministry of Food and Agriculture:
i) Responsible for agriculture, livestock, fisheries and agro-based activities.
ii) Developing regulations and standards for agriculture industries.
iii) Making sure the food security and sovereignty of the territory.
- Consist of the Veterinary Services, Inspection Department and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Note that every ministry has its own internal audit, financial planning and human resource management. When all of these ministries are fully functioning, they can provide thousands of jobs to the people in the territory.
Riz is not well-versed in this and makes it based on whatever he remembers back from his home country. He will see how it goes before making adjustments to find the right tune for his own government.
His focus shifts back to Theodora who is excitedly running around the building complex. "How is it?"
"It's beautiful. I have never seen this architecture before. Are you the one who designed this?"
"Yes, I designed it. If you look carefully, the design is not complicated at all."
"How can you complete this massive project in just over a year?"
"Money, good planning and a large amount of labour. It's not fully complete yet. The interior of the building is still empty. I expect that it will take another huge chunk of money to decorate it." He feels dispirited when remembering the huge amount of money Ryntum has to spend. Fortunately, the ownership of this government plaza, Nobel Hill and its surrounding, a total of 4.83 square km belong to the Ryntum family. In the case of Ryntum family no longer becoming a ruler in the future, they still are able to retain it.
After visiting every crook and cranny of the government plaza, Riz and Theodora made their way to the mansion. They ran into Charlotte who also headed toward the mansion.
"Milord, our informant says that the barons are packing their belongings. I'm afraid they want to run away. What should we do, milord?" Charlotte reported. When Ryntum's victory was confirmed, the three barons sent a bunch of expensive congratulatory gifts to the mansion. Riz naturally accepts free jewellery, gold coins, rare pelts, fabrics, horses, sculpture etc. However, it doesn't mean Riz forgets their betrayal.
"Let's hunt them down."