This Kingdom Needs a Coup

When the central army was busy shooting bullets in the Duchy of Barellmont…

“Sigh, why are there so many documents?”

A young lady sitting in Carlos’s office sighed deeply after putting down the papers she was writing. She muttered complaints about how long she had to keep doing this.

“Are you alright, Councilor?”

“I’m still fine, for now. It’s just that my eyes are dizzy from staring at documents for days.”

When a nearby secretary asked with concern, she—Kamilla von Arshah—waved her hand dismissively. She wasn’t really exhausted or on the verge of collapse. It was just that her mental stamina had reached a slight limit after being buried in endless paperwork and reports.

Compared to the soldiers risking their lives on the battlefield right now, her complaints were nothing but petty whining. Still, she couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

‘We really went too far with the purges. Just being a noble was enough to get you arrested and executed without question…’

Why did it come to this? The reason was simple. All the original handlers of the documents Kamilla was looking at had been executed.

Carlos’s second coup, carried out in a sudden and brutal manner, left many scars on the kingdom. Not just in the political sphere, but across the kingdom’s social hierarchy and administrative system.

Anyone with a “von” in their name living in the capital was deemed a reactionary who either condoned or participated in the coup, leading to widespread vacancies after being sent to people’s tribunals.

The parliament lost about 30% of its members, the Ministry of Finance about 20%. Other government departments lost at least 20-30% of their staff, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which had a particularly high number of nobles, lost nearly half.

‘How can we handle state affairs properly with only the remaining people?’

Fortunately, Carlos regained his senses towards the end of the coup and spared his faction and key talents, preventing the complete collapse of the administrative network. Still, numerous difficulties and inconveniences arose.

Filling the vacant positions was difficult, so the remaining staff had to take on extra work. If the person in charge of approvals was dead, the task was pushed up the chain. Issues that couldn’t be resolved due to a lack of experts required instructions from higher-ups.

Even with all this, many situations were driving people insane, and the workload was much heavier than usual. There was the recovery of property damage from the coup, preparations for the upcoming peace negotiations with the empire, and the allocation of emergency funds to suppress the civil war.

No wonder the burden on Kamilla, Carlos’s proxy, was beyond imagination.

“Ah, I just want to go home, wash up, and sleep.”

This was also why Kamilla had been camping out in Carlos’s office instead of her own. Since this place doubled as the headquarters of Carlos’s faction, important people kept coming and going. It was too much trouble to keep moving back and forth to receive guests, so she decided to stay put for the time being.

‘Just hang in there a little longer. Once Sir returns, things will get much easier.’

Despite the grueling work environment, Kamilla’s expression was far from gloomy. In fact, it was filled with hope and anticipation.

Why? Isn’t it obvious? The current difficulties are just a stepping stone to the great achievement that will soon come.

The reduction of nobles in the government means the main players in factional strife are gone. It’s also a golden opportunity for a massive reshuffle and internal reform.

How did the kingdom’s bureaucracy operate before? As soon as you got a job, you had to find connections. If you didn’t join any faction, you had no chance of promotion.

It wasn’t just internal strife; the entire organization operated like completely different entities depending on the faction. Loyalists to the royal family, anti-royalists, and various grand dukes’ factions were all vying for power.

But now, that can be broken. Even if there’s some competition, departments can cooperate and create a desirable atmosphere.

A rational administrative system where practical work takes precedence over political logic? How appealing is that future!

“Mr. Manfred, what was the name of the system Sir said he would implement soon?”

“Are you referring to the examination-based bureaucracy?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

Moreover, with the new system Carlos devised, the manpower shortage would soon be resolved.

The idea was to move away from hiring based on connections and recommendations and instead select officials through objective exams. The inspiration came from the system implemented in the Daicing Empire (actually, it was borrowed from the Joseon Dynasty’s civil service exams).

It was an extremely simple yet groundbreaking idea. Hiring people purely based on ability, regardless of status or background.

“If it works, training new recruits will be much easier. There will be fewer idiots who rely solely on connections despite knowing nothing.”

“That’s true. At least we’ll get people who can do the basics.”

Currently, the kingdom’s talent selection system was divided into three main categories:

Hereditary succession based on bloodline.

Buying and selling positions.

Hiring based on connections (recommendations).

Of course, none of these were fair, merit-based, or rational.

Talented but poor students or those lacking social skills were completely blocked from advancement.

But if the criteria were changed to exams, hope would arise for them. At least they would have a chance to showcase their abilities and potential.

Not only that, but parachute appointments would also decrease significantly. It might not be possible to eliminate them entirely, but they wouldn’t be as common as they are now.

In a system where connections were valued more than individual ability, the kingdom’s bureaucracy was plagued by a focus on political maneuvering rather than achieving results. If a merit-based culture took root, such problems would naturally disappear.

“From this perspective, the purge of the nobility is a blessing. A reform that would have taken a long time is now progressing rapidly.”

“Everything has its pros and cons. There are rarely cases with only cons.”

“But this time, the pros seem much greater.”

This kind of change would have been impossible before. If their privileges and birthrights were denied, the nobles would have risen up in unison.

They would have fought tooth and nail to maintain their exclusive status within the existing system.

But now they’re all dead? Even the survivors bowed their heads to us?

Then we can reform as we please. The parliament is filled with our supporters, and we’ve secured all the core power. Who can stop us?

“The pigs wallowing in wealth and glory are gone, so the finances have some breathing room.”

Ah, and the always insufficient national treasury is expected to become abundant soon. We’ll confiscate the properties of the annihilated nobles.

Those who didn’t pay taxes and wasted time and money on luxury and vanity. Now, we’ll use the wealth they accumulated over generations for the nation.

It will greatly help improve the kingdom’s financial state, which has been deteriorating after a decade of total war. By confiscating their territories, we can centralize tax collection and make it more efficient.

When the war ends and post-war recovery begins, it will be more cost-effective for the government to lead the efforts rather than leaving it to individual territories.

‘One coup solved everything.’

From this perspective, Carlos’s coup could be compared to the Soviet Union’s Great Purge. Both were brutal and caused many casualties and side effects, but they also achieved significant results.

The Soviet Union broke the rampant corruption and chaos, and the kingdom wiped out the privileged class that was eating away at the nation.

However, considering the scale of the side effects and future prospects, the kingdom seems more successful.

“Mr. Manfred, let’s call it a day here. See you tomorrow.”

“Ah, is that alright?”

“It’s fine. The remaining tasks today are things I can handle alone.”

“Understood. Then…”

* * * * *

After sending the secretary home, Kamilla put down her pen and stretched.

“Ugh…”

She rubbed her aching muscles and stood up from her chair. If she stayed seated any longer, she felt like she would merge with the chair.

‘Maybe I’ll have a cup of coffee.’

She went to the kitchen attached to the room and boiled water in a kettle. She poured hot water over the pre-ground coffee beans and filtered it.

As the pleasant aroma filled the air, her eyes caught a decorative item in the corner.

“….”

It was a pair of crowns. The symbols of the king and queen of this nation, historic artifacts passed down since the founding era.

They were confiscated when the royals were imprisoned, signifying that they would no longer be treated as figureheads.

‘…Would it suit me?’

She imagined herself wearing the crown, holding a scepter, dressed in splendid royal robes.

Herself as a ruler, moving hundreds and thousands with a single finger, governing the nation with her voice.

‘No.’

She shook her head. That didn’t suit her.

Instead, the queen’s crown beside it would suit her better. The king’s crown would go to Sir.

She would stand by his side, assisting the man she now serves but will one day call her husband.

“Hehe.”

Kamilla covered her face and laughed, dreaming of the rosy future that was not far away.

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