Chapter 20: Tara’s Savior
Hiro shifted the conversation to something lighter, asking about the technical aspects of the Rorak Earldom. He wanted to understand the level of technology and the quality of life its citizens experienced.
Bob enthusiastically explained the details.
Citizen Happiness was a critical metric for every Ruler. It directly influenced the number of refugees migrating to a realm and, conversely, how many people were leaving as refugees.
Population was the lifeblood of a realm. A larger population meant more workers contributing to the economy, leading to increased GDP and a gradual improvement in the standard of living. It was a virtuous cycle.
Of course, the economy wasn't the only thing that population impacted.
A larger population also meant a stronger military and more high-level individuals within the realm.
As Bob spoke, Carnalia simultaneously explained several things to Hiro. She detailed the "Rules" set in place by the World.
'The Rules are intricately designed to encourage Rulers to care for their citizens,' Hiro concluded.
The Rules were complex and interconnected, but ultimately, it boiled down to this: maintain a large realm with a large and happy population, and good things would follow.
Hiro knew he would need time to fully digest all the information being fed to him. Meanwhile, the conversation continued even without his intervention.
"...but yeah, Tara was REALLY stubborn about getting a combat class. It was kind of a miracle to save that much money despite the presence of those gangs," Furina said.