After the Rebellion

Hearing Sandayu's reply, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle.

He had truly been worrying for nothing.

Who was Sandayu?

He was a resilient existence who had sought to restore the Land of Snow even when trapped in a desperate situation.

Although his previous actions had carried a hint of coercion toward Kazahana Koyuki, his starting point had ultimately been for the sake of the Land of Snow. Furthermore, at his core, Sandayu was a very rational and mature politician. As the Minister of the Interior, he understood better than anyone what kind of choices would best benefit the development of the Land of Snow. Unlike the Five Great Nations, which boasted populations of thirty or forty million, the Land of Snow's population was a fatal weakness, even when compared to small inland countries. After Kazahana Koyuki ascended the throne as Daimyo, Sandayu had organized a census, and the count had barely reached three million. Of course, this excluded the populations hidden by noble families—their servants and private soldiers were impossible to calculate.

This rebellion had wiped out more than half of the Land of Snow's noble clans, and the high-ranking nobles had been captured in one fell swoop. In other words, a massive amount of manpower could now be liberated. These were all laborers. The Land of Snow was neither large nor small, but with the geothermal generators gradually altering the climate and geography—as the glaciers melted—the demand for labor far exceeded what it had been in the past.

These people were precious assets.

Sandayu would never waste them pointlessly.

Even if they weren't granted freedom, their lives certainly wouldn't be thrown away lightly.

Dragging them into the mines to work as miners was the best way to recycle such resources!

"Then!"

After bowing slightly to Naruto, Sandayu strode out of