But the greatest obstacle to this plan was Nausicaä herself.
"The Valley of the Wind's tradition is to share good times and bad, to work together and share what we harvest."
"If we follow your suggestion and reward people according to how much they work, enforcing a strict contribution system, it simply wouldn't be fair to those who are too old or sick to work."
"And the harmony in the Valley of the Wind was built on the idea of mutual assistance and equality for everyone."
Nausicaä held nothing back and voiced her doubts.
She feared that making changes rashly might destroy the peace the Valley of the Wind had maintained for a hundred years.
"Nausicaä, there's a difference between fairness and giving everyone an equal share," Mu En explained patiently.
"A farmer has to work in the fields every day from sunrise to sunset, while a granary guard only has to patrol a few rounds. The difference in their labor is enormous, yet both are paid just enough grain to fill their bellies. Is that really fair?"
"True fairness means giving those who contribute more and create more value a corresponding reward, thereby motivating them to create more wealth for society as a whole."
"And the lazy should not share the same fruits as the diligent."
"As for those who cannot work, they deserve to be cared for, but that care should come from institutional guarantees, not an equal distribution that blurs individual contributions."
"Equal pay for equal work, eating the same food and living under the same conditions-it all sounds wonderful, but the reality is that there will always be people who want to enjoy their rights without accepting the corresponding obligations."
Nausicaä clenched her hands on the desk.
She recalled the people who had risked their lives when she had called for a team to help with the forest disaster.
But there had been even more faces hidden at the back of the crowd, eyes averted as they searched for excuses to shirk their responsibilities.
Sensing her resolve waver, Mu En delivered the final blow:
"If the Valley of the Wind could remain forever secluded in its own corner, free from conflict with the outside world, then keeping its traditions wouldn't be a bad thing."
"But being plundered by Tolmekia again and again for no reason, until there's nothing left to squeeze out of it and it's utterly destroyed-is that the future you and the people of the Valley of the Wind want?"
"Only by becoming strong yourselves can you resist oppression and take control of your own destiny. Otherwise, even if you're lucky enough to survive this crisis, the Valley of the Wind will perish in the next one, or the one after that."
"A clear, fair system with well-defined rewards and punishments is the foundation of a nation."
If he wanted to fight the Sea of Corruption, he certainly couldn't do it as a lone tree.
He had to recruit more subjects and develop the Valley of the Wind to a level at least comparable to the former Golden Dynasty before he would have a chance of fighting it.
And once the population grew, the Valley of the Wind's old, inefficient methods of governance would no longer be suitable.
Fortunately, he had already sketched out a new power structure, one suited to the Golden Order Dynasty.
Thanks to those map-painting games from his previous life, Mu En wasn't entirely clueless about such matters.
First, the existing elders would step away from the tedious work of day-to-day management and form the "Council of Elders."
Council members would still be selected from the finest talents in every field, and they would use their extensive experience and knowledge to help Nausicaä govern the country.
Naturally, the power to make policy decisions would remain in the hands of Nausicaä-or rather, Mu En.
The council could not directly govern civilians, but it would have the power to influence the policies of the three departments beneath it.
Those three departments would be the Ministry of Justice, the military, and the Golden Sect-the three pillars.
The Ministry of Justice would establish and enforce a unified code of law, replacing rule by individuals with the rule of law; the military would unite all armed forces and give soldiers professional training; and the Golden Sect, besides spreading his faith, would also take over the role of a personnel department.
At the heart of it all were "Golden Runes," which could be transferred and transmitted at will.
In Mu En's plan, Runes would become a currency similar to "contribution points."
Only those who had received a blessing and carried Golden Runes could be called "citizens."
The marvelous thing about Runes was that they not only granted people tremendous power, but also improved their physical and mental abilities across the board.
Much like allocating stat points in the Elden Ring, everything from thinking speed and memory to lifespan could be improved through Runes.
People could earn Runes to strengthen themselves by contributing to the territory, whether through production, combat, or invention.
Even ordinary people with no talent would become so-called "geniuses" after receiving such improvements.
That was not to mention the astonishing efficiency those incantations could bring to production.
As such, the selection of officials for each department, and even members of the Council of Elders, would take into account their ability to accumulate and use Runes.
For example, someone skilled at using Erdtree's Favor to speed the growth of crops would be suited to the agricultural department, while someone who created a Golden Order combat technique would be recommended for the military.
The greater a person's contributions and the stronger their abilities, the more Runes they could obtain, making them stronger and smarter, and making it easier for them to rise to high positions and contribute even more to the Golden Dynasty.
And with himself and Nausicaä as safeguards, there was no need to fear that higher-ups who gained great martial power would become decadent and corrupt.
Mu En didn't know how much time he had left before all-out war with the Sea of Corruption, and for that very reason, all these reforms had to begin now, with every second put to use.
After Mu En finished describing his plan, a long silence fell over the study, leaving only the never-ending sound of the wind outside the window.
Should she preserve the ideal nation of equality for all, passed down for a hundred years?
Or shatter that illusion and create a new system better suited to this cruel world?
Just as the two ideals clashed in Nausicaä's mind, the door to the study suddenly burst open.
"Your Highness, Lord Yupa is back!"
Mito spoke between gasps, having clearly just run up the stairs.
"What? Grandpa Mito, are you sure you weren't mistaken?"
"I'm... pant... sure I wasn't. He's already in the village."
Leaving her conversation with Mu En unfinished, Nausicaä immediately rose and went to the window to look out.
The castle's enormous lattice-like fan blades had just turned past the window. Through the blades stitched from horned-ox hide, she could see two large black land birds, half a body taller than a person, slowly passing through the village surrounded by villagers.
They were "Horseclaws," the most common mounts in this world.
They had short wings, thick necks, powerful hind legs, and fluffy tail feathers like flowers. Once fitted with special riding saddles, they could carry people at a gallop for a whole day without stopping.
On the back of the leading Horseclaw, a tall man was waving to the welcoming villagers around him.
Nausicaä also noticed that the Horseclaw behind him carried two passengers, one large and one small, though the windproof masks on their faces made it impossible to see what they looked like.
"It really is Master Yupa!"
Nausicaä immediately dashed out of the room to welcome the guests.
Mito, who had only just caught his breath, could only let out a weary sigh and drag his aching old legs down the stairs after the sound of the girl's footsteps.
"Ah, Your Highness, slow down!"