Taxing the nobles was a mistake from the start, it's no wonder the taxes couldn't be collected.
The harsh truth brought the assembly to silence. If there were no wars, the number of free men in the kingdom would surely be on the rise.
But the situation in the Alpha Kingdom is unique, after every Orc invasion, the nation becomes exhausted and the people worn out.
Many minor nobles went bankrupt, and free men, already struggling to survive, found it even harder to withstand risks.
Seeing the truth, Caesar IV felt no relief, instead, he was even more troubled.
The low proportion of free men is not something that can be resolved in the short term. The reforms have reached a difficult stage, and if they touch the serf system, it would be pure suicide.
For a moment, the reformists were caught in a dilemma!
To continue deepening reforms, they would inevitably have to touch the core interests of the Noble Consortium, and the resistance is simply too immense to push through.
