This is a strong follow-up chapter that skillfully uses dialogue to build Wilson's reputation and set up the next stage of the crisis.
Here is the grammar-checked and corrected text:
Wilson made sure to note the number of people he saw in the market. There were many, as he expected after he received his father's delay to discharge him from the academy. In his previous life, he was not too aware of this issue happening until it snowballed after his graduation.
There was a plague at the eastern side of the kingdom at this point in time. It was initially contained and controlled by the nobles of that side of the kingdom, but it was inevitable that at some point they got lax, or the disease had already transmitted before border controls were managed. The illness slowly spread through the kingdom, taking years before it became an epidemic.
Along the way to the north, he took note of sick people whenever they stopped to replenish their necessities or rest. Those people looked in bad shape, but were not too numerous for the local lord to be alarmed. The symptoms of the sickness were that it came and went like the common cold until it progressed to something that causes disability or death if not treated on time.
In the north, the disease didn't spread as much or as fast as in the warmer areas. The cold makes it a little harder for the infection to spread or survive. Given its nature and that the northerner people are more resilient towards colds in general, the detection of it was delayed by a huge margin. Only a year after the capital had their eyes on this disease did the plague start to show itself in the colder regions.
"It seems that we have to spend a little more on public health for the next few years," Wilson said as he glanced at a few carriages that just parked at a few stores. "Maybe a few more on more patrols."
"I'll take note," John said as he paid for their meal. "Shall we get going?"
Wilson nodded, then they left the restaurant. They took it slow to get to the agreed meeting place, taking their time to pick up a few more observations on the public welfare.
"I guess things are not too bad," Wilson said as they came near the agreed place. "At least there are no beggars here yet."
"It's all thanks to you, my lord. Your reforms have made it easier for the farmers to pay their taxes and our resources are used optimally," John praised him. "At your thirteenth season, you improved our harvest; at fourteen, you convinced a few families to allow the export of their oldest trees for timber or construction; and at your fifteenth, you managed to find a new iron mine to enrich the public treasury."
"Well, it was not really what I had in mind when I did all those," Wilson said as he thought how it did help their home and how it solidified his position as an heir.
"We know," John smiled as he said so. "You just wanted your mother to have more options for food. You wanted to give our people's daughters good dowries after knowing the value of trees planted for every girl born. As for the mine, Sir Chris has a part in how it was discovered."
"If Chris hadn't annoyed father too much back then, I would not need to look for him in that area," Wilson said with a smile at the memory. "Mother being satisfied means less nagging. The timbers were more about making more room for more area for cultivation, given that a few of those trees are passed down from one's mother to their daughters. My cousin's wedding back then made me aware of those high-quality Fir trees. Suggesting to sell off those that were more than a century old was a practical way for the brides to have more backbone in their new home."
"With more food at harvest time, people have more money to spend on other things," John echoed. "Brides with more dowries are more financially well off to make decisions and prepare for their family lives at ease."
"I guess it is indeed something I should be proud of," Wilson said as he felt his neck burn at the recount of what his actions translated to his people. His people are grateful for what he did, as far as he knew. The John of his past life let him know of their love and care.
Thinking of the past life, he remembered how their people resisted their arrest and were brought to the northern duke's court for trial. It was those people there who had poured their malice on them without any remorse, painting their whole family in a bad light, accusing them of too many charges they never did, given how their family operates for generations.
"Speaking of the mine, my lord," John suddenly said. "My nephew mentioned discovering a few gems in the vicinity. Since he heard you were coming home, he would like you to visit them and give advice on how to proceed with the discovery."
"Shouldn't this be a work that father should do?" Wilson wondered. "While I am already chosen as an heir, I had yet to truly take the oath as the legit one. And even if I am already an official heir, my function is more of a proxy, and no decision-making is mine to make for at least a year after I took office."
"Your father signed a document that the mine is yours, my lord," John simply said. "He said it is a gift for your achievements. All paperwork was done and made under your name. You should be receiving those when we arrive home."
Wilson dug into his mind if he did have the ownership of that mine. So far, nothing comes to him, so he cannot remember if it was part of his assets. Though given how he came back home in that life, it might have slipped his mind, and his father didn't have the time to let him know before he drowned himself with official duties.
And even if the papers were indeed made in his name, he was made blind a year after he took over his father's duties. He never got to see that paperwork, and his brother surely didn't know about it to inform him. John might know, but didn't say anything about it to stop him from being manipulated to hand it over to Alphonsus with his mental state back then.