Chapter 8
(Kyle Calendar
Year 500: Age 7)
The First
Calamity and the Third Arrow
Translator : PolterGlast
【⚔History of the Solis
Barony⚔ Omen of Demise】
Kyle Calendar Year
500, the mountain god of Griffonia rages greatly.
The black hand of
wrath, crossing the border, covers the southern side of the Kyle Kingdom,
bringing heavenly disaster.
In this year, the land
of Estol is covered by black clouds, with little blessing from the sun. After
the black clouds depart, there is no rain, and the land greatly thirsts. The
land is desolate, and no blessing of harvest is brought forth. People hunger,
wander, and their hearts are greatly disturbed.
***
And finally, I turned
seven.
The real battle starts
now.
From this year
onwards, the Solis barony and the Estol territory will be struck by successive
natural disasters, man-made calamities, and epidemics.
As written in the
history books, there seemed to have been a large-scale volcanic eruption in the
neighboring Griffonia Empire.
The damage on the
other side of the steep mountain range that separates the border is not
something we know.
"It's just as
Takuhir said. After this... is it really coming?"
My father muttered
with a sullen look.
"Probably.
Please, by all means, be prepared."
I deliberately didn't say,
or rather couldn't say, that it would definitely come.
I couldn't explain the
basis for it.
However, large-scale
ashfall and days when the sky was covered with a dark, gloomy haze even during
the day continued.
"At this rate,
the crops won't grow. What in the world will happen?"
The citizens looked up
at the sky anxiously every day.
Days without sunlight,
dimly lit even during the day, continued.
About a month after
the eruption, the blue sky and warm sunlight finally poured down.
The citizens cheered.
However, the dry
weather continued, and it didn't rain at all. The land dried up, and cracks
appeared everywhere.
Sand danced in the
wind from the dry earth, and the citizens began to voice their anxieties again.
The drought written in
the history books had arrived.
The water level of the
Org River, which boasted abundant water, decreased day by day, and the width of
the river gradually narrowed.
※
"Operate all the
pumping waterwheels! Open the floodgates of the waterways and send as much
water as possible.
Don't forget to
constantly adjust the floodgates so that even the reduced flow of the river is
diverted to the waterways as much as possible.
But don't dry up the
river. The basin isn't just ours."
Mother Chris's
instructions were executed immediately.
Cheers rose from the
farmers in the areas where water arrived.
The Estol territory
had not spent these two years in vain.
They had implemented
measures such as irrigation works using pumping waterwheels, stockpiling in
preparation for disasters, and buying up grain.
Therefore, as the
great famine steadily approached, my parents and the steward calmly proceeded
with countermeasures.
"First, we must
issue a proclamation to reassure the citizens."
Following my mother's
instructions, a proclamation was issued, and the people began to calm down.
・Measures to reduce the tax burden will be implemented
for this year only.
・The granaries for famine relief will be opened, and
grains will be redistributed.
・Dried noodles will be prepared and served as needed.
These were all matters
that my parents and the steward had discussed and decided in advance, but my
mother announced them at a good time.
In fact, even if these
relief measures were implemented, the Estol territory had sufficient reserves,
and the Solis baronial family had sufficient financial resources.
That's because they
had bought up cheap domestic wheat to their heart's content during the bumper
crop of the previous year.
Also, it was
significant that in the fields where irrigation works had been completed, the
water from the Org River was circulated by the pumping waterwheels, and it was
predicted that there would not be a very noticeable decrease in yield.
The citizens were also
in a situation where optimistic voices were heard, saying that they would
probably be able to manage this year by tightening their belts slightly.
And another positive
factor was turnips.
Turnips were
originally cultivated in this world as well.
However, just like in
the European history Nishida knew, turnips were mainly used as animal feed,
which was a great waste from my perspective, a former Japanese.
I had long been
dissatisfied with the handling of turnips, which grew so easily, were delicious
to eat, and whose leaves could also be eaten.
I remembered reading
about the history of the Three Kingdoms, which I personally loved. Zhuge Liang,
who was said to be a genius strategist, recommended the cultivation of turnips
and, when going on expeditions, first built his camp and then sowed turnip
seeds... I recalled such an anecdote.
Therefore, I had been
taking measures since last year when there was a bumper crop.
〇Turnip Measures
I had Raymond-san
check the cultivation status of turnips within the territory when he traveled
around various places for the construction of granaries for famine relief.
・Information on villages that cultivate them and their
usage status.
・The cultivation methods in the villages that cultivate
them.
I had my father introduce
me to merchants, and I also gathered information myself.
・Acquisition of turnip seeds and turnips themselves.
・Procurement of purchase funds (begging my father).
I asked the head chef
to research turnip recipes and delicious ways to eat them.
・Research on how to utilize them as food ingredients.
・Creation of turnip recipes.
Of course, the
ingredients that the head chef tried could not be wasted.
As a taste-testing
staff member, my meals once again became a special menu.
From that day on, various
turnip dishes were placed before me, coloring the dining table every day...
The steward's
investigation revealed that several villages in the Estol territory had a track
record of cultivating turnips for animal feed.
Also, we were able to
secure several types of seeds as well as harvested turnips cheaply and in large
quantities.
At that time, the town
of Est was bustling with merchants gathering because of the rumors that they
were steadily buying up the plummeted grain, so it was surprisingly easy to
collect the seeds.
Gathering information
from the villages that actually grew turnips, such as growing methods, crop
rotation problems, and precautions regarding cross-pollination, I independently
compiled a guide on how to grow turnips and recommended cooking methods
(recipes).
Since I originally
enjoyed home gardening (in Japan), I tried growing them myself properly.
The vacant land in the
garden of the lord's mansion was dug up by me, and one after another, it was
transformed into fields.
Like the villainous
young lady who reincarnated that I had read about somewhere.
The entire garden was
turned into fields, and a garden far removed from elegance... no, a turnip
field spread out.
Only at this time did
my parents put their hands on their foreheads and were genuinely dumbfounded.
Even so, I was like a
runaway locomotive and wouldn't stop.
For some reason, Anne
helped me with my work silently without a single complaint.
The fallow land near
the town of Est was transformed into a vast turnip field with the help of the
stationed soldiers.
Raymond-san, in his
position as steward, strongly supported the utilization of fallow land and the
mobilization of soldiers.
His dependable figure
as he persuaded my parents made me grateful for his existence once again.
After two months, the
first harvest season arrived.
The early harvest was
also a good point of turnips.
Some were for tasting,
and most were left as they were to collect seeds.
In the areas where I
had requested cultivation, I asked them not only to use the harvest for food
and feed but also to collect and multiply the seeds, promising to buy all the
seeds.
As a result of such
efforts, before the great famine occurred, we were able to secure a stock of
seeds to distribute within the territory, and the manuals for growing and
eating them were also prepared.
Thanks to this
preparation, during the great famine, the collected seeds were distributed, and
the turnips grown throughout the territory became a valuable food source for
the citizens during the winter.
What was a bit
excessive was that my father came to be respectfully called "Turnip
Baron-sama" by the citizens.
"Turnip Baron,
no, please stop that. Why me...?"
My father seemed to
dislike his new alias "Turnip Baron," which replaced the "Merchant
Baron" he had liked, but I stared blankly at my father muttering alone in
his office...
"It's not my
fault, probably."
Of course, I pretended
not to see and left.
Including these
circumstances, there was no major confusion in the Estol territory even under
the conditions of what could be called a great famine.
The proclamation of
relief measures had been disseminated in advance, turnip seeds had been
distributed to each region, and in particular, the early opening of the
granaries for famine relief had improved the citizens' anxieties and food
situation.
Once it was judged
that turnip cultivation within the territory was stable, my father gradually
released the various grains he had openly and secretly bought up.
To the neighboring territories
that were also hit by the great famine, he released grain as aid, free of
charge or at low prices.
To the merchants, he
sold the slightly remaining... actually, the large amount of surplus reserves
at the inflated market price.
Buying at the lowest
price and selling at the highest price. My father was very pleased with this
ideal investment.
I bet my father's
temporary income was quite substantial.
I wondered if he would
really give me 10%. I regretted not getting it in writing, just a little.
For the time being,
with this, the disasters that would have worn down the fate and strength of the
Estol territory...
・Damage to citizens and loss from the sudden drop in
grain prices due to the bumper crop.
・Damage to citizens and loss from the sudden rise in
grain prices due to the great famine.
・Assistance to neighboring lords and resolution of
future grudges.
I believe these have
been avoided or resolved.
"All that's left
for now is to deal with the casualties of soldiers and the financial burden
caused by the border dispute."
Muttering to myself, I
took a breath.
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