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136 The Whole
Story of the Wheat Disturbance
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Translator : PolterGlast
By the time winter was
approaching, the map of the former Parton territory was complete. The area is
about five times the size of Triange, and most of it is a granary. There are no
other notable industries besides agriculture.
The wheat harvested
this year now belongs to us. This is because the land was ceded to us before
the harvest. The Princess has also said there's no problem with this.
The population survey
is also underway, and the former Parton territory has a population of 118,188
people. The total population, combined with Triange, is 143,426 people.
The total amount of
wheat harvested this year is 202,000 tons. I'm astonished at the production
volume that a vast and fertile farmland can produce. Golteo-san told me that
the annual wheat consumption per person in the southern part of the Oda Kingdom
is 200 kilograms. I think that's quite a lot, but the calculation shows that
it's enough to feed one million people. That's seven times our population.
That's incredible. It seems this much can be harvested because of our jobs and
skills, but without them, it would require a lot of effort. My hat's off to the
farmers.
Wheat isn't our only
food source. We also eat rice, vegetables, meat, and fish. Since we have a
surplus of wheat, I'd like to use it for livestock such as cows, pigs, and
chickens. However, this wheat is what supports the food supply of this region,
so it's not something we can easily reduce in production or distribution. There
are apparently other nobles to consider as well. But we should at least raise
chickens. A stable supply of eggs and chicken meat would enrich our dining
tables.
Since we no longer
have to worry about food, I plan to strongly push forward with cotton
production in Triange. Cultivation is already underway with the help of controlled
slaves, such as former bandits.
We've also had
soldiers and knights from Count Parton's army, who were captured and for whom
no ransom was paid, work on cultivation. The conscripted commoners have been
freed, but we demanded a ransom for those who were originally soldiers or
knights. And those unfortunate souls whose ransoms weren't paid are now working
as war criminals.
Yamato is also
producing farming tools for us. Introducing them will speed up cultivation.
They should also help ease the burden on the farmers and increase production.
***
Working all the time
makes me depressed. Since I have a territory with a sea, I came to see it.
The winter sea is
lonely. And most of all...
"It's cold."
The cold wind stings
my cheeks.
"Anneliese, I'm
cold."
"There,
there."
Anneliese let me into
her cloak. It's warm. And soft. It's the best feeling to be embraced by her.
"Ahem. With our
subordinates watching, I'd like you to restrain yourselves a little."
Gandarvan cleared his
throat. I told him he didn't have to come. Now I can't let loose.
We both sat on a log
that had been washed ashore on the beach, huddling inside a single cloak.
Gandarvan and the others, being considerate, stood guard from a distance.
"It's been a year
since we met, hasn't it?"
"A lot has
happened."
A lot has truly
happened. I thought I was summoned, but I was reincarnated. I thought Anneliese
was an old woman, but she turned out to be so young and beautiful. I became a
noble before I knew it. And I even got a territory. It was a long yet short
year. I don't miss my old world at all.
I had parents, but our
relationship was distant. They were workaholics and were rarely home. But
still, they're my parents, so I'd like to tell them that I'm engaged to
Anneliese, but I guess that's impossible.
A lot has happened,
but I've managed to get this far. I gazed at the sea, as if reminiscing about
the past year. The waves are calm. I thought the winter sea would be rougher,
but it doesn't seem to be.
I can see an island in
the distance. It's a decent-sized island.
"That
island..."
"I believe it's
an uninhabited island with no name."
An uninhabited island,
huh? The reason the waves are calm even in winter is probably because that
island is acting as a breakwater. But even though it's a decent-sized island, it
has no name?
"It's quite big,
but no one lives there?"
"I heard there's
no water on that island."
People can't live
without water. And since no one lives there, it has no name. There's probably
no custom of naming uninhabited islands. In my previous life, even small
islands that were about to sink into the sea had names. Was that related to
territorial waters? Or is it a cultural difference? Does it matter if an
uninhabited island has a name or not? I don't know which is right, but if
there's a territorial dispute, the island would need a name.
I can see some green.
Does that plant grow without freshwater? Detailed Appraisal. Could you check it
for me? ...It's too far. Not possible. I can see the green. Is that still not
enough?
"..."
You did a great job,
Detailed Appraisal! That green plant is apparently called Byshtan. It can grow
even in saltwater with a little bit of water. What a resilient plant. And its
fruit is apparently edible. The fruit is very astringent, but if you dry and
mature it like a dried persimmon, it becomes sweet and delicious. Can we turn
this into an industry? I'll talk to everyone when I get back to the mansion.
I shivered from the
cold and pulled the arm I had around Anneliese's waist tighter. Ah, it's warm.
I want to live as resiliently as that Byshtan and be with Anneliese until I die
of old age. Come to think of it, I'm a High Human. My lifespan is apparently
much longer than a Human's. I should be able to be with Anneliese, a long-lived
elf, for a long time. I want to be a happy couple forever.
"Are you not
cold?"
"I'm cold. But I
feel warm when I'm next to you, Toi-sama."
She's so cute.
***
It's hard to get out
of bed on a winter morning. I can't bring myself to leave Anneliese. But
Anneliese's sleeping face is so beautiful. Her skin is so white and smooth. All
mine to enjoy.
"Good morning, Toi-sama."
"Good morning,
Anneliese."
Our morning greeting
is always the same, but it feels so fresh. I wonder why.
We both got dressed
and headed to the dining hall.
"Good morning,
Master, Mistress."
Mondark, the butler,
and the others greeted us. They're all dressed to the nines today too.
I froze when I saw the
food on the table.
"W-what is
this..."
I picked up the bowl
and sniffed the contents.
"No doubt about
it."
I slurped the brown
soup.
"It's miso
soup!"
"Mondark! How did
you get this?!"
"Lady Sayaka made
that miso soup, my lord."
"What?!"
Itsukushima-san came
in, opening the door.
"Itsukushima-san!
You made it!"
"Yeah. Since I've
completed miso and soy sauce, I decided to make a Japanese-style meal
today."
"This taste
brings back so many memories! Thank you so much!"
I had been asking Itsukushima-san
to produce miso and soy sauce for a while. Since it's purely for us, the
other-worlders, I don't know if it will sell, but I'll buy it! I'll buy a lot!
"This is a soup
with a very mysterious flavor."
Anneliese said with a
puzzled expression after drinking the miso soup.
"That's the
flavor of my hometown."
"I used dried
small fish for the broth."
She even made the
broth properly. It does have a flavor similar to dried sardines.
"I still don't
have kelp, so this is the best I can do for now."
"No, no, this is
more than enough. It's very delicious, Itsukushima-san."
"I'm glad you're
happy."
I'm so grateful to Itsukushima-san.
She looks like the Bodhisattva of Compassion! I should pray to her.
"What's all the
commotion about?"
Yamato came in with
messy bed hair. You should wash your face first.
"Yamato. It's
miso soup."
"Huh,
seriously?!"
Yamato snatched my
miso soup and gulped it down.
"Phew. Delicious!
This is the flavor I've been looking for!"
"Why did you
drink all of mine?"
"Oops, I couldn't
help it. Teehee."
Yamato sat down and
had two more bowls. The soy sauce also goes perfectly with the Japanese-style
omelet. Burgan isn't bad, but nothing beats soy sauce. I'm really looking
forward to my meals from now on!
After breakfast, I'm
scheduled to check Anneliese's wedding dress in the morning. Golteo-san and
Catherine arrived, and Catherine went to a room with Anneliese and the other
women.
I had a chat with Golteo-san.
"The Wheat
Wholesalers' Guild is operating smoothly."
The Wheat Wholesalers'
Guild had its executives replaced entirely. The Wheat Wholesalers' Guild didn't
allow nobles to interfere, but the executives had been corrupted by the Parton
family. It was like a house eaten by termites, so they had to perform a drastic
remedy. The executives of the wheat wholesalers' guilds in the royal capital
and Kerniff held a meeting and made this guild legitimate. We also asked Golteo-san
to become the guild leader. He said he would only do it temporarily.
We also moved the
branch to Triange. Up until now, the Parton family's territory was the main
wheat production area. But now, the Footscythel viscount family's territory has
become the wheat production area. So the Wheat Wholesalers' Guild's branch was
moved to Triange. I didn't force them to do it. Neither did Golteo-san. This
happened because the former head of the Parton family arrested and killed the
guild leader on false charges. It's a natural result that they wouldn't want to
have their branch in a territory belonging to the Parton family.
The guild leader's
family apparently petitioned the Royal Family to severely punish the former
head of the Parton family. The Princess seems to have made a deal with them so
the bereaved family wouldn't cause any more trouble. The deal was apparently
for monetary compensation, which will be paid by the Parton family. It seems
the former head of the Parton family still has some use, so he's still alive. I
don't know the Princess's true intentions, so I don't know why she's keeping
him alive. But I'm so glad I got Daigoro and the other Kouga ninjas to gather
this kind of information.
"What happened to
the surplus wheat?"
Not this year's
harvest, but last year's surplus.
"The remaining
wheat belongs to the Parton viscount family. We are releasing it at a
discounted price."
Golteo-san said this
with a smile, but it must be a nightmare for the Parton family. If the wheat is
sold at a low price, their income will be less. Their territory has been
significantly reduced, and their harvest this year is about a tenth of what it
used to be, so they would have wanted to sell last year's wheat at a high
price.
The system of the
Wheat Wholesalers' Guild is simple. When farmers harvest wheat, the lord
collects it as tax. It differs by territory, but our tax rate is 50%. The Wheat
Wholesalers' Guild buys the remaining wheat from the farmers, excluding what
they consume themselves. The amount of wheat the lord collects as tax to be
converted into money is decided based on the family's financial situation. The
Wheat Wholesalers' Guild is also the buyer for that.
It's illegal for both
the farmers and the lord to trade wheat without going through the Wheat
Wholesalers' Guild. Golteo-san also purchased the wheat the Duke's family
collected as tax through the local Wheat Wholesalers' Guild in Kerniff and
brought it to Triange.
The lord can designate
a buyer as part of his authority. If the Duke designates the Golteo-san Trading
Company as the buyer, the Wheat Wholesalers' Guild must sell all the wheat the
Duke provides to the Golteo-san Trading Company. Of course, the lord can also
specify the amount to be sold.
The system is designed
so that the Wheat Wholesalers' Guild cannot manipulate prices unfairly, and the
lord cannot sell wheat without going through the guild. And yet, Parton tried
to take control of the Wheat Wholesalers' Guild. This kind of story is common
in any world. Human greed might be endless.
A noble can designate
a buyer but cannot specify who not to sell to. This time, Parton made a
request, and the executives of the Wheat Wholesalers' Guild were considerate of
his wishes. They took into account the intentions of the Parton family, who owned
the largest wheat production area in this region.
The guild leader at
the time dismissed the request, saying there was no need to do that, but the
executives felt differently. The executives, in line with the Parton family's
intentions, pressured the wheat retailers in Triange to raise their prices. The
result is what everyone knows. Some of the retailers who didn't expect us to
bring in wheat from Kerniff had to close down their stores.
The Parton family
incurred many debts, such as compensation for the closed stores. The current
head of the Parton family must be in a bind.
"The power of the
Wheat Wholesalers' Guild has also been considerably weakened."
As I mentioned
earlier, Golteo-san's position as guild leader is not a long-term one. He's
just filling in until the next one is decided. We've made it so that retail
representatives and the lord's representative are included in the price-setting
process to prevent them from bullying retailers. It sounds good to say we've
made it open, but I don't know if it will work.
"I'm sorry for
being so demanding."
"Not at all. The
legitimate requests of a lord who owns a wheat production area should be taken
seriously."
As long as they're not
unreasonable requests.
No matter how big the
supplier is, they can't accept requests for personal attacks or requests that
harm the public interest. This is an important point. The founding principle of
the Wheat Wholesalers' Guild is to be an organization that protects the public interest.
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