Chapter 58 What'S Necessary To Live A Rich Life
"By the way, Grandfather, what do you think is necessary to increase a country's power?"
"That's a sudden question. You're asking this when there's an urgent problem at hand, so it's not entirely meaningless, I suppose."
Marquis tilted his head, unsure of Sara's intentions.
"Grandfather, normally, we should start by discussing what 'national power' means, but for now, let's just say it's about a country's 'prosperity' and 'strength'."
"Yeah, that's a good point."
"A farmer who grew rye, for example, can live a rich life even on poor land by using their skills. Unfortunately, they got hit by ergot this time, but their approach wasn't bad. I think they had a leader who guided them. I hope that leader won't be blamed by those around them and will be able to continue supporting them. I don't want people to think that their efforts were all for nothing."
"Hmm."
"In addition to providing financial compensation for the damage to the rye, I want to support the leader and the farmers who cooperated with them in creating a reform plan for the future."
In short, Sara was asking for research funding for agricultural reform, but she realized that she needed to explain a lot more to make them understand.
"There are many ways for a country to become rich. From a national perspective, having a warm climate and fertile land that's suitable for agriculture, or having abundant natural resources like mines, would be beneficial."
"Yeah, that's true."
"Even without those conditions, there are farmers like the ones who grew rye, who can try growing different crops or improving their breeds. Or, craftsmen can create new products using their skills, and there are industrial countries that become rich that way too."
"Uh-huh."
"As you can see, the activities necessary for people to live their lives are what make a country rich. And what's necessary for all of those activities is 'knowledge' or 'technology'."
Sara picked up the cup and saucer on the table.
"To create this teacup, you need knowledge of 'how to make it'. It's a collection of various information, such as the ratio of raw materials and the baking time. However, even with that knowledge, you need the skills of a craftsman, cultivated through training, to actually create a product."
Then Sara took a sip of her herbal tea, which was slightly chilled.
"Just like brewing this tea, you need knowledge too. The servant earlier must have carefully considered what herbs to mix, in what ratio, and at what temperature and extraction time. They must have also received training to brew it well. In other words, they acquired the skills. Similarly, those who cultivate herbs need knowledge of 'how to grow herbs' and must have acquired cultivation skills through actual work."
"I see."
"This kind of knowledge acquisition is 'education', and acquiring skills is 'training'. Even physical labor requires building physical strength, which can be considered part of training."
"So, what do you want to say, Sara?"
"That education and training are necessary for everyone, whether they're farmers, craftsmen, merchants, bureaucrats, nobles, or royalty. Of course, it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. By doing so, we can create new value and enrich our country."
Marquis burst out laughing, "Hahaha".
"Sara, I understand what you're saying, but don't say it out loud in public. Comparing farmers and craftsmen to royalty is blasphemy."
"I understand. I'll be more careful with my words from now on."
"But I understand what you're saying. You mean we should provide a place for learning and training, right?"
"Yes. I believe that enriching our territory will lead to enriching our country."
Just then, Robert chimed in.
"Sara, you said something about prosperity and strength, right? Doesn't that mean we'll become a target for other countries if we become too prosperous?"
"That's correct. And don't you think people, who are strong like you and Grandfather, understand the importance of knowledge too, Uncle?"
"You mean strategy and tactics?"
"If a war actually breaks out, those things are important. But don't you think it's even more important to win without actually fighting?"
"Is that what you mean by diplomacy?"
"If you think about it on a political level, it's diplomacy. But from a business perspective, you could call it trade."
"Are you saying that making a country strong through business is one way to do it?"
"That's one approach. If you want something, you go to war for it, right? So, why not just sell it to them instead?"
"There might be countries that can't afford to pay the price and start a war because they think it's faster to plunder."
"Local plundering might be successful, but a country or organization that can't supply its front lines with food, weapons, fuel, and medicine will eventually collapse on its own. War costs money, after all."
Marquis and Robert leaned in, listening intently. It seemed they were interested in this topic.
"But what if the other side doesn't understand that?"
"That's right. There are people who would plunder for food to feed their families."
Sara suddenly stood up and snatched the cheese from the plate.
"Then let's try shouting at the enemy soldiers who haven't eaten in days on the front lines. 'Surrender now and we'll give you food. If you want, we'll welcome you as citizens of our country. You can even bring your families. We'll only accept the first 100, though.'"
"If their patriotism is strong, they might not surrender. Or they might not believe what we say."
Then Sara handed Robert the cheese and made him hold a glass in his other hand.
"Let's infiltrate the enemy's ranks with a spy disguised as a soldier. And then, let's make them surrender on purpose and have them eat and drink in front of the enemy army. We could even throw a banquet right in front of them. We could call in some ladies from the brōtḥel too."
Rebecca also seemed to understand, and she gave Robert a sly glance.
"Grandfather, how much do you think this would boost the enemy soldiers' morale?"
"They'll probably surrender right away. Sara, you're quite the cunning one..."
"That's the highest form of praise, isn't it? It's crucial to thoroughly crush our opponents who dare to challenge us, so they won't dare to mess with us again. To do that, not only military power but also intelligence and financial power are extremely important."
Sara smiled brightly at Marquis and returned to her original position, and Rebecca also straightened her posture.
"But I think it's better to resolve things before it comes to this."
"Why's that?"
"Well, as they say, 'girls hate war'..."
"You just said you wanted to 'thoroughly crush' them, didn't you?"
Robert quickly interjected.
"Honestly, war is just too costly, Uncle. If we draft soldiers, we'll lose farm workers, and productivity will decrease. So, it's better to lend a helping hand to our starving neighboring country and gain their favor in the long run."
'And, of course, I hate the idea of people dying.'
"It's better to trade with them than to fight. But to do that, we need to understand the other party. We need to know their country's culture, religion, customs, and what they're looking for. If we do, it'll be easy to lend a helping hand. Politically speaking, it's diplomacy. From a merchant's perspective, understanding the other party means knowing what sells and what we can buy."
Marquis stroked his chin, deep in thought. Robert was doing the same, and it felt like they shared a blood connection.
"In other words, what Sara is saying is that knowledge and skills are necessary for everything, and providing a place for learning and training is crucial for a country's growth, right?"
"That's correct, Grandfather. Even with military power, it's better to learn swordsmanship from the basics rather than just wildly swinging a sword, isn't it? It's the same principle, isn't it?"
Marquis tried to pour more wine into his glass but realized the bottle was empty.
"We're out of wine. Let's call it a day. We have to head to the rye field early tomorrow, don't we?"
"For now, I plan to gather the people from the Alchemist Magician Guild and the Pharmacist Guild at Paracelsus's laboratory tower at dawn tomorrow."
"If it's urgent, it's faster to gather on-site and come up with a plan. I'll send out a messenger to both guilds right away. You can ride with me on my horse tomorrow."
'Huh, isn't that a carriage?'
"Come on, Father. I want to bring Sara too!"
"You'll have plenty of time after I'm gone, Robert. Just let me handle this for now."
"Um, isn't that a carriage?"
"Well, if we're in a hurry, a horse is better than a carriage."
"I see. I understand."
* * *
After Sara and the others left the Marquis's room, only the Marquis and his attendant were left.
"Milady Sara resembles the late madam, doesn't she?"
"Yes. I didn't think their facial features were similar, but she's surprisingly similar to my wife in terms of personality."
The attendant left the room, leaving the Marquis alone. He gazed out the window at the moon. The moonlight reminded him of his late wife's hair color, and at the same time, he realized that Sara had the same hair color.
"That Arthur, if only he were still alive, I would have forgiven him..."
His small mutter went unheard by anyone.
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