Chapter 145 Grandchester'S Fortune
"Ah, yes, there are other tasks that need to be requested from Mr. Castor as well."
Castor, who was taking notes, froze for a moment.
"Miss Sara, I've already arranged for the glass artisan, the bottle contest for Elma Brandy, the procurement of glass materials, the arrangement for the carpenter, and the search for a stable supply method for magic stones. But there's still more, right?"
Sara smiled brightly and said cruelly.
"Mr. Castor, you're in charge of all those tasks, and that's just fine. I'll add whatever I want. Let's work together and have fun!"
"Uh... yes..."
Castor returned a stiff smile and nodded, his shoulders trembling. Pollux patted him on the back and a cheerful smile.
"That's great! Let's work together and have fun!"
"Ah, of course, Mr. Pollux is included too."
"Eh? But there's still more, right? The Elma farm's soil preparation is going to be a huge task..."
"Haha, of course! With the hunting tournament coming up, those bureaucrats won't have any free time, will they?"
"That's... the hunting tournament is during the harvest season, when farmers collect their crops and the tax collectors become active. Naturally, the bureaucrats become the busiest during this time, so they usually take breaks before that..."
'I see. I pretty much knew that.'
"Great! So that means this is a good time when they're not busy, right?"
"Exactly, Miss Sara."
At this, Benjamin looked troubled.
"Miss Sara, please stop smiling and making others fall. If we fall again, what will we do? We have a shortage of bureaucrats, so please be a bit more gentle."
"I've also prepared new ledgers, and we have an office maid. I think it'll be easier than last year, besides..."
"""...besides?"""
The bureaucrats all leaned in, eager to hear Sara's next words.
"If we don't work hard here, we'll be flooded with inquiries from the royal family and other noble houses after the hunting tournament, won't we?"
"Uh... that's..."
"We're proud to have such an impactful product lineup, after all."
"I suppose that's true. I understand."
James and Benjamin let out a sigh of resignation, while Pollux and Castor slumped their shoulders.
"Don't be so discouraged. If we're short on bureaucrats, we can just rope in others to help."
"Others, you mean?"
"Of course, the Guild. Speaking of which, don't glassworkers have a Guild?"
Cindy answered this.
"There aren't that many glassworkers, and even among them, there are those who make window glass, those who craft glass bottles, and those who create intricate glasswork. Their specialties differ, just like carpenters. And some carpenters who process building materials belong to the Construction Guild."
"So, there is no Guild to belong to?"
"Yes. If we have our own shops and sell our products, we can join the Commerce Guild, but it wouldn't be very beneficial."
"Ugh, that's really tough. Glass materials are expensive, and if we're going to make colored glass, we'll need to prepare multiple types of metals separately, won't we?"
Cindy was surprised by this statement.
"Does Miss Sara know the techniques for glasswork?"
"I only know the basics."
"But the method for making colored glass is a secret technique of the workshop, after all."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense."
James gently placed his hand on Cindy's shoulder and shook his head while looking at her.
'Hmm, isn't this a nice atmosphere?'
It seemed like James was stopping Cindy from asking Sara more questions about her knowledge. He was a good bureaucrat who could read the air. However, Sara was more interested in the atmosphere between the two.
"I'm sorry to trouble Mr. James, but I think we need to discuss this matter a bit more."
"And what do you mean by that?"
Cindy was leaning forward, eager to hear more about the secret techniques of her family's workshop.
"If we're going to hold a contest, I think many workshops will want to use colored glass. We'll need not just silica, soda ash, and limestone, but also metals like gold, silver, copper, iron, and chrome."
"...Um, I started thinking that maybe Miss Sara knows more about creating colors than I do..."
"That's not the case, but if you want to know how to create colors using metals that aren't used in secret techniques, I can reveal it to you for a fee, okay?"
Sara smiled brightly.
"Setting that aside, if we're going to produce a large quantity of glass products, we'll definitely run out of raw materials. Especially when it comes to metals for colored glass, we'll need to secure dedicated miners."
"Seriously?!"
"Plus, the mines are owned by the territory, so extracting ore without permission is illegal. So, Mr. Castor, wouldn't taking silica sand out be against the law?"
"It is illegal. However, since we can't manage the mines like we do with other resources, in reality, it's often overlooked."
I glanced at Cindy, and her gaze was darting back and forth.
'Haha, so she's been taking silica sand without permission.'
Sara turned to face the Marquis and started talking.
"Grandfather, can't you properly manage the silica sand within the territory? If we're going to make Elma brandy and Elma liquor our specialty products, bottles are essential. We also need to increase the number of glass craftsmen. But if we don't manage the raw materials, including silica sand, there will definitely be conflicts among the craftsmen."
"That's true. To maintain a stable quality of bottles, we need to manage them properly."
"Wait a minute. So, if we take silica sand without permission, we'll get caught and punished for theft?"
'Ms. Cindy, if you raise your voice, it'll be obvious you're using it without permission!'
"That's right."
Castor continued explaining to Cindy with a slightly dark smile.
"You'll be accused of theft for taking Grandchester territory's property without permission. You might get off with a fine, but..."
"Ah!"
Cindy let out a small cry.
'She can't tell a lie, can she? She's so cute...'
"Mr. James, Ms. Cindy is an honest person who can't tell a lie, isn't she?"
"Don't bully her too much, please."
James stroked the hand of his fiancée to calm her down.
"This is our responsibility for not being able to manage the silica sand properly until now, so we won't blame you for past mistakes, Ms. Cindy. However, please be aware that the materials you've been using for free until now will become paid materials from now on. If we don't manage them properly, it might lead to conflicts with other companies."
"...Yes."
"And, of course, metal materials are involved. Given the current lack of bureaucrats, I'd like Mr. Castor to explain exactly how well things are being managed..."
Castor gulped and swallowed his saliva.
"And that's not my job, so I'll leave it to my grandfather or father to handle."
Everyone present was taken aback. It was like a scene from a comedy show.
"Sara, why are you suddenly trying to pass the buck?"
"But I'm not a bureaucrat, Grandfather. As a member of the Grandchester family, my role is to safely debut our special products at the hunting festival, and as a merchant guild member, I need to develop products to sell."
"However, since Sara is involved in so many things, it's hard to leave it to others."
The Marquis also looked troubled.
"Anyway, we need to have Mr. Castor train his subordinates."
"That's true, but it's impossible to do it suddenly."
Sara let out a sigh.
"No choice, it seems. I'll have to accompany you for a little while longer, I suppose. Of course, it's not free. By the way, who's going to pay my reward?"
"Alright, alright. I'll pay Sara's reward from my own pocket."
'Yes!'
"I feel like Sara's been draining my wealth lately."
"Is that because you and my fairy got drunk together and stole it? Elma Brandy is a luxury item, you know, Grandfather. I'd be troubled if it was taken without permission."
"Hmph."
Even the Marquis couldn't refute this.
"Pfft."
However, Cindy, who wasn't used to this kind of exchange, couldn't hold back her laughter. She had been called by the lord, got nervous, and then experienced a wide range of intense emotions, including the fear of being caught for the theft of the silica sand. As a result, she lost control of her emotions.
"Hahaha... S-sorry, I couldn't stop laughing..."
"No need to apologize. I didn't mean to tease, but it was a big surprise, wasn't it? Sorry about that."
"It's okay, but His Excellency the Marquis's expression looked just like my grandfather's when he got caught by his grandmother for stealing a drink, and... I'm sorry."
"Hmph... That's..."
While apologizing, Cindy couldn't stop laughing, and for some reason, Sara also couldn't hold back her laughter. Even the bureaucrats were shaking their shoulders in silent laughter.
"Lady Cindy... Drinking is for those who are foolish enough to do so. Please, laugh to your heart's content."
With a serious face, Marquis replied, and those around him burst out laughing. Even without Cindy and Sara, the bureaucrats were already tipsy, so they couldn't help but get rowdy.
"Well, we shouldn't be discussing this at a drinking party, but... The timing I called Ms. Cindy was when this case was finally resolved."
"Is that so?"
"As a matter of fact, Mr. James and many other bureaucrats have been troubled by this case for years, and it was just resolved a little while ago."
"Wow!"
When Cindy turned to look at James, James also looked at Cindy and nodded.
"That's right, Cindy. We can finally have our wedding ceremony!"
"Eh, Mr. James, did you put off the wedding ceremony until this case was resolved?"
"Yes, that's right."
In other words, the office was in a terrible state until Sara arrived. Many bureaucrats, starting with Pollux and Castor, had collapsed from overwork, and even those who weren't had dark circles under their eyes.
"Ah, that's right. But didn't you discuss the wedding plans?"
"Yes, we regularly discussed what to do after this case was resolved, Miss Sara. If we didn't, I'd be worried that Cindy might marry another man."
"I see. That's a great story to tell Father."
"Exactly. Still, I did a terrible thing to you, James."
Marquis apologized to James.
"Your Excellency, I'm unable to accept your apology. As a public servant, I receive a salary from the territory. When I was appointed as a bureaucrat of Grandchester territory, I vowed to dedicate myself to serving the lord and the people of the territory."
"That's understood. Then, as the lord, I will simply express my deep gratitude."
"I'm grateful for your kind words."
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