Chapter 249 The Stigma Of The Incompetent
"Your Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart, I understand your feelings of loss. However, it won't lead to any solutions, so please stop at a reasonable point."
"That's true."
"Sophia! How rude can you be!"
In contrast to the understanding Crown Prince Gerhart, Baron Jilbafuchs was furious.
"Stop it, Ulrich."
"No, this person's attitude is too much to bear. The once rich land is slowly being lost. You probably don't understand how we feel, being lost without knowing the reason."
"There's no way I can understand. I'm not involved in this. It would be rude to say I understand. But I can understand this: because you Roisen were manipulated by the Coastal Union, a large amount of wheat has disappeared from Grandchester, riots have occurred, wheat fields are about to be burned, and iyd lord have almost been killed. The cause is your mistakes."
"That's why I told you to stop, Ulrich. We are a troublesome neighbor to Avalon. And I was the one who said I didn't mind Sophia's rudeness."
Crown Prince Gerhart sighed. Even the furious Ulrich hung his head.
"Not only are you troublesome, but you also lack the means to solve your own problems. Since this is a request from the Grandchester family, I will offer my assistance. However, there isn't much time left for sentimentality. The enemy has likely already infiltrated quite close."
"Is it really that bad?"
"Do you think Coastal Union wants to gain something from stopping wheat trade?"
"Isn't it just for more money?"
"No, it makes more sense to think that they are trying to take Roisen itself, especially since their efforts to influence Avalon have failed. Otherwise, the risk is too high."
"But do they really have the military power to attack us? Coastal Union is made up of several countries, as the name suggests. Each country doesn't have that much military strength, and even if they form a united army, I've heard their command structure tends to get chaotic. Even if their national power is declining, they can't underestimate Roisen's military."
"That's why I think they are using this kind of method to start a war. The intentions of Coastal Union might differ slightly depending on the countries involved, but they probably want to push out the Roisen royal family and divide the territory to control it. If they cut off your food supply, it will be hard to secure provisions for the army."
Then Rebecca chimed in.
"No, Sophia. I think Coastal Union will keep the Roisen royal family. The greedy leaders of Coastal Union would hesitate to divide and reduce their own share. I believe they are more likely to keep the Roisen royal family as puppets and increase their influence within Coastal Union."
"Ah, that seems more likely. If you think about it, it makes sense why they didn't support Crown Prince Gerhart's official wife candidate."
"Right? They probably see Crown Prince Gerhart as a nuisance."
"I'm thinking that if that's the case, it might be likely for the Duke of Grunevald's daughter to become the queen and marry into the Coastal Union."
"That would make it easier to create a puppet government. But the competition for choosing a spouse seems intense behind the scenes."
The two women were discussing unsettling political matters as if they were gossiping at a tea party, while the men around them watched with horrified expressions. Even Robert, who was supposed to be their husbands and fathers, looked pale.
Crown Prince Gerhart finally managed to speak up.
"What have you two been talking about since earlier?"
"About what the Coastal Union hopes to gain from this war, I suppose."
"I feel like you just said I'm a nuisance."
"Isn't it strange that a Crown Prince of a nation is seeking a legitimate wife but hasn't put forward any candidates for the princess?"
"Now that you mention it, that does seem odd."
"I think they are gradually undermining Crown Prince Gerhart's power. It's something I don't want to think about, but I believe there's a possibility that the late Crown Princess didn't die of illness."
"What!?"
Crown Prince Gerhart's face showed shock as Sophia and Rebecca cornered him.
"You must have expected that Crown Prince Gerhart would seek a political marriage with Avalon for wheat imports from the start. I suspect the Coastal Union will try to sabotage this negotiation and blame Crown Prince Gerhart for it. They might want to paint ypu as an incompetent prince who can't secure food while the people are suffering."
"I also agree with Sophia's opinion. The Coastal Union can't keep holding back wheat forever. I believe the plan might be for the Duke's daughter of the Grünewald family to negotiate with the homeland of the late Third Prince's consort and successfully secure food supplies."
"Wait, wait. So, the negotiations with Avalon are based on failure, and if I go back to my homeland like this, I'll be treated as 'incompetent'?"
"That's just a guess, but yes."
"And, Annaliese, no, the Duke of Gruenevald's daughter will be supported as the Crown Princess instead of the incompetent Crown Prince?"
"That's correct, Sophia. When you think about it that way, it seems like His Majesty King Roisen is also in danger. He must be wishing for the Queen's reign to come soon."
"Isn't that rebellion?!"
Sophia thought for a moment before answering.
"It's important to make it look like it's not rebellion, so they probably do this kind of elaborate behind-the-scenes work."
"But they can't make the negotiations with Avalon fail, can they?"
"No, unfortunately, that plan is almost successful. At least for now, King Avalon won't allow food exports to Roisen."
"Is it because the Coastal Union stopped trading wheat?"
"That's part of it, but more importantly, the amount of imports shown by Crown Prince Gerhart is the problem."
"They said it was beyond what Avalon could supply."
"That's true, but to be precise, it's 'not impossible if adjusted.' After all, Avalon is an agricultural nation, so it's also true that 'there's plenty of wheat to sell.'."
"I'm sorry. I don't understand."
Sophia felt thirsty and finished the cold coffee.
"Let's change our perspective a bit. Your Highness, do you know the amount of wheat imported from the Coastal Union countries over the past few years?"
"It varies depending on the production in Roisen, but it's about 3 to 4 million tons."
"When was the last time you checked that number?"
"Uh!?"
"Probably in the last 2 months, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
'Ah, I knew it.'
"Have you confirmed the breakdown of the types of wheat?"
"Types?"
Crown Prince Gerhart looked puzzled.
"Your Excellency Marquis Grandchester, do you know how much wheat is produced in the Grandchester territory each year?"
"Of course."
"Then do you find it strange what Your Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart is saying?"
"Unfortunately, that's true."
"What do you mean! Marquis Grandchester!"
This time, it was Baron Jilbafuchs who reacted, not Crown Prince Gerhart himself.
"Baron Jilbafuchs, it's hard to say this when you're so excited, but it seems you have never dealt with wheat trading yourself."
"True, I don't have experience yet, but I think I have to be the point of contact this time."
"Then you should learn right away. You all call it 'wheat' in general, but there isn't just one type of wheat."
Baron Jilbafuchs took Marquis Grandchester's statement as an insult.
"Well, I understand that there are various types of wheat. However, from the perspective of securing food supplies, isn't it natural to want to secure it regardless of the type? What does it matter if the taste or flavor is slightly different?"
"From that statement, it's clear you don't know much about wheat at all. It seems you don't even know that the type of wheat for making bread is different from the type for making pastries. I can't believe you have an accurate grasp of what the people need and in what quantities."
Marquis Grandchester continued calmly.
"The Grandchester territory produces about 4 million tons of hard wheat, and around 2 million tons each of intermediate and soft wheat. We also have barley and rye, so even just the grains called 'wheat' amount to a considerable quantity. The Grandchester territory is known as Avalon's granary because of its high grain production, but even so, it only slightly exceeds half of Avalon's total production."
"So, that means Avalon produces about 16 million tons of wheat every year, right?"
"Roughly speaking, that's correct. And the total amount of wheat consumed within Avalon rarely exceeds 10 million tons."
"Then, isn't it possible to sell wheat to Roisen?"
"Looking at the numbers alone, yes, that's true. However, our country is an agricultural nation that trades with various countries. Even though there are already established deals, we cannot favor only Roisen. Moreover, you haven't even clearly stated the breakdown of the wheat you are requesting. With that, our king would not be able to agree."
"I, I see. I am grateful for your guidance. I can only feel ashamed of my ignorance."
Baron Jilbafuchs deeply bowed his head to Marquis Grandchester.
"I'm a bit hesitant to discuss the information from here on..."
"Sophia, it's too late for that now."
Crown Prince Gerhart urged him impatiently.
"Your Highness, there is always a reason for things. Do you really understand why our king cannot support Roisen?"
"You just said it yourself. It's because the amount of wheat Roisen is asking for exceeds Avalon's expectations, right?"
"That's correct, but I believe the biggest reason is that Your Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart requested that number. This is our own information, so please confirm it properly when you return to your country, but the total amount of wheat Roisen has imported from the Coastal Union in recent years has been below 1.5 million tons each year. About 1 million tons of that is hard wheat. Even if this year is particularly bad for crops, suddenly asking for 3 million tons is an unusual number."
"Huh?"
"Your Highness, you mentioned that you received reports on the import amounts from the past and the amount of wheat needed this year 'in the last 2 months,' right?"
"That's right."
"It coincides with the time when the riot in the Grandchester territory failed. Perhaps they got the Roisen officials to make false reports because they learned that the riot failed and Grandchester's wheat was safe. If Crown Prince Gerhart had been paying attention to the numbers regularly, you should have noticed. It seems you were targeted there."
"So, you mean they are even manipulating the numbers in the documents?"
Sophia sighed and pointed this out directly to Crown Prince Gerhart.
"As the king of an agricultural nation, I believe His Majesty the King of Avalon has some understanding of the wheat production and consumption in various countries. He must have felt something was off with the numbers Crown Prince Gerhart requested. That's why His Majesty did not send our Crown Prince to the hunting tournament, but instead entrusted it to his son, Prince Andrew. He doesn't have the authority to decide on wheat exports."
"So, you mean I've been pushed away?"
"I think they sent a direct royal prince because they don't intend to completely stop the deal. If you can settle on more realistic conditions, negotiations could resume. They probably don't want to stop trading with Roisen."
"That's quite half-hearted."
"Please think of it as a desperate measure. As I have said many times, the enemy has already infiltrated deeply. Even the numbers reported by the officials are not trustworthy. If Crown Prince Gerhart can be removed and support the Duke's daughter, Grünevald, as the new crown princess, the next target will be King Roisen. I can only hope he is not bedridden with illness."
Crown Prince Gerhart and Baron Jilbafuchs exchanged worried glances, their faces pale.
'Oh? Could it be that the king is really not well?'
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