Chapter 315 I Can't Just Sit Here And Take A Beating
"Since we're talking about wheat, let's get to the main topic."
"That wasn't the main topic yet, Sara?"
"Yes. Unfortunately. I should have reported from my fairy, but the wheat stock has been replenished. In fact, it's more than what was stolen. The warehouse is full. I've sent a written breakdown of the inventory to the office building."
"Okay. I know."
"I've already checked the details of the breakdown."
Marquis Grandchester and Robert nodded.
"Still, that makes sense. I heard Prince Andrew was told there's plenty of wheat."
"I thought you knew, but you're not hiding it."
"I've stopped wasting time on pointless things like that."
"I see."
"I don't want other families to know about the embezzlement, and I also don't want them to investigate where we got so much wheat, so I'll give this to the Grandchester territory for free. I feel a bit guilty, but I think it's wise to alter the books to make it look like we originally had a stock."
"That's helpful."
Sara took out a paper with the report from the fairy and looked serious.
"Actually, there were rumors that wheat was missing from the Grandchester territory, but it seems they died down after Prince Andrew's report. This rumor was probably spread intentionally by the Silt Merchant Guild."
"That makes sense."
"Avalon's decision to export wheat to Roisen is probably known on the Coastal Union side as well. I hope the Coastal Union merchants, who planned to sell wheat at high prices, are feeling anxious because their plans have gone wrong."
"That would be a nice story."
"But they must be underestimating the wheat stock in the Grandchester territory, so they think we can't prepare that much wheat. Of course, right? They are the ones secretly controlling the embezzlement in Grandchester and even taking wheat for storage."
"I see. From the thieves' perspective, they wouldn't think we have so much wheat that it can't fit in our warehouse."
The boys from the Grandchester family all had grinning smiles on their faces.
"So, it's expected that merchant guilds connected to the Coastal Union, like the Silt Merchant Guild, will try to buy up the wheat in Avalon."
"Even though they already have a lot of wheat themselves?"
"Yes. After all, they have enough funds, so they might try to buy up Avalon's wheat before Roisen gets it. After that, they can raise the prices as much as they want. However, this year, wheat was abundant outside of the Grandchester territory too, so multiple merchant guilds will need to team up to gather enough funds to buy it all."
"Does that mean a lot of merchant guilds will come to buy Avalon's wheat?"
"That's just my guess, but I think that's how it will be. The price of wheat will probably spike temporarily."
"Oh..."
A strange silence fell over the office. Everyone was waiting for Sara to continue speaking.
"Normally, the Sophia Merchant Guild would want to make a huge profit, but this time, we'll settle for a little profit."
"What do you mean, Sara?"
"Right now, the Sophia Merchant Guild definitely has the most wheat in the country. To be precise, it's me personally. I own a huge amount of wheat that isn't even on the books."
It's not like Sara alone can cover Roisen's wheat needs for the next 5 years. But everyone in this room understood that they had a lot of wheat.
"Well, that makes sense."
"So, the Sophia Merchant Guild will not sell any wheat until the price is pushed to its limit."
"Is it okay for the merchant guilds in the royal capital and other territories to profit from this, Sara?"
"It's really frustrating, but I think I'll have to give up this year. There are things I need to do."
"What do you need to do?"
"Of course, I'm going to take on the fight that was started against me. I plan to have a serious showdown over wheat."
"What!?"
Marquis Grandchester stood up from his chair, and Edward and Robert also looked serious.
"I didn't intend for this to happen, but now that I have the weapon of a large wheat stockpile, I won't let this opportunity slip away. Originally, this was supposed to be a move against Roisen, but the Grandchester territory, which got caught up in it, has suffered huge losses. The lord almost got killed, and even the bureaucrats, who are criminals, were also killed."
"What!?"
"The bureaucrats who were caught embezzling and tried to escape were all killed to keep them quiet. They probably wanted to avoid revealing the identity of the mastermind."
"Is that so... they all died, huh? They did bad things, but the governor and accountant were our relatives, and I've known the bureaucrats for a long time..."
Robert said sadly, and Edward patted his shoulder.
"Yeah. I'm sad too. I wanted them to pay for their crimes properly."
While watching his 2 sons, Marquis Grandchester asked Sara.
"So, what should we do?"
"The first victims of this war will be the people of Avalon. The price of wheat will skyrocket, and they will struggle with daily food costs. If that happens, His Majesty the King will likely order Grandchester to release wheat."
"That makes sense."
"So, we need to prepare in advance."
"What do you mean, Sara?"
"We need to promise the royal family to donate wheat for free ahead of time. I will cover this from my personal stock."
"And then?"
"We should share information about the rising wheat prices in advance and ask the King to issue a statement blaming the merchants and merchant guilds when the people are in trouble. At the same time, His Majesty the King, feeling pity for the suffering people, will open the national storehouse and distribute wheat for free. This is a great opportunity to gain support from the citizens, so I think he will play along."
"You... you plan to involve the royal family too?"
"Since we are being attacked with wheat, the royal family is already involved. It would be interesting if the Crown Prince's wife participated in a simple dress with an apron, or if the handsome prince gave a speech saying that the Coastal Union's wheat hoarding is the cause. It would be great if we could even start a boycott of goods imported from the Coastal Union."
Suddenly, Sara slumped her shoulders sadly.
"But I don't really like these kinds of schemes. The innocent people will be the first to get caught up in it."
"That's true. Thinking about it, it really shows that we have been attacked."
Robert agreed.
"To minimize the damage, I think the Sophia Merchant Guild will quickly open several small stores in different places. Of course, I will set up in the capital, but I also sent letters to many noble families offering to open stores in any territory that wants them. Thanks to the hunting tournament, many territories want the Sophia Merchant Guild to set up shop, so it might be just right. The Sophia Merchant Guild will sell Grandchester's wheat at fair prices. We will limit the amount each person can buy to avoid reselling."
"It seems like the reputation of the Sophia Merchant Guild will rise."
"That will likely be the case. It looks like we are ignoring profits. However, how long we can keep this movement hidden will probably be the key to the success."
Chloe, who had been quietly listening to the adults and Sara, suddenly spoke up.
"Hey, Sara. You want to keep what the Sophia Merchant Guild is doing a secret for as long as possible, right? It's better if people don't find out that you are transporting wheat, right?"
"That's right. I want to buy as much time as possible. Well, once we start selling wheat, there's no way to hide it."
"Then I think my mother and I can help."
"What do you mean?"
"My mother and I are trying to increase our influence in society by showing off our strong connections with the Sophia Merchant Guild, and so far, it's going well."
"That's good to hear."
"So, every time the Sophia Merchant Guild opens a store, I plan to celebrate with Sophia. It would be great if Sara could join us too. When noblewomen travel for social events, they usually bring a lot of luggage. Sophia will probably bring some gifts for the lord's family, right?"
"That's true."
"If it's just a small amount of wheat for retail, it won't be noticed, and if Sara comes along, you can use spatial storage to carry it, right? If we make it look fancy for the nobles at first, I think they'll let their guard down."
"I understand what Chloe is trying to say."
"Even if the things you sell change along the way, you can just say, 'We couldn't abandon the poor villagers'."
"Hmm... In that case, I should actively hire local villagers as staff. It would make sense to say I wanted to help their families and friends."
Then Elizabeth made a troubled face.
"Chloe... it's going to be tough to redo the social schedule now."
"Mother, isn't it enough that Sara helped make your skin beautiful? Sara is working so hard for the Grandchester territory and Avalon. She could sell the wheat for a high price and make a profit, but instead, she gives away a lot of wheat for free. Shouldn't mother figure out what she needs to do as the next Marquis' wife?"
It seems Chloe has seriously set her sights on becoming a queen, and she has become very ambitious. She is a different person from the bully she used to be. Elizabeth was also taken aback by her daughter's intensity.
'Oh, wow. Isn't Chloe looking cool? To be honest, I just want to use the extra wheat to make the Coastal Union regret it.'
"Ah, Grandfather. I almost forgot."
"What is it, Sara?"
"We need to make arrangements with Crown Prince Gerhart too. Please ensure that the Sophia Merchant Guild sells the necessary amount at the planned price so that Roisen doesn't rush to buy the wheat at a high price."
Sara took out a letter with the agreement from her spatial storage and handed it to Marquis Grandchester.
"Understood. I will keep this letter."
Marquis Grandchester checked the contents of the letter, signed it as a guarantor, then rolled up the paper and sealed it with wax.
"Is it finally war?"
"Yes. It is war."
"We cannot afford to lose."
"That's right. While we are victims caught in this, we can't just sit back and take the hits. First, let's make sure we get our revenge."
"Is going to Harrington territory part of the war too?"
"Of course. It's better to have more weapons."
"I see."
With that, the meeting with Marquis Grandchester ended. Before they knew it, lunch time had passed by quite a bit, and the time for my appointment with the Commerce Guild was approaching. Sara hesitated for a moment about skipping lunch, but the servants, noticing that the meeting in the office was taking longer than expected, had prepared sandwiches so that Sara could quickly finish her meal.
'As expected of the servants at the Grandchester residence. They're really impressive.'
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