Chapter 318 Shaking Roisen
In the reception room of the Sophia Merchant Guild, Baron Jilbafuchs waited quietly with a pale expression, without any attendants.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Baron Jilbafuchs. I was called to the Commerce Guild."
"No, it is I who has been rude by coming without a warning. But I had urgent news that I must share."
"What is it?"
Suddenly, Baron Jilbafuchs stood up and knelt in front of Sophia.
"I am deeply sorry. We have received information that there are forces in our country who do not favor His Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart and are targeting Sophia. They plan to kidnap you and secretly obtain the wheat that the Sophia Merchant Guild holds. If that fails, they intend to kill you to provoke Marquis Grandchester and Avalon, hoping to stop wheat imports from Avalon. There is a high possibility that the Coastal Union is involved, so please be careful."
Baron Jilbafuchs's words reminded Sara of the group in black she saw earlier. Of course, considering that there are other forces that dislike the Sophia Merchant Guild, she can't simply connect the two, but the possibility is high.
"Please, lift your head and stand up. Did you come all this way just to tell me that? A written notice would have been enough."
"Well, it turns out there was a traitor among His Highness the Crown Prince's close aides. It was that person who incited the knights to threaten Lady Sara of the Grandchester family. I feel embarrassed to expose such family shame, but His Highness expressed concern that even this document might not reach us without being tampered with, and he ordered me to directly apologize and warn you. Crown Prince Gerhart himself only feels gratitude towards Avalon, Grandchester, and the Sophia Merchant Guild, and he said he is truly regretful that someone from his own family has acted so thoughtlessly. He is worried that this incident might negatively affect the wheat exports to Roisen."
'Truly regretful, huh... That sounds like something a politician from a past life would say. Well, if he's making his subordinates apologize, he can only say it like that.'
"I understand. Still, it's shocking to know that there are nobles who would commit such cruel acts knowing that the people might starve."
"It's truly embarrassing."
It seems that the influence of the Coastal Union is quite strong within Roisen.
'But, considering the name Coastal Union, it's hard to believe they are all united. There must be people within the Coastal Union who don't agree with the current leadership. At least, I wonder how the people of Sardinia feel after their Crown Prince's wife from their own country was killed. Speaking of which, I think Meyer, who hurriedly fled from Avalon, said he was staying in Sardinia...'
"I understand the situation for now. I've been targeted before, so this isn't new to me, but I will be more careful than ever. I deeply appreciate you coming all this way. Of course, this matter will not affect the relationship between Roisen and Avalon. Please reassure His Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart of this."
Hearing Sophia's response, Baron Jilbafuchs showed a relieved expression.
"I'm grateful to hear that. I will never forget this favor. Though I'm just a small merchant who could be blown away by your breath, I do have a merchant guild. If you plan to expand your sales in Roisen, let me know. I promise to help as much as I can."
"That's very reassuring. Let's discuss a business partnership soon."
"Hmm, it seems the day I can be of help to you is closer than I thought."
"Now is the time to act quickly. We need to strike before the Coastal Union is fully prepared. If possible, could you arrange for His Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart to inspect the development village in Grandchester? The sooner, the better."
Noticing the tension in Sophia's voice, Baron Jilbafuchs immediately replied.
"Understood. I will take this matter back and make arrangements quickly."
"Thank you very much. Oh, since you're here, I have something I would like to present to His Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart."
Sophia rang the bell to call for number 28 and had them bring a plate piled high with fresh Elma and sliced Elma.
"This is a newly developed type of Elma. It's known for its strong sweetness and delicious taste. It's only available in the Grandchester territory for now, but would you like to try some? Experts say this variety should grow well in Roisen too."
Of course, the expert is Pochi. Since a fairy said it, it must be true. Even in slightly poor soil, this Elma should be able to grow. Maybe there's a trick to farming it, but Pochi would surely teach that too. Perhaps Tonia could teach it as well.
"Oh. A new type, huh?"
Baron Jilbafuchs took a piece of Elma from the plate and chewed it.
"Oh my. How sweet and juicy. This is truly delicious Elma. I definitely want to succeed in growing this in my country."
In this world, fruits are precious. They don't last long, so they are usually consumed locally. Only the wealthy can afford to eat fruits harvested from faraway places because they can pay for the fast transportation costs.
Of course, if you go to the market in the royal capital, you can find fruits like Elma, as well as Portacarl, a fruit that's a mix between oranges and mandarins, and sweet melons called Kalpuz, which last a bit longer. However, for commoners, the prices are high enough that they can only buy them for special occasions or as gifts for the sick.
"Fruits are definitely delicious, aren't they? By the way, if you keep a beehive nearby, you can also collect honey. It's fragrant and tasty honey. Would you like to try that too?"
"Absolutely!"
"Well then, I will prepare a few things in bottles for you to take home. I hope they suit His Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart's taste..."
"That person likes sweets too, so it should be fine."
"I see. I've seen him enjoy alcohol and coffee, but I didn't know he liked sweets as well."
"He's been hiding it. Apparently, when he was a child, his father criticized him for not being 'manly'."
"That's unfortunate. Taste preferences shouldn't be tied to gender, but there are quite a few people who think that way."
Feeling a bit sorry for Crown Prince Gerhart, Sophia decided to add the maple syrup she had set aside for herself.
"Avalon is an agricultural country. The Grandchester territory is known for wheat, but Elma is also grown here. Of course, other territories grow different crops. While Grandchester has few, there are territories focused on livestock like cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens. For example, Amesbury has many dairy farmers, and Harrington is known for growing grapes for wine."
"Hmm. I know that as a fact."
"Each land has its own characteristics, and it's important to engage in industries that suit that land. Wheat isn't everything."
"However... if we do that, bread will disappear from our people's tables."
"I understand what you want to say. But there are things we can't change. If we can't produce enough wheat to feed all our citizens, we will have to continue importing it in the future. However, don't you think you should at least try to reduce your wheat consumption first?"
"Reduce consumption?"
"Roisen's dining table relies too much on wheat. It's a food culture that comes from the abundance of wheat in the Odel era, but that doesn't mean Roisen can do the same."
"What do you mean by that?"
'Oh, I might have said too much. Well, I was planning to talk about it eventually, so it's fine.'
"The Jilbafuchs family originally served the Odel nobility, right?"
"That's correct."
"Then do you understand the difference between Odel and Roisen?"
"Difference...?"
Baron Jilbafuchs tilted his head.
"The Roisen royal family might not acknowledge it, but when Roisen was founded, the Roisen king killed the royal family of Odel."
"That's true. At least, my family doesn't deny it. As a fact, the head of the Jilbafuchs family was executed by the Roisen king 200 years ago. He offered his own head and territory to protect his wife and heir. The wife and children left behind barely received the title of Baron and some rough land, and they managed to survive."
"Even so, after 200 years, people forget the grudges of the past and end up serving the Roisen royal family. Time is indeed strange."
"To be honest, if you ask me whether I am still loyal to the Roisen royal family, it's hard to nod immediately. However, I pledged my loyalty to my friend, His Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart. He said, 'The royal bloodline doesn't matter to the people. What's important is whether the king can keep the people from starving.' I was moved by his character."
Baron Jilbafuchs spoke proudly of his master.
'Ah, but I wonder what Crown Prince Gerhart would think if I told him that this bloodline is the reason the people of Roisen are starving...'
The higher Crown Prince Gerhart's ambitions are, the more this truth will torment him. Sara sometimes wish he could make friends with fairies, but she doesn't sense any strong magic from him. He probably can't even see fairies on his own.
'Also, I think what the first king of Roisen said makes sense. I believe that human efforts are what create human achievements. But it's not very convincing coming from me.'
"At this rate, I think it will become increasingly difficult to grow wheat in Roisen. If nothing changes, it won't return to being a fertile land like Odel."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The land of Roisen was originally cultivated by the first king of Odel with the help of fairies."
"I know that, of course."
"Originally, that area was barren, and it was difficult to grow not just wheat, but any crops at all. However, King Odel formed friendships with fairies over generations and diligently infused the land with magic, turning it into fertile ground. In other words, they were blessed by the fairies."
Sophia revealed the harsh truth to Baron Jilbafuchs, who looked puzzled.
"However, the king of Roisen killed King Odel, who was a friend of the fairies. At that time, the king of Roisen reportedly said, 'We don't need fairies. Human efforts are what create human achievements.' Because of this, the fairies abandoned that land. And now, the land of Roisen is slowly returning to its original state."
"No way..."
"Roisen seems to not really believe in the existence of fairies, but haven't you seen someone blessed by a fairy in this country? Lady Orson looks just the same as she did when Prince Adolf proposed to her ten years ago."
"That's true."
"The fairies dislike the royal bloodline of Roisen. It's only natural since they had a friend killed. Because of this, fairies avoid the country ruled by the Roisen royal family. In that sense, you could say they are a 'royal family with blood that starves the people.' Whether or not to inform His Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart about this is up to Baron Jilbafuchs's judgment."
"I can hardly believe it."
"You don't have to believe it. The truth doesn't change."
As Baron Jilbafuchs gasped and sank deeply into the sofa, a man's voice suddenly echoed from the air. Looking up, he saw a rift in the sky, and Noir appeared gracefully.
"What!"
Baron Jilbafuchs froze at the sight of the suddenly appearing fairy in the form of a black wolf.
"Oh, the wolf is talking."
"The Black Wolf of Odel, what a surprise to see you here."
Sophia instinctively held back from calling out Noir's name.
"Well, I sensed the presence of someone with the blood of an old acquaintance, so I just came to check it out."
"So you are the Black Wolf of Odel. I never thought the day would come when I would meet you..."
Baron Jilbafuchs knelt before Noir, but Noir turned his face away and dismissed him.
"That land was nurtured by us fairies thanks to Henri's wish. Your ancestors knew this. In fact, he was a man who actively tried to form friendships with fairies. I can't believe that you, his descendant, cannot accept this."
"I'm... sorry."
"Hmph. Go back and tell the royal family of Roisen. There are no fairies willing to help you. That land will return to its original state, and the people will starve. Know that this is all a result of your foolish actions!"
Noir seemed to think that was the end of what he wanted to say, and he jumped back into the rift above, disappearing from sight.
Baron Jilbafuchs, still kneeling on the floor with his head down, suddenly looked up and stared at Sophia. His expression was completely blank, and his face was not just pale but almost white.
"It's true... Roisen will perish like this...?"
"It's not certain that it will perish. As the first king of Roisen said, we can only protect our way of life through our own efforts."
"How should I convey this to His Highness the Crown Prince Gerhart?"
"..."
Even Sophia had no words to respond.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)