Chapter 362 Still Unreasonable
For now, since Sara confirmed that the plans to go to the royal capital haven't changed, she instructed the maids and golems to continue their preparations. Of course, the same message was sent to the Sophia Merchant Guild through the golems.
"Uncle Edward, should we take some products from the Sophia Merchant Guild with us?"
"You can take whatever you want to promote. Normally, it would be brandy or cider, but those are in short supply."
"Uncle Edward, I'm thinking of making alcohol in other territories as well. Would that be a problem for Grandchester?"
"That's a tough question. You should ask your father about it too, but I can imagine there's a limit to how much alcohol can be produced in Grandchester. If that's the case, then it would be good to make it in other regions. However, it would be a bit concerning if the value of our products decreases."
"That's true. I also think that Grandchester's Elma brandy should be a special drink."
"To be honest, I really like cider."
Cider is indeed an easy-to-drink alcohol. It's also good as an appetizer, so there have been many requests to make more of it. In this world, low-malt beer refers to ale, but not much is made in the Grandchester territory.
"I see. Do you perhaps like ale as well?"
"Yeah. The problem is that we don't grow much barley in Grandchester, so there's not much ale being brewed, but in Amesbury, my mother's family's territory, they make a lot of ale."
"Do they produce barley there?"
"Amesbury is unusual in Avalon because it thrives more on mining than farming. But in some areas, they should be growing barley and soybeans."
"Oh, so they practice crop rotation?"
"Crop rotation?"
"...Uncle, as the next Marquis Grandchester, not knowing about crop rotation is a big problem. There are proper books on the subject in the library at the main estate, you know?"
"R-right. I'm sorry."
"Could you explain crop rotation, Father?"
"Of course, I'm the governor of the Grandchester family, after all. Ed, crop rotation means growing different crops in the same field in turns. If you only grow wheat in the same field, the wheat can grow poorly or get sick. So, they plant beans like soybeans in between."
"Is that so? I thought they only grew wheat in the Grandchester wheat fields."
"I don't know all the details either. A few hundred years ago, a bureaucrat suddenly sent papers about 'crop rotation' and 'green manure crops' to the Academy. Thanks to him, Avalon became the agricultural country it is today."
'He must definitely be a reincarnator.'
"Previously, in a village where ergot fungus appeared, they are considering crop rotation with various plants. I recommend you visit, Uncle Edward, when you have time. Actually, I was planning to take Crown Prince Gerhart there, but now I'm worried because the Elma farm popped up unexpectedly."
"That new variety?"
"Yes, that new variety. Oh, since we're at it, should we take some Elma as a souvenir? It shouldn't be available outside the territory yet."
"That sounds good."
"Next, I thought I would prepare some gems that aren't magic stones."
"Gems?"
"Just wait a moment, please."
Sara reached into her spatial storage with both hands and pulled out a sturdy wooden box that looked like it would be too heavy to carry without body enhancement. It had a fancy design, like a treasure chest from an RPG game in a previous life.
"It's a bit heavy, so please have Uncle and Father take it together."
"Okay."
"Just a moment."
Edward and Robert hurriedly took the wooden box from Sara and were a little surprised by its weight.
"Can you open it on that table?"
Edward nodded and gently opened the box, revealing it packed full of large gems. Visually, it looked like a scene from a game or a pirate movie.
"W-What is this?!"
Elizabeth shouted in shock.
"When the earth attribute magic manifested, I got a bit carried away and made these stones. They are not natural stones, so they are artificial gems. There are many rubies and sapphires. The colorless transparent stones are sapphires, not diamonds. Since the components are the same, even if you appraise them, they won't be called fake. Oh, and there are also aquamarine, morganite, and emeralds."
Actually, rubies and sapphires are both types of the mineral corundum. The fun part is that the color changes depending on the substances included, and Sara had a phase where she experimented a lot with earth attribute magic. By the way, they call the red ones rubies and the others sapphires. Also, aquamarine, morganite, and emeralds are all part of the beryl mineral family.
"Since it's a synthetic stone, it's hard to use it for merchant guild products. I tried to use it for the decoration of the music box, but the craftsman cried and refused, saying, 'I can't break such a precious stone!'."
"That makes sense."
"I feel sorry for the craftsman too."
The adults nodded while peering into the box.
"So, how about using this gem as a souvenir? It can't be sold, but it would make a great gift."
"It'll just be seen as a bribe, and then they'll act weird. Just forget it."
"I thought it might be better than a magic stone. It's a hassle, so should we just break it?"
"Stop! There's no way we can break such a precious gem!"
Elizabeth shouted again.
"Sara... you really are inconsiderate as always."
"I know. I can't just mess up the gem market, so I can't sell this cheaply. That's why I've just been keeping it in storage."
"True, if you sell this, they'll trace where it came from."
"So, I think it would be better to just cut it up a bit."
However, Elizabeth seemed firmly against it, not moving her hand from the box.
"Aunt... this is a synthetic stone I made for fun, not a natural one. I can make as many as I need, so please calm down."
"I can't help it, Sara. I'm sorry, but could you share a bit of the sapphire and ruby? Liz would be satisfied if she made some jewelry. I'm sorry, but please add it to my debt."
Edward tried to buy the gems from Sara as casually as if he were putting a bar tab on credit.
"Money is fine. Since you can't sell it in the market anyway, please take as much as you like. If you want, how about making matching cravat pins for yourself and aunt? Father and mother can join too."
Sara understands that these jewels have value. However, selling them as gems when they are not natural stones goes against her ethics as a merchant. It seems that they are also inappropriate as gifts.
Sara picks up a relatively small aquamarine, uses wind magic to split it in half, and then gives it an oval cut of the same size. She creates a platinum base with earth magic and sets the previously cut stone into it, then takes out some delicate lace and a wide ivory ribbon that were stored in spatial storage.
"Is there a golem available?"
"What is it, Miss Sara?"
"I want you to make a corsage with this ribbon and sapphire. You can choose the design, but make 2 of the same."
"Understood."
The golem creates a cute corsage in about 30 minutes. Elizabeth's eyes widened when Sara broke the gem, but after that, she quietly watched as the corsage was made.
'It's so amazing, I'm in awe. Magi are the best!'
"Adam, come here."
"What is it?"
"I'm giving you this corsage. I think Marg and Millie will be happy to receive it."
"I see. Thanks, Sara."
"Make sure to discuss it properly. If you want, I can also make cufflinks for you in the same color as the aquamarine."
"I'm good. There's not much time left until the academy exam, so I don't plan to go to any social events where I would wear cufflinks."
"Got it. Now that Adam is like this, I can really support you from the bottom of my heart."
"Sara, thank you for everything."
"You're welcome."
Then Sara turned to face Elizabeth.
"Aunt, I do understand the value of this stone. However, I feel that using it this way is the right thing to do. Because it is precious, gems have value. If it were something that could be easily made, the rarity of the gem would drop significantly. As a result, it would also lower the value of the jewelry you own."
"I understand what you want to say. If you intend to do that, I can introduce you to a skilled craftsman who can break the stone and create beautiful items. He's a young man living on the outskirts of the royal capital, and his creations are works of art. I just found him, and I don't think any other noble families have taken him on yet. Honestly, we are struggling with funds right now, so how about we go through the Sophia Merchant Guild?"
"I can't say anything without seeing the crafts, but I'm interested."
"That's true. His creations are still at the royal residence, so I think it would be faster for Sophia to visit directly. You can get the details from the Lady-in-Waiting."
"Thank you very much."
In this way, the day for Sara to depart for the royal capital was approaching, marking the arrival of a busy season for everyone. And above all, Sara was about to turn 9 years old soon.
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