Chapter 414 Is It Correct To Say That A Gold Bag Is A Weapon?
Sorry everyone, there's a little error on my side. You should read the previous chapter, starting from 412
"Hey Musashi, is the king a good ruler?"
"It's a tough question. I don't think he's bad at his job, but he really cares about 'stability.' He doesn't like change much. Different people have different views on him."
"I kind of get it, but also not really...?"
Musashi thought for a moment, then placed his hand on Sara's arm and started talking again.
"Are you angry that Alicia couldn't get into the Academy?"
"I think it was unfair to Alicia, but since I'm not involved, I won't get mad about her not being allowed to enroll. If that's the rule, then it can't be helped."
"I remember that time. It wasn't that long ago. The people at the Academy noticed Alicia's talent, and many alchemists wanted to research with her."
"Then why didn't they allow her?"
"The king didn't want to change the rules for just one exception. If he allowed a girl to enroll, many other things would have to change."
"Is it really that complicated?"
"Of course. First, there are no girls' dorms. You've never been on the Academy grounds, have you?"
"I've snuck into the library, but I've never gone in through the front."
"...That sounds risky. Anyway, the Academy is huge. It takes over 30 minutes to walk from the main gate to the closest building. Also, alchemists are seen as dangerous, so their labs are even farther back and isolated."
"Is that so? That's amazing. But if there's no dormitory, can't you just rent a room nearby and commute?"
After hearing Musashi explain, Sara remembered the university she attended in her past life. It was much bigger than Japanese universities, but she was also surprised to learn that some universities in the world have even larger campuses.
"You know..."
Musashi let out a voice of disbelief.
"The academy is so big that it could be its own town. There are shared carriages moving around the grounds. This world doesn�t have bicycles or cars, so even fit people prefer to live in student dorms close to school if they commute every day."
"But there are people who commute. My uncles and father commuted from our mansion in the royal capital."
"True, but they would need a carriage or horse, and only nobles with mansions in the capital can do that."
"Is that how it works?"
"Yes. You need permission to bring carriages or horses into the academy. It costs money to leave them there while attending classes, and there aren't many spots or staff to take care of them. So, it�s really just a privilege for wealthy nobles."
"I see."
Actually, the maintenance fees for horses and carriages are higher than the academy's tuition. The tuition is cheap enough for commoners. If you're a top student, you get your tuition, dorm fees, textbooks, and living expenses covered.
"Still, Alicia might have been allowed to enroll if she were a high-ranking noble lady. She could come to the academy with a bodyguard. But for a common girl to wander the grounds alone, a lot of arrangements are needed, not just a girls' dorm. Many people in this world don�t like unmarried men and women being alone in a room together. But with alchemist experiments, we can�t worry about that, right?"
"That's true."
"So the king just said, 'We need to think about letting girls into the academy,' and he didn�t allow Alicia to enroll."
"But if he doesn't let women enroll now, then no one will challenge that in the future."
"I thought that was okay. That�s why I said the king doesn�t like change. He thinks women have their own things to learn and that men should study at the academy."
"...Since then, has there been any consideration for girls' admission?"
"Nope."
"Muuuu. I thought Musashi's influence made him a bad guy, but maybe he was always like that."
"Hey, isn't my evaluation a bit harsh?"
Musashi protested to Sara while squirming, but Sara had more important things to think about.
"Musashi's evaluation doesn't matter right now..."
"How can you say it doesn't matter, Sara?!"
"Because what's important is the king's qualities and personality."
"No, no, the king is busier than you think. He can't just focus on the academy."
"Then he should appoint a special minister or something."
"If more girls come forward wanting to enroll, that might be possible."
Musashi crossed his arms, trying to look dignified, but being a bear, he failed miserably and just fell over backward with a thud.
"Buha! Musashi, that pose is kind of cute."
"Ugh. Can you stuff me into a slightly different body?"
Sara giggled as she helped Musashi back up.
"Maybe having a bit more weight in your arms and butt would help with balance?"
"Is there really no option other than a bear or a haniwa?"
"Come on, it's fine, you're fluffy after all."
"Stop talking about fur. Do you really dislike the king that much?"
Musashi peered into Sara's blue eyes, trying to read her thoughts. However, he couldn't figure out her feelings from the lady-like smile that Rebecca taught her.
"Actually, I was totally planning to involve the royal family with the wheat."
"Oh really?"
"If the Sophia Merchant Guild buys up all the wheat, the other merchant guilds will have to pay whatever price we set, right?"
"You've already achieved that goal."
"But I didn't think they would only buy the bare minimum."
"Since the cartel got crushed, it's only natural that things wouldn't go smoothly."
"I expected that to some extent, Musashi. But I thought there might be 1 or 2 merchant guilds that would secretly try to make deals without anyone knowing."
"I see. But the original goal was to secure wheat for stockpiling, so it shouldn't matter, right?"
"That's true. To put it bluntly, the Sophia Merchant Guild intended to control the wheat by holding back sales from Grandchester. Honestly, I was prepared for a few years of losses."
"Hmm. But you knew that the merchants from the Coastal Union were coming to buy wheat at high prices, right?"
"I expected that the food situation in Avalon would get worse eventually."
Musashi sighed as he adjusted himself on the sofa, glancing at the fairies floating in the air, looking bored in their human forms.
"Originally, wheat is a strategic resource, so there should be limits on how much can be exported. But since there's a treaty with the Coastal Union, those limits have been lifted."
"I know, Musashi. There are many products that can only be imported through the Coastal Union."
"Silk, spices, sugar... the list goes on. They're saying, 'If you want my products, you have to give us your wheat.' It makes sense since the Coastal Union is a group of maritime trading nations."
"Isn't sugar strange? It seems like it could be made in Avalon if they grew beets."
"That would be knowledge cheating. You should do that in Grandchester."
"I'm too busy for that."
"Yeah, I figured. Anyway, just as you predicted, Sara, it's a fact that the price of wheat is steadily rising. The people's dissatisfaction is about to explode. So, Miss Sara, what are you planning to do from here?"
Musashi asked Sara with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"Originally, my grandfather was supposed to declare, 'We will sell the Grandchester stockpile to the royal family at a fair price.'"
"So you were planning to pretend to take it out of the storage even though there's no stockpile?"
"Exactly. It's important to time when we say it before they demand it for free. We want to reduce the deficit as much as possible."
"The royal family isn't stupid. If the amount of wheat seems off, they'll notice."
"Even if they notice, the royal family must secure wheat for the people. They can�t afford to make Grandchester their enemy. They've already reported the embezzlement, so it�s like saying, 'Get the hint.' By the way, I think the queen and the crown princess should do charity work, like food distribution. It would make the royal family more popular, right? It�s a win-win!"
Sara wiggled her index and middle fingers. She wanted to try that since she saw it in a drama in her past life. Back then, she worked at a trading company and met people from different countries, but she never saw anyone use it in business.
"You've got some guts."
"Are you complimenting me?"
"I'm not complimenting you."
Musashi slumped his shoulders and shook his head.
"So, you were planning to give wheat to the royal family even without me saying anything, huh?"
"That was the plan before we secured a large stock of wheat."
"And now it's different?"
"Well, the reason for involving the royal family is to prevent wheat from flowing out of the country."
"Oh, I see. Now that you have a lot of stock, you can sell as much as you want to the Coastal Union folks!"
"Exactly. I think the Sophia Merchant Guild should regularly sell Grandchester's wheat at a fair price. Also, we need to identify the merchant guilds in Avalon that are following the rules and do business with them."
"So, for now, there aren't any merchant guilds like that?"
"That's right!"
Sara let out a small shout and hugged Musashi tightly.
"Ugh."
Golem Grazioso, who was watching, muttered softly.
"Miss, how about using traveling merchants?"
"Traveling merchants?"
"They are traders who sell goods with carts and don't belong to a specific area. Most are independent business owners."
"I understand that, but they are also part of the Commerce Guild, right?"
"Actually, the status of traveling merchants in the Commerce Guild is not very high."
"The fact that Magi uses such roundabout expressions means they are being discriminated against, right?"
"Some people do think that. Merchants with stores are often prioritized at the counters."
"That makes it harder for the Commerce Guild to control them, right?"
"Exactly. There is no area in Avalon where traveling merchants don't come and go. Moreover, it seems there is a separate information network among the traveling merchants."
"Ah, I see. Magi wants that information, huh?"
"I won't deny it, but I suspect that the benefits of the Sophia Merchant Guild are greater this time. After all, we can expand the distribution network across a wide area in the country."
"--But if those old men in the Commerce Guild are pressuring travelings not to buy wheat from the Sophia Merchant Guild, won't the travelings hesitate to act?"
Sara started to think deeply about Golem Grazioso and Musashi's opinions.
'Traveling merchants... their own distribution and information networks... super attractive. But how can I get them to move? The worst-case scenario of being expelled from the Commerce Guild might be worth it if the benefits are big enough...'
"Hey, traveling merchants use wagons, right?"
"Of course, Miss Sara. But what pulls them isn't always horses."
"If Sophia can handle the wheat, how about we get wagons and horses from the merchant guild?"
"That would be quite a big investment, you know?"
"Don't you want to try putting a Magi terminal in the wagon?"
"That's a really great suggestion. Let's definitely do it, Miss."
"And how about providing a more accurate map? The maps in this world are so bad that I wouldn't even call them maps from my perspective."
"Of course, I agree. Didn't you know you've been suggesting you let Magi draw the maps for a while now?"
Then Musashi leaned in.
"That's not going to work. The royal family won't stay quiet. It's not that they 'can't' make accurate maps; it's that they 'won't.' More specifically, they 'won't let anyone make them.'"
"Is it a military secret?"
"Exactly. Only the royal family and trusted knights can see good maps."
"Then why not just keep the important parts secret?"
"That would make it clear those areas are important. Plus, if the royal family learns we have accurate surveying technology, they might try to control us or even target our lives. Seriously, why are the adults in Grandchester letting someone this dangerous (magi) roam free? Is this really okay?"
It's definitely not okay. If the Marquis heard this, his blood pressure would probably shoot up.
"We can discuss whether to make it public later, but I think it's not a bad idea to create an accurate map. The map data will be managed by Magi, Musashi."
"Good grief. The recent Magi really don't hide their desire for information, do they?"
"--That's why, Miss Sara, I would really appreciate it if you could create a surveying golem and the drone that Sir Rihito was researching 200 years ago."
"What is that old man even doing...?"
By the way, Rihito never finished the drone. He just jotted down some ideas, so he probably forgot he even wrote them. It's surprising that the Magi are collecting and considering even such trivial information.
"But Sara, many traveling merchants want to save money to have their own shop. It's rare to find someone who wants to stay a traveling merchant forever."
"If certain conditions are met, I might consider a small loan, Musashi. It would help businesses and make distribution easier, right?"
"That sounds like building a logistics system."
"I just started thinking about it, so I can't say for sure, but it might be closer to logistics or supply chain management. I could even talk to the local lord where merchants connected to the Sophia Merchant Guild set up shop and help create new towns or villages. I want to create a new ecosystem."
"You... are thinking of something big. No wonder you want a map."
"While we're at it, maybe I should have the traveling merchants handle delivery services too. If we install Magi terminals, we can quickly catch any fraud."
"I think we can catch a lot of fraud, but we can�t guarantee we�ll catch everything."
"Of course, I don�t expect to catch 100% of it."
"But if the number of merchants decreases, won't that be a problem for you, Sara?"
"Children who can�t take over their family businesses are likely to become merchants. Plus, if they find out that the Sophia Merchant Guild supports traveling merchants, more people will want to join. But since we approve them, they have to follow our rules. We won't accept anyone who commits crimes or causes trouble. If we find out about bad behavior after they sign a contract, we�ll cancel it right away."
"Miss Sara, what about the fees?"
"Fees?"
"We call it that in the Commerce Guild, but it�s basically a tax. If the Sophia Merchant Guild is providing support, won�t you ask for something in return?"
"Hmm? I don�t really need anything. If they want an emblem showing they are part of the Sophia Merchant Guild on their carriage, I might charge for the emblem."
"Don't you want to make money, Miss?"
"I do, but just buying wheat from my guild is enough, right? If we squeeze the traveling merchants for money, it could end up like the Commerce Guild. Letting them trade freely is better for both sides. Promoting the 'Sophia Merchant Guild' in different areas will be more effective. If they want, they can look at the catalog and place back orders."
Once again, Sara twisted her fingers. It seemed she liked the idea.
"But just like Musashi said, I want to try using the royal family. It's nice that those old men have to move."
"Right?"
"Anyway, the wheat bought from the royal family will soon be sold to the Coastal Union. They can buy as much as they want. Roisen won't buy from the Coastal Union anyway."
"Why is that?"
"If Avalon is willing to support us as a country, we will cooperate. If not, the Sophia Merchant Guild will provide it to Roisen as a favor. Of course, at a fair price."
"But there are export restrictions on wheat."
"Come on, Musashi. I will definitely throw a bag of gold and knock off the king's wig!"
"Hey, what do you mean by a bag of gold?!"
"I'll make it a condition to supply wheat to the royal family that they promise to support Roisen. If Roisen becomes a puppet of the Coastal Union, the next target will be Avalon. The king must realize that too."
"Maybe. I can't say for sure."
"--According to Magi's predictions, after effectively controlling Roisen, they will likely come for Avalon."
"That sounds possible."
"So, Musashi, I think I'll have the merchants from the Coastal Union buy a lot of wheat at high prices while I can. Some people might notice the unusual amount of wheat in circulation, but unlike my previous life, not many can understand it well. They will realize, 'We've bought too much wheat at high prices.'"
"And then they'll suddenly start selling?"
"I wonder how many merchants can sell it well at a high price. It will be more about the instincts of a trader than just luck."
Sara grinned with a mischievous look.
"Sara, that face is scary!"
Mike, who was floating around, shouted. Next to him, Pochi nodded in agreement.
"Oh dear. Ho ho ho."
Sara quickly regained her lady-like smile. However, Musashi felt a sense of fear at the speed of Sara's transformation.
'Women... ladies are scary.'
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