Chapter 418 Not Even Worth A Meal
Sara and Edward decided to ride back to the Grandchester estate in the carriage that Sara had come in.
"Sara, I don't want to pressure you, but I think it's time to share some secrets."
Edward asked with a worried look.
"Honestly, I have so many secrets that I don't know what to share. If it's about the King's thinning hair, I heard there are 2 treatments coming soon: one that hurts but works fast, and a magic potion that grows hair slowly and painlessly."
"That would be good news for many people, but that's not what I want to talk about right now."
"If you mean right now, are you talking about the cure for heat fever? I'm already preparing to share the recipe, and I've talked to the alchemist guild, pharmacist guild, and commerce guild about it."
"I've heard about that from my father too."
"Then what is it?"
Sara tilted her head slightly.
"Mr. Paracelsus and Amelia (Pharmacist Girl) are arriving too soon. If they're rushing a carriage from snowy Grandchester, they'll need knights to lead them and townspeople to clear the snow. You know it's not easy to travel in winter, right?"
"That's true."
"But if that's happening, we should know about it. Besides, if they've come to the Royal Capital, they must have arranged a place to stay. Even if we use the guest house where Sophia is staying, our security isn't so lax that they can just walk in without permission."
'That's right. I completely forgot about that because I was in such a hurry.'
"If we rush to arrange things, it won't make sense. I understand I need to reflect on this."
"The palace is in a rush too, so people might not notice. We can't keep doing this over and over. It's better for you if we explain the situation to you now."
"Do you think you'd believe me if I said I flew here on a cloud that only good kids can ride?"
"That's definitely not true. Amelia aside, Mr. Paracelsus is an old man who's lived like a monster. There's no way a guy who has kids with a real woman is a good kid."
"Ha! Don't make me laugh. Is that something you say to a 9-year-old girl?"
"I only went along with your silly talk. With someone like you, who's such a fraud in looks, this is just normal conversation."
'Speaking of which, didn't that main character stop riding clouds halfway through? I thought it was because they could fly on their own, but maybe they couldn't anymore? No, that's not right. I feel like I saw them riding clouds even as an adult...'
Sara found herself thinking about something really unimportant.
"I don't think Mother and Aunt would agree with this."
"Hmm. Then I'll keep it a secret from those 2."
"Understood."
"So what's the real situation?"
"I thought we'd have to talk about this eventually. But I think it's better to do it when Grandfather is with us."
"That's true. So, tell me when Father returns."
"Understood."
When Sara nodded, Edward looked a bit serious.
"By the way, was it okay to leave Sophia behind?"
"Sophia will be fine. I don't want to admit it, but I think a golem, who doesn't show emotions in their expressions or actions, is better for negotiating with the King. When it comes to trading things like medicine and grain that are directly related to lives, I tend to get emotional."
"You were aware of that?"
"Somewhat. I guess that makes me a bad merchant. Actually, my boss in my past life pointed out something similar to me..."
"I can't help but feel sorry for your boss in your past life."
"Uncle, you're really rude to me, aren't you? Well, it's true, though."
Edward let out a small sigh and looked out the window.
"It should start snowing in the Royal Capital soon. But the wheat still hasn't sold, right?"
"Uncle knew about that too?"
"Rumors are starting to spread that the Sophia Merchant Guild is holding back on sales. The reputation of Grandchester, which is said to be behind it, isn't good either."
"I don't remember holding back on sales, but it seems I might have upset some important people in the Commerce Guild."
"I see. It's true that we should let the golem handle negotiations."
"No, I think the golem would have gotten the same result. They can't stand newcomers who don't do what they want. Plus, they probably see me as a golem as just a little girl."
"I can understand that. But if the heat fever really starts spreading, food prices will shoot up fast."
"Uncle, the price of wheat is already crazy. Most of the wheat being sold to commoners is old stock that's been stored away."
Sara took out some papers from her space storage and handed them to Edward, who was sitting in front of her. Before leaving the Grandchester estate, she had hurriedly asked Magi to prepare documents showing how much wheat the Sophia Merchant Guild "officially" had and where it was stored.
At the end of the documents, there was a table showing the prices of wheat sold by the main merchant guilds in the Royal Capital yesterday.
"It's already double the price from last year. Some things are even 3 times as much."
"This year's Avalon had a great harvest everywhere, but looking at the prices makes you wonder if there's a famine coming."
"Exactly. What are we going to do about this, uncle?"
"I'm planning to ask for the royal family's help."
"Are you giving up on selling wheat and planning to offer it to the royal family? Well, I guess the Sophia Merchant Guild won't be shaken even if they lose a year's worth of wheat profits."
Edward thought he understood, but Sara had no intention of giving away all the wheat.
"I'll make some donations as part of the heat fever response, but I'm not giving away all the wheat for free. I expect the royal family to pay for it properly."
"Nobles don't do business with the royal family!"
"Sophia is a commoner, so it's not a problem. Everyone can see that the Grandchester family is closely connected to the Sophia Merchant Guild, but we didn't get the wheat for free. We pay the proper price as per our contract. So, it's wheat owned by a merchant guild run by commoners."
"Hmm. But the royal family values an open market and tends to avoid interfering in it. There are some items like grains and cotton that have restrictions, but the only state monopoly is on salt."
"We don't need a monopoly. During a famine, the state intervenes in the market to avoid food price hikes. I was thinking of using that system. Food bought from the royal family can't be sold abroad, and there's a price cap set. Those who break the rules face strict penalties, right, uncle?"
"That's true. It's a system to protect the lives of the citizens. Those who misuse it can even face the death penalty. But that comes from the royal family's private funds, not the national treasury. So, those who supply food to the royal family also have to make sacrifices. Sometimes, the price can be less than half the cost. If we're going to lose money anyway, shouldn't we accept the honor of a donation?"
"It's impossible not to make a profit from Grandchester's high-quality wheat. I expect to be paid a fair price."
"I doubt the royal family will agree to that."
"They have to accept it since we need to stop market interference from other countries and save the citizens from hunger. Of course, we will show some sincerity in return."
"Showing sincerity sounds a bit suspicious."
"Sorry about that. For now, I plan to give them as much time as possible to recover funds. After the royal family sells wheat to other merchant guilds, they can pay us. The royal family just needs to move money around, and they can keep the profits. They won't even need to prepare storage warehouses. The transaction can be completed with just paperwork, and in reality, the wheat will be transported from the Sophia Merchant Guild's warehouse to the buyer's merchant guild."
"Aren't you treating the royal family like a sales agent? That's a different way of thinking from nobles who value honor."
"I don't need honor that doesn't fill my stomach."
"You might become a royal merchant."
"I think I'll become royal merchants on my own anyway. The king and the Crown Prince probably want to grow their hair, right?"
"Y-yeah, that's true."
Sara and Edward looked at each other and started laughing.
"Haha, Sara, you're being disrespectful."
"But Uncle, you shouldn't be laughing either. Haha!"
"Still, it's surprising that you care so much about hair."
"That's something the rich shouldn't say to the poor."
After laughing for a while, Edward cleared his throat and got serious again. Sara straightened up too.
"But, as the Young Marquis, I have to say we need to restore the honor of the Grandchester family."
"You're right, uncle, the Grandchester reputation is important. For now, let's donate wheat to the royal family to help with the heat fever. I'll also prepare other supplies for heat fever, and we can send those directly to the medical facilities in the Royal Capital. We'll need a lot of blankets, clean cloths, and oral rehydration solution."
"That would be really helpful."
"If Aunt sends supplies along with some comfort, it might improve our reputation in high society. I'm also planning to suggest some performances like food distribution to the royal family, so it would be great if you could help with that. You and Aunt can discuss it when you get back."
"What about Revi?"
"Mother might help a bit, but right now she's busy with wedding preparations. I think she will probably handle things in the Grandchester territory. Father will be busy with paperwork as the governor too. Oh, and they need to start working on the land they received as the new Viscount Astley."
"I see. Still, it's a grand plan, but leaving the groundwork to a golem... Sara, I'm really impressed by your boldness."
"If it doesn't work out, I can just hit them with a money bag."
"When you say it, it doesn't sound funny at all, but it's better than having fire breathed on us in the Royal Capital."
Just then, their carriage arrived at the Grandchester estate, and they decided to continue the conversation after Marquis Grandchester returned.
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