zChapter 62 - Arc 3, Waxing Moon Chapter 5 (2/2)

The reason for this was because it would be difficult to call any of the territories connected to this road as ‘wealthy’ ones, given their lack of large cities, and because the merchants here would more often be carrying crops rather than any sort of highly-priced artisanal goods; and moreover, the merchants wouldn’t carry much money on them, either.

The road which passed through Sminacca fief faced the opposite situation as the busiest road in the Kingdom.

Sminacca fief consisted of a city with a population of over 1.5 million people, and with its Lord being Kataliner, the grandfather of the current Crown Prince, this territory was second only to the royal family in terms of wealth.

From the carriage window, Ernst looked out over the abundant and rich fields of Grad fief.

It should have been about two hours since they had last passed in front of the kingdom’s soldiers on the road, but Ernst still couldn’t see where the next station of soldiers was supposed to be.

Even if few bandits appeared here, there seemed to be far too little vigilance set up in this stretch of the road.

Last night, Targes had gathered the militia troops and showed them some points on a map using the information he had gathered from his last trip through here.

In all of the places where bandits had once appeared, the kingdom’s troops were now stationed.

Nevertheless, Targes’ vigilance toward the threat of bandits did not decrease; yet the younger Mage and Minaha’s tensions had already relaxed.

There wasn’t much that could be done, in any case – these two had never left Meissen before and were enraptured by the sights of new fiefs.

It was understandable, Ernst thought. If someone only had experience with Meissen’s farmland, then the sight of this land’s abundant wheat fields which stretched so far that you couldn’t see their end would be something they had never seen before in their life.

After passing by a single village and seeing the vast expanse of farmland which followed it, it would make one think that the people of Grad fief must be incredibly efficient at plowing and tending to their fields.

The population of Gris fief was exactly 2,100 people. About 80% of them were field workers, so around 1,700 people tended to the fields.

Gris fief was about one-tenth the size of Meissen, which itself held enough territory to be one-twentieth of the entire Kingdom.

Ernst reminisced over the sight of the villager he had seen through the carriage window when he passed the village.

He was a farmer with stocky body and a cheerful expression on his face. He had carried in his hand a farm tool with iron metal at its end.

The farming tools carried by the people of Meissen were made entirely of wood.

Iron was expensive, and so they were unable to attach any to their tools.

If the people of Meissen were given the same farming tools as the ones here, Ernst wondered if Meissen’s farmland would be double what it was now. Even if its soil had grown infertile, there were still ways to enrich it again.

If the lands of Meissen were able to bear crops as rich and plentiful as the lands of Grad fief could, would the people of Meissen be like those of Grad fief, their bodies well and strong, and able to smile so happily?

The plains of the wheat fields glittered in the golden light of the sunset, the austere beauty of this sight washing over Ernst.

“The forests in Gris fief had been felled to make way for new fields, so it is full of open spaces. Even if a bandit wanted to ambush someone here, there would be nowhere for them to hide. …The place where we must be our most vigilant will be in the next fief, Mutica.”

“That’s right, isn’t it… That forest at the border of Gris and Mutica will be dangerous, won’t it.”

“Exactly; I was also thinking about the traps that forest might have. …That forest is at the border of both Gris and Mutica, but the people of both fiefs have been fighting over its possession for a long time. That’s why it has become dangerous for people of either place to enter, even if there is an implicit truce now that their negotiations are over.”

At the inn, the militia troops gathered around the map to discuss the road they would take from here. Ernst was unable to keep up with their discussion of military strategy and tactics. He sat in a chair and, keeping silent, listened in on their conversation.

“We could reach this forest by tomorrow, but night would have fallen by the time we left the forest, which won’t work,” said Brez, who had gone with Targes to deliver the letter to the ministry.

“Yeah, you’re right… Last time we passed through here, our horses galloped half a day from town to the forest. This time, Lord Ernst is present with us, so we can’t proceed that way.”

For the knight-born Targes to have galloped his way through, that must have meant that he sped his horse past like a burst of wind. Ernst hoped that the villagers he had passed along the way hadn’t been startled.

“So then, we should rest the night before going through the forest, then continue on in the morning?”

“I think that sounds right. It would be best to avoid encountering any bandits in an unfamiliar forest at night, where the visibility is low. During the day, there are still ways to cope with the situation if we are to be attacked.”

“…Yeah, that’s right. Lord Ernst, we may have to take a day longer – would that be alright?” The soldiers’ discussion stopped as Targes sought out Ernst’s approval.

Ernst nodded his affirmation.

There was a limited period of time to pay tax to the Kingdom. The tax had to be paid this month, and with today, they were halfway through the month.

The travel from here to the capital was about two days. If nothing unexpected happened, there would be no problem.

Although it appeared that there was room for them to relax, if they were pressed into the worst situation of having been robbed of their money, then they would lose everything.

In Gris fief, people did not struggle to even just find something to eat.

Although one wouldn’t meet someone dressed up in expensive clothing, and the merchants here weren’t adorned in precious metals, they all had faces that said their stomachs had been filled. Their skin was glossy, and more than anything, their eyes showed life in them.

The people of Meissen, especially the villagers who lived far from the estate, were always hungry, their skin chapped and rough, their bodies aged and older past their actual years, and their eyes were dull and gray, without any dreams or aspirations in them at all.

Although the development of the valley was important to prepare against Lux Kingdom, what Ernst wanted most first and foremost was to be able to fill the stomachs of his people.

How much money would it take to furnish all of the people of Meissen with iron tools like the ones made in Gris fief?

Then, Ernst pondered over what reason he could present for giving these tools.

They could not be left to think that the tools had just come out of nowhere for them, all because of the Lord’s whims.

The people of Meissen were not only farmers. The people of other classes could not be left envious of them.

And then, for the farmers themselves, Ernst wanted them not to debase themselves by saying that this was the Lord’s favor, but to accept the tools with their backs straight with pride, realizing their duty to pave the way for the future.

What Ernst wanted was to give the farmers of Meissen a sense of pride and duty as they developed their lands, expanded them, and made them flourish with abundance.