Merchant Noble is out (1/3 chapters for today)
Third Town (3)
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For a town where life had been a normal part of life up until then, the fact that the land was hopelessly unsuitable for cultivation was hard to suddenly accept. Ragonne’s face went white as he listened to Tadont’s wife and Yanna talking.
“Ragonne, did you hear? I strongly recommend that you leave this land immediately.” (Yanna)
“I can’t keep up with what’s happening especially when you suddenly telling me this. I need to gather representatives from each district for a meeting.” (Ragonne)
Realizing that she could not make such a significant decision on her own, Ragonne decided to convene a meeting with the town’s influential figures. That evening, a meeting was held as planned.
Initially, the meeting was supposed to be a formal introduction of Arc, the new lord of the territory. However, the issue with the soil, which had emerged during the day, became an additional topic for discussion. In one of the rooms at the town hall, besides Ragonne, representatives from the town were gathered. On the other side were Arc and Yanna.
“I’m Arc, the new lord of the Mikanda region. I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes, and I am Ragonne, the town mayor. Here we have representatives from the East, West, South, North, and Central districts.” (Ragonne)
“Nee-san, please explain the situation to everyone.” (Arc)
After the greetings were exchanged, Arc promptly moved on to the main topic. Using the materials prepared by Tadont’s wife, he had Yanna explain the situation.
The soil in this land contains a large amount of minerals such as iron and copper. As a result, the quantity and quality of the crops have decreased, leading to health issues among the townspeople who have been consuming these crops for years. Therefore, it was recommended that the town abandon this land and relocate to a different area.
The town representatives were all stunned. They were not yet able to understand whether to agree or disagree. It was understandable. The new lord had come to visit and, upon arrival, was suddenly telling them that the land was unsuitable for cultivation and that they should relocate. The representatives tried to comprehend what Yanna was saying, and Yanna responded by repeating the explanation slowly and carefully.
At that moment, the door opened, and Yulia, wearing an apron, peeked in.
“Arc-sama, everything is ready.” (Yulia)
“Good. Please bring it in.” (Arc)
Arc went to the door, holding it open for Yulia, and addressed the representatives.
“It might be hard to understand just from the explanation, so let’s have you experience it through the food.” (Arc)
Yulia entered the room with the help of the town hall staff, carrying dishes. She held a black plate in her right hand and a white plate in her left hand.
“The dish on the black plate uses crops harvested from another town. The dish on the white plate is made from crops grown here. Please compare the two.” (Arc)
The representatives did not react much when they tasted the dish on the white plate, but their eyes widened as soon as they tried the dish on the black plate.
“This is… delicious!” (??)
“What is this?” (??)
“The same dish, but the taste is completely different.” (??)
The dish on the black plate used high-quality crops harvested from the second town. It was easier for them to compare the difference by tasting it rather than just hearing the explanation. Arc, feeling uneasy about relying only on Yanna’s description, had Yulia prepare the dishes.
“As you have experienced with your own taste, the soil here is absolutely unsuitable for growing crops. Moreover, there is a risk of health issues.” (Arc)
“Poison is accumulating in the bodies of the people through the crops. We believe it might be necessary to relocate the entire town.” (Yanna)
Seeing the opportunity now that they understood the low quality of their town’s crops, Yanna and Arc pressed their point. The representatives were deep in thought. They understood and accepted what the sudden new lords were saying, but there was a significant gap between understanding and implementing the solution.
“Relocating the town sounds easy to say, but… moving people who have lived here for years seems quite difficult.” (??)
One of the representatives spoke up.
“In other words, we just need to stop growing crops here. So, it doesn’t mean that everyone has to leave the town, right?” (Arc)
“But to support everyone, we would have to grow grains. Even if we hunt animals, we would eventually run out.” (Ragonne)
Ragonne tried to propose a compromise to connect the two sides, but it was quickly dismissed. Indeed, if the land was bad and they just needed to stop growing crops, there would be no need to move the town if alternative methods like hunting could suffice. However, finding work for all 4,000 people outside of agriculture seemed quite difficult.
“If there are iron and copper deposits, why not use them? We could turn this town into an industrial city.” (Yanna)
Everyone turned to look at the voice’s owner. Yanna had, without anyone noticing, taken a seat leaning back in a chair while sipping on some alcohol.
“Then the residents can continue living here.” (Yanna)
“But will everyone be able to make a living this way?” (Ragonne)
“Iron and copper goods are in demand throughout the kingdom. Especially with weapons made from iron, there will be orders coming in faster than you can produce them.” (Yanna)
Yanna easily answered Ragonne’s concerns. The high demand for iron across the kingdom was common knowledge among merchants. Iron was needed for everything from weapons and agricultural tools to furniture. The ability to produce iron locally, rather than relying on imports, would be a significant advantage.
“We are amateurs. Even if you ask us to start making iron products immediately…” (Ragonne)
“That’s the job of the lord. Arc will bring skilled craftsmen here. Of course, transportation and sales of the products will be handled by merchants, so you don’t have to worry about that.” (Yanna)
“So, we only need to focus on making the products.” (Ragonne)
“Exactly. We will also arrange to procure food from the second town, so you can concentrate solely on production. Creating a conducive environment is our job as lords.” (Yanna)
Yanna meticulously addressed each of Ragonne and the representatives’ concerns. Her confident demeanor gradually swayed the town’s attitude. Arc and Yanna were then asked to wait outside the town hall. Inside, discussions continued among Ragonne and the town representatives. This was not a bad deal for the town, and Arc, while waiting nervously, lit a rarely smoked cigarette.
After a while, Ragonne and the town representatives emerged. Ragonne approached Arc with a smile and extended his hand.
“We understand that growing crops is not feasible on this land. If you say that what we can do is shift to an industrial focus, then let’s give it a try. We look forward to working with you.” (Ragonne)
Yanna, standing beside him, let out a relieved sigh. Arc shook Ragonne’s hand with a smile.
Indeed, the land’s mineral-rich nature might have been a drawback for a town centered around agriculture. However, it would now become the town’s greatest asset. Arc was determined to turn it into a strength.
“Excellent! Then, I hereby name this town Mikanda’s third town. We will make it the foremost industrial city in the kingdom… no, in the entire continent.” (Arc)
Arc declared this while exchanging enthusiastic handshakes with the other town representatives.
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