Chapter 300

The Issue with the First Wife and Eldest Son
Upon hearing the details from Young lady Conniette, it became clear that Galette County's first wife and eldest son, upon learning about the Connie trade negotiations, were plotting to seize the Connie trees.
Young lady Conniette and the second wife were trying to protect the trees.
This was beyond my capability to handle.
I decided to rely on Marquis Vardmoi, as it wouldn’t be ideal for me to meddle in the aristocratic power struggle.

“... Are the first wife and eldest son idiots?”

The following day, after requesting an audience and explaining the situation to Marquis Vardmoi, his first reaction was this.
He looked thoroughly exasperated.
Honestly, I couldn’t blame him. I thought the same thing.

“First of all, it’s absurd for the next head of a mere county to interfere with the business of a Silver-Rank Merchant. A Silver-Rank Merchant holds the same level of authority as the head of a count’s house. Interfering with a project directly funded by a Silver-Rank Merchant like Lily, involving the provision of a freezer and trade negotiations, is simply unacceptable.”

I had been informed that Silver-Rank Merchants wield as much power as a count, but I hadn’t realized it was this significant.
The key detail here was that it was *my direct involvement*.
If it had been Alizée’s initiative, the rights involved would have been more complicated.
I was glad I had taken the lead on this!

“Secondly, Lily is an official merchant of the Vardmoi Marquisate and is allowed to use the marquisate’s crest. Any act that tarnishes this merchant’s reputation is equivalent to tarnishing the name of the Vardmoi Marquisate. Ultimately, it’s akin to declaring hostility against the marquisate itself. Such actions could destabilize the already fragile state of our newly established country.”

The Dukedom of McFarlane was declared a nation only in the spring.
Moreover, the current situation involved preparations for potential conflict between the King’s younger brother’s faction and the Third Prince’s faction.
Internal disputes were the last thing anyone needed in these circumstances.
Simply put, the actions of the first wife and eldest son showed no consideration for the state of the nation.

“Lastly, allowing such behavior would lead to a loss of trust from the populace. For a noble, that’s a fatal mistake. The Galette County’s administration is already on shaky ground financially. Losing the trust of their people could lead to mass emigration, which would be catastrophic for not only Galette but also the neighboring territories.”

This boils down to, “Who would keep paying taxes to selfish lords?”

In the McFarlane Dukedom, relocating requires considerable procedures.
Merchants and adventurers like me either don’t need to follow such procedures or have it relatively easy.
However, for farmers and commoners, it’s much more challenging.
Still, if they abandon their farmlands and flee, they can leave the territory without completing any formalities.

The issue lies in whether these fleeing citizens can sustain themselves after leaving.
They would likely scatter to neighboring territories, often arriving without provisions or resources.
This puts the receiving territories in a difficult position—either they must provide food from their reserves or drive the people away.
Providing for the refugees would require significant food supplies, and establishing new farmland would take years.
On the other hand, driving them away risks turning them into bandits, which would create its own set of problems. It’s a messy situation.

So, what should we do now?

What do you think about this chapter?