Rumaja’s Visit
Just as scheduled, Rumaja arrived in the afternoon a week later.
Now then, I wonder what this visit is about?
I really hope it’s nothing troublesome…
“It’s been a while. First of all, congratulations on your promotion to Platinum-Rank Merchant.”
“Thank you very much. So, what brings you here?”
“Impatient, aren’t you? In the world you’re stepping into now, being too hasty isn’t well-regarded, you know?”
Is that so?
… Yeah, it probably is.
But small talk and chit-chat really aren’t my thing.
Pretty sure I’d fail at it. Definitely.
“Well, since I’m here, let me enjoy some tea. I rushed to Vardmoi and went straight to see the Marquis before coming to meet with you, after all.”
“Right away? You met with him yesterday?”
“Indeed. I was reporting on various investigations.”
Investigations, huh…
Doesn’t sound like good news.
Anyway, I’ll wait until she finishes her tea—green tea this time—before digging into that topic.
“Phew. The Darshe Principality’s tea is delightful. You stock it in bulk, don’t you, Lily?”
“That’s right. I quite like green tea. Would you like some gyokuro as well?”
“Ohh, you even managed to get gyokuro? That’s rare. The domestic production is supposed to be quite limited, isn’t it?”
“Lord Bastaraf shares a small portion with me. Just a little, though.”
“You sure it’s okay if I drink it?”
“Marquis Vardmoi isn’t fond of it, it seems. So each year, it’s usually just Plum and me who enjoy it.”
“What a waste. In that case, I’ll gladly accept.”
“Of course. Faniga, please prepare the gyokuro.”
“As you wish.”
Faniga left the room to prepare the tea.
There’s a proper way to serve gyokuro, and naturally, Faniga knows it—of course she does.
“Well then, rather than sit in silence while we wait for the tea, let’s talk a bit.”
“Sure. Is this finally the main topic?”
“No need to rush. Think of this as more of a courtesy notice. As of now, the followers of the Gaze Church haven’t begun any significant activity within the country. Thanks to a certain someone improving the nation’s economy and public safety, political instability has waned and fewer citizens are discontent enough to turn to them.”
Ah… so this is my fault.
Because of Kiblinki Saltas and their work, food production has increased, which in turn has boosted the economy.
They’ve also helped with public safety in many regions.
So with improvements in both economy and law enforcement, people’s lives have become more stable.
As a result, the foundation for bandit activity has been eroded.
Wait, but…
“What about regions where Kiblinki Saltas haven’t been deployed?”
“Exactly. That’s where they’ve set their sights. The political stability established by the Kiblinki Saltas also highlights the instability in areas they don’t cover. And when merchants and others returning from those stable lands talk about how prosperous those territories are, dissatisfaction toward the local nobility grows even further. In short, the peace maintained by the Kiblinki Saltas is creating resentment in places they’re not.”
Hmm… that’s a problem.
But it’s not something I can just expand my reach to solve on my own.
So what am I supposed to do about this?
What do you think about this chapter?
It is not Lily's problem, especially for those nobles who treated Lily rudely.
Thanks.
After years of improving the food situation you would think other people would at least try to contact MC or the Marquis to get some good spooder boiz for their lands. I guess some either are too arrogant to even consider asking for help, or think they don't need help (thus, stupid).
Thanks for the chapter! Awesome translation! Merry Christmas, may God bless you!