Chapter 123

Handing Over and Receiving Sweet Potatoes
My Father has been looking more aged lately. Well, he's almost 50.

While my Father sat in a daze, I left him alone and began introducing the development status and newly created agricultural magic tools to Big brother. He immediately requested the data with enthusiasm, stating that depending on the results, he'd consider implementing them across the kingdom. Developing the nation is undoubtedly a good thing. If everyone prospers, no one will complain about my love for sweets being wasteful anymore.

Since most of the housing is nearly complete, we decided to head to the royal capital to welcome the settlers from Marza's territory and former slum dwellers. My involvement ends here; the details can be handled without me. There’s still a forest left—whether to develop it or preserve it for hunting magical beasts is up to them.

My role is to assist in establishing an agriculture-focused foundation. Industrial and economic development is beyond their current abilities—they lack the necessary technology and experience. Their strength lies in farming, so that’s where they should concentrate.

Upon reaching Marza's settlement, however...

"Why are you still wearing fur clothes? Haven't you been earning money?"

Of the roughly 300 settlers, about half were men. Yet, the adult males still wore simple fur clothing as before.

The women and children, on the other hand, were dressed in high-quality garments for commoners.

"No, we've changed a lot!"

"In what way?"

To me, they looked exactly the same.

"Check it out! We made orichalcum brass knuckles! After buying clothes for our wives and kids, we ran out of money!"

"A blacksmith cried while making it for us!"

Villagers held up golden knuckles triumphantly. Is this what they consider "change"?

The blacksmith must have been in tears. Orichalcum isn’t a legendary material, but it's a rare and valuable metal. Comparable to gold on Earth. Why waste it on pure orichalcum knuckles? And it's not something just any blacksmith can handle—only the best.

Moreover, they're still without proper armor.

"I'm sorry. I told them they could use their money freely, and this is what happened."

"Well, if they're happy, it's fine."

It seems they're already putting the knuckles to good use—spiked and menacing.

The women, on the other hand, were stunningly beautiful. This is truly a village of beauties and beasts.

"Next…"

I turned to the slum dwellers standing at a distance, looking uneasy, as expected. They hadn’t blended in yet, their faces clouded with anxiety.

"Umm… Are we really going to get houses and farmland?"

"That’s what I told you."

Could it be that the message hadn’t been conveyed properly? I couldn’t believe the person in charge would make such a basic mistake.

"It's suspicious! There's no way we'd be given houses with farmland for free! You're planning something, aren't you?"

Ah, so it’s not about a lack of communication—it’s about trust. The slum dwellers don’t have even a shred of faith in the kingdom. Understandable, really. Their lives haven’t been one of care or security.

But that only applies if I weren’t involved.

"It's not suspicious at all. You haven't been paying taxes, right? That's because you can’t afford to. So, the idea is to provide jobs and homes so that you can pay taxes moving forward. If you don’t want to accept, you won’t be penalized. And even in the future, the taxes won’t be exorbitant.

All you need to do is work, pay a reasonable amount in taxes, and live your life. There’s no disadvantage for you."

If they can’t pay taxes, then it’s just a matter of enabling them to live a life where they can. It’s a very straightforward solution.

"But… but something like this…"

"Sounds too good to be true? That’s only because I wasn’t in charge before. Running a kingdom requires money. However, overburdening citizens with taxes causes unrest, so reckless taxation is harmful. The solution is simple: help those who can’t work find ways to contribute.

That’s what I’m doing, and it doesn’t harm anyone. Are you content to continue living in the slums? What about your future? Will you force the same life on your children?

Think it over. I won’t force you to decide, but it’s up to you."

I wasn’t seeking their trust—whether or not they believed me was irrelevant. Life in the slums is evidence of the kingdom’s failure to manage its economy properly.

In a thriving economy, slums wouldn’t grow so large. Proper rescue measures would have prevented it. After all, citizens unable to pay taxes are nothing but a burden. Poverty breeds dissatisfaction, which could lead to uprisings. Particularly with external enemies, neglecting this is a grave mistake. It’s a vulnerability waiting to be exploited.

The ultimate goal is economic reform. For now, I can only act within my reach, but even that is better than doing nothing.

"I'll follow. I’m done with this kind of life! Better to believe in this chance than keep doubting!"

"Me too! I don’t want my kids to grow up in a place like that!"

"But…"

"I’ve heard the princess doesn’t do bad things. It would be disrespectful to doubt her after all she’s done for us. We’ve been given the freedom to choose. We need to make our decision."

It seems the discussions they’d already had bore fruit. After some deliberation, they decided to follow.

I gathered the villagers and slum dwellers and performed a Large-Scale Teleportation. I’d already set markers on the other side, so it was possible. My teleportation magic allows travel only to places within sight or marked locations, such as my room, the Ostland dormitory, the old village with the oil, and the new semi-baronetcy territory.

"Not all the houses are finished, so some of you will temporarily stay in the community hall, but the rest will be completed soon."

"… Amazing."

We first arrived at the second village (temporary name) for the former slum dwellers. Marza’s people had already rushed off to their village, unable to contain their excitement. It wasn’t far, but I could’ve teleported them there if they’d asked.

"Let’s start with the houses. Here’s the switch for the lights. They all come with bathrooms and toilets—everything’s powered by magic tools.

There’s no well since water is supplied through a plumbing system."

The slum dwellers wandered around their homes.

"This is incredible! It’s bigger than houses in the royal capital, and the magic tools make it feel like a noble’s mansion!"

"Kids even get their own rooms. What luxury!"

"It looks like we can live comfortably here."

After exploring their homes, the men became curious about the farmland. They seemed more interested in the means of livelihood than the houses themselves.

The farmland was adjacent to their homes, so the houses weren’t crowded together.

"This area up to there is your farmland. The size is about the same for each household."

"This much? But can we maintain it all…?"

"It’s too large; I’m not sure we can handle it."

True, it might be tough manually. But there’s no issue.

"Farming here is heavily supported by magic tools. Preparing wheat seedlings will likely be the hardest part. Planting and harvesting can be done with magic tools. As for weeding, each family will be provided with a golem, so it’s not an issue.

The tools’ mana can be recharged at designated stations, so no worries there."

The agricultural equipment is complete. Since winter is approaching, it seems it will be used starting next year. The plan is to conduct double cropping of rice and wheat. With subsurface drainage work underway, it is feasible.

Experts in agriculture were invited from the kingdom to focus on theoretical learning this year, with rice planting set to begin in the spring. Although the winters in Arland aren't particularly long, they are harsh.

This winter seems like it will be more comfortable. I have no intention of leaving the castle. With a plethora of heating devices installed, it’s cozy. I’ll make a kotatsu and enjoy life eating ice cream... oh wait, ice cream doesn’t exist here.

For now, things look stable on this end. The second village has a community center, and blankets and food are being sent in batches via airships. The essentials are already in place, so it seems manageable.

Next, I head to the first village (tentative name). The villagers were scattered, discussing which houses they’ll live in.

"Any complaints here?"

"None whatsoever. We are only grateful. Every house is spacious, and even comes with a barn.

However, about the facilities in the basement of my residence..."

"Oh, that's the mana reactor. Don't touch it, okay?"

"Eh?"

"Logically speaking, there's no way the mana for two villages can be supplied using only mana crystals or regular mana stones. These two villages alone consume more mana than the royal capital."

Yes, this village uses a mana reactor. A repurposed mana reactor for armed airships generates the necessary mana for the village. Any surplus mana is stored in a giant mana crystal, which will be collected periodically. There’s even a dedicated exit for transporting it. Incidentally, there are no laws concerning mana reactor installations, so even if discovered, no one can say anything. Even if regulations are established later, the ones already installed won’t be an issue. Laws cannot retroactively restrict past actions.

There’s no problem. Model 3 reactors don’t explode... let’s not talk about Model 2 or earlier versions.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"How did a village suddenly appear here?"

While talking with Marza, two carriages entered the premises of the manor, and two middle-aged men emerged. Judging by the crests on the carriages, they were nobles. However, I don’t know which nobles they were since my connections with the nobility are limited.

The two men approached Marza. Judging by his attire, he easily passes as a noble. Me? Other than the materials, my clothes are no different from those of commoners. Capes are cumbersome anyway. This is how I dress 90% of the time, so nobles meeting me for the first time don’t realize I’m royalty. This conveniently avoids unnecessary trouble.

"Are you the one in charge? We are neighboring lords. My name is Ollie Todd."

"Likewise, I am Loren Schultz."

"Indeed, I am Marza Barel, newly appointed lord of this domain. My title is baronet."

I overheard their conversation nearby, and the other party didn't seem to be bad nobles. Well, it’s said that bad nobles are rarely entrusted with territories. If they cause trouble, my Father confiscates their lands without mercy. Though I heard my Grandfather was somewhat lenient, so not all nobles are good. Mischievous nobles are sly and tend to conceal their misdeeds.

"Oh, I see. Our domains are not very large, so we maintain connections with nearby nobles. We were just returning from one such gathering. How about joining such events in the future? It helps to build friendships.

In my domain, apples are a specialty. We also produce apple wine."

Interesting.

"I cultivate sweet potatoes, a crop introduced from another world... though they haven’t gained much traction.

It would be easier if they sold in the royal capital."

"That’s something I can’t ignore."

So sweet potatoes exist! Roasted sweet potatoes are delicious. I remember collecting leaves with Takuto in the garden and roasting them. That was delightful.

"Is this your child?"

"N-no, not at all. This is Princess Alicetia!"

"”Ah! We deeply apologize!"”

Suddenly, both men knelt. Is this the usual reaction? In the royal capital, even commoners just give a thumbs-up, so I’m not accustomed to this.

"You don’t have to kneel. Also, I would love for sweet potatoes to be exported to the royal capital."

"Well... I was turned down by the Locas Trading Company..."

Locas Trading Company? I’ve never heard of them.

"Princess, that company has a rather notorious reputation," Alicia gently advised. Apparently, they’re known for shady dealings and being filthy about money.

"Then I’ll issue a letter of introduction, so feel free to export abundantly. And if you have any now, I’ll buy them right away. Alicetia, let’s make roasted sweet potatoes."

"As you wish. I happen to have some on hand and will prepare them immediately."

Using Factory, I created an iron box, filled it with stones, and asked the fire spirits to heat them. I then placed the sweet potatoes inside and closed the lid. Roasted sweet potatoes seemed to be unheard of here, as everyone looked intrigued. They had been using them as a cooking ingredient. Normally, you’d make roasted sweet potatoes!

"Such a simple method... If only I had a knack for business, I would’ve realized it sooner."

"This sweetness is wonderful. It’s perfect as a snack for children and doesn’t require much effort to prepare. It’s bound to sell well. I wonder if there’s something I can do with apples..."

"With apples, there’s demand for tart ingredients and juice, right? Apple juice is delicious. I’ll provide a letter of introduction, so expanding your sales channels should yield sufficient profit."

It seems they’ve been working on selective breeding of apples for better sweetness. This will definitely sell. Actually, it *must* sell.

"But we can’t obtain such letters of introduction. Small-time nobles like us are often in the same boat. The royal capital’s market is attractive, but..."

So the market is closed off? This needs to be reported to my Big brother immediately. There might be something behind it.

Hmm, there could be delicious but unsellable specialty products hidden in other domains. These must be unearthed and sent to the royal capital.

Alright, I’ll visit Ponpoko’s place soon. But first, I’ll inspect the slums.

"And don’t bully Baronet Barel. I’m his patron."

"O-of course. We aim to collaborate to create better territories."

"Indeed. Bullying has no place. By the way, Lord Marza, what do you plan to produce in your territory?"

"Rice and wheat."

"That’s excellent. With a field of this size, you’ll likely have ample harvests. Basic agriculture, but some domains have locational issues, so they lack wheat or rice. It won’t overlap much with what we produce, so we’ll introduce you to other lords as well."

"Indeed. Wheat and rice are staples of life. Indispensable. We only produce enough for our own consumption."

It seems things will proceed amicably. I secured an agreement for regular sweet potato deliveries to the castle, which greatly delighted them. Apparently, royal favoritism carries significant weight.

Apples will likely be in high demand at the growing number of cafes. My fondness for sweets is gradually becoming well-known.

The two nobles were astonished by my casually wandering clones, but since explaining would be tedious, I brushed it off with, "Sometimes I multiply. Let’s leave it at that," and they accepted it with a simple, "Ah, understood."

In two weeks, all the residences should be completed. After that, it’s just a matter of leaving things to the clones. Marza will receive noble education from these two nobles, who also slyly secured contracts for exporting their specialties.

Now, I’m no longer needed here. Time to return to the castle. I must sneak past Alicia, the royal guard secretly protecting me, and the dark forces to inspect the slums.

Leaving behind the two overly polite nobles and the relatively normal Marza, we returned to the royal capital.

With the royal guard in tow, we traveled by airship.

"!!!"

Upon arriving at the royal capital the next day, a jolt of electricity surged through me. No, it felt like the *pikiin* that pilots in space eras experience. My finely honed sixth sense told me—a new confectionery had been released at Silver Moon.

"Mr. Coote, charge!"

"Understood."

"Princess! Wait! What did you sense?"

Leaping onto Mr. Coote, I dashed toward Silver Moon. Well, Mr. Coote was doing the running part, but you get the idea.