CH 21

「Alright everyone, the bread made from the new grain has been baked. Please try it!」

The maids brought out a large quantity of fluffy bread.

The vassals who had a taste looked at each other.

「Delicious…」

「What is this taste. It’s certainly a bread made of wheat, but it’s slightly different.」

Looking at their reaction, Ritone puts on a deceptive face.

「The grain you all have been cultivating is called “Rye”. This thing called “wheat” is more delicious compared to that.」

When the servants had a bite, they all went in a clamor about its deliciousness.

Having served a great feast, Ritone then lowers his head to these satisfied vassals.

「Everyone, please help us spread these new crops. If these spread out, the Shylock territory will be more prosperous than it is now. However, I can’t do anything by myself, everyone’s cooperation is necessary.」

Seeing Ritone who’s admirably lowering his head, the vassals who once held animosity now saw him in a positive light.

(I thought he was just a mixed-blood commoner brat that came from a low birth, but he’s certainly polite, no?)

(And he introduced this new crop, which is really good. Cooperating may benefit my family’s interests more.)

(It looks like Gold-sama is cooperating as well, so it seems that it’s already decided that this youngster named Ritone will be the heir of the Shylock family. If that’s the case, I should cooperate before it’s too late…)

Faced with Ritone who was presenting the benefits and requesting their cooperation with due courtesy, they thought he had great utility value.

「We understand. We will cooperate!」

They all vowed to follow Ritone.

Seeing their reaction, Ritone was relieved.

「It went well… They seem to be willing to cooperate with this.」

As for what was needed in politics, it was: “accepting both good and evil”.

Even if they have been hostile to you in the past and you didn’t like their arrogant behavior, it becomes a reign of terror if you start persecuting others who have knowledge and wealth, and will eventually end in failure.

President Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Pol Pot’s group from Cambodia are prime examples of such.

As a result of persecuting and removing the white people and scholars that they dislike because of their overbearing nature so far, their economy collapsed and every country (who did) turned into hell.

[Daily:… Don’t ask me…]

Those who he skillfully won over, were absolutely necessary for Ritone to stabilize the Shylock territory.

「Well then, everyone. Please try to cultivate these in your respective territories. And please spread these deep-rooted crops. As for the method for doing so, please refer to this book.」

Ritone pulled out agricultural books that people from Japan found unnecessary, and distributed the cultivation manual and seeds for each crop to the vassals.

Rostania Kingdom Treasury

After checking how much money and properties the country has left, the Minister of Finance, Eagle Shylock, heaved a sigh.

「This is terrible…」

As it is a country’s treasure vault, it was overflowing with gold and silver, but there was not enough of the most important thing.

At the time of the foundation of the kingdom, the gold and silver coins were so numerous that it could be piled up into a mountain. Presently though, they were nearly non-existent.

The remaining items were relics left behind by previous generations that cannot really be sold, and just jewelry and artwork.

「…When I told you I was returning to my territory, didn’t I tell you not to touch anything in this room?」

Eagle glares at the Bureaucrat of Finance with a piercing eye.

He began to beg on his knees, feeling small, and make excuses.

「That is… the emergency expenses.」

「Expenses?」

「It was the additional budget for the Hero Artemis’ 400th birthday festival, and making up for the gambling loss of Princess Antoinette-sama. And because of the poor harvest of rye, the debt from enlisting the knights…」

Being shown each amount of money (spent), Eagle almost passed out.