Chapter 242

Go Ahead, Mia Expedition!

The Mia Expedition, composed of only two people, went deeper into the forest to look for food.

They already had a big pile of wild grass, but Mia wanted something else.

If we can’t get a rabbit, at least we should try to get some other kind of meat...

She already thought of rabbits as “meat” in her mind. All of the leporids on the island were suddenly in immediate danger.

“Oh, that makes me think. I’ve heard that frog meat tastes a lot like chicken. Keithwood, have you ever tried it before?”

“Unfortunately, no, I’m afraid not.”

She didn’t notice that his face looked tense as she kept talking about food.

“I’ve heard that people in the south eat bugs, but the idea doesn’t really appeal to me. But what about snakes? I might be willing to try a few bites if they are cooked well... Even so, the mushrooms... Not to mention the mushrooms...”

Keithwood finally spoke up when he heard her mumbling even though he was close enough to hear her.

“Princess Mia, I’m sorry, but I need to ask you something.”Vissit novelbin(.)c.om for updates

“Oh? Then ask away.”

“You seem to know a lot about how to eat in the wilderness. Is it because you’re getting ready for a famine you think will happen soon?”

“My... How do you know that?”

“Ludwig told me about it when we were in the same carriage.”

She thought about what to say for a moment.

“I see. So, good for him. He was smart to tell you that.”

She gave a firm nod and then said, “Yes, it’s exactly what he said. The harvest will be bad next year, and it will stay bad for a few more years after that. Because of this, there will be famine across the whole continent. Preparing for it is very important. Take this as an advice and a warning from me.”

Keithwood said, his voice carrying a hint of quiet admiration.

Mia surprised him by shaking her head and giving him a sneaky smile.

“No, not really. I meant...which mistake is easier to laugh off? Let’s say I say there will be a famine and people believe me. People store up a lot of food, but the famine never comes. Well, we can use all that extra food for my birthday party. We will feed the people for free. It’s food, right? You can just eat it any time.”

Yes, it would be wasteful and a sign of an egotistical princess’s excesses, but the people, who would be enjoying her indulgence, wouldn’t do much more than give her wry smiles.

“The point is that I would only get a slap on the wrist,” she said.

She also had plans for a different kind of future, one in which strong wheat yields led to a huge amount of extra food. Plans to eat a lot of cake. She was sure that it would have been a good mistake to do it.

At the end of the day, it all came down to a simple truth: people were happier when they had extra cake than when they didn’t.

“So I see. I think that’s a good thing to do.”

As they walked, Keithwood looked at Mia and felt more respect for her.

The forest was soon replaced by a rocky area.

They were just west of the centre of the island.

“It’s hard to walk around here... Eek!”

She fell because the rocks she was walking on gave way.

He came in quickly and caught her.

“Now be careful. It looks like we’re walking on loose rock here. There is no solid ground. We might not want to go this way.”

“Yes, we should also tell the others. Even so, it goes in the opposite direction of the spring. I don’t think we’ll have to come here.”

She stopped and looked up at him as he stood over her to protect her. Then, with a smile, she gave him a gentle elbow.

“Wow, Keithwood, you really know how to talk to girls, don’t you? How many hearts have you broken?”

“Ha ha ha, I’ll let you think about that. “Right now, the only thing that’s breaking is my back,” he said as he smiled and scratched his cheek.