Chapter 39

The disciple of Platidus: Miriam and the metalworker: Randy arrived from the capital .

With this, the camp of the Yamano Viscounty is finally complete .

Now, it’s domestic affairs cheat time!

… No, sorry . We’re only going to be gradually improving, yes .

First, I had changed the classification of servants .

I eliminated the distinction between escort maids and chore maids and then made the head escort maid an ordinary head maid . The head chore maid Kate was made vice head maid . The others are all ordinary maids . Except for Rachel’s daughter, Leah is the only apprentice maid . She’s four years old, yeah…

While in charge of tax revenue, Gunther who was disciplinarily discharged was called a servant, but the ones responsible for that will be called civil servants from now on . Those on the management team too .

2 of the 3 people who were in charge of tax collection were dismissed, so only 1 person from before remained . Well, I can’t trust the remaining one that much, but there wasn’t that much prominent corruption, and it would impede our operations if all of them were gone so I let him off . He will be dismissed immediately if he does something . I’ll try to grasp the particulars of the job to make it more efficient as quickly as possible so I can cut him off at any time .

The people of the defense forces are called soldiers of the lord’s army .

No, base on the scale of our forces it’s an exaggeration, but buffing is important in this world .

The Commander is Major William . The officers Sven, Zepp, Grit, and Ilse are all ensigns . With 36 soldiers under their command . And 4 sergeants within . However, the soldiers in their command will be replaced every 30 days . In case of an emergency, those who are not on duty will also be collected as soldiers as necessary .

There are 216 people in military service in total . 36 per platoon and 6 organized . Twice a year, they will have a concurrent period of 30 days of both military service and family businesses . This much should be fine . They won’t be kept for 30 days . Even if it is concurrent, with the exception of the squads during their security and training rotation, they can go home .

As a staff member, Miriam is concurrently serving as both Mitsuha’s head of financial and head of welfare . Let see your grasp on human nature and wisdom of controlling public opinion . Maybe I should some read sociology and psychology books from Earth as well . It’s troublesome to write and translate, so I’ll just read them to her once . She seems to have a good head, so maybe that would be enough . After all, it’s only something to be used as a reference in the end .

Colette is also interning as Miriam’s assistant .

Randy is being entrusted with the direct management of a workshop as an engineer working directly under the lord . Technically, he counts as a member of the management team . Because as a technician and an oddball, there’s the chance he could bring in ideas from a different perspective .

In addition, servants like maids, the chef, and perspectives for the lord’s army are to take part in the management team as needed . They could be promoted to management personal depending on the case .

It’s unknown what kind of criteria the previous lord used to hire the servants who were there at the beginning, but they should be ordinary people . Everyone seems to have been hired from the town too .

However, those who Mitsuha invited and selected should have great hidden potential . ……I think . Probably .

(tl note: I’m starting to think Mitsuha monologs in the 3rd person)

Sure enough, the unification of maids was unpopular with the escort maid who was on top .

However, she accepted it obediently so as to not go against Mitsuha who proved herself a capable lord . One of the reasons she accepted so obediently is because she the head escort maid, who is the direct superior of all other maids, will become the head maid as is .

And, after completing the reorganization of the servants, Mitsuha held a citizen conference by gathering the key figures in the territory to unify the will of the territory .

Lord’s house conference room .

The key figures of the Yamano Viscounty were lined up here .

First of all, naturally, the lord Mitsuha . Then the viscount’s group; the butler Anton, all of the management team and the 5 officers of the lord’s army .

Then the community leaders; the town mayor, and the chiefs of 3 farm, 2 mountain, and 1 fishing villages . The town’s only shop owner .

The community’s group was nervous .

Of course, being in front of their lord was part of it, but they had gotten to quite a relaxed relationship thanks to the 『friendly, good lord campaign』 Mitsuha did when she first got here . Then why this tension flip?

Yes, it’s because Mitsuha’s information has finally reached the viscounty .

The people also thought it suspicious .

It’s strange that a young girl becomes the founder of an emerging noble family line in the first place . With a child’s body, what kind of achievement could be said?

And, the young lord of the neighboring territory, who is also an emerging viscount frequently comes over .

(tn note: In case you have forgotten, it’s Alexis)

If for consultation and friendship then it’s understandable as they are both young emerging figures . However, not when the viscount himself comes over every few days . Moreover, according to the rumors, he’s the firstborn son of Boses, the lord of the neighboring territory on the other side .

And moreover, the visits of the entire Boses earldom family .

It’s understandable if a new viscount goes to greet the neighboring earl family . It’s a matter of course . But why does the earl side with his wife and children even, as in his entire family all together come to give greetings? Is he plotting to absorb this viscounty?

But even for that, the lord and his wife, along with their sons and daughter’s attitudes are strange . It’s like the attitude towards one’s own daughter and sister . And the attitude and gaze that the second son and the first son who is the lord of the neighboring territory direct towards our lord .

The territory’s people more or less gradually understood .

And the details of the events in the capital gradually came from that time onwards .

The gossip heard by the people who went to purchase things from the Boses Earldom, those they shared the horse carriages with and the coachman . The staff applicants and wealthy merchants that had gone of their way to come from the capital, people wanting to work for a noble indiscriminately spreading idle gossip with exaggerations .

From them, the fact that Mitsuha was the 『Princess Shrine Maiden of Lightning』 was widespread in an instant . That she was bestowed a viscounty, and that she chose this territory .

A poverty-ridden rural territory on the borders of the country where the former lord had committed the deadly act of rebellion and was crushed . Where the agriculture, forestry, and fishery industries are all tiny, and most of them are self-consumed within the territory . Necessary items are brought though fairly expensive purchases from the Boses Earldom .

Simply, it wasn’t a territory to give an honest noble with great promise . At best, it’s when the decision had to be made reluctantly to give out the territory out of some circumstances .

It’s not a deficit but the revenue seems extremely unlikely to be enough to maintain a mansion in the capital for the lord’s family to move around in high society .

None of the territory’s people thought a decent lord would come . Well, that’s the way it was before, so there would be no change .

It was a pipe dream that a rumored splendid lord like that of the neighboring Boses Earldom’s would come .

And then, the lord who wanted this territory despite being given a viscounty showed up .

Her Highness, the young, talented and strong princess of a foreign country .

And, according to the rumors, she was seriously injured when she fought alone against a herd of wolves to save a village girl in the neighboring Boses Earldom…… .

Until now, when concerning decisions about the territory, the people were never asked for their opinions nor were given explanations . Only ordered .

Nevertheless, the people were invited to this meeting to decide the future of this territory .

Maybe, everyone’s lives might become better

It’s a star of hope for all the people .

Something like losing this lord can’t be forgiven . No, won’t be forgiven!

Everyone put more power on their clinched fists .

……And so, the territory’s people who gathered at the meeting were anxious .

That was unavoidable .

“Everyone, thank you for coming together and gathering . ”

Mitsuha made a greeting with polite speech .

Mitsuha’s verbal expression changes relatively frequently .

She spoke like her peers in a high school girlish way when she was a student and still thinks the same way in her mind, but she can do the kind of polite speech used towards superiors . And a complain speech when she’s angry, other speeches when she gets carried away or is quoting some lines, or perhaps I should say, her speech habits had picked up an infectious disease……

Well, it’s normal to change your way of speaking depending on the other party and situation . You wouldn’t think there’ll be an idiot who talks casually to their boss at work either .

Somehow, it seems there are stupid new employees in the middle of entering a company who doesn’t use honorifics 『because they are older』 than the boss . The hierarchy can only be ordered according to ages when the 『other conditions are exactly the same』 . An idiot who thinks that age will be given priority over hierarchical relationships in the workplace can be seen as a good thing, as that stupidity can be quickly revealed and culled…

And, like that, Mitsuha often changes her tone and wording .

Actually, she thought to use a 『great person speech』 here since she’s a nobleman and a lord, but she selected a polite speech because this conference was so that everyone can speak freely so she can convince them and not for forcing decisions .

All the servants clearly know, or rather became familiar with Mitsuha selecting different speeches depending on what is convenient at the time, the usual mode, angry mode, light work mode .

“We have gathered here today to receive everyone’s acknowledgment and for reconciling any demands for the future development of the Yamano Viscounty . Informal speech is allowed during this conference, please do not refrain from being concerned about your status or position and honestly express your opinions . Otherwise, you might regret not talking about it afterward!”

The people nod with seemingly curious faces at Mitsuha’s words .

Informal speech(無礼講) a term used primarily for parties and the like, but don’t mind the small details .

“First of all, as you should already know because it has been enacted, regarding the defense system of the territory, is there any questions or comments?”

At Mitsuha’s words, a farm village chief raises a hand .

“It is a lot better than before when the youth were abruptly was pulled away and wasn‘t able to return home for a long time . It seems they get to eat their full as well .

And, umm, a few of the second sons are asking if they can become permanent soldiers… ”

“Ah, for that, I intend to hire those who seem like they have potential after this round of conscription . But it is impossible to hold many standing soldiers in this territory, so there’ll only be a rotation of conscripted soldiers as it is now . So please tell the hopeful youths to do their best . ”

The village chief is convinced and nods .

It seems even the other villages had roughly the same question .

“Next, I will explain the agricultural reforms”

The 3 farm village chiefs became noisy .

Even if they are called farm village chiefs, they only represent about 20 to 30 houses, meaning they are only about the level of an neighborhood chairman . There are only about a dozen or so houses in places such as the mountain and fishing villages .

And so begins the explanation of continuous cropping hazards and nutrient deficiency . The dumbfounded farm village chiefs immediately begin listening attentively .

It’s one thing if it was only the words of an ordinary girl, but as the wisdom of the lord and the princess shrine maiden of thunder who is a sage of a foreign country . There was one who snubbed .

First is performing various experiments about crop rotation on some farmland .

It won’t do to suddenly adopt a new method entirely . If something goes wrong, the territory will be annihilated . Well, not counting if Mitsuha abuses her money and buys food from Japan…

For the time being, something simple and immediate, with no risk of failure . In other words, only to the degree of making leaf mould and sprinkling a little ash . After that, mixing chicken droppings with straw let it ferment for about a few months . Human waste compost is no good unless you let it aged for many years and because a mistake in sanitation would be scary, pass .

She also decided to use just a bit of fertilizer brought from Japan . Because in the unlikely event that the experiment’s results doesn’t show an certain increases the yield, morale won’t rise .

Ultimately, the 3 farming villages agreed to split into groups and set aside some farmland little by little to try the various methods in the first year . Of course, we also will start crop rotation . Since there isn’t the chance of a massive failure like with compost, it’s decided to cultivate 4 different kinds of crops in parallel on a decently sized area . In addition to that, the number of livestock will be increased . Crop rotation is an agriculture method that comes as a set with the breeding of livestock .

Also, though it’s only 1 piece of land, they will take on the challenge of growing rice at Mitsuha’s request . They were happy to undertake it because it was decided that Mitsuha will buy it all regardless of the quality . Contract farming as it’s called .

And next is forestry .