Episode 183
In response to the invitation of Prince Ivan, I go to the balcony. Rolmund's autumn breeze is already cold and he wants a coat.
I drank a strong cocktail all at once to overcome the cold and faced Prince Ivan.
"Sir Weid, this."
In a book presented by Prince Ivan, the title is "Northern Agricultural Thought".
"This is a record gathered by the Dniesks about agriculture in North Rolmund. It's a little hidden information, and it's more pleasing to thank you than gold and silver."
That's true, but this was unexpected ...
However, it is an internal document. I decided to read without reserve.
Let me show you how Ivan's domestic affairs are.
I turned over the book and soon realized that Prince Ivan was a strong enemy.
Judging from the standards of this world, it is surprisingly modern.
All information gathered was objectively quantified. For example, instead of the ambiguous expression such as "rich harvest", it is recorded as "Dalmar village's white wheat field 540 Skars yield 1200 Tolka, index about 2.2, previous year index 2,0".
And this was all on the table.
This is a world without personal computers and spreadsheets, so it must have been made by hand. You must have struggled.
I wanted to give this to my kite, but he's trying to prevent the aristocratic daughters from coming.
His magic would be memorable just by reading it.
I was dizzy with the sequence of numbers, but I summarized what was written here.
"Yield is decreasing every year."
"That's right, Sir Weid, it's quick to understand."
I think that was because I was used to it in the previous life, and I couldn't understand at all for the first time.
In the last hundred years, the yield of major cereals in the northern Lorumund region has fallen by about 20%. That's a number you can't ignore.
Prince Ivan checked his expression many times, carefully choosing words and speaking.
"Agriculture in North Lorumund is on the decline, with a gradual but long-term decline in revenue."
"I don't know in decades, but I noticed well."
"I didn't even know at first, but I went back to my great-grandfather's generation and looked at the old tax records.
Prince Ivan, who had just begun to swallow, suddenly had a dark look.
"But no one takes this fact seriously. That's the biggest problem."
"Why?-This table will make it clear at a glance."
I know this is a sign of danger.
But Prince Ivan shook his head.
"Except for my father, my brother, and Ashley, you understand only you. Even the lords of North Lorumund have no sense of crisis."
The reign of a lord is about thirty years, and at least forty years after helping the royal family and helping to manage the territory for about ten years.
However, the pace of revenue decline is about 0.2% every year, so a good harvest often increases from the previous year. Even after 40 years, it will only decrease by 8%.
However, since everyone forgets the exact amount of the harvest 40 years ago, it is hard to notice. Even if you notice it, you think "I was good in the past".
But in reality, there are numbers here.
If this number is accurate, it is evident that the situation will continue to be great.
Prince Ivan mutters bitterly.
"I told the lords of the neighborhood, but they all think they're going to do their thing."
"Sure, this would be all right for a while."
It doesn't seem to matter right now, so it's another person for me.
But Prince Ivan shook his head.
"Sure, my generation will be fine. My son's generation will probably work, but I don't know the grandchild's."
I was worried about Prince Ivan's words and took out a handkerchief from my pocket.
"Rude"
Use a square handkerchief to remove the pen.
"Sir Weid, what are you going to do?"
"Let's make a chart of this table. The vertical axis shows the yield and the horizontal axis shows the year and year.
I picked up the numbers in the table and made a rough line graph of the change in yield.
"this is……"
Things turned out to be more serious than at the table. This is bad.
On the way, the decline in yield is accelerating.
Prince Ivan nodded several times whether he understood the meaning of the graph.
"I see. If you extend this line, the yield after 100 years will be predictable. It is also dangerous."
Not all of the harvest goes to the lord. Some are seeds next year, and we need some to feed the serfs and peasants. The lord can collect only what is left.
However, as Prince Ivan points out, decades later there will be a shortage of food for the people. The supernatant, the part of the lords who made money, was gone.
He stares at the descending line drawn on the handkerchief and mutters painfully.
"It's too late to think about a strategy after the crisis. It's too late to be a son or grandchild. I and my father have to do it.
I think a little.
The Dniesks are enemies for me and Eleora, but the inhabitants of North Lorumund are not guilty.
And if the land in northern Rolmund becomes thin, the Rolmund empire will increasingly want rich land in Mirardia. It is troubled.
I decided to list the possible causes.
"Maybe it's a continuous crop failure?"
Unfortunately, Prince Ivan shook his head unfortunately.
"We have been in rotation for many years to avoid repeated crop failures. We've been testing the rotations several years ago, but haven't seen any effect yet."
He says it is not so easy to find if it exceeds the methods cultivated in the long tradition.
"Is it not a disease or an insect?"
"It seems unlikely. There is no abnormality in the quality of the crop itself."
"So what's wrong with fertilizer?"
"I don't know. I'm trying this too, but the traditional techniques of the folks seem to be the most effective."
I'm stuck.
Indeed, this will impatient Prince Ivan.
I thought it would be nice to sell my favor to the Dniesks here, but it doesn't seem to help me. It is not something that can be done with amateur knowledge.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you. I'm shameful."
Then Prince Ivan finally relaxed his expression.
"No, you're different from the others. Thanks for taking care of them, no matter what their territory is. I'm grateful for the future."
I do not think so?
"Sir Weid was sometimes a Huiyang?"
"Yes, of course."
It's a lie.
However, it seems that she was not suspicious because she was made a Miraidia saint.
Prince Ivan sighed.
"It's good that the Empire eagerly prosecuted the Territory to reconcile the territory and the vassals, but they gave up thinking."
Terumyoism in Rolmund is firmly incorporated into the imperial family as a tool for governing.
But that also seems to be bad.
"Aren't they all taking God's will and not thinking about causes or solutions when problems arise?"
"Yes. All the folks believe that the fruits will come back if they are reverent even if the bad harvest continues. For the serfs ...
"Do nothing but work as told?"
"Yes, it was my imperial family."
Prince Ivan sighs again.
That's no use, for the serf, it's another person's land, another person's wheat.
I'm a little sorry for Prince Ivan, but that doesn't mean I can do anything.
Then the kite came to me.
"I'm sorry, Sir Weid's personal information is diplomatically confidential and I don't teach you ... no, really, I'm sorry.
After shaking off some of my daughters, my deputy is finally back at me.
Was saved. Without you, you don't know who is who.
It's just the right time, so I bow to Prince Ivan.
"Then, Ivan and I will come again."
"Oh, I want to talk slowly again."
With a social order, we part.
Then Ivan's son, Lunier, found me and ran around. He was watching me somewhere.
"Sir Weid, have you finished talking to your father?"
"Yes, it's over. He's a good father."
This is true, as I realize that Prince Ivan is not a person running in private interests.
I bow to Lünier and smile.
"Let's talk a little more on the battlefield?"
The boy's face shines.
"Is it okay !? Thank you! Sir Weid told me to talk about the battlefield!"
The shouts were so loud that the guests were coming in.
"Oh, it seems to be the duel of the duel Lord on the battlefield."
"I'll tell you. There are rarely such opportunities."
"Yes, it will be a souvenir story for children."
I'm getting nervous in front of the nobles coming.
This is more nervous than the battlefield.
I ended up having a talk show just before the party was over.
I wanted to eat more meat, but I couldn't stop if I saw Lunier's shining smile on me in the front row.
Everyone was happy, so let's do this ...