Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 244

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 244 – An Unexpected Side

“Birdland was able to flourish because it was a free place.”

Graff said.

“It’s like a sanctuary. As you know, the peace treaty was signed there at the end of the war between Heim, Rockdam, Euro, and other countries.”

“Yes, I know.”

“That’s why Heim and Rockdam never openly sought control over the land. I’ve heard about plenty of shady deals, but even so, that land is free.”

In other words, it was a freedom that suited the merchants.

Without meddling officials, there were no nobles to get in their way.

The merchants must have created the paradise, that is, Birdland.

“So, it seems that there are quite a few problems in Strohm. What do you think, Ain-sama?”

“Indeed.”

Problems, problems.

Ain thought about Graff’s words.

(This city already has me as its lord. The only other problem is… the law?)

Not only merchants, but also the people of Ishtalika must pay taxes.

Such detailed rules could not be eliminated.

Ain was lost in thought.

“Or perhaps vested interests?”

The words suddenly crossed his mind.

“Yes, I think you’re right, Ain-sama.”

Graff nodded.

“In addition to some resistance, people will lose their jobs. I see. This is not a good idea.”

“That’s right. It’s a drawback of not building a city from scratch.”

Everything must be done thoroughly and carefully.

Otherwise, the city would fall far behind, and the lord would become nothing more than foolish.

“So, rather than promoting commercialization, we should focus on strengthening the commercial sector.”

Ain listened silently.

Every word of his conversation with Graff, the trade master, was precious.

“So, that’s how it is. Even if it’s just one thing, we need something that can be sold in Strohm.”

Graff sat up straight.

Then he made a suggestion:

“A specialty product—something consumable—would be ideal. Something unique to Strohm that can’t be obtained elsewhere. Such a product would naturally foster commerce growth, don’t you think?”

“Grandfather, I think that’s a wonderful suggestion, but Strohm doesn’t have anything that could become a specialty product.”

“Hmm… Krone. Giving up so easily is a bad idea. When I first came to Ishtalika, I started out selling used clothing.”

Ain had heard about the August Trading Company’s unknown origins.

It’s amazing how they grew from selling used clothes. Even with the royal family’s help, Graff’s skills are impressive.

“If you don’t have what you need, make it. If you don’t have anything to make, think of something. If thinking doesn’t work…”

“If it doesn’t work?”

Ain swallowed hard and asked for more.

“Learn. Learn from history and experience. There’s no such thing as wasted effort. Fools are those who are picky about what they learn.”

“That resonates with me.”

“Hahaha! That’s the spirit!”

Krone nodded in agreement next to Ain.

She must have been as impressed as Ain.

“Yes… It’s foolish to be picky before trying anything.”

“Krone, have you thought of something?”

Her expression changed.

She looked as if she had just received a revelation.

“Yes, but it’s just that… I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do.”

She pressed her palm against her cheek, looking a bit seductive as she hesitated.

It was clear that this gesture was influenced by Olivia.

“Right now, I need all the ideas I can get. Don’t worry about it; just tell me what you think.”

“I’m sorry. But before that, Grandfather, I have something to ask you.”

“Hm? What is it, Krone?”

With an apologetic look on her face, she excused herself to Ain and spoke to Graff.

“Goods for nobles and goods for commoners. Would it be a bad idea to start with one of these?”

“No. If it’s for nobles, sell it as something commoners would admire. Eventually, add cheaper items for commoners.”

Differentiation was important. Otherwise, neither side would find them appealing.

Krone was relieved by this answer. Graff continued.

“On the other hand, even if it’s for commoners, if it becomes a topic of conversation, nobles will want something special. In that case, we can just add expensive items later.”

In other words, it didn’t matter which group was targeted first.

Krone thanked Graff and looked at Ain again.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting. My idea is…”

◇ ◇ ◇

It was a few days after Ain met Graff. It was a beautiful morning.

A horse-drawn carriage pulled up to the mansion.

“Young lady, That’s all there is.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The carriage appeared to belong to the August Trading Company, and the driver confirmed this with Krone before leaving with the luggage.

“Did it arrive?”

Ain, who had been watching the exchange, noticed Krone and rushed out of the mansion.

“Just now. Shall we open it right away?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

Ain opened the slightly oversized wooden box himself.

Inside were…

“These are healthy seedlings. I think they’ll be fine.”

Ain looked at the contents of the box and said,

Inside were several saplings.

They were slightly taller than Ain’s knees, and their green leaves sparkled with vitality.

“What kind of saplings are these?”

“They’re Baltic strawberries. They’re hardy strawberries that can withstand the cold winters of the Baltic region.”

The two of them had already experienced that winter.

In the middle of winter, Ain traveled to the former Demon King’s territory, now known as the former royal capital.

Meanwhile, Krone walked around the cold town gathering information.

“It was cold in the Baltic region at that time.

“I have many good memories, but the cold was really hard to bear.”

Krone smiled wryly.

It was certainly filled with good memories for her, though.

She rested on the bed that Ain had secretly used, then quietly replaced the pillow.

It was a secret she still couldn’t tell anyone.

When she finally fell asleep from exhaustion, she was touched by Ain’s kindness and felt warm inside.

“Ain-sama! I dug a hole over here!”

“Got it! I’m coming over!”

It was Dill who called out.

Even he, known as the lion of the royal family, was working up a sweat, iron shovel in hand.

He stood in a corner of the garden. Three holes had been dug there.

His white shirt and golden fur stood out.

“Here we go…”

Ain picked the sapling.

It wasn’t particularly heavy. However, the fact that the crown prince was doing such work himself made the servants and butlers feel uneasy.

“This isn’t so bad, is it?”

“Oh, Ain, you like gardening?”

“I like it quite a bit. After all, I am the Demon King of the World Tree.”

“Fufu… You’re quite the family-oriented Demon King, aren’t you?”

They joked around as they carried the saplings.

This was by no means the result of his subordinates’ negligence, but rather a division of labor.

Dill dug the holes; he never intended to let Krone carry anything heavy.

Marco, who was usually by his side, was absent because he was training the Black Knights.

“How does this outfit look? Does it suit me?”

“I think it’s cute.”

Ain wore a long, apron-like garment to keep himself from getting dirty.

Krone laughed at Ain’s words, finding them amusing.

“I’m glad you like it. Hey, Dill? What’s Katima-san doing?”

“Knowing that I had work to do, she kidnapped—no, took—Chris-sama out of the city early this morning.”

It seemed like Chris was today’s sacrifice.

Ain made an expression that was hard to read, then turned toward the city and gazed into the distance.

Still, it was good that she didn’t interfere with Dill’s work.

Chris was chosen as a sacrifice, but she’d be fine.

“For Chris’s sake, we have to make sure it grows into a good tree.”

That was Ain’s goal for the day.

“Yes, I’m sure everything will be fine, Ain.”

He learned this while planting trees in Magna.

If Ain had given the order, even small trees would have grown large. However, magic would be drawn from Ain’s body, but that was a minor issue.

After all, the Demon King’s magic was vast.

“First of all, if we don’t succeed, it won’t become a specialty product.”

That’s right. The other day, Krone suggested turning the fruit from Ain’s trees into a specialty product.

The previous ripples were much larger than normal and tasted exquisite.

Even Laralua liked them, and now there are large, rippling trees in the castle.

“Anyway, I think Baltic strawberries are a good choice, Ain-sama.”

“Thank you. But Krone chose them.”

“Why not ripples?” There was a reason for that.

It was a matter of harvest quantity.

“With wild strawberries, we can expect a decent harvest. With Ain’s influence, we can also expect the fruit to grow larger.”

Krone spoke confidently.

“That’s right. If they grow as large as ripples, even small wild strawberries can grow to a decent size.

Wild strawberries produce a lot of fruit. That’s why they thought they would be suitable for this specialty product.

“Also, they can be processed.”

“Yes, for example, jam. I think there are many uses for them.”

Many people can be involved, such as processors, merchants who sell jars, and those who make the jars.

If it goes well, it will undoubtedly be a popular topic of conversation.

(So, my reputation… It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but do you mean using that reputation?)

Ain was very popular. He had been ever since he defeated the sea dragon, and he had created many legends since then.

The other day, Krone was wondering whether to take advantage of his popularity.

Wasn’t that a shallow idea? Wouldn’t people be disappointed? Krone was torn that day.

But if the proceeds went to Strohm, that changed things.

During the last tree-planting festival, Olivia said Ain’s actions would bring prosperity to Ishtalika.

This time, too, Ain was using his power for Strohm.

If things turn out that way, no one will speak ill of Ain and the others.

If the strawberries were delicious, those who ate them would be happy.

Strohm would also take a step forward toward liveliness and prosperity. It wasn’t a bad plan.

Besides, not using his power wasn’t in Ain’s nature.

“Ain-sama, I’ve finished planting them.”

While Ain was thinking, Dill quickly planted the three saplings in the ground.

The three saplings lined up side by side looked like cute brothers.

“Thank you. Well, then, let’s get started.”

“Ain, don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”

“I’m fine. But if I run out of magic and collapse, please take care of me.”

If that happened, it might affect Cain and the others, too. He was sorry if that happened.

He silently apologized in his heart, then approached the saplings.

“…Good grief! I’ll take care of you no matter what, but be careful not to collapse.”

“I know. I’m just kidding.”

With that, Ain gently reached out his hand.

His hand touched the sapling’s leaves. As soon as his hand made contact, he felt as though they had somehow communicated.

“I always thought you were like brothers, but you really are brothers.”

Suddenly, Ain felt that thought reach his mind.

They weren’t words, but he felt as though the sapling’s thoughts had reached him.

“Is it okay if I transfer my power to you? …I see. I’m relieved.”

Krone and Dill, who were behind him, had no idea what he was talking about.

They only noticed that the leaves of the sapling seemed to shine even brighter.

Ain touched the sapling in the middle with his hand.

Then, the sapling filled his body with its power.

The soil rose up, and the roots thickened and protruded.

With a groaning sound, the trunk stretched out.

Then, the saplings on either side began to grow toward the one in the middle, intertwining like a braid.

“H-huh…?”

Ain had intended to make them grow one by one, little by little.

But the saplings were growing together before his eyes.

This wasn’t what he had planned. He had planned to proceed cautiously while observing the situation.

“Ain? I thought you might want to take it slower.”

“I was planning to do that, too! It’s just that things got out of hand.”

“Out of hand? I’d say it’s more like ‘out of control.’”

Ain looked at the intertwined Baltic strawberry saplings.

Actually, it’s too tall to be called a sapling.

Judging by eye, it’s probably about ten meters tall. It’s no exaggeration to call it a large tree.

However,

“But Ain-sama, it seems like we have enough fruit for what we need.”

With his golden hair blowing in the wind, Dill said.

“You’re right. Krone, what do you think?”

“Yeah, if we can get this much, I think we’ll be able to manage…”

That said, one tree wasn’t enough.

Ain will need to grow more little by little. But there were plenty of fruits.

“Oh, one fell!”

A strawberry fell into Ain’s hand.

Could the tree have given it to him? Seeing it fall right into his hand, he thanked the tree.

“Isn’t this too big?”

He held the strawberry up to Krone and Dill.

Normally, it should be about the size of a fingertip. However, this fruit was about the size of a fist.

It glistened with moisture and was a vivid red.

A sweet and sour fragrance wafted through the air.

“If they’re big and there are lots of them, that’s great.”

“Well, yeah… I guess so.”

Ain wanted to convey the abnormality of the situation, but Krone was satisfied with the unexpected result.

Meanwhile, Dill gazed at the strawberries with admiration.

“In that case…” Ain said, drawing his sword from his waist.

“You two, please.”

He cut the strawberries into three pieces and handed one to each of them.

When he cut into the fruit, its rich aroma became even stronger.

“I think even nobles would have no complaints about the taste of this. I’m sure Laralua-sama would be delighted.”

Dill said. Ain was relieved to hear those words.

However, Krone just chewed the strawberry silently.

“Um, Krone? I’d appreciate it if you could tell me what you think.”

But she still didn’t say a word.

Suddenly, she grabbed Ain’s sleeve and glared at him.

“Eh, um?”

“What’s wrong?” 

Ain asked with his eyes.

Under the clear blue sky, the warm sunlight danced down, and Ain waited quietly for Krone to answer.

“Huff…”

Suddenly, a breathy sound escaped Krone’s mouth.

It wasn’t her usual dignified voice but one with a hint of flirtatiousness.

Then, Dill quickly read the atmosphere and said,

“Ain-sama, I’ll go get some water!”

He ran off to get water for the large Baltic strawberries.

He couldn’t help but feel a little sorry.

“It…”

“It?”

When she finally spoke, it was just a single word.

However, she slowly continued.

“It… was delicious.”

“Um, you were quiet until now. Is that why?”

Krone nodded quietly.

Her expression said it all, telling Ain just how delicious it was.

(Could it be Krone?)

Ain realized something.

Come to think of it, he had left it up to Krone to choose a tree to bear fruit.

“Krone, do you like strawberries?”

There were many good reasons for choosing Baltic strawberries.

They produced a lot of fruit, and the fruit was large.

Furthermore, they were cold-resistant and could survive in extremely cold climates.

But maybe those were just after-the-fact reasons.

Seeing Krone tilt her head in confusion, Ain asked again.

“I think Baltic strawberries were a good choice. Everyone agrees it is. So, I was wondering what you thought…”

It was a good choice—that’s a fact. He won’t nitpick the details.

He needed to find out if this was really what she liked.

Ain was tormented by a mysterious sense of responsibility.

“Y-you don’t have to tease me…”

“I’m not teasing you. So, what do you think?”

It was okay if her preferences were included in something that wasn’t a problem, right?

“There’s no need to be shy.” 

Ain smiled wryly.

“… Lo…”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you. Could you say that again?”

“I-I said… I love it.”

Krone clutched Ain’s sleeve and spoke with a red face.

Suddenly, it felt like she had seen a new world.

Why had she suddenly been overcome with a sense of responsibility? The reason became clear at that moment.

Hearing such powerful words, Ain answered Krone with a gentle expression.

“I want to share some with the people at the mansion, so let’s pick some more. Then we can eat them slowly in your room.”

On this day, Ain learned what Krone’s favorite food was.

He never imagined it would make her so happy.

After that, Krone rejoiced at Ain’s words.

When she ate the newly picked strawberries in her room, she smiled broadly and enjoyed them.

She was probably embarrassed that her preferences were reflected in her work, even though it was just work.

This was due to her sense of responsibility. Ain speculated.

In any case, she had created something that could become a specialty.

She must work hard from now on. Ain made a firm resolution and thought about Strohm’s future.

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