第７２８堀：ま、落ち着け (Part2)
"No, when it comes to business, trust is important, isn't it? And Enaria too. Your country is in turmoil right now, isn't it? I told you to finish that first before talking about trade."
"That's a separate matter. This wheat business isn't about demanding territorial concessions from each country. It's about offering priority to countries that want to buy it. I hear harvests are low on the Rogari Continent due to monsters."
Indeed, what King Enaria said was true.
Compared to the continent of If and the New Continent, the continent of Rogari was plagued by the threat of monsters, and food supply lagged behind the other two continents.
Thanks to Yuki, wars between nations had scaled back, and a cooperative system was beginning to form, leading to increased land reclamation. However, the existence of monsters still hindered development, and many regions suffered from a lack of food.
Therefore, the continent of Rogari was looking to import food to supplement their shortages through this intercontinental exchange.
"The situation on the Rogari Continent is true, but let's share the wheat amicably. Otherwise, you'll both be ruined by a price war."
"That's not..."
"You can't say for sure that it won't happen. Besides, if I were doing business, I'd trade with someone who could supply stably rather than with fools doing that."
"What do you mean?"
King Zilba and King Enaria were bewildered by Yuki's words.
This wasn't about who could offer the cheapest price for a large quantity.
"I can't do business with someone who competes with their neighbors by raising and lowering prices; the price fluctuations are too extreme. It's better to secure a certain amount and have them supply it at the same price. It makes future planning easier. You don't extract all your tax revenue at once, do you? It's more profitable to collect taxes at a stable rate over a longer period."
"..."
Yuki was a good explainer.
The two of them fell silent thanks to her.
"So, it's better to win the other party's trust and have a long-term trade relationship, isn't it? Your reserves aren't infinite either. Well, it's still a crop, so it has a shelf life, but you don't have to force yourself to sell at a loss. Rather, use that food to reclaim more land and earn more. The continent of Rogari would be helped by that. In fact, wouldn't any country engaged in intercontinental exchange appreciate a system where they can expect food aid in times of need?"
"I see. I had never thought of it that way."
"It's like politics, looking ahead."
"Well, it's a matter of what applies to any situation. With the recent alliance, conflicts in the form of wars between nations have decreased. Seeing that, focusing on the economy in the future was a good idea. Talk more calmly. Exporting surplus wheat based on the situation in the Rogari Continent, if it becomes too cheap as a result of national competition, it will lead to selling below cost for you. On our side, the Rogari Continent's wheat will become more expensive and won't sell. Then, various problems could arise. First, wheat farmers will stop growing wheat. Then, for future wheat supply, you'll be completely reliant on the continent of If. Well, that might be acceptable, but if there's a slight disruption, like bad weather, and the continent of If can't produce wheat for export to the Rogari Continent, famine will naturally occur. And you know what happens then, don't you?"
The result would be war over food.
And not just any war, but an intercontinental war.
It would be on a scale far beyond anything seen before.
The casualties would undoubtedly be immeasurable.
"..."
After hearing this, there was no one who didn't understand. Not only King Zilba and King Enaria, but also the other kings and the accompanying ministers realized the gravity of the situation and fell silent.
"Therefore, regarding the wheat supply rate, we need to have proper discussions not only with the continent of Rogari but also with the New Continent. Understood?"
When Yuki said this, everyone nodded.
Yes. Yuki is truly amazing. Her knowledge and application skills are far beyond those of ordinary kings and us.
"Now, with everyone calmed down, let's move on to the main topic for which you were all gathered. It's a request from the Enaria Holy Kingdom: the verification of the holy sword and its wielder. We cannot proceed with intercontinental exchange if we cannot overcome this. King Enaria, what are the preparations?"
"Hmm. Your preparations are..."
Thus, the If Continent Conference finally began in earnest.
"I hope it ends without any problems," Agil murmured, and we, along with Yuki, who was unifying everyone there, would have agreed.
Honestly, we're all exhausted from working non-stop...
Therefore, since Cleena and the others are also tired, a summer vacation pitfall will begin next time.
Well, we planned a haunted house event, but we hadn't done a summer beach episode yet.
The main story will be paused for a bit, but please forgive us and look forward to it.