第１００１堀：各国の交易状況その１ (Part2)
"It seems he even goes out for drinks with our King of Roday from time to time; he’s surprisingly easygoing, isn't he?"
"Right, then it’s my turn. Enaria has been clashing with Zilba for ages, but thanks to Yuki’s intervention, things have calmed down quite a bit. I was worried about food self-sufficiency and a shortage of trade goods after losing the town of Betan, but we can buy from Betan at the same prices as before. Plus, with the wars gone, Enaria itself has been able to expand its fields and factories—if anything, we’re actually short on hands."
"I see. By the way, what’s the status of the recovery magic and medical knowledge that Enora mentioned? I recall there being talk about it potentially competing with Hifi’s group?"
"That’s not an issue either. Our regions are practically on opposite sides, and there are countless places in need of recovery magic. We’re both struggling with a lack of personnel. I thought our income might drop now that the wars have ended, but we’ve been flooded with requests from towns and villages that had been holding back until now. We’re in meetings every day trying to figure out how to increase the number of recovery mages."
Indeed. We are finally able to extend a helping hand to those who truly need it—the very thing Lady Hifi dreamed of. She is dedicating her heart and soul to meeting those needs.
And since Agil-san has finished speaking, that means…
"Then, I shall explain Roday’s diplomatic and trade situation. Though, to be honest, Roday hasn't had any notable trouble with either. If I had to point out one thing, it would be the sudden increase in tourists from White Forest."
"From White Forest?"
"Yes. With the gates established, travel has become easy even from the snowy regions, and it seems many people are coming to Roday, a friendly nation, via Weed. It appears they are facing issues with maintaining public order, much like Weed."
"So, everyone is dealing with similar problems. Well, let’s make that a topic for the next exchange meeting. Speaking of White Forest, we don't have any representatives from there present, do we?"
I thought the same, as there are no personnel from the Kingdom of White Forest seconded to Weed, so we wouldn't be able to hear their side…
"What are you talking about? I’m right here, aren't I?"
Just as I was thinking that, Comet-san interrupted, making her presence known.
"Ah, come to think of it, you were worshipped like a god in White Forest, weren't you?"
I had forgotten about that, too. However, in her day-to-day life, Comet-san looks like nothing more than a researcher, so it had completely slipped my mind.
"That’s right! So, if you want to know about White Forest, you should be asking me!"
"But Comet, aren't you bad at diplomatic relations and things like that?"
As Yuki-sama pointed out, Comet-san’s talents lie in research rather than governance; she’s perfectly content just developing technology here in Weed.
"Well, sure. But I’m the one who built the foundation for life over there. You’d be remiss to forget that. So, when the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance was formed, they asked me for advice. They wanted to know if there were any good specialty products from White Forest. I mean, they have folk crafts unique to elves and demi-humans, but those are limited in number."
"Well, that’s true."
Handmade goods are inevitably limited in production. Usually, for crops, you could increase the harvest by expanding the fields, but White Forest is a land of extreme cold, so crops are…
"Ah, did Comet-san introduce some new crops?"
"Bingo, Samantha! I was the one who improved the land so people could survive in that freezing climate. And this time, I incorporated Taizo-san’s suggestions!"
"““Taizo-san?””"
Wait, Taizo-san is Taiki-sama’s uncle, born in Japan like Yuki-sama, and I was under the impression that he, like Comet-san, was primarily skilled in technical development? As that question crossed my mind, I looked at Taizo-san, who gave a wry smile and said…
"No, it was nothing major. For crops that grow in cold regions, cabbage, mandarin oranges, and apples are the standard, right? I just suggested we order them through DP and start production. It’s not like we had to go out and find wild species adapted to that land to crossbreed them. It was simple enough."
"““Ah…””"
That explanation made perfect sense. Come to think of it, oranges and apples were indeed listed among the exports from White Forest. So that was Taizo-san’s proposal.
"Heh heh. How about that?"
"No, that just means it was thanks to Taizo-san in the end."
With Comet-san’s strange, puffed-up pride—as if she’d just claimed a victory—providing a bit of laughter, the discussion on diplomacy and trade continued.
It seems the first half of the reports from each country is peaceful enough. I’m relieved that no major problems seem likely to arise. Still, we’re only halfway through, so I wonder how things will unfold from here?