第１６６１堀：素敵な授業の狙い (Part1)
**Chapter 1661: The Intent Behind a Wonderful Lesson**
**Side: Eupia**
Yuki and his companions have temporarily returned to Weed to seek agricultural advice from Kaya. Since the Gate remains open, they will return as soon as their business is concluded.
While pondering this, I review the contents of the lesson Yuki conducted today. Fundamentally, the lecture proceeded exactly as the proposal had outlined. However, another document caught my eye—a report from Show, who had submitted his own proposal and observed the proceedings from the sidelines.
*“Considering the necessities for eradicating the culture of ‘mouth-reduction.’ Agriculture Edition.”*
The title says it all, and the content follows suit. It is a discourse on eliminating the practice of sacrificing the weak—the elderly or the infirm—by improving agricultural output. To any ruler, the title alone would invite a scoff. It is a concept everyone has considered at some point. When food is scarce and cannot be easily increased, one is forced to sell their subjects or send them to the front lines to die in battle. It is the classic case of "easier said than done."
Yet, upon reading the lecture notes, that opinion would surely change.
"Heh heh… From the necessity of mouth-reduction, he explores methods of agricultural reform to raise national power and strengthen unity…"
A smile escapes me. It is overly idealistic—perhaps too much so—but…
"Indeed. Yuki-sama’s words are remarkably piercing; they strike at the very heart of our past mistakes."
"Aye. The best we could ever manage was expanding fields or finding new hunting grounds. But to suggest changing what we plant, or even selective breeding? I am truly humbled."
"Of course, it is not simple. It is not simple, but… it is not impossible. Especially not for us."
Indeed, as Show says, that lesson was not aimed solely at the students; it was aimed at us. If anything, it felt like a reprimand for what we have—or haven’t—been doing all this time.
"Researching agriculture at a national level… Each lord, village, and town has its own unique methods, and I had always assumed those were untouchable territories…"
"It is not about seizing those methods, but sharing them to increase the total production of the nation. There is nothing wrong with that. While the crops that thrive depend on the soil, it is not strange to find common varieties that could be shared, nor would it be impossible to avoid the total collapse of a single crop due to some blight."
"From a national perspective, it means stable harvests. That, in turn, should reduce the need for mouth-reduction. And it would stabilize public order, too."
"Well, it is hard to say it is a direct correlation, but the possibility of avoiding death by starvation is certainly high."
Hmm. As Show says, food cannot solve every problem, but it will undoubtedly reduce the loss of life. Moreover, it implies that the state will guarantee the production of crops. When famine strikes, it would no longer be a matter of a lord begging for aid from neighbors; the state would be able to provide subsidies.
Such a system exists now, of course. However, it relies on the lord filing an application, and regardless of whether the land is fertile or barren, such an application casts doubt on the lord’s competence. It is seen as a disgrace. But if the state were to manage the process, it would shift from a matter of dishonor to one of investigating causes and implementing solutions.
"It is a difficult path, but research and development between lords or factions is common enough. If we conduct it as a national project for the sake of stability, we should see definite results."
"Yes. Though, that leads to the questions of funding, supplies, and the shortage of manpower."
"Ah, as for funding and supplies, we have support from the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance, so that is not much of an issue. Come to think of it, Yuki mentioned that Weed has been central to allocating crop production across various nations, leading to great prosperity. But I heard that, as a result, they are facing a labor shortage."
"Having a guaranteed market is a powerful thing. If you produce it, it sells. Naturally, that leads to a labor shortage. Because of that, slaves have become incredibly popular, and it has become standard practice to provide them with proper food, clothing, and shelter in exchange for their labor."
"…I heard. Because of that, those who deal in slaves have been scrambling to overhaul their laws to stop the outflow of their population."
"If a nation officially condones slavery, the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance will simply buy them all up. Or, one is forced to rely solely on domestic demand. The sheer difference in capital is too great. If all your slaves are bought out, your national power will plummet."
Treating slaves with care. It is something that would have been unthinkable in the Zuraburu Empire until recently, but since our involvement with Weed, we have been rushing to update our laws. Instead of selling people, we are gaining our livelihood from what people produce. It has become a proper, legitimate flow. If we don't, as Show says, our domestic labor force will simply be carried off to foreign lands.
"However, Your Majesty, thanks to Yuki-sama’s lesson, couldn't the Zuraburu Empire now openly engage in cultivating crops to sell to the Intercontinental Exchange Alliance?"
"Indeed. The resistance from those still clinging to the Hein faction is strong, and I was wondering how to explain this to them. But if we teach it to the students first, it will make subsequent persuasion much easier."
The utility of cooperation—and above all, the elimination of starvation—is an attractive prospect anywhere. If the students are the ones to convey this, the old guard cannot openly silence them. They are young, after all. Dreaming is the privilege of the youth. It is hard to call their words lies, and we have the pressure to back it up. We can push this.
"The fools in the provinces can be managed by your decree, Your Majesty, but the problem remains the roads to each territory."
"The roads. Without them, transportation will remain impossible."
"Yes. If we do not solve this, the crops will rot before they can be used. Though, I suspect the lending of the Cores includes that as well."
"…Kuku… Hahahahaha!"
I suddenly recalled a proposal for technology transfer that Weed had presented to us—a matter we are still desperately debating in meetings.
"So that’s it! That was what Yuki was aiming for all along!"
"Who knows? It is possible it just happened to connect, is it not?"
"Whether it was intentional or a happy coincidence, it matters not. In the end, it solves the very issues that each side was hesitant about: the transportation of goods and people, and the significance of the vehicles themselves for general use."
"Regarding the vehicles, the fools were saying they should be for nobles only, or at most, for military use."
"They are truly idiots. If they were popularized, logistics would improve significantly. Along with that, roads would be developed, and while it might not be everywhere, vast tracts of land would become usable."
Yes. Once the vehicles and the roads are in place, we will be able to engage in agriculture and livestock farming on land that was previously impossible to utilize.