第１６６８堀：難しく聞こえるけど元はとても単純 (Part1)
Chapter 1668: It Sounds Complicated, But the Roots Are Simple
Side: Yuki
Before I knew it, time had flown by, and I was already on my fifth day of working at the school in Zuraburu.
Perhaps because I’d managed to get a good grasp on the flow of things since the first day’s lecture, the discussion regarding the "agricultural reform" I’d proposed—aimed at reducing the need for "population control"—was progressing without a hitch.
"In short, you’re saying we should gather information from various regions, identify crops suited to each area, prepare the farmland, deal with the surrounding monsters and pests, and improve the roads to facilitate not only the transport of crops but also the movement of people and farming tools."
I stood before the blackboard, where everyone’s ideas had been scribbled down, and summarized their consensus.
"Yes. If we can secure all of that, I believe the farmland will flourish."
"The issue, however, is where we’ll find the funding and manpower to carry out everything we’ve just listed."
The male and female students who had emerged as the de facto coordinators for recent classes reached that conclusion.
Honestly, it might be a bit presumptuous to say, but roles for organizing and adjusting everyone’s opinions had naturally taken shape. It was like having a class representative or a committee chair.
That’s just how it goes.
This kind of leadership inevitably arises whenever a group forms. The other two classes had been the same.
As for what comes next...
"Before we finalize those points, why don't we try talking to the other classes?"
" " "Eh?" " "
The students were taken aback by my suggestion.
"Not just within your own class—exchange opinions with the others. I’m sure some of you have already been asking around individually, haven't you?"
"Ah, yes. I have heard some things."
"Good. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s essential. It means you’re listening to a variety of perspectives. So, go ahead and present what you’ve gathered here to the other classes. See if they’ve reached the same conclusions or if they have different ideas entirely. You don’t know the full scope of what the other classes are thinking, do you?"
"That would be, well, quite a task."
"That’s exactly why you ask. Then, you synthesize those opinions. If you can consolidate a proposal not just from one class, but from all of them, there’s no reason the teachers wouldn’t consider it. You didn't just do it on your own; you thought it through as a collective student body. Whether it gets adopted or not isn't the point—the fact that you’re capable of taking that kind of action is what matters."
Exactly. If every individual just shouts their own opinion, it carries no weight.
But when people unite, that unity creates persuasive power.
Of course, if the content is completely absurd, you’ll undoubtedly be laughed at, but they’ll at least look at it once. It’s a good way to learn the meaning and the strength of gathering people together.
"Well, if you can’t manage to align your opinions with the other classes, you won’t be able to submit anything to the teachers, of course."
"Mmm, that sounds difficult."
"Yeah, it’s not easy. But your leader, Emperor Eupia, does exactly that. The monumental task of gathering the opinions of many, selecting the best path as a representative, and executing it. And doing so against great powers, no less. You all will soon need to reconcile your opinions with students coming from those very great powers."
"Reconcile opinions? Instead of pushing our own desires through?"
"Exactly. Let’s look at it from the opposite perspective. If the other countries—or the classes you’re about to talk to—tried to force their agricultural reform proposals onto you, how would you feel?"
"Ah... I would be dissatisfied."
"Precisely. Even if there’s an opinion you think is wrong, you must listen to why they reached that conclusion and how they arrived there before you start thinking of countermeasures. If you say, 'I won’t listen to a word you say, just do as I command,' you’ll only breed resentment. It’s important to listen to other valuable opinions, show that you understand them, and then provide your answer."
To be honest, the world is tangled in vested interests, so there are plenty of people who will try to force their opinions through regardless.
No matter how much logic or reason you present, it’s common for things to be steamrolled for the sake of someone’s greed, and the behind-the-scenes maneuvering required for that is an everyday occurrence.
Kings and Prime Ministers are the ones who control the entity known as a "nation" by managing those very things: logic, reason, and greed.
Though, there are plenty of cases where the leader is effectively just a figurehead.
Even so, those who control, control.
Most of these students are nobles, so they’ve likely heard of such things and have had some experience with them.
But that’s as far as it goes. It’s a matter of perspective, or perhaps the ceiling they’re looking at is still far, far above them.
As I thought this, I looked at the students' faces, and they seemed to be deep in contemplation...
"It sounds very difficult."
"It is difficult. Even Emperor Eupia can’t just snap his fingers and reach a consensus. He spends months in meetings with the heavyweights of the country, then discusses things at the International Exchange Alliance before reaching a conclusion. I can honestly tell you from experience that those meetings are grueling. Think of this as a first step toward the day you eventually step into that arena. Consider it an exercise."
"An exercise..."
"Yes. Reconciling opinions with many people, including those from other countries. No matter how much I explain it in words, there are many things you can only understand by actually doing them. You’ve already had various discoveries just by discussing agricultural reform in this class, haven't you?"
"Yes. We learned about causes of poor harvests we hadn't considered, crop damage from external factors, and even weather that simply can't be helped..."
"Exactly. Just knowing that there are things you don't know, learning the countermeasures, and sharing them—that alone has value. You could even compile this into a book. If you sent it to struggling rural areas, it might increase the chances of improvement. But if you do nothing, nothing will change. This is that first step."
"This is..."
The students looked as if they had suddenly awakened, but I decided to drive the point home.
"You seem to have realized a lot of things, but this isn't anything special."
" " "Eh?" " "
Everyone looked at me with expressions of surprise.
There’s a sense of specialness in being taught by someone "important," but in reality, that’s not the case at all.
"If you think about it carefully—or perhaps, if you remember—when you don't know something, you get taught. You ask. Haven't you all been doing that since you were children?"
" " "Ah." " "
They seemed to have a moment of realization, all of them staring blankly.
That saved me.
Well, since they’re at this school, they’ve been in an environment where the proper resources were available, so they must have been taught by someone.
The tricky part is that some of them are the type to break through barriers on their own.
Still, even that...