第１８２２堀：目的の国についてと商品紹介 (Part1)
Ditch 1822: The Target Country and Product Showcase
The Target Country and Product Showcase
Side: Orelia
Before us, King Oue and others, having finished their greetings, spread out a map provided by Weed on the table and began their explanation.
“The Kingdom of Jeyaes is located here, and like the Kingdom of Oue, it is a nation that relies on forest hunting and crop cultivation on its plains, which also serve as its source of income.”
The indicated location was indeed where the country lay, approximately 1,000 kilometers away.
Hmm, it feels a bit far to be called a neighboring country, but since this is the distance to their capital, and there are towns and villages in between, their border must be closer.
However, if horse-drawn carriages are the primary means of long-distance travel, a daily distance of 20 kilometers would be considered good, meaning it would take about 50 days.
Well, it’s a natural calculation considering the distance, but for us, that time is wasted.
After all, for travel, we will provide vehicles, so 100 kilometers a day is a certainty. We can expect it to take 10 days.
The problem isn't there, however...
“Crops as a source of income? In that case, can we assume its scale is quite substantial?”
“Yes. The Kingdom of Jeyaes boasts the largest export volume while the Kingdom of Oue relies on food imports. Our primary goal is to successfully negotiate with them first.”
“I see.”
If it supports the Kingdom of Oue with food, its cultivated land area must be enormous.
“What about its territory?”
“We haven’t heard the exact size of its territory, but…”
Princess Suena began marking the map with a pen in response to Yuki’s question.
It was an impressively vast area.
“With this, food production is certainly possible. What about its national power, population, and so on?”
“This is also hearsay, but it’s said to be 30 times the size of our country, meaning it reaches 3 million.”
“3 million? I see, in that case, they certainly possess power.”
A population of 3 million.
It’s certainly large, but it feels a bit insufficient to be called a great power.
Great powers generally exceed 10 million; perhaps it’s in the middle range of a mid-tier nation?
“Regarding military strength, it’s not exact, but they are said to have a total force of 100,000.”
“I see. Now, to the main topic: does this country have any specific characteristics, preferences, or cultural features?”
“Well, the Kingdom of Jeyaes borders the same forest as the Kingdom of Oue, so the fundamentals are similar. It would be best to avoid dishes with raw fish. The perception in this region is that river fish are always accompanied by parasites, and they are inedible unless thoroughly cooked.”
“Suena is correct. Therefore, handing over the fish itself frozen in ice is not a problem. Sea fish are quite intriguing, you see.”
“I see.”
Ah, so it’s not that raw fish itself is forbidden, but rather eating it raw. Sending raw fish is perfectly fine.
Indeed, if the raw fish received can simply be cooked, there’s nothing to worry about.
And it seems sea fish are indeed considered a rarity here as well.
As this explanation was being given, Mikos gently raised her hand.
“Hm? What is it, Mikos?”
“Well, it’s good that we’ve heard an overview of the Kingdom of Jeyaes, but regarding the gifts, or rather, the trade goods, wouldn’t it be faster to show them what we have and get their opinions?”
“Ah, that’s true. We have pamphlets, catalogues for everyone, right?”
“Of course.”
Indeed, it would be faster to have them look at the catalogue and confirm things rather than going through each item one by one.
Mikos immediately distributed the catalogues to everyone present and had them review the contents.
One was passed to me as well, so I casually opened it.
Inside, it was all in full color, with pages divided by genre.
Foodstuffs, sundries, clothing, home appliances, weapons, armor, accessories, and medicines.
The catalogue exceeded a hundred pages, and each product had descriptions written in a script readable even in Oue, clearly explaining its purpose at a glance.
Especially for home appliances, the descriptions were detailed, so even if one didn't fully understand them, they would certainly pique interest.
As I thought this and continued reading...
“I-impossible!?”
“T-this is…!”
“What did you say?!”
Such voices came from the Oue side, and when I looked up, I saw them staring at the catalogue in astonishment.
The senior vassals had similar expressions, and I wondered if the contents were somehow problematic, but then…
“Was there some problem? Would you mind telling us?”
That was not for me to say, but for Yuki to handle.
But what kind of problem could it be?
The contents were certainly splendid, so perhaps there was something that was unacceptable for their country?
“No, not a problem. Or rather, is it a problem? Suena, you’re saying the same thing, aren’t you?”
“Yes! To be able to trade for such, such an abundance of goods, it’s simply too enviable!”
“Princess Suena is absolutely right. Can we also order this armor?!”
“““...Ah.”””
So that’s it.
No, well, this catalogue is being presented for negotiations with the Kingdom of Jeyaes, so while I wouldn’t say it has nothing to do with Oue, it’s secondary, and I understand why they’d feel envious.
For Oue, who understands Weed’s existence, being able to choose and purchase these items would be like holding a book, a catalogue, filled with mountains of treasure.
“I’m glad you’re pleased. Yes, it would be good for Oue to use them as a practical example. Mikos, Ratz, what kind of volume are you anticipating? Do we have enough to allocate to Oue?”
“Eh? Ah, yes. The products listed in the basic catalogue are being produced in sufficient quantities, and for magic-infused home appliances, even the larger items that take time to produce have their raw materials, so there’s no issue. Well, if we suddenly have to produce hundreds of appliances, that would cause delays. This is a catalogue based on existing stock, after all. We generally have about 20 in stock. When they run out, we make more.”
“I see, then we can allocate some to Oue. Or rather, are you assuming we’ll be distributing these to other countries besides Oue?”
“That’s right~. Ratz and I discussed this, hoping the catalogue would be successful. Originally, Yuki-sensei brought magic power generators and general home appliances to the Magic Kingdom and the Haiden International Exchange School, didn’t he? So we thought, if we had a catalogue like this, things would go more smoothly.”