Chapter 46

On the other hand, at that time.

In a certain room within the mansion, Isaac stood facing Nelson with a look of shock.

Beside Isaac, Haber was also present, but he did not appear particularly disturbed and nodded in agreement with what Nelson was saying.

"So, it's fine if we proceed as Lord Kazura's close aide, correct?"

"Hmm. Be sure not to incur his displeasure. First, follow Lord Kazura's instructions diligently, increase the frequency of your interactions to gain his trust and confidence. You can move to secure additional support after it becomes clear that Lord Kazura's own efforts to provide support have come to an end... What's wrong, Isaac? Are you dissatisfied with something?"

"...Lord Nelson, even if it's for the sake of the country... or the people, to scheme to extract more support from Lord Graciel, who has come to save us, is..."

Nelson frowned at Isaac's pained expression.

Beside Isaac, Haber looked at him with a rather cold gaze.

"Isaac, do you know how much of a difference there is in national power between Barbe and our country, Arcadia?"

"...Yes."

"Then you should understand. We don't know what means Lord Kazura will employ in the future, but let's assume that the food problem in the Isteer territory is resolved, and issues such as flood control, sanitation, and even the economy are restored. In that state, if our country goes to war with Barbe four years from now, how much chance do you think we have of defeating Barbe?"

"...If the former allied countries join hands again, we at least won't lose."

"Yes, but where is the guarantee that those countries won't become our enemies four years from now or choose to remain neutral? The alliance formed during the last war was only possible because Barbe underestimated the southern countries and launched simultaneous attacks on all of them, which was a rather foolish move. Additionally, a major offensive by the northern barbarians against Barbe at almost the same time worked to our advantage."

"Do you think that if we go to war with Barbe again, we will be defeated?"

In response to Nelson's explanation, Isaac asked with a look of indignation.

"It's possible depending on the situation. We are also preparing for war and conducting diplomacy to maintain our alliances. We don't intend to lose easily."

"Then why!?"

Isaac questioned in a tone of accusation, and Nelson, who had been sitting in his chair, leaned back and sighed.

"...About a month ago, Barbe made peace with some of the northern barbarians."

"!?!"

"They are likely working to make peace or cease-fire agreements with other barbarians. They are securing their rear and planning to attack again."

Beside the speechless Isaac, Haber also widened his eyes in surprise.

If Barbe makes peace with the barbarians, they won't have to fight on two fronts in the next war.

Moreover, there's even a possibility that mercenaries hired from the barbarians will join Barbe's camp.

"Is there any possibility of avoiding the war?"

Isaac asked, as if squeezing out the words, and Nelson shook his head.

"Given that they have made peace with the barbarians who have been a constant nuisance, they will definitely attack. Furthermore, they have abolished conscription and adopted a volunteer system, hiring a large number of soldiers from the poor class, significantly increasing the size of their standing army. Their diplomats called it 'part of economic policy,' but their purpose has become clear now that they have made peace with the barbarians."

"...However, how can they have the financial resources to prepare a large amount of weapons and maintain a standing army so soon after the ceasefire? I heard that Barbe ran out of tin during the last war... Have they discovered a new large tin mine?"

Nelson explained, and Haber, who had been silent until then, spoke up.

Maintaining an army requires a vast amount of funds.

For countries like Arcadia, which adopt conscription, the maintenance costs for the army are limited to the necessary period, and the weapons are generally provided by the conscripts themselves.

So, the costs borne by the conscription side are mainly a one-time payment for the duration of the conscripts' service and various expenses such as food for the army.

However, the volunteer system recently adopted by Barbe is a completely different matter.

As Haber mentioned, there are three important elements in Barbe's volunteer system, including the provision of weapons by the state.

1. The weapons and equipment for the hired soldiers are provided by the state, and their salaries are guaranteed.

This allows even the poor, who cannot afford to buy weapons, to become soldiers and escape poverty by volunteering.

It's a win-win situation, as it helps alleviate poverty and improves public safety by increasing the number of standing soldiers and raising the living standards of the poor.

2. The service period for soldiers is set at 25 years.

By setting a service period, it becomes easier to plan long-term operations.

Additionally, it prevents the disruption of domestic food production, as those who would otherwise be tending to crops are not called to military service.

3. Soldiers are given a pension or land when they retire.

This ensures that soldiers do not have to worry about their lives after their service period.

In other words, if they can survive their service period, they can look forward to a comfortable retirement, depending on the amount of savings they accumulate during their service.

However, fulfilling all three of these conditions requires a vast amount of funds.

The weapons used by soldiers are generally made of bronze.

Copper and tin, the metals used in bronze, are produced in limited quantities, and tin, in particular, is very expensive due to its limited production areas.

It's not as simple as being able to obtain as much as you can pay for, and as Haber mentioned, there were rumors that Barbe ran out of tin during the war four years ago.

In addition to weapons, there are countless other expenses, such as the salaries paid to hired soldiers and the costs of training.

"Yes... It's hard to believe that they can provide expensive bronze weapons to all the soldiers they have hired, but since they have adopted a volunteer system with the promise of providing weapons, they must be planning to somehow prepare them. There have also been reports of a significant increase in wood production in Barbe recently, so it's possible that they have discovered a tin mine, as Haber suggested."

Nelson said this and then turned his attention back to Isaac.

"I understand what you're saying. It's a daunting task to ask for more support from Lord Graciel, who has come to our aid in response to our request. It's natural that you can't easily agree to it. But, Isaac..."

Calling Isaac by name, Nelson leaned forward in his chair, facing Isaac.

"We have no choice. You know what happens to a country that loses a war with Barbe. All land and property are taken, and the survivors are made into slaves. Even if we surrender and are incorporated into Barbe, we will still lose our land and property. If we fight and lose, we will lose our freedom forever. We must take every possible measure to increase our chances of victory."

"..."

Isaac, who looked utterly dejected, bowed his head, and Nelson sighed inwardly before leaning back in his chair again.

"That's all I have to say. Isaac, Haber, I'm counting on you."

"Um..."

After enjoying a brief conversation with Lise, Ichi stood in the corridor of the Nelson residence, staring intently at the stone wall.

What Ichi was looking at was not the entire wall but the joints between the stones.

After staring at the joints for a while, he began to scratch them with his fingernails.

"Hmm... Ah, Isaac, you're just in time. Could you come here for a moment?"

Ichi, who had been tilting his head at the powder that had adhered to his fingernails, noticed Isaac approaching from the end of the corridor and called out to him.

Isaac, who had been called, ran over to Ichi upon noticing him.

"Lord Kazura, good morning..."

"Good morning. ...Wait, are you okay!? Your face is completely white!"

Ichi was surprised when he saw Isaac's face up close.

Isaac's face lacked vitality and appeared to have turned white, almost as if it had passed through a stage of being blue.

"No, I'm fine, so please don't worry..."

Isaac, with a face that looked like a corpse, managed to force a smile.

His voice lacked strength, and he did not look fine at all.

"(He always looked a bit tired, but he was energetic until yesterday... He looks like a new employee who has been scolded by a client or a superior and has lost heart.)"

Ichi recalled a scene he had occasionally seen at the company he worked for before coming to this world.

This was the expression of someone who had received a significant shock to their heart for some reason.

"...Please follow me for a moment."

Ichi said this and led Isaac down the corridor.

On the way, he asked a passing maid for the location of an available guest room and requested that she bring hot water there.

"I'll be right back, so please wait here."

Upon reaching the guest room, Ichi had Isaac sit in a chair and left the room to run to Nelson's office.

He grabbed the Boston bag that had been left there, wrapped it in cloth, and hurried back to the guest room where Isaac was waiting, under the watchful eyes of the guards stationed around the mansion.

When Ichi entered the room, Isaac, who had been sitting with a dejected expression, bowed his head to Ichi.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'll prepare it now."

Ichi smiled at Isaac and took out a candle-style aromatherapy pot, a small bottle of essential oils, a glass pot, and several small bags of herbs from the Boston bag.

"Um, what are you preparing?"

"I thought I'd treat you to some tea. Do you like tea, Isaac?"

"Wh-What!?! To have Lord Kazura make tea for me!"

Ichi, who looked very flustered and tried to stand up, was gently seated by Ichi, who then transferred herbs from one of the small bags into the glass pot.

"You've been working non-stop for the past few days. I was thinking it's time for a break, and I'd like you to keep me company while we chat."

While saying this, Ichi evenly distributed herbs such as linden flowers, rose petals, and St. John's wort into the pot.

He took a handled ceramic teacup from a shelf in the room and placed it on the table, and the door was knocked on.

The maid from earlier had brought the hot water.

Ichi took the copper pitcher of hot water from the maid and dismissed her, then poured the water into the glass pot.

The herbs in the pot spread out as the water was poured in, and the pot gradually turned a beautiful light yellow as the herbs infused.

While waiting for the herbs to steep, Ichi poured water into the aromatherapy pot, placed a candle under it, and waited for about two minutes.

After confirming that the herbs had steeped sufficiently, he poured the herbal tea into the teacup and offered it to Isaac.

"Here you go. I hope you like it."

"Thank you... It smells wonderful."

Isaac brought the teacup of herbal tea to his nose and smiled slightly at the faint, sweet aroma.

Seeing Isaac take a sip of the herbal tea, Ichi also poured some into his own teacup and enjoyed the aroma while taking a sip.

"How is it? If you don't like it, I can make a different tea."

"No, it's very delicious. Thank you."

Seeing Isaac, who seemed to have calmed down after drinking the herbal tea, Ichi smiled and took out a small bottle of lavender essential oil from the pouch of essential oils he had left on the table.

He opened the bottle and dripped a few drops into the water in the aromatherapy pot.

Then, he took a lighter from the Boston bag and lit the candle under the pot.

"What is that?"

"These are essential oils, extracted from plants in my... the divine country. When heated, they release a unique aroma."

As the aromatherapy pot was heated, the gentle scent of lavender quickly filled the room.

"Now... Isaac, I asked you to prepare 3,000 bags of the same size, but if it's really impossible, please let me know. I'm not demanding that you prepare them no matter what."

Ichi, confirming that the lavender scent had spread throughout the room, said this with a worried expression to Isaac.

"No, the bags are fine. I've already placed orders with all the tailors in town, and I think they will all be ready by tomorrow."

"(Wait? Wasn't he upset because he couldn't prepare the bags?)"

Hearing Isaac's response, Ichi tilted his head in confusion.

He had assumed that Isaac had been scolded by Nelson or Zirconia because he couldn't meet the demands Ichi had given him the other day.

However, it seemed that was not the reason for Isaac's dejection.

"I see, that's good. I was worried because you looked so serious earlier... If you have something troubling you, I can listen if you want. But, if you don't want to talk, I won't force you."

"Y-Yes... Thank you..."

When Ichi said this, Isaac caught his breath and looked down with a tearful expression.

Ichi silently watched Isaac, hoping he would start talking.

After waiting for a while, seeing that Isaac was not going to say anything, Ichi decided to change the topic.

"By the way, I have a question for you, Isaac. Is it okay if I ask?"

"...Yes, anything."

At Ichi's words, Isaac looked up.

His expression was no longer the one on the verge of tears but one filled with determination, as if he had made a decision.

The atmosphere around Isaac had also changed from the dejected one earlier to one brimming with enthusiasm.

"(Wait? Do herbal tea and essential oils have such an extreme effect? Or did something happen to Isaac in the past few minutes?)"

Ichi was taken aback by the sudden change in Isaac's demeanor.

To cheer up the dejected Isaac, Ichi had made herbal tea with herbs known for their antidepressant and relaxing effects and had given it to Isaac.

He had also used lavender essential oil, known for its antidepressant and calming properties.

However, the change in Isaac was too extreme, even considering the effects of the herbs and essential oils.

Previously, when he had given lip D to Balin, who was near death in Grisea Village, it took more than two hours for the effects to kick in.

However, the purpose of using essential oils and herbs this time was to affect the mental state rather than physical recovery.

Ichi began to wonder if essential oils and herbal tea might have even more dramatic effects than food.

"(But, if that were the case, the explanation for the herbs I gave to Valleta and Balin earlier wouldn't make sense. If they had such extreme effects, Valleta and Balin would have had uncontrollable urges to urinate right after drinking hibiscus tea.)"

"Um, Lord Kazura, is something wrong?"

While Ichi was deep in thought, recalling the effects of the herbs he had given to Valleta and Balin, Isaac, who had become worried about Ichi's sudden silence, spoke to him with a concerned expression.

"Oh, no, it's nothing."

Fearing that Isaac might become dejected again, Ichi hurriedly spoke up.