Chapter 2

"Thank you for sending me to the capital with magic today."

"Since Sir Fight was invited to the kingdom-sponsored 'Agricultural Products Exhibition,' I will take responsibility for sending you."

"Well, I didn't expect to be invited to such a grand event..."

Fight, the next lord of the Eilenberg Knightly Estate and Kachia's brother, had succeeded in increasing the production and improving the quality of 'Malimo' in the new territory. Now, his name was known among agricultural experts.

The Malimo, with its rich and yet refined sweetness, was a bit of a contradiction in terms, but it was delicious even when steamed and eaten as is. Many high-end confectioneries in the capital were using Malimo to create popular sweets.

Perhaps the most significant point was that His Majesty often enjoyed steamed Malimo as a snack. Due to such circumstances, Fight was invited to this year's kingdom-sponsored agricultural products exhibition.

This event, organized by the kingdom government, was to commend and introduce outstanding agricultural products, and being invited to it was a great honor for those in the agricultural field.

However, the Eilenberg Estate was as far from the capital as the Baumaster Margraviate. Therefore, I was tasked with bringing Fight to the capital using 'Instant Teleportation.'

"Actually, I also exhibit every year."

"Oh, that's right."

The Baumaster Margraviate also submitted crops annually that had been improved and produced experimentally in their experimental farm. They were curious about what would happen if they planted fruit trees from the Demon Forest in areas not inhabited by monsters. Since the Baumaster Margraviate was almost entirely tropical, they were experimenting with cultivation, hoping that the trees would grow normally.

They also cultivated grains and vegetables discovered in underground ruins, as well as seeds and seedlings purchased from Elie, and the crops of the Baumaster Margraviate were advancing at a rapid pace.

This was because they were skipping the time-consuming process of breeding. It was only natural, but the Baumaster Margraviate family exhibited at the exhibition every year to announce their results. However, this year, they had to take care of Fight, so they left everything to their vassals.

"The vegetables I received from you last time produced round and plump vegetables. Everyone was very happy."

"That's good to hear."

I had sent seeds of vegetables cultivated in the experimental farm to Fight. As expected of a professional in agriculture, he had immediately cultivated them with the help of his people and experienced their bountiful harvest.

"Those seeds are a reward for you, so don't worry about it."

In the country of the demons, a leading nation in crop breeding, there was no sweet potato as sweet as Malimo. Therefore, Fight provided seed potatoes and cultivation methods to Elie's company, and in return, received advanced seeds of vegetables and grains from the demon country.

"However, it seems quite difficult to cultivate."

Elie and her team had started cultivating Malimo on abandoned mountain slopes, but the results were far from ideal. Only about 20% of the harvested Malimo were sweet, and the results were quite poor. Still, according to Fight, it was a significant achievement to be able to harvest sweet Malimo in newly cultivated fields. This was also a testament to the advanced agricultural techniques of the demon country.

"If the soil in the fields settles after two to three years of cultivation, the ratio of sweet potatoes will increase."

"He said he would definitely continue."

"Once ten years have passed, the soil will be fully settled, and it will become easier."

The basics of agriculture are to create good soil. Even though only less than 20% of the Malimo could be shipped, they were still very expensive and sold out quickly. This meant that although cultivation was labor-intensive, it was profitable if you could grow them.

Laila was very pleased, as the ratio of sweet Malimo needed to exceed 50% for the cultivation to be profitable.

"There are many slopes suitable for cultivating Malimo in our territory, but we lack manpower..."

The Baumaster Margraviate really lacks manpower... There are places, so if more time passes...

At worst, we could lend the land to Fight and entrust him with cultivation. I'll discuss this with Rodrich next time.

"Still, a kingdom-sponsored exhibition, huh..."

"Well, you see, Fight has achieved commendable results with Malimo cultivation..."

Fight's expression suddenly darkened. This person is not good with places where many important people gather. The reason I was asked by His Majesty to escort him was that His Majesty knew Fight's character well from the previous tunnel incident and was concerned that he might run away if he didn't want to participate.

I am also responsible for capturing Fight.

"It's only once a year... You can attend once every five years, and the rest can be handled by a representative..."

Malimo or something even sweeter might appear, but Fight is expected to be commended every year. However, since the exhibition is in the capital and it's about agricultural products, it's acceptable to send a representative due to the busy management of the fields.

Since the subject is crops, there is some flexibility in this regard. Still, it was suggested that he should come to the capital for the first commendation.

"Will I have to be commended by a great noble in the capital at least once every five years? By a representative? If I ask my father, he will definitely run away, and my vassals will dislike it even more."

That's right. Even if it's an honor, people who would willingly attend such a formal event wouldn't live in the Eilenberg Estate in the first place. Lord Eilenberg is also similar to Fight in his timidity.

"Well, let's think about the rest later."

Actually, if His Majesty said he would present the award and the prize money, this person might run away somewhere. There's no choice but to trick him into coming.

"Brother, since we're in the capital, you should do some sightseeing and buy souvenirs. This time, Marita can't come because she's pregnant. You should occasionally send thoughtful gifts."

Kachia, who had been accompanying me to escort Fight, finally couldn't hold back and started to criticize Fight. This time, Fight's wife, Marita, couldn't come to the capital because she was pregnant with their second child. Kachia was suggesting that he should send beautiful clothes or accessories as an apology for the usual hard work.

Kachia, being Marita's childhood friend, was particularly harsh on her brother.

"Got it, Brother?"

"..."

"Is something wrong, Brother?"

"People change when they get married."

Fight was very moved to see his sister, who had become so considerate of others.

"Well, women change when they become wives and mothers. I'm surprised. I can't believe it's the same person who used to flood ant nests with water as a child."

Kachia, did you do that as a child...? But I remember doing it too when I was young. It's not that rare.

"Stop talking about others! As a husband, buy something for Marita! You're not short of money!"

Kachia is right. The finances of the Eilenberg Estate are not bad. There's no custom of showing off as a noble, and the Malimo they harvest sells for a high price. With the magic flying ship coming to the estate once a week, the increased production of Malimo is being transported to Breichburg and the capital, fetching a high price.

"Of course, since I usually make Marita work hard, and there will be a prize, I'll buy something and bring it back."

"That's good."

"Kachia, I'm a country bumpkin and don't know much, but what kind of gift would Marita like?"

"..."

That single question made Kachia freeze instantly. Come to think of it, Kachia had no such sense at all. She could leave everything to Elise and never bothered to cultivate her fashion sense. She used to say things like, "That's Elise's job," without any hesitation. Now, the consequences of neglecting such things have caught up with her.

"Husband..."

"There's no choice."

"Oh! You're amazing, Husband! Wait, but Husband also..."

Actually, I don't have much of a sense for choosing thoughtful gifts for women either. But there's a good way to solve this.

"Leave it to Sebastian."

"What? Elise's family butler?"

"Because Sebastian is perfect."

He didn't get to serve the von Hohenheim family in the capital for so many years for nothing. He has a much more refined sense than some country nobles.

"Unless you don't like it, Kachia can choose herself."

"Husband, that's impossible. Sebastian, you're the best!"

Indeed, when we asked Sebastian to accompany us to choose gifts after the exhibition, he selected very tasteful items. Marita was very pleased, and Kachia and I were deeply impressed by Sebastian's skills.

"Brother, do you want some water?"

"Yeah..."

"Poor you. You were praised by His Majesty, not scolded. You should have been more composed."

"It's impossible for someone from our family, who has been a noble for generations, to be composed in front of His Majesty. But finally, it's over..."

Kachia and I took Fight to the capital and participated in the agricultural products exhibition held there. I think the exhibition is similar to what the JA (Agricultural Cooperative) used to do in my previous life. Famous crops from all over the kingdom are displayed, and the lords are commended for the excellent achievements of their farmers in each category.

Usually, the lords would later reward the farmers who cultivated the commended crops, but in the Eilenberg Estate, the production advisor and the lord were the same person. It's not uncommon for a noble to be a researcher in agriculture, but it's rare for someone to reach the level of receiving commendations like Fight. Even though they have extensive knowledge, the farmers on the ground are often more experienced and tend to achieve better results.

When Fight learned that he would be commended by His Majesty just before the award ceremony, he almost fainted. Kachia and I had to support him on both sides, wary of him suddenly prostrating himself or losing consciousness and falling over.

Malimo is undoubtedly the best in the Linngaya continent, but it's a problem that he is so timid.

"Learn a little from Mother."

"I can't imitate Mother."

When His Majesty visited the Eilenberg Estate, Fight and Kachia's mother served tea and sold Malimo to His Majesty without any hesitation. Fight must be a complete copy of his father, who also prostrated himself with his son.

"Since the commendation is over, let's look at some of the exhibits."

"That's a good idea. There might be some interesting crops."

With the biggest pressure off, Fight finally perked up. The three of us decided to look around the other exhibits. Various crops were displayed, and many people were discussing them.

"Lord Vagel, can you sell a bit cheaper this year?"

"Impossible. I've expanded the fields and increased the yield, but recently, wherever you go in the capital, they say, 'Give us all you have!' Other merchants are driving up the purchase prices, so I have no choice. I plan to raise the price by about 10% this year."

"That's outrageous."

"Still, it will sell, right? There shouldn't be a problem. The cost of expanding the fields isn't free, you know."

It seems to be a negotiation between a noble and a merchant. Unlike the court nobles in the capital, rural nobles whose main industry is agriculture often talk casually with their regular merchants.

The court nobles in the capital would gossip about the "ill-mannered country nobles," while the local nobles would mock the "pretentious court nobles." Since their lives are so different, it's difficult for them to meet each other halfway. Most nobles think this is normal and see no problem with it.

"Fight, aren't you going to negotiate?"

I thought you should negotiate with other lords like you since you've come all the way to the capital.

"Actually, all the sweet potatoes planned for this year's harvest have already been bought up."

"This year's harvest... But the potatoes haven't even grown yet."

Kachia is surprised, but with crops, there's always a possibility that they won't grow due to bad weather. It's impressive that merchants would buy up Malimo in advance like this.

"That's true. If we negotiate after the potatoes grow, it might be too late. I think the harvest will be about the same as last year unless something unusual happens, so I don't think they'll lose money."

Even though the merchants bought up the Malimo before harvest, Fight is worried about them if the harvest fails. Fight is really a good person.

"Are they fighting over it?"

"I've heard it's popular, but..."

The Malimo from the Eilenberg Estate is currently the most sought-after high-end product among the elite in the capital. Merchants would certainly want to get their hands on it.

"Thanks to the promotion by the Baumaster Margraviate."

"Is that so? Husband?"

"Yes."

I just thought of a promotional slogan. Malimo is less likely to make you fat and is healthier than eating cakes and other sweets.

Like sweet potatoes, it's rich in dietary fiber and good for constipation. It's also rich in B vitamins, which help with fatigue recovery and skin beauty. It has antioxidant properties due to vitamin E and helps prevent lifestyle diseases, menopausal disorders, and cold hands and feet.

I improved the promotional slogan to fit this world, as I don't think people here would understand terms like vitamins and dietary fiber. As I saw from Elise's reaction during the tunnel incident, Malimo is especially popular among women.

"Malimo is easy to store, too."

"The harvested potatoes are always stored in a muro."

Like sweet potatoes, after harvesting, they are dried for two to three days under the eaves of a house and then stored in a semi-underground muro, wrapped in rice bran or straw. Since Malimo, a type of sweet potato, can be damaged by cold storage, merchants don't need magical refrigerators or cold storage, making it easy to divide and ship inventory and maintain prices. Although it's a high-end product, it's not that expensive, but it's a stable source of profit, which is why merchants are fighting over it.

"Even the expanded muro is empty because there are no potatoes to store..."

"At least business is booming, Brother."

"But there might not be any potatoes to send to Kachia."

"Such a thing..."

Kachia, who loves the sweet potatoes and dried sweet potatoes sent from home, was disappointed when Fight said he might not be able to send them because of the shortage.

"Don't worry, I've secured enough for the family to eat."

"Brother, don't scare me like that."

"For now, we're expanding the fields every year, but it's true that we don't have enough Malimo."

"It's good that it sells for a high price."

"It's not just about the price. It's better if ordinary people can buy it easily."

Fight seems dissatisfied that Malimo is treated as a luxury item. He's either unambitious or, as I suspect, a person with the qualities of an agricultural scientist.

"But, Fight, there's Malimo on display over there."

It seems to be a sample of Malimo cultivated in other territories. A few merchants are examining the product with interest.

"Let's take a look."

"Brother, is it okay?"

"What's the problem?"

"Because they're rivals. Is it okay with the management of the seed potatoes?"

Kachia was worried that the seed potatoes from the Eilenberg Estate might have leaked to other territories.

"The leakage of seed potatoes can't be helped. The important thing is to buy Malimo from merchants. Besides, Malimo has been cultivated in the southern continent for a long time."

That's right. Malimo itself can be easily cultivated in the south, where it exists in large quantities. What's difficult is cultivating it to be sweet, like the Malimo from the Eilenberg Estate.

"It's no good. It's not sweet."

"This is worse than mixing sugar with ordinary potatoes."

The merchants who tasted the samples decided that it wouldn't sell. The noble who exhibited the experimental product looked dejected.

"Unsweet Malimo is smaller than ordinary potatoes."

There are also sweet potatoes similar to those in this world, which are produced in large quantities in the south. Malimo is a mutant variety of this sweet potato, but if cultivated normally, it becomes a tasteless potato. Considering cultivation efficiency, it would be better to cultivate ordinary sweet potatoes.

"Malimo requires fertilizer, unlike ordinary sweet potatoes."

One of the advantages of sweet potatoes is that they can be grown in poor soil, but to make Malimo sweet, fertilizer is needed. If it can be cultivated to be sweet, that's fine, but if not, it's a crop that doesn't make much sense to grow.

"The Malimo from the Eilenberg Estate sells for a high price, so they are trying to do the same."

"That seems to be the case."

There were a few Malimo exhibits, but none of them seemed to be sweet, and the merchants who tasted them shook their heads.

"It's not that easy to cultivate a high-end product."

Not only Fight