Chapter 42

"Minan said it was a lucky draw, but the prize money is incredible. Even if we start over, there will be change left over."

Zendo walked back to the Wooddola Trading Company, cracking jokes in a good mood. As Minan had said, it was a deal that would bring a miraculous turn of events to the company.

"To think that I would be saved by a place I had given up on and lamented. Sora Kleinserdt, the heir of the Kleinserdt viscount family. You were by my side, right? What was it like back then?"

Minan, who was walking beside him, recalled with a sigh at the perpetually relaxed company president.

"He was a child who could ignite my competitive spirit. I wouldn't even think of competing with him now."

Minan shrugged, remembering Sora, whom they had just met. She hadn't even had a chance to interject.

Back when Minan was by Sora's side, he had a tendency to trust people unconditionally, which was a weakness. However, when they met again at the Bercze Manor, Sora glanced at Minan once and then ignored her. The frustration that welled up at that moment faded when Sora made a concrete proposal and the negotiations began. She understood that he was far beyond her reach.

"I created that monster, yet he's so self-centered."

Feeling a sense of awareness, Minan patted Zendo's back to hurry him along.

"Let's get back and get to work."

As they hurried back to the company with Zendo, Minan suddenly looked back. She saw the carriage carrying Sora slowly moving away. After leaving the manor, Sora was looking around the town from the carriage heading to the Kleinserdt viscount's residence with Lazzette.

"Lord Sora, how do you improve the durability of white oak?"

Lazzette, who hadn't been given the details, was worried that she had made a hasty promise. Sora, laughing at her worry, pointed to a butcher's shop visible from the carriage window.

"Which lasts longer, fresh meat or salted meat?"

"Salted meat."

"Why?"

Lazzette answered the first question immediately, but was stumped when Sora pressed her.

"Because it dries out, right?"

Sora nodded at Lazzette's answer.

"Exactly. Drying it out makes it last longer. The same goes for wood."

"Salted white oak?"

Sora burst out laughing at Lazzette's idea.

"Salting would damage the wood."

While salt would draw out moisture, it would also destroy the cells, making the wood brittle. Sora, who had been watching Lazzette think with amusement, spoke in a low voice, as if wary of the driver, once she gave up.

"You smoke it."

"Smoke the wood...?"

Lazzette, who found this idea as unconventional as salting, suspected that Sora was teasing her.

"Smoking not only dries out the wood but also impregnates it with smoke. Insects and mold dislike smoke, so smoked wood has better durability."

Sora explained it clearly. Smoked wood is one of the reasons why traditional Japanese houses last over a hundred years. The wood used to build the house is smoked by the hearth, preventing insects and mold. This technique has recently gained attention for improving the durability of buildings.

"There are cypress trees in the inland areas of the Kleinserdt territory that can be used for smoking. The scraps from white oak can also be reused, so the cost is minimal."

During the process of turning logs into wood, bark and other waste products are produced, which can be used to create smoke, making the process efficient. The logs can be used to their fullest extent. If needed, they can also be processed into wood chips.

"Building a facility to smoke the wood all at once will be necessary, but it's a cheap investment."

Smoking can also be applied to food, which could help alleviate food shortages, making it a win-win situation. If mold can be obtained, bringing bonito from the coast to make dried bonito could be an interesting specialty.

"Wouldn't such a simple method be easily copied?"

Lazzette pointed out a potential issue. Sora agreed frankly.

"Normally, it would be copied within a few years. That's why I involved the Wooddola Trading Company in this deal."

The Wooddola Trading Company is under the scrutiny of the Church, to the point where it hinders their business. Smoked wood, which would become the company's exclusive product, is the key to saving the Bercze Marquisate and the company's lifeline. If they were to compete with other companies, the Wooddola Trading Company would lose the protection of the Bercze Marquisate, which they had just gained. Therefore, they would be extremely cautious to prevent the technology from being stolen.

"What if the Wooddola Trading Company produces smoked wood outside the Kleinserdt territory?"

"That won't happen."

If the technology were to be transferred to another company without benefiting its inventor, Sora, the Wooddola Trading Company would not be able to defy him. This plan benefits Sora, the Bercze Marquis, and the Wooddola Trading Company, but Sora is in the strongest position. He had arranged the pieces to ensure this outcome. Sora smiled mischievously.

"Furthermore, if we smoke the fish caught in the coastal areas and export them to the Bercze Marquisate, the economy of the fishing villages will improve."

With that, Sora stretched like a cat, feeling the matter was settled. – Still, I need to do something about Father soon, or it will be too late. Even after five years of Sora's efforts, the Kleinserdt territory is still on the brink of survival due to the hindrance of the pig lord. Moreover, the Kleinserdt family is not well-regarded by other nobles because of the pig lord, and they are also shunned by the royal family. If things continue like this, Sora might not be able to obtain the viscount title needed to succeed, and the family could be dissolved at any moment if the pig lord makes a mistake.

"Is there any good way to handle this?"

Sora sighed, shifting her gaze to the town. The streets lined with neatly arranged stone houses vividly reflected human activity. While thinking that she would like to see such a town in the Kleinserdt territory someday, Sora, perhaps exhausted from the daily grind, drifted into a gentle doze, much like the calm surface of a river.

Revised on November 28