Chapter 64

The Marquis Belze gazed up at the sky from the castle's glass window.

"It looks like it's going to rain."

Thick, heavy clouds hung low, dividing the earth and sky.

Those clouds evoked a sense of foreboding in the Marquis Belze.

"I can smell the rain too. It might start pouring by the time you return, my lord."

The deputy commander of the royal guard, who was guiding him, responded.

Normally, a noble would not be escorted by a deputy commander, which was one of the reasons the Marquis Belze felt uneasy.

──Perhaps it's a matter I don't want to be known...

The Marquis Belze was known for his administrative skills. His territory, which was rich in agriculture, could also provide food supplies during military campaigns.

The Marquis Belze, whose territory bordered the royal domain, was a useful person in many ways.

"This way. ... Please be careful, as His Majesty is in a rather foul mood."

Hearing something he didn't want to know, the Marquis Belze involuntarily furrowed his brow.

The deputy commander announced the visitor through the door and sought permission to enter.

"Enter."

With a short reply, the deputy commander opened the door and let the Marquis Belze in first.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion."

The room he entered had little sense of lived-in comfort.

There were only three desks arranged in a U-shape with several chairs, and no luxurious furnishings typical of a royal castle.

In the room were the king, the royal guard captain, and the 14-year-old crown prince.

──The crown prince is now old enough to be involved in state affairs.

The Marquis Belze gazed at the still somewhat innocent-looking crown prince with a sense of nostalgia.

"Belze, sit down quickly."

At the king's urging, the Marquis Belze sat down. The door had closed without him noticing.

He could see the crown prince wearing a familiar smile.

"Belze, this is a report from that little fox. Take a look."

The document thrown carelessly at him made the Marquis Belze's lips twitch involuntarily.

He read the report cautiously, not out of exaggeration but out of genuine fear.

It seemed to be a report on the reform plan and progress in the viscount's territory.

The lifting of restrictions on large ships and the revival of net fishing made sense. The establishment of an inn association to manage the flow of people and food also made sense.

However, the rest was incomprehensible.

"Prevention of red tides using ice plants?"

Looking at the compiled data, it showed that the occurrence and scale of red tides had decreased after the implementation of the measures.

"──Cultivating grass in rivers to prevent red tides in the sea. The method involves depriving the red tides of their 'nutrients,' but it is not practical in other territories. This is because 'blue tides' caused by excessive nutrient depletion could harm the fishing industry. In the Kleinzelt territory, it is judged that the 'ecosystem' can be maintained sufficiently by 'nutrients' stirred up from the seabed──What is this all about?"

It was a barrage of unfamiliar terms and concepts.

He had never heard that red tides were caused by excess nutrients, and blue tides were rare, making it hard to imagine. The report assumed that red tide nutrients could be absorbed by grass, and it did not explain why nutrients were stirred up from the seabed in the Kleinzelt territory but not in others.

He understood the actions taken but not the reasons behind them.

He didn't think Sora had submitted this report without realizing it.

"From the look on your face, even you, Belze, don't understand..."

The king said with a hint of disappointment. The crown prince's smile deepened.

"Already, the coastal nobles troubled by red tides are preparing to cultivate in rivers."

Hearing the king's words, the Marquis Belze looked at the report again.

"But the report says that cultivation in other territories could cause blue tides?"

"They need a logical explanation to be convinced. Those theory-obsessed mages──damn it."

The king spat out the words with a bitter expression, and the Marquis Belze couldn't help but agree.

With a successful example, and the fact that it was achieved by a new viscount at the age of ten, it was natural to think that others could do it too.

Even if the king tried to stop them, the internal politics of the territories were left to the discretion of the lords.

Moreover, the mages valued theory. Without a logical explanation or data, they would only become suspicious.

Thus, only the honest nobles who heeded the king's warning would avoid the blue tides.

"To persuade them, an explanation is needed. To explain, a theory is needed. But only Sora knows the theory."

The king put his hand to his forehead and sighed. Beside him, the crown prince was holding back laughter, his shoulders shaking.

The Marquis Belze opened his mouth with a weary expression.

"Even if we learn the theory, the proud nobles won't listen if the source is a new viscount, right?"

"Exactly. The little fox anticipated that. What do you think he brought out after explaining? Damage prediction maps for each territory? This time, he even included the theory and past data!"

The king tapped his fingers irritably on the desk.

"Hahahaha..."

Unable to hold back, the crown prince burst out laughing.

"Ahahaha! My stomach hurts. I can't stop laughing every time I think about it."

"......You can laugh now, but remember, you will be the next king."

The king glared sideways, but the crown prince was holding his stomach, tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Getting back to the topic, we will need food supplies for the relief aid. It seems there will be poor catches in the areas affected by blue tides. To prevent food prices from rising, I want you, Belze, to stockpile. The little fox will handle the transportation. He probably plans to sell to each territory and make a profit."

The Marquis Belze smiled wryly at Sora's cunning and brilliant business strategy, which involved both helping people and making money without overstepping.

──In the end, it's a win for Sora.

"Belze, you can stockpile without the merchants noticing. It's a nuisance to be manipulated by the little fox, but it's also a great opportunity to curry favor with the mages. I'm counting on you."

"I will take care of it."

The Marquis Belze's acceptance made the king breathe a sigh of relief.

Strengthening the unity of the mages was necessary to reduce the influence of the church.

This situation also provided an opportunity for the king.

──Sora must have foreseen all of this.

The Marquis Belze read the document on the relief aid plan with admiration.

"If he inherits the marquisate, the south of the country will be free from worries."

The king's quiet words hung in the air.

The viscount's territory had seen remarkable recovery. It had successfully integrated and provided jobs for a large number of refugees.

It continued to develop independently, including the cultivation of ice plants.

Politically, it was in opposition to the church but provided funds for road maintenance, which was beneficial to the country. The fact that the Flame Corps, composed of former national army soldiers, formed the core of the lord's army also reduced the risk of rebellion.

"I hope he doesn't get crushed by the church's monster."

"Do you mean the High Priest Leul?"

The crown prince asked in response to the king's murmur.

The king nodded, and the crown prince propped his cheek on his hand, raising a question.

"Is he that formidable?"

"The church preaches the protection of believers. Numbers alone are a source of power. Moreover, they can manipulate information through churches across the country. On top of that, High Priest Leul builds a flawless strategy by stacking well-worn tactics. I've been burned by him more times than I can count..."

The king said with a frown.

The crown prince noticed that the Marquis Belze also had an unpleasant look on his face.

Noticing the crown prince's gaze, the Marquis Belze opened his heavy mouth.

"Leul is a genius who studied history."

The Marquis Belze paused and then spoke the nickname whispered among the nobles.

"──He is a monster of convention."