Chapter 87

"From yesterday to today, you expect us to have come up with a plan that can convince us. What kind of nonsense is that!"

In a corner of the storage warehouse, where tables and chairs had been brought in, several men were gathered, their faces tense as they deliberated over the news that had arrived early in the morning.

The news brought by the scarred soldier was an invitation from Sora, requesting a meeting at the former town official's residence.

"Besides, he's just a child. He's even smaller than my daughter!"

"Don't shout like that. Even if he is a viscount, the quality of education is different from ours. Besides, I hear that the heir of the Trinen family is there; it's probably his doing."

"Even so, it hasn't even been a day yet? There are also rumors that the merchants are planning to raise the price of firewood. In fact, boys with letters are coming and going from every merchant house. I can't believe they've calculated all of this!"

The man who had directly spoken with Sora the previous day looked bitter as the scene became chaotic.

He wanted to shout and calm the situation, but he couldn't.

The leader of the vigilante group had fled with the officials, leaving them in a weak position.

The man was chosen as the representative because he had rushed to the storage warehouse first, and the other influential townspeople were restraining each other from taking the lead, so no one suggested changing the representative.

It was already lunchtime.

Perhaps reacting to the two cold meals they had eaten since the firewood shortage was discovered the previous evening, everyone was getting heated up.

This debate would likely continue for a while.

From the feel of the conversation, the representative man didn't think the viscount would be angry about the delay.

However, the firewood shortage was a problem that needed to be solved urgently.

While they were arguing, the situation was progressing unfavorably.

Feeling that he should at least say something, the representative man's head started to heat up when a sudden interruption came.

"–Oh, you're still at it."

A child's bright voice, as if cutting into a cat's stare, echoed through the warehouse.

There was only one child who would come to this warehouse.

"Viscount Kleinzelt!?"

Someone shouted his name and hastily stood up from their chair, standing at attention.

"That's a tough joke..."

The representative man muttered.

This warehouse was, for Sora, the heart of enemy territory. If he entered carelessly, he could be beaten up.

Yet, Sora, accompanied by only one guard, was looking around the warehouse with interest.

"I expected the discussion to take a while, but I didn't think it would last until the afternoon. Ah, it's not that I have anything to say. You get cranky when you're not satisfied with your meals, you know."

Sora nodded cutely several times, looking satisfied.

The influential townspeople, who had been arguing, averted their eyes, looking embarrassed.

The representative man's face twitched as Sora, who had caught them off guard and quickly taken control of the situation, made him feel uneasy about making an enemy.

"Well, I have a little something for you. It's prepared in front of the warehouse, so come with me."

Without waiting for a response from the influential people, Sora quickly left the warehouse.

Since the viscount had come in person to invite them, no one suggested ignoring him.

Everyone was so caught up in the atmosphere that no one felt any discomfort about going outside.

When the representative man led the group out of the warehouse, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

In metal boxes, familiar fish were being cooked in hanging pots. There were five such devices, placed at regular intervals.

There were–

"Why are there so many homeless people..."

The representative man looked around at the ragged people surrounding the devices.

About ten homeless people had gathered around each of the five devices, being handed plates.

The fire brigade and the vigilante group were guiding them and distributing the people among the five devices.

Starting with the cook, Cole, Lazzette, Sanya, and Luly were taking care of the pots hanging from the devices. The scarred man was in charge of one device, happily chopping the fish into pieces.

"What is this...?"

"–It's a community meal to celebrate my arrival."

Sora, leaning against the warehouse wall, laughed as if boasting about a successful prank.

The influential townspeople were confused about why he would hold a community meal to celebrate his arrival.

Sora's goal was to win popularity, but with his innocent smile, no one could press him for answers.

Sora extended his small hand and pointed to the devices.

"That's called a solar cooker. It's a small heating device that can heat a pot without using firewood. As long as the sun is out, you can use it all year round."

A solar cooker is a heating device that uses metal plates to reflect sunlight and heat objects.

The metal plates, arranged in a C-shape, reflect sunlight to a focal point, heating the pot placed there.

The principle is the same as using a magnifying glass to burn a piece of black paper.

It takes time to heat up, but it requires no fuel.

"At the very least, it can significantly reduce the amount of firewood needed for cooking. Moreover, you can use a solar cooker to boil water for hot water bottles."

The bronze plates needed for the solar cookers would be imported from the Trinen family's territory through Chaff.

The influential townspeople looked at Sora's explanation with a mix of understanding and confusion.

The only thing they understood was that the firewood shortage had been solved in an unconventional way.

Even if the merchants raised the price of firewood, they would lose customers to the solar cookers, so they had no choice but to give up.

"By the way, the solar cookers will be placed around the town under the jurisdiction of the vigilante group. I'll cover the manufacturing costs, so don't do something cheap like charging for their use."

The representative man, who was smiled at by Sora, doubted his words.

"You won't charge for their use?"

"No, I won't. The firewood shortage was caused by our mistake. I didn't inherit the thick skin from that pig father to start a business under such pretenses."

The influential people were at a loss for how to react to Sora's statement and looked at the representative man.

The representative man, reluctantly taking on the troublesome task, approached Sora.

"It's a relief that we have a solution to the firewood shortage. We will immediately hand over the storage warehouse."

The representative man bowed deeply, and Sora chuckled.

"Stand up. Your meal will get cold."

Hearing Sora's embarrassed remark, a laugh escaped from the homeless people gathered around the pots.

The representative man couldn't help but chuckle and extended his hand.

"Thinking back, we were causing quite a commotion. There's something I forgot to say to Viscount Kleinzelt."

The representative man asked for a moment, and Sora, looking puzzled, granted it.

The representative man whispered something to the other influential people.

They then relayed the message to the vigilante group members, who in turn informed the homeless people and the townspeople who had come to observe the situation.

Those who heard the message changed from anxious to cheerful faces.

Sora, tilting his head in confusion, was approached by the representative man, who seemed to have prepared something.

With a somewhat awkward but elegant bow, the representative man, along with the townspeople, said the words together.

"–Welcome to Crossport, the port town where the sea and sky meet!"