Chapter 11

In the study of the lord's manor in Ivalice—

The city of Ivalice, though not particularly populous, is an agricultural city with fertile farmland outside the city walls.

It mainly produces wheat, and all the surplus is shipped to the free city of Arsenam, which accounts for more than half of the city's revenue.

In other words, the quickest way to double the tax revenue might be to double the shipment of agricultural products.

Convinced of this, I asked the maid, Sati, who was dressed in a maid's uniform:

"How does the taste of the tea here?"

The white-haired girl called Sati, in a panic, begged for forgiveness.

"Sorry, did I make it wrong?"

Perhaps because she had worked as a slave in the house of the lord of Arsenam, this girl immediately misinterpreted things.

She was extremely afraid of displeasing her master.

Of course, I have never abused or scolded her...

"It's not that. I'm not asking in that sense. I'm asking if it tastes good or bad."

"Huh..."

She looked bewildered, then bowed her head apologetically,

"I'm sorry, I don't know."

And apologized.

"I'm not asking for an expert's opinion. I just want to hear your thoughts. Any advice would be helpful."

"But I have never drunk tea... so I can't describe the taste..."

"Really?"

What a straightforward girl.

Normally, maids would sneak the household's delicacies when the master is away.

They would steal tea leaves, pour in large amounts of sugar, and enjoy the aroma and thrill.

They would steal bacon and sausages, drink brandy with them, and some maids even had better skin than their masters, which became a laughing matter.

But for her, it must be taboo.

Was it because her previous master had disciplined her harshly, or was it her nature?

I felt it was more likely the latter, but there was no point in speculating, so I encouraged her to drink the tea.

"Drink this, even though it's half-drunk."

I offered her the teacup.

She took the cup but hesitated to take a sip.

Blushing slightly, she said in a small voice,

"...It's like an indirect kiss."

After a moment's hesitation, she put the cup to her lips.

After two or three sips, she showed a flower-like smile and said,

"It's delicious."

I couldn't help but be captivated by her smile, but it seemed she didn't have the answer I was looking for.

Her only comment was,

"It's sweet."

She probably had never tasted sweets before.

Even a drink with just two teaspoons of sugar must taste otherworldly to her.

If I gave her a drink without sugar, she would probably just say it's "bitter."

In other words, without a point of comparison, asking her about the taste is futile.

In the future, I should consider improving her diet.

However, I also couldn't tell if the tea was good or bad.

I knew, at least theoretically, that tea is produced in the Ivalice region, but that was about it.

Given that it is not prized as a famous brand among the demon race or other countries, mass-producing it wouldn't likely lead to a significant increase in tax revenue.

In that case, the remaining option is the four-field crop rotation system... a highly efficient agricultural technique that originated in modern Europe.

In this world, the two-field system is still the norm.

The two-field system alternates the types of crops planted to prevent the depletion of nutrients in the fields.

This world, with its underdeveloped agricultural technology due to the prevalence of magic, could benefit from the introduction of the four-field crop rotation system, potentially doubling the tax revenue.

"Four-field crop rotation system?"

Sati looked puzzled and asked in return.

"Yeah, I just blurted it out. I was thinking about a new farming method for this world. Here, after harvesting wheat, the fields are left fallow and turned into pastures, where the grass is fed to livestock, and meat is obtained from the livestock."

"Yes, that's correct."

"But this leaves the fields fallow for a long time. Instead, if we rotate the crops in the order of barley, clover, wheat, and turnips, the fields can be used more efficiently. By the way, clover is for livestock, not for humans."

"Really? Is that possible?"

"In theory, yes."

Assuming the soil and crop characteristics in this world are the same as in my previous life.

But it's worth a try.

I immediately issued a decree to implement this system in some regions.

Normally, it would take at least a few years to confirm the effects of this method, but this is a magical world. If we use magic to accelerate growth in experimental fields, we can verify the effects.

When she heard about the experiment, Sati smiled and said, "I'm looking forward to it."

Incidentally, what she was looking forward to was the possibility of having turnip soup every day.

That was her reason.

Sigh, such a simple thought.

But I didn't dislike that kind of thinking.

Since I have become the new lord of this city, I want to ensure that all my subordinates and residents have enough bread and meat to be satisfied.