Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 59

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 59. Recruitment
“Gulara, you….”
His expression made it clear he had much to say but chose not to. Even a bastard of lowborn origin would know better—gulara was a poison so vile that even stray dogs wouldn’t touch it.
And yet I had brazenly strode out through the main gate without considering this. I might have fared better proposing a price negotiation with Marquis Merelrof instead.
“But it is the truth. Gulara seeds are edible. They taste excellent roasted, boiled, or even raw. When one considers nutrition, satiety, and efficiency all together, one could dare call it nothing less than divine blessing.”
“Nonsense.”
No one had ever known of such a magnificent crop? It was almost insulting to think how the great Bariel Empire could entertain such claims. Even now, scholars in the Imperial Palace continued their research daily to overcome the great famine.
Yet gulara, scattered everywhere like weeds, was divine blessing?
“I have been eating it recently.”
“You’ve been eating it?”
“Yes. The taste is quite remarkable. I’m certain that once you try it, you’ll find yourself unable to stop. With a cultivation period of merely one month, winter poses no problem whatsoever.”
Screech.
The carriage that had been running smoothly came to a halt. Once in the village square, once before the alley where the entertainment district gathered, and once more in the residential area. Each time the carriage stopped, the subordinates who had departed earlier climbed aboard.
But that Berik fellow looked rather strange. His face was flushed red, and every time he smiled, the smell of wine wafted over. I cast a sidelong glance and offered a light reprimand.
“Berik. You’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”
“Huh? No, no. Just a little. The proprietor kept insisting.”
Berik, who had boarded in front of the entertainment district, sniffled. How much wine had he managed to drink in that short span? I was about to furrow my brow when Berik quickly redirected the conversation with a status report.
“That’s the best tavern in this area, and dozens of people heard my message. They even posted a notice.”
-Bring gulara, and I will pay you well.
This was exactly what I meant by hiring ‘people.’ The territorial residents near the forests close to Bratz would dig up gulara, as would those from territories near Merelrof.
“You set the compensation and deadline clearly, yes?”
“Of course. One gold coin per three large bundles. Payment only within the next month.”
One gold coin was the amount a lower-class laborer could earn in a month. Since gulara was small, filling three bundles would be no trivial task, but those with good stamina could manage it within a fortnight.
“Isn’t that a bit too generous? One gold coin?”
“That’s how they’ll search the forests with fire in their eyes. Considering the abundance that a single bundle of gulara will bring through winter, it’s hardly expensive.”
And most importantly, the ‘deadline.’
If I didn’t set a one-month limit, people would surely begin cultivating and bringing it. Unfortunately, that could absolutely not happen. What I wanted was gulara itself, but also for every sprout in the surrounding area to wither away.
“How are Merelrof’s crops faring this year?”
“Not particularly well, it seems. It was never ideal farmland to begin with, and the river was fouled by the Central Army’s battles in Bratz. They appear to be predicting a poor harvest.”
“Do you know what Merelrof typically does when facing a poor harvest?”
“When winter arrives, merchant caravans from the Hawan Kingdom enter Bariel. Economic activity becomes quite vigorous at that time.”
“…Merchant caravans, you say.”
“Those trading companies that carry everything except what they lack. The truly enormous ones travel with dried meat stockpiled for years. The Merelrof residents provide lodging and convenience in exchange for purchasing food from them.”
“So even with a poor harvest, there’s little cause for alarm.”
“In fact, it would be easier to find a year without poor harvest in Merelrof.”
Romandro’s subordinate provided an excellent answer to my continued questions. He had clearly conducted thorough intelligence gathering before being dispatched here.
In any case, no one knew how the autumn harvest would turn out. If I secured gulara to the maximum extent….
Who knows?
Merelrof might even propose a trade agreement in reverse. While I mentally organized my plans through winter, Romandro simply pressed his temples and groaned.
‘Gulara? Gulaaaara?’
I wanted to return to my estate immediately and verify whether Ian’s claims were true. If they weren’t, I’d give him a piece of my mind about being a mana wielder or whatever else. And as soon as dawn broke, I planned to seek out Marquis Merelrof again.
“Listen here. Can’t you go any faster?”
“Is there something urgent, sir?”
“Ah, you talk too much!”
“Understood. It will be quite bumpy. Let’s go!”
Crack! Whiiiing!
Ian, whether aware of Romandro’s concerns or not, simply swatted away Berik’s hand reaching for the dried meat in the box without mercy.
“Ah, you’re being too harsh, master.”
“Sober up and speak properly. Your speech has become like a street vagrant’s.”
“My mouth tastes bitter. Just one? Hmm? Just one.”
By the time we arrived at the manor, only an empty box remained. The moment Romandro stepped down from the carriage, the entire household, including the kitchen staff, fell into chaos.
“What did you just say? Make food from this?”
“That’s gula. Today’s joke is in really poor taste.”
“No, it’s real. Ian said to prepare food using gula. All famine crop cooking methods are available, but he said to carefully check whether there might be flesh on the seed coat and to verify it thoroughly.”
The kitchen staff all stood with their arms crossed, staring down at the box of gula. No matter how they thought about it, this was a waste of ingredients, a waste of fuel, a waste of labor. Who in the world made dishes from roadside weeds?
The Chef had no choice but to climb directly to Ian’s room to confirm the order.
“Sir Ian. About tonight’s dinner…”
“Ah yes. You’ve heard, I assume? For your information, I prefer gula boiled and thoroughly cooked before I use it. Cold is nice too, but when eaten warm, the way it goes down the throat is an art form.”
“….”
This was no joke. It was real.
The Chef removed his hat in bewilderment and offered a bow. The kitchen servants huddled together and pressed the Chef for details.
“What did he say? He really wants us to cook with gula?”
“Yes. We all need to get the fires going.”
“I don’t understand this at all. Wait! I’ve got it! He must be planning to serve it to Mollin and his companions.”
“That’s foolish. Have you ever seen someone die from eating gula?”
“Of course not! Who would eat such a thing?”
“No, if someone’s body is weak, the poison could rise and kill them. Remember that shoe-shiner old man from before? He ate gula and wasted away to death.”
Whoooosh!
Had the kitchen ever been this loud before? The Chef couldn’t even bring himself to quiet the commotion as he turned the pan. It felt like all the sauces and spices being sprinkled on top were being thrown down the drain. In all his life, this was the first time he’d felt guilt while cooking.
And a few hours later.
Romandro draped a napkin around his neck with a tense expression. Then the dining room door opened, and servants filed in pulling trolleys behind them. The smell of the unfamiliar yet somehow familiar food. One thing was certain—it stimulated the salivary glands.
“I-is all of this really made from gula?”
“Chef. Give us an introduction.”
“…To be precise, these are gula seeds. This is a dessert made by roasting gula seeds and then preserving them in honey. And this is a stew that’s been simmered. When you blow on it, it expands in size. I have no name to give it, I’m afraid.”
I myself didn’t know the exact cooking methods. As an emperor, I had always been served food; I’d never once set foot in a kitchen.
But when you fake it convincingly enough, it works. Those who’d spent their entire lives before fires could cook by feel alone, and the visual and olfactory stimulation was excellent.
Clink.
“Mm.”
I tasted the food without hesitation. I sampled this and that, dipping and eating, savoring the gula thoroughly. Romandro furrowed his brows and cautiously poked at the gula.
“…The physician is waiting outside, yes?”
“No. Since it’s the middle of the night, he should be at home, shouldn’t he?”
“I told you to wait!”
“Haha, I’m only joking. Don’t worry and get some rest.”
As I laughed heartily, Romandro let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. Then, in one swift motion, he brought the gulara to his lips.
“Mmph!”
Romandro made an odd sound despite himself. I watched his eyes gradually widen and couldn’t help but laugh. Actions speak louder than words—his spoon dipped into the stew once more.
“Does it suit your palate, sir?”
“This… this…”
Why was it so delicious? Romandro seemed utterly entranced by this delicacy he was tasting for the first time. I gestured to the servants standing in the back of the dining hall.
“Come over here, all of you.”
“Sir? Do you mean us?”
“Don’t just stand there. Have some food. Aren’t you curious?”
The servants hesitated, stealing glances only at Romandro. He was drinking directly from the soup bowl as if possessed. Beyond the impropriety of touching the master’s table, their lowborn status made them reluctant to step forward.
“Thank you.”
“What would you like to eat?”
“The honey-preserved one for me.”
Among them, Hena was the first to step forward boldly. She brought the food and ate it, then immediately covered her mouth in surprise and embarrassment.
“It’s delicious.”
“Isn’t it?”
“Hena, is it really that good?”
“Sister, you should try it too.”
“Then forgive my presumption, Ian…”
If the master and the Imperial Palace advisor were eating like this, what could be the harm? At Hena’s urging, the servants gathered one by one and took portions of the gulara.
“Huh?”
“Hmm… this is gulara?”
“Unbelievable. It’s really delicious.”
I smiled faintly, watching my household. I had offered it partly because they seemed famished, but these servants were the vital link between me and the people of my domain.
They were the crucial starting point for spreading gulara. One becomes two, two become four. As with all great endeavors, every beginning is humble.
“Ha, this is really fantastic. How on earth did you discover it?”
Romandro finally came to his senses and wiped his mouth. Every bowl before him had been completely emptied.
“It was by chance.”
“Didn’t Count Derga feed you properly?”
“That’s not it. In any case, we can get through this winter with gulara. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have a greenhouse built in the garden. It can take root in dry sand or water, but it’s vulnerable to cold.”
While constructing the greenhouse, I would mobilize the servants of Merelrof and Bratz to strip this entire region of gulara. With demand assured, controlling the supply in this area would give me the advantage in the market.
“If snow falls? Yes, now that I think about it, it’s certainly rare to see in winter.”
Romandro muttered, having forgotten all propriety, licking his spoon clean. Then, suddenly, he asked me casually.
“After observing for a few days, if there are no adverse effects, I should include this in my report to the Imperial Palace. Would that be acceptable?”
“Of course. You must inform them. I would appreciate it if you included the circumstances of the discovery as well.”
I meant he should not omit my name. Indeed, it would be absurd to claim that Romandro, who had only recently arrived in the Borderlands, independently discovered gulara’s edibility. Romandro waved his hand reassuringly.
“When it comes to reports, I write only the truth even if a knife were at my throat. But… can’t I have more of this?”
“That won’t do. The quantity is still insufficient. Remember, each seed yields more than ten gullas. You must keep that in mind.”
As I declined with a smile, Romandro smacked his lips regretfully and set down his spoon. If only he had prevented the servants from taking the gullas when they had the chance.
“And all of you—maintain absolute secrecy until we have gathered a sufficient quantity of gulla seeds.”
At my command, Hena and the other servants made a show of zipping their lips with exaggerated solemnity.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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