Raising the Grand Duke of the North as a Farmer Behind Dad’s Back - Chapter 39

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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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Episode 39
“Well then, let’s have some supper.”
“Yes!”
Basilii, without a flicker of concern, added salad and cheese to Haniel’s plate.
By the time they’d concluded their transaction, evening had settled in.
The Duke had been rather deflated when he realized that the Grand Duke’s insistence on the thirty-minute time limit was merely about the child’s supper, but by now it hardly mattered.
The hour was already late, and he had mushroom negotiations to conduct besides, so he decided to remain here a while longer.
“Nom, nom.”
Haniel ate industriously, her cheeks puffed out like balloons.
After swallowing, she beamed and spoke.
“Duke Lowen, you’re truly amazing! Developing a Remedy for the Eastern Region and all!”
“Ah, well…….”
Duke Lowen laughed somewhat awkwardly.
“The truth is, I didn’t actually develop it…….”
She looked to be only three or four years old. It was clear she didn’t yet understand how these matters actually worked.
Haniel set down her fork and spoke dispiritedly.
“I heard something terrible happened in the Eastern Region…….”
“…….”
“But if you solved it, then Your Grace has truly accomplished a feat that will be remembered forever in the Empire’s history, hasn’t it? That’s wonderful!”
Haniel smiled brightly and resumed eating contentedly.
Yes.
The Duke felt his trembling hands clench together.
What Basilii had sold him was not merely a recipe for a Remedy.
It was his new reputation.
“B-but why are you letting me take credit for developing the Remedy?”
“I want to live quietly. I’ve had my fill of the Temple and the Imperial Court both.”
“……!”
“So the fame and all the external noise around the Remedy—you’re going to shoulder all of that.”
“……!!”
“This year, all we can manage is some gossip about ‘Northern Barley.’ Handle the rest yourself.”
That much was child’s play.
‘Compared to what I’ve gained……!’
Perhaps because it had been won with such difficulty, its meaning felt all the more extraordinary.
The anxieties that had accumulated from the checkpoint onward flickered past like a lantern show.
Waiting at the checkpoint, growing uneasy over Count Redermic, confronting the Northern Region’s miracle, despairing at the steep price, having his judgment clouded by precious materials—and finally, obtaining it all.
More than merely a Remedy.
Exhilaration shook his frame.
The Eastern Region had nearly borne the stigma of “Contaminated Land.”
But soon that crisis would be known as having been overcome thanks to the lord’s competence.
Most importantly, he would gain the trust of all his subjects through this deed.
When he thought of it that way, ten million gold didn’t feel wasteful in the slightest.
‘A tremendous transaction. Such a trade where no one loses is rare indeed.’
Or rather, it was a deal far more advantageous to him than to anyone else.
When the lord’s reputation rose, so did the territory’s reputation.
And the territory’s reputation directly determined his future income.
And more than that.
Only now, with urgency and dread stripped away, could he see it clearly.
“……Thank you.”
Duke Lowen bowed respectfully.
“Thank you so much for developing the Remedy, for helping the Eastern Region in its time of need.”
It was a sincere expression.
* * *
Rich.
My nostrils keep slipping beyond my control.
‘I’ve become rich!’
Nostrils flaring!
Heart thump-thump-thumping!
‘Hehehehe!’
Duke Lowen lingered in the Northern Region for another two days.
Ostensibly to master the precise method of manufacturing the Remedy and to discuss the supply schedule for Pig-Nose Mushrooms, the primary ingredient, or so the story went.
I hummed cheerfully to myself.
‘The Duke is a far kinder person than I expected!’
To be honest, I’d always felt a bit nervous around adults old enough to be my grandfather. But the Duke had been so gracious, and besides, spending time with Brad had made me more comfortable with such company — so the Duke of Lowen didn’t feel as awkward as I’d feared.
At first he seemed a little uncertain, but he quickly struck up conversations with the villagers.
He gazed in wonder at the fields bursting with an abundant harvest, and he toured the mixed forests where mushrooms grew.
It seemed he’d noticed that Pig-Nose Mushrooms weren’t particularly difficult to harvest here and that supplies were plentiful.
“……Hmm. Even so, throughout the Empire these mushrooms can be found only in the Northern Region, making them a genuine Limited Edition commodity.”
The Duke stroked his chin thoughtfully and continued.
“Might I request that we keep the fact that this mushroom is the primary ingredient of the Remedy confidential for the time being? That way, we needn’t reveal the Northern Region’s connection to the Remedy.”
“Do as you see fit. I’ll make sure everyone here keeps their mouths shut.”
It was clear the Duke intended to make excellent use of the mushrooms he’d purchased.
Of course, that cold “business mode” lasted only a moment.
Especially toward me — he was tremendously kind!
“Little Princess, come here! Come here! My, how lovely you are.”
‘He seemed absolutely delighted with the Northern Region!’
“Our little Princess, you said you were how old? Six years old? Ah, six years young~”
‘……For a moment there, he seemed like a completely different person.’
Apparently he had grandchildren of my own age, so he was accustomed to interacting with children.
“Little Princess, if you need anything at all, just say the word. Our Eastern Region’s Lowen has formed a deep bond with the Northern Region of Bertus, so now you’re as dear to me as my own granddaughter!”
“Ehehe…… Really? I can ask for anything I want?”
“Of course!”
“Well then…….”
Mmhm.
“Could I receive about 100 kilograms of construction lumber and 500 kilograms of lime, along with some logs suitable for stakes, fishing nets, and sturdy rope woven using a three-strand twist?”
“……What?”
I giggled.
“Actually, I was only joking! But there is something else I’d really like to tell you about…….”
“Hmm? What, what is it?”
“Well. I’ll tell you when you leave!”
I laughed, wiping my dirty bottom clean as I spoke.
‘Maybe it’s time to broach my real purpose with the Duke.’
Through this transaction, the Duke of Lowen’s affection for the Northern Region had reached the heavens.
I intended to use this to accomplish something I absolutely had to do.
I jumped down from the stepping stool.
I gazed proudly at the lustrous coat of the black horse’s hindquarters. I still lacked the strength to groom the entire animal.
Neigh-hee-hee!
The black horse swished its tail petulantly.
“I’m sorry. When I’m a bit bigger, I’ll give you a thorough brushing all over!”
[Errand completed! (Quest-giver: Spirit of the Forest)]
[Empathizing with Horses (1/1)]
[“……Pet me……”]
[Reward: Clean Non-Toxic Vitality Sticker ×10]
As the pale green sticker shaped like a tree slotted neatly into the sticker book, I pressed a kiss to the horse’s nose.
“Tomorrow, I’ll pet your right rump instead!”
Whinny!
“Are you done gawking at the horse’s rear.”
Just then, a blunt voice cut through.
Slap-slap-slap-slap-slap!
It was the Grand Duke Basilii, who had been slathering straw mixed with mud onto the stable walls the whole time.
Making mountains of money was one thing.
But the Northern Region was vast, there was endless work, and hands were perpetually short twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week — so today, like every other day, honest labor had to be done!
“It wasn’t gawking — it was Empathizing with Horses!”
“Why would you be empathizing with someone else’s mare.”
“Because she’s adorable.”
“……This thing?”
Pfft! The enormous horse blew a playful breath from its nostrils. My hair flew backward as if caught in a gust of wind.
“Good grief.”
The Grand Duke tapped the horse’s nose.
“You too — stop wagging your tail at her. Who’s your owner? Who? Here I am applying insulation to the stable, and——”
“Don’t scold her like that!”
“What if I’m the one who mistreats him?”
I rose on my tiptoes and stroked the horse’s muzzle.
‘So well-behaved, too.’
Stroke after gentle stroke. Warm. Soft.
The Grand Duke’s black stallion, having charged across every battlefield at his master’s side, was said to be a savage creature that even the Grand Duke himself had struggled to break.
It had taken several months to train it properly, and it still reared wildly at the slightest provocation.
Yet with me, after an honest heart-to-heart talk, we became friends in about ten seconds flat!
“Horse! You’re really amazing! Want to be my friend? If you do, you’ll get to eat oats as a snack this autumn—this much, okay? Want to be friends?”
“Whinnnnny! (We’re friends!)”
“……? Are you joking?”
The truth was, Bedel Village had no proper livestock to speak of.
Just a handful of horses that the knights rode.
Even those weren’t fed well enough, growing skeletal and lean.
But things had improved somewhat since this spring. As Bedel Village’s climate warmed, fresh grass began to sprout, and we could finally feed it to them.
‘Now we can mix in oats too!’
Of course, going to see such a large horse alone was forbidden—an adult always had to come along.
‘The other livestock Redermic sends will arrive soon too…… We’ll need to expand the stables and build new animal pens!’
For a while, the village would echo with the sound of hammering and construction.
‘Next year we can let the animals loose in the fields and let them graze, too~’
On the land where barley once grew, we’d decided to plant clover and buckwheat next year.
Why not plant barley again, you ask?
The golden rule of farming.
It’s called letting the land lie fallow.

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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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