The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 131

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 131

“In the short term, slash-and-burn farming wouldn’t be bad.”

Brisa seemed to have read her thoughts.

“It’s easy to clear land, and the ash acts as natural fertilizer, so initial harvest yields are surprisingly good.”

Her voice was clear as she spoke in professional terms.

“But the land rapidly becomes barren, making it hard to last three years. There would be limits to what crops you could plant too.”

“The, the Northern Region is vast and has many forests…”

“I’m not saying all slash-and-burn farming is bad. If the cycle is in units of decades, it’s fine. That’s how the Northern Region has lived for so long.”

Brisa continued speaking clearly.

“But looking at recent data, the cycle of burning has become excessively short.”

“That’s… because the population is larger than in the past, so it can’t be helped.”

“This isn’t an argument that can be ended with ‘it can’t be helped.’ Burning all the native trees, herbaceous plants, insects, and soil microorganisms without giving the forest time to regrow… that’s clear environmental destruction.”

At those words, Isabela’s eyes sharpened.

Environmental destruction—wasn’t that what that ‘monster’ used to say?

She didn’t particularly want to have a long conversation here, but she couldn’t help but bristle at those words.

“Then what are we supposed to do?”

Her voice finally had an edge to it.

“Since we were born in mountainous regions without plains, should we give up everything and cling to the Empire, begging for Western wheat to survive?”

Leopold was about to speak when Brisa grabbed his arm.

The girl who had easily silenced the lord of the Western Region raised her eyebrows and said,

“Seeing as you say ‘we,’ you seem to consider yourself a Northerner.”

Isabela flinched and bit her lower lip.

“Then how about this?”

Brisa calmly suggested.

“I’ll increase the Northern Region’s food self-sufficiency rate for you. The timing is perfect. Spring has come.”

“That’s impossible. Now slash-and-burn farming… is difficult due to circumstances.”

“Not slash-and-burn farming.”

Isabela wanted to get angry about how much production could be increased in the barren Northern Region.

But she hesitated for a moment because of what people had been chattering about in the dining room earlier.

This small girl had increased food production in the Central, Southern, and Western Regions.

And… the Sears strawberries she had briefly tasted in the dining room earlier…

‘I really held back from wanting to run away because of those strawberries.’

If either Alpheus’s beauty or Sears’s strawberries hadn’t been there, Isabela would have taken a warp long ago.

Could it be… if it was this girl.

Could she increase productivity without provoking that ‘half-human, half-beast’?

Brisa looked straight into her contemplating eyes and said,

“We were planning to depart for the Northern Region soon anyway. We already had a scheduled itinerary.”

“An itinerary? To the Northern Region… why on earth…”

“I’ll explain the details after our negotiation is finished.”

“Nego… tiation?”

Isabela couldn’t hide her bewilderment and blinked as she asked back.

“Young Lady, you’re saying you’re going to negotiate with me right now?”

“Did you think I would just increase the Northern Region’s productivity without expecting any compensation?”

At those calm words, Isabela felt like she had been hit on the back of the head.

“Isn’t that natural?”

Isabela’s voice trembled with a sense of betrayal as she immediately asked back.

“You’re Alpheus’s sister! You clearly seem to have a similar disposition to Alpheus, so if it’s something that helps people, shouldn’t you naturally do it without compensation?”

Then Brisa’s expression hardened as she got angry.

“What? What on earth are you talking about right now?”

Brisa’s blue eyes filled with bewilderment and anger.

“Why on earth am I similar to Alpheus? I’m not a protagonist syndrome patient.”

“There’s no way that’s not true! Anyone can see you’re both equally gullible!”

Isabela panicked and ended up speaking honestly for a moment.

Seeing how she had given the reception room to the Western heir who had suddenly broken off the engagement just because conditions changed a bit, she thought it was exactly the kind of thing Alpheus’s sister would do!

Then Brisa stood up abruptly.

“What I want is an attempt at <Purification> on the Western Region’s contaminated land. And since I never want to hear again that I resemble Alpheus, I’m saying this here and now.”

She turned her head sharply toward Leopold.

She seemed to have immediately realized why she had been treated like a pushover.

Leopold suddenly found himself facing blazing light blue eyes.

“If the Western land gets <Purified>, how much will you give me?”

The boy blinked briefly at the unexpected question. Then he shrugged and said leisurely,

“Enough to take away your reputation as a pushover.”

Leopold alone was calm between the two fuming women.

“From my position as someone who became a cold-blooded person after the broken engagement, there’s nothing I want more than that reputation right now.”

Brisa raised her eyebrows with satisfaction.

Then she said to Isabela,

“Then… you, Alpheus, Harrison, and me… for now, this should work.”

“Wait a moment. Going like this? I’m a maid of the count’s family…”

“We’ll handle getting you a few more days off. We’ll be farming strawberries in earnest next year, so I think promising about two boxes now should be enough.”

That would probably work…

And so Isabela’s time was traded for two boxes of strawberries.

“Oh, wait. Brisa.”

Leopold said languidly.

“Since the Western Region’s ‘contamination’ is involved, I should naturally go too, shouldn’t I?”

“…What about Wolf-dog?”

“If he joins us midway, you’ll take care of him, right?”

“I’ll pack clothes for him. Definitely.”

“And I’d appreciate it if you’d stop making me do things like ‘hand’ commands.”

Isabela swallowed a sigh as she watched this scene.

‘Entrusting even pet care to the broken engagement girl while having so many demands, what a real troublemaker.’

“That’s something I need to think about.”

“Then I’d at least like you to refrain from neutering comments.”

“I can’t promise that. There might be unavoidable situations.”

“You’re crueler than I thought, Brisa. I’d rather just ride you around.”

Isabela was dumbfounded.

‘What? What about that pet’s position?’

But Leopold went even further.

“Where are the strawberries?”

Did you leave them somewhere?

She was glaring at him with annoyed eyes when Brisa held out a plate of strawberries as if she had been waiting.

“Ah.”

His eyes widened after tasting one strawberry. Brisa snorted and said seriously,

“Never look down on strawberries again.”

* * *

A few days later.

‘So this is how it ends up.’

I thought as I packed for the journey to the Northern Region.

‘I need to increase the Northern Region’s food self-sufficiency rate.’

In the original story, the Northern Region never manages to increase its food self-sufficiency rate.

Instead, Leopold gives the plains between the Northern and Western Regions to Alpheus. He pretended to have a territorial war because of the Imperial Court’s attention, but fought half-heartedly and surrendered.

‘I don’t know exactly why they suddenly can’t do slash-and-burn farming in the Northern Region anymore… but in the original story, they don’t do slash-and-burn farming anymore either.’

Listening to Isabela’s words, it seemed like it wasn’t Isabela’s own will.

‘Anyway, I’ll find out when I go to the Northern Region.’

Since it was now early spring, I could also visit that ‘Half-Human, Half-Beast dwelling’ that Maximus mentioned.

Alpheus also knew that location. In other words, there was no need to bring Maximus along.

“That’s where I met His Highness, right? Of course I know! His Highness was collapsed there!”

“Can you guide us there?”

“It’s quite a remote place even in the Northern Region… I think we’ll have to wander around a bit. As you know, the population density around Warp and areas not around Warp in the Northern Region are completely different.”

The Northern Region was made up of mountains, not plains. Therefore, transportation was inconvenient.

In other words, rather than people spreading out to live, they lived concentrated around Warp.

In other words, if it wasn’t near Warp, there were few people, and the roads themselves were rough. You needed to be fully prepared to leave the village.

Alpheus was delighted to hear that Isabela would also join us.

“Great! Isabela has worked in the Northern Region for a long time. She’ll know the geography well!”

It was more than just working for a long time, but anyway.

Isabela was staying far away from Alpheus and faithfully doing maid work. It was what she had requested.

“There’s a condition for my accompaniment. I hope you’ll keep my identity secret from others.”

“Well, sure. But for that, we’ll have to speak casually to you.”

“I don’t mind. Besides, it’s been a long time since I abandoned the Bakahun surname. Just treat me as a maid.”

So I designated Isabela as the maid to accompany me on my journey.

Of course, all my maids were shocked. But I silenced their complaints with one statement.

“She’s a maid sent from the Petanan Count’s Household to teach me. I must teach her well in the name of Sears. That count’s household also has a young lady my age.”

“My goodness, Petanan is the Empress Dowager’s maternal family, isn’t it? Of course, the experience of serving a young lady isn’t something just anyone can have!”

The maids were soft-hearted.

Isabela also properly received the handover from my maids. Truly, no one could imagine that she was a princess of Bakahun.

Thus, we departed for the Northern Region. Our party consisted of Alpheus, me, Isabela, Leopold, and Harrison.

Since the strawberries were all sold now, there was no need for Harrison to stay in Sears Territory.

I only realized after departing that I hadn’t asked Alpheus and Harrison about their intention to participate in this journey.

Of course, it didn’t particularly bother me.

“Now, Alpheus. We’re leaving because we want to help the people of the Northern Region.”

“Good! If there are people in trouble, we ‘farming genius siblings’ should naturally step forward!”

When I whispered that we were also going to <tame> the ‘Half-Human, Half-Beast’ of the Northern Region, he became even more motivated.

“That’s something only Sears can do. We absolutely must go.”

Harrison didn’t even know that I hadn’t asked him about his intention to participate, so he just let it pass.

“Now, let’s depart!”

As soon as the trip to the Northern Region was decided, we sent a letter requesting permission to visit to the Bakarun Duchy. Then a reply quickly came saying that Alpheus was always welcome.

Thus, we moved to the Bakarun Duchy through Warp.

However, as soon as we arrived in front of the duke’s estate.

“Ah, what’s this?”

Harrison furrowed his brow sharply.

“I can strongly sense the aura of a Dark Mage from that duke’s estate?”

The last-place student at the Academy demonstrated his abilities rather than his face for the first time in a while.

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