The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Negotiation and Market Prices

“…Corn was originally meant for animal feed. Saying it’s priced the same as wheat, isn’t that a bit of an exorbitant profit?”

“I don’t think it’s like that at all.”

With a calm demeanor, I responded to Alexis, who seemed to be offended.

“I’ve invested a significant amount of my personal funds into expanding the fields in the Enkar region. From carriages to mules, farm tools, and maintaining hygiene within the territory, I’ve introduced livestock sheds and guard dogs as well. We manage the livestock collectively and have hired someone to manage the barns. These expenses certainly aren’t covered by a small sum, and I believe Your Grace would understand that.”

Indeed, the expenses amounted to quite a sum. However, Melfina’s purse contained her own funds from the Crawford family, as well as the dowry and dividends from the estate and mines, so she spared no expense.

—After all, once things ended with Alexis, they would be reclaimed. It’s better to use them while the rights are still in hand.

“And as Your Grace has just experienced, corn is already a staple in the Enkar region. Especially this year, with hardly any sweet potatoes available, corn is practically filling the bellies of the people. Fortunately, corn is known to be relatively resistant to poor growth even with continuous planting, but there’s no guarantee that the fields entering their second season will yield as well as the previous one, right?”

As August handed the pressed dough to Marie, she took it with a startled expression and began baking. Meanwhile, Eli, as if shaken, began chopping additional vegetables, the sound echoing in the dining room.

Melfina rested her hand on her cheek, tilting her head slightly in a troubled manner.

“When food becomes scarce, people’s hearts become filled with anxiety. And if it becomes a staple, even more so.”

When buying and selling goods, the most crucial aspect is the market price. With the famine already underway, urgent measures were needed; otherwise, the labor force would diminish, and tax revenue would steadily decline.

In the route with Alexis, there was an episode where he opened the ducal household’s storehouses and distributed food to the peasants.

The lord’s storehouses, in essence, were equivalent to a bank account in the previous world. The essential requirement for defending the territory was the army, and what was necessary to maintain the army was wheat.

“Wheat is considered a respectable currency in this world. It can be purchased by breweries at certain rates, and it’s quite common to pay artisans and laborers in ale.”

With that premise, nobles who don’t fill their storerooms with wheat are often viewed as lacking in funds and are regarded with low trust. Whether in public projects or negotiations with other lords, they tend to be seen as having a lower status.

But it’s not just a matter of noble prestige. Nobles who can’t maintain their status can’t protect their subjects. And that, in turn, could jeopardize their qualification as lords.

It’s ironic that opening the storeroom with the intention of benefiting the subjects could endanger the lord’s position.

—Alexis, too, would have been a lord considerate of his subjects to some extent if he weren’t in Melfina’s position.

There are lords who, fearing riots, rigorously guard their storerooms, fearing they might be revolted against and their estates burnt down. Emptying the granary in the north, where yields are shallow, carries far greater risks than doing the same in other regions.

—In the game, I wonder if there was any food support from the Crawford family. If there wasn’t, it might have further diminished Melfina’s value in Alexis’s eyes.

Alexis and Melfina’s marriage is entirely a political one. It’s just a nuisance to be the symbol of an alliance that’s of no use in an emergency while consuming the assets of the ducal household.

—It’s not my concern.

If Melfina had settled into the ducal household as Alexis’s wife, she would have felt extremely constrained. However, the relationship between Melfina and Alexis is only established by two pieces of parchment: a marriage permit and a marriage contract.

There’s no need to feel sorry just because Alexis’s plans didn’t work out.

“As a lord, I also have a duty to protect the lives of my subjects. I hope you can understand that.”

No matter how many coins you throw out, if there’s no food to buy, you have no choice but to open the granary. That’s what she intends to sell, and from the start, Alexis had no chance of winning this gamble.

“…Understood. Let’s drink to the market. However, I have a request as well. I want Enkar to continue cultivating corn and sell it to the Oldrand Ducal House. For the next five years starting this year, the quantity and price will be fixed, and thereafter, we’ll need to negotiate.”

After the sound of August’s outburst, Cedric’s kick to his shin was visible at the edge of the field of view.

“…Are you sure about this? There’s a possibility that the epidemic could be under control by next year.”

“It’s a powerful epidemic that’s affected potatoes across the continent, and even the Church hasn’t identified its true nature yet. Even if we were to develop magic to eradicate the cause and the disease tomorrow, it could take years to bless the fields across the continent… There’s even a possibility that not only the kingdom but countries across the continent could become nonfunctional.”

Alexis’s expression was stern, and both August and Cedric were tense.

Alexis’s prediction was, realistically speaking, correct.

During the potato famine in the previous life, the epidemic raged for four years, causing over a million people to die of starvation or famine-related diseases.

Especially in Ireland, which suffered the most, it’s said that between twenty-five and forty percent of the population emigrated as immigrants. It wouldn’t be surprising if the same thing happened in this world.

“Well, then, this year we’ll sell at the same price as wheat, but from next year onwards, the quantity will remain fixed at two-thirds of the price, and the year after that, we’ll lower it to half. From the following year, the price will be fixed at half of this year’s price, and the purchase quantity will be subject to consultation each time. How does that sound?”

“It’s a favorable condition for me, but why are you giving in so much?”

It’s not advisable to unilaterally discount the price in negotiations. Alexis’s eyes spoke of suspicion that there must be a catch.

Of course, there was a catch. I knew what would happen next, thanks to knowledge from the game.

Around the middle of the following spring, Saint Maria would descend into this world. Whether she would be in Light Mode or Hard Mode was uncertain, but this world would undoubtedly be saved by her.

At that time, what would happen if there was a contract to purchase a large quantity of grain at the same price as wheat?

Formally, the ducal house had an obligation to purchase it, but setting corn at the same price as wheat in the first place was an absurd pricing.

It’s evident that the ducal house would incur significant expenses for payment, which would likely incur the resentment of the ducal subjects.

“In Enkar Village, the fields that have already withered are being cleared of potatoes, disinfected, and replanted with other vegetables. If it becomes known that corn has not been affected by this epidemic and can save us from famine, other farming villages will undoubtedly rush to start planting as well, won’t they?”

Actually, corn is not a crop exclusive to Enkar Village. It’s grown across the continent, albeit in small quantities, and while it does require fertilizer to yield a good harvest, it’s not particularly difficult to cultivate on a larger scale if one desires.

“I suppose so.”

“Corn, being primarily grown as feed, is far more convenient than wheat. It’s resilient to disease, and the entire process from planting to harvest can be completed in just three short months. Wheat, on the other hand, takes eight months to harvest and cannot be continuously planted. Understanding how much more convenient corn is in comparison, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I see. You’re implying that the supply of corn will increase from next year onwards.”

“Yes, many people will grow corn for their own consumption, and any surplus will be sold in the market. This year, the corn planting season in Enkar Region is already coming to an end, and we can’t be certain of a harvest even if planting begins now. The advantage of corn in the Enkar Region will likely persist until the end of this year, but conversely, it will gradually ease from the beginning of next summer.”

It would be even better to convert some wheat fields into corn fields, but most nobles wouldn’t be willing to give up wheat.

Above all, when the Saint arrives, potatoes, which can be harvested in much larger quantities per unit of land than corn, are expected to make a comeback as the staple food of the common people.

If that happens, corn prices will plummet, making the current commotion seem insignificant. It would be a crash far worse than the bursting of a bubble.

Even in the Enkar Region, next year’s planting will be the same as this year’s, but by then, there will be more livestock. Corn is a favorite feed for both pigs and chickens. It’s even considered to allocate any surplus that cannot be consumed through exports to start new livestock farming.

To enter into a contract to purchase the same quantity at the same price as wheat, which could potentially be worthless, during this famine is extremely dangerous.

It could lead to accusations of being a greedy lord who forgets the favor of aid and takes advantage of weaknesses. If that happens, it will undoubtedly disrupt normal trade and circulation.

Money isn’t something that’s simply good enough to make a quick profit and be done with it.

Without trust and credibility, no one wants to shake hands with anyone.

“I understand. I appreciate your goodwill.”

“This is a fair contract, Your Grace. There’s no room for goodwill or favoritism.”

With a firm tone, Alexis seemed somewhat crestfallen.

“Enkar Region is not a developed area, and we don’t have personnel who can negotiate on equal terms with other territories. If Your Grace takes charge of this transaction and distributes it to various regions, it benefits us greatly. It’s only natural to reciprocate the benefits received.”

“I see… You’re a fair person.”

He shook the hand offered once again. A handshake signifies agreement to the contract. Even before formalizing it with a written contract, when nobles shake hands after negotiating terms, it’s almost binding.

“I’m grateful, Your Grace.”

Of course, it wasn’t as good as the initial conditions. But Alexis would realize that this was a pact with the devil, albeit better than the first conditions, only after the summer of the following year.

Even at half the price of wheat, corn was still an exceptional deal.

Naturally, there was no pang in Melfina’s heart.