AWDC Chapter 58

Prince Charles entered Milona Town, making it clear that he was in complete opposition to the Crown Prince.

“Michael has rebelled against His Majesty the King.

He is trying to control the Flanders Kingdom for his own selfish desires.

In order to protect justice and peace, we have risen up.

Let’s defeat Michael and restore justice!”

Prince Charles appealed to the entire country.

Naturally, the lords in the south were also asked to cooperate, and they were urged to send troops to Milona.

However, the lord of Toriholi Village, Baron Robertson, could not easily respond.

First of all, even if he were to send troops, there were no soldiers in Toriholi Village. He hurriedly created a defense force, but the members all had separate full-time jobs, and he could not send them to Milona for long.

Moreover, looking at the power of the Crown Prince and Prince Charles, it did not seem advantageous to side with the Prince.

If he rashly sided with the Prince and the Crown Prince won, his village would be the one to suffer. It was better to wait and see.

Roy and I had the same idea.

Two months after the Prince entered Milona Town, it was still too early for the wheat harvest.

“Why haven’t you sent soldiers? Does the Robertson family intend to rebel against us?” The messenger of the Second Prince came storming into Toriholi Village.

“No, our family will never rebel. However, our family is weak and cannot send troops.”

The lord calmly retorted to the messenger.

“Even 100 people would be fine. Lend us your strength.”

“100 people is out of the question. We can’t even prepare five soldiers.”

“Hmph, weak and poor nobles. It seems that you country bumpkins don’t understand the world at all.” The messenger spat out, insulting the Baron.

Even the usually gentle Baron changed his expression at this.

“That’s too much…” Roy was about to retort, but I spoke over him in an even louder voice.

“I have something to say to the messenger!”

“Who are you?”

“I am Toma Misaki, the son-in-law of the Baron’s family. As my lord has said, our family is full of farmers, and we have never trained soldiers, nor can we prepare spears or swords. We cannot provide soldiers, but we can be of greater service to the Prince.”

“What, you say you can offer something better than soldiers? Tell me.”

“Yes, I will offer 2,000 bags of wheat to the Prince.”

“…”

The messenger was at a loss for words. Certainly, even if they were to gather soldiers from the small population of Toriholi Village, it would be insignificant. It would be more profitable to have them contribute food.

The messengers discussed it in hushed voices.

“Okay, I accept your offer. You bring 2,000 bags of wheat.”

“I was surprised that Toma said something like that,” the lord said in amazement after seeing the messenger off.

The village had never produced 1,000 bags of wheat before. He seemed worried that they could offer more than twice that amount.

If they scraped together everything in the village, they might be able to produce 2,000 bags of wheat. However, that would mean they would have no seed wheat for next year. I wondered if he wasn’t thinking about the future.

“I couldn’t think of any other way to send the messenger back at that moment. Besides, I think we can harvest enough to make 2,000 bags.”

I had been predicting this year’s harvest by inspecting the wheat ears while touring the area. The wheat in the village was only slightly better than last year, but the wheat production was starting in earnest in the desert settlements that were currently being cultivated.

The expected harvest there was easily over 2,500 bags. I hadn’t told the lord or Roy about this yet.

“Is the situation in the reclaimed settlements that good?”

“It’s before the harvest, so I can’t say for sure, but I think it will be close to 3,500 bags when the old and new villages are combined.”

At those words, the lord and Roy exchanged glances.

“If that’s the case, it looks like it will increase even more next year.”

“But if you bring the wheat without any problems, aren’t you worried that they will make new demands? If they know that Toriholi Village is rich, they might make another demand,” Roy said cautiously.

“There is that concern.” There was that concern.

When this year’s wheat harvest was over, Toma appeared before Prince Charles with a mountain of wheat.

The Prince looked surprised at the mountain of wheat.

“If Toriholi Village can bring wheat so easily, then surely you can contribute even more wheat. Did you think you could get away with this much?”

One of the Prince’s aides began to say plausibly.

“That’s right. Isn’t Toriholi Village deceiving us by pretending to be poor?”

They began to criticize the wheat I had brought.

“Our village still has a lot of wheat. But we cannot give it to you.”

“What do you mean?” The aide shouted.

“If we contribute more wheat this year, we won’t be able to sow seeds for next year.

Even if we can only produce 2,000 bags this year, we can increase it even more next year.

Are you only thinking about this year, Your Highness?” I answered the Prince directly. This act incurred the wrath of the aide.

“Hey, that’s an impudent thing to say. Don’t think you’ll get away with this! Prepare to be burned at the stake!” The aide was completely livid.

“If you want to burn me at the stake, please do so. At that time, I will burn all the wheat in Toriholi Village as well.”

“If you do that, Toriholi Village won’t be able to eat.”

“The people of our village have been surviving on potatoes alone for many years. We don’t need wheat.”

I said quietly without raising my emotions at all.

The Prince called for Earl Milona.

“Is what that man says true?”

“That village has been selling the wheat they produce and buying what they need for many years.

They buy rye instead of wheat and eat black bread. It’s no exaggeration to say that their staple food is potatoes.”

Prince Charles felt pressured by Toma, who was looking at him steadily without any signs of intimidation.

“I understand your argument. But prepare 3,000 bags next year.”

“Yes, I understand.” I judged that it would be better to respond obediently.

However, one of the aides, seeing that I had readily agreed to the increase, got carried away.

“Your Highness, I think we should take hostages from Toriholi Village.”

He suggested with a smug look on his face. It was an opinion that they shouldn’t be satisfied with just wheat from Toriholi Village, which hadn’t sent troops.

“That’s a breach of promise. Our village brought wheat as promised. Are you saying that you will take hostages despite the promise?”

“What!”

“Your Highness has risen up to question the Crown Prince’s injustice. Are you saying that Your Highness will not even keep his promises with a small village?”

“How dare you say such impudent things!” The aide couldn’t help but stand up.

The aide and I glared at each other.

“If you are dissatisfied, you can sacrifice me right now.”

I said, glaring at the aide. I thought that if I backed down here, the village would be asked for more.

(I must not back down to this guy.) I thought firmly. The village had brought wheat as promised. They had even promised to pay more wheat next year.

And yet, what was this about demanding hostages? I was seething with anger. This guy was the type who would get carried away and only think about making noise. If they listened to this guy, they would demand new things one after another.

And if the Prince was swayed by what this aide said, it would reveal the Prince’s capacity.

“Your Highness!” Earl Milona hurriedly sidled up and whispered something.

Earl Milona had received many gifts from Baron Robertson. Here, the bribe was effective.

“If you make Toriholi Village suffer any more, the other villages will stop responding to your demands. Please consider this carefully.”

The Earl’s advice worked.

“Wait, I am not one to break promises. I understand your explanation well.”

The Prince put a stop to this unavoidable situation.

Toriholi Village had brought wheat as promised. They even said they would bring more next year. To demand anything more would be tyrannical on the Prince’s side.

If they killed the son-in-law of the lord of Toriholi Village over such a thing, the southern lords might all turn their backs on him at once.

At the Earl’s request, Prince Charles refrained from making any further demands.

One wrong move and Toma would have been killed on the spot. It was a negotiation on thin ice, but it was also the scene where Toma’s name was first etched into the history of the Flanders Kingdom.