LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 12 - The Rat and the Fur (1)
Chapter 12 – The Rat and the Fur (1)
“Did you say you needed holy water?”
The bishop seemed curious about why I had come to visit without any prior notice. I also had other appointments to attend, so I quickly told him my purpose without any other small talk.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hehe, if that was all, you wouldn’t have had to come here yourself. Why did you take the trouble to pay me a visit instead of sending your subordinates?”
“I also wanted to see you for the first time in a while, so I came here with a dual purpose. By the way, Bishop, may I ask what is the maximum amount of holy water stored here in the diocese?”
“Hmmm…let’s see, there might be a slight margin of error, but on average, I’d say it’s about this much. Oh, and you do realize that what I’ve just told you is confidential. You must absolutely not disclose it anywhere else. Since you are the noble patron of our diocese and Master of Reed estate, I trust you with this information.”
The bishop glanced around cautiously, then whispered to me with his finger up, indicating the approximate quantity…. Just one cask……it is less than I expected. But it seems that it will somehow be enough for the amount I need now.
I nodded and said to the bishop, “Haha, that’s right, I will purchase the holy water, the one you said, in full. You can bill the payment to my family.”
“Wait a minute, My Lord. Did you say all of it?”
“Yes, all of it. And I would like to make a separate contract for the continued exclusive supply of the holy water.”
“Wait, wait, wait.”
Bewilderment flashed across the Bishop’s face. Why is this? Holy water, as it was called in the Church, was expensive beyond imagination. There was no reason to refuse to make him sit on the money box. Is there some hidden reason that I haven’t thought of?
“…My Lord, it seems you don’t know what’s going on, perhaps I should explain.
Holy water is literally a sacred, pure water with an enormous amount of holy power concentrated in it, which is why it takes a tremendous amount of mental and holy power to consecrate it once. The priest who has completed the consecration is so exhausted that it is even stated in the church law that he must have a mandatory rest period of several days after the consecration work.
Although I said that we have one cask on hand, we cannot make it whenever we need it. In addition, there are patients who need a constant supply due to their characteristics, and there is also an amount that must be submitted to the headquarters on a regular basis. Therefore, I apologize for the inconvenience, but an exclusive contract is difficult.”
The Bishop was sweating profusely and spewing out words like a rapid-fire cannon, and for that reason, it’s understandable. The behind-the-scenes workings of the Church were not something I could learn from the source material.
“Is that so? If it’s not all, some is fine. If we were to sign a contract, how much can you supply us with?”
“If we reduce the amount that we need to send to the headquarters and the amount that we need to reserve for our own use to the maximum…I think this much is possible.”
The original one cask was already insufficient, but now the amount has suddenly decreased by a third. This was too small…but for now, there was no other way. I have to be content with being able to secure this amount of holy water regularly.
“I understand. It can’t be helped. For now, I’ll be satisfied with this. However, if it becomes possible to increase the supply in the future, I would like to review the contract again at that time.”
“Oh, that should be quite possible. But, you see, although we don’t usually inquire about the intended use of the holy water, this time, I can’t help but wonder why you’re purchasing such a large quantity. May I ask for the reason behind it?”
From the Bishop’s point of view, the question was fair enough. If I’m going to buy all that expensive holy water in bulk, he’s going to be curious. Since I couldn’t reveal the real reason, I gave him my prepared response.
“Haha, there’s no particular reason. When I returned to the family this time and checked the inventory of the stockpiled goods, only a very small amount of the stockpiled holy water was left. We’re close to the forbidden area, so don’t we often have problems? There are also many cases where the wind blowing from the cursed place mixes with magic and contaminates the nearby land. So I thought it would be used a lot, so I came here to purchase additional ones.”
“Heh, if that’s the reason, then there’s no reason why you can’t buy it in such large quantities. I’m just grateful for your answer. Please forgive my rudeness…”
I put forward a reason that would be just the right excuse, and the bishop nodded as if he had somewhat understood my words.
“It’s okay. Rather, I need it right away, so I would like to receive the first batch as soon as possible.”
“Don’t worry about that. It’s been quite a while since the last consecration, so I think it will take about four days for the priests to fully recover the holy power necessary to make holy water. I’ll send it to the manor as soon as it’s ready.”
There was no issue of money, for at dinner last night I had professed my authority over the penalty to my father, and I drew up a contract with the bishop on the spot.
The bishop tried very hard not to let his expression show, but an unconcealable joy was radiating from his beaming face. Although he didn’t sell it all for various reasons, he had gotten a good deal. He’ll have enough for himself, as well as a solid track record.
It’s none of my business what he does with the gold coins he got from me. And it was easier to deal with people who show some greed. It’s hard to ask for anything from someone who wants nothing.
When I left the church, it was just after noon. Since there was still some time before the meeting, I decided to kill time by walking around the town a bit.
* * *
The meeting was held in the mansion’s conference room. My father occupied the highest seat, and as a mere observer, I didn’t sit directly at the table, but pulled up a chair slightly behind him.
As the time approached, several prominent figures entered one by one, offering greetings to my father. Among them, some pretended to know me.
And not all of them, but there were also people who looked familiar to me because they remained in my memory.
The heads of the major noble houses under the Reed’s banner— House Reed’s Knight Commander, Laurel Hart; the head of family’s mage corps, Luth; the captain of the Madehaven Estate’s guards, Becker; and the representative of the Chamber of Commerce, Gardener, were among those present. Additionally, many others filed in, and the massive conference room quickly filled with bustling activity.
When my father thought that everyone was in, he checked the time and called the meeting to order, and people began to pass around the agendas they had brought with them, one by one.
* * *
“During the night, a section of the outer castle’s northern wall collapsed. It is believed to be caused by the water that seeped into the foundation from the previous day’s rain. Although temporary measures have been taken, the northern wall is severely deteriorated and there is a possibility that a similar problem may occur again. It would be good to conduct a major inspection of all the walls while repairing the collapsed area.”
“The catch of sardines has decreased by one-third compared to last year, the catch of mackerel and cod has increased almost twofold. Just a few days ago, there was an incident where a fishing boat sank under the weight of the catch. If this trend continues, there may be a significant shortage of salt needed for salting and magic stones needed for freezing. We’re still a long way from the end of the fishing season, so we’ll need to stock up on supplies before then.” {T/N:- Sardines, Mackerel, Cod are fishes.}
“Reports of monster sightings have surged in the outlying villages. It seems that this spring arrived about ten days earlier than usual, possibly contributing to the monsters’ accelerated breeding cycles. In Glentham alone, ten cases of ratmen sightings and seven cases of goblin sightings have been reported. I heard that much before I headed here, so I’m sure there will be more when I get back. We should consider clearing their breeding grounds before they multiply further.”
“Our situation is quite similar. Many of our potato and turnip fields outside the protective walls were raided, and a farmer who was on guard was seriously injured.
In addition, there were reports from the village of Markney, in our fiefdom, of footprints in the mountains, three times as long as an adult man’s foot. The rain had washed away the tracks, but the mountain man claims that it was definitely the footprint of a troll. I think we should do a search of the neighborhood.”
“Becker, get some stonemasons from Alston to inspect the walls, and not just the northern wall, but the others as well. When you have an estimate of the cost of repairs, subject the budget. And make sure to thoroughly check for any signs that someone might have deliberately destroyed them.”
“The salt and magic stones can be somewhat supplemented if we release the stockpiles. Let the butler know the amount needed. If it is still insufficient, then we will purchase additional ones.”
“Let’s deal with the sightings of goblins, ratmen, and trolls at once. When you return to the fiefdom, you’ll each take a group of soldiers and organize a raid. We will also mobilize the members of the knights and mages. Laurel, Luth, and you will stay behind to work out a detailed plan of action after the meeting.”
My father calmly addressed each matter with a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach
His composure, calculated demeanor, and ability to handle matters efficiently provided a stark contrast to his usual self around family, reminding me that it was his capabilities that allowed our family, House Reed, once mere provincial administrators, to become one of the most prominent families in the Southern nobility. It was a side of him I hadn’t seen in a while, and it left an impression.
As the meeting progressed and all the reports and proposals were presented, the only item remaining on the agenda was brought up by Gardner, the representative of the Chamber of Commerce.
He rose from his seat, cleared his throat, looked at my father, and began his report.
“Cough. Wheat, barley, and oats are all bumper crops this year. In particular, the wheat harvest is expected to be more than three times that of last year, due to the dry winter. And as it turned out, the bumper crop is not only happening in Madehaven, but throughout the southern region.
However, there is cause for concern as the excessive harvest is likely to lead to a significant drop in grain prices. Other lords in the southern region are also grappling with the same issue, and some are even considering burying their surplus in the ground.
And even for us, more than 80% of the grain warehouses are still full. Even if we rent the warehouses of the association, the situation there will not be much different. If we do not find a solution before the harvest season arrives, we are bound to face considerable chaos.
With less than two weeks until harvest, it is imperative that we devise a plan—whether that be expanding our warehouses, or if that is not possible, disposing of the surplus production.”
“Wheat…wheat…”
While he was quick to come up with solutions for other things, my father seemed to be quite concerned about the handling of the crops. I had been observing the meeting quietly, but suddenly, a spark of insight flared in my mind.
Perhaps with the wheat we now have left, I can more easily accomplish what I must do to prevent the destruction of our fiefdom. And maybe I can also expand my wealth.
As the meeting was winding down, it seemed that Gardner’s matter had been postponed because there was no clear answer.
I decided to present my thoughts to my father, and waited for the meeting to end.
(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )
Translator’s Note:-
We kinda had rain today after heatwaves and now that the temperature has changed, I feel like I might get sick soon. That would definitely suck.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ˳༄꠶ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯