"So, you’ve decided to put the money toward cultural preservation and development?"
Yoko followed up my conclusion with an amused nod.
"On the surface, yes."
I wished she would stop phrasing things as if I were doing something nefarious behind the scenes.
"It amounts to the same thing," Yoko said with a laugh—her signature "Kaka"—and reached for a taiyaki sitting on the table.
These were the first fruits of the specialized grills Gatto and the mountain elves had crafted for me. The filling was smooth bean paste. I had agonized over whether to go with chunky or smooth, but I anticipated that people would form factions and start a feud over it, so I made a unilateral executive decision.
Taiyaki would be smooth bean paste. In exchange, obanyaki would be chunky. I had already finished the grills for the obanyaki as well.
"First, let's discuss the public-facing side of the cultural preservation and development," Yoko said as she began to outline the plan.
To start, we would commission merchants to buy up works of art from across the land. However, we would set a firm cap on the purchase price for any single item. While the goal was to spend money, I had no interest in the hobby of buying needlessly expensive things just for the sake of it. I had been quite firm on that point. Besides, I didn't actually know the true value of such objects. To avoid being swindled, a price limit was an absolute necessity.
"And then, a place to display the collected works. The construction of an Art Museum."
We would have this built in Village Five during the winter. Since the high elves had been whisked away by Lu, I had suggested we could wait until they returned, but Yoko assured me that the Village Five carpenters would be up to the task. It wasn’t that I didn't trust them; it was just that the image of the high elves being the sole experts on construction was burned into my mind.
The Art Museum would be open to the public. By offering free admission, we would showcase Village Five’s financial power while simultaneously encouraging the spread of culture. Personally, I’d be happy if this led to an increase in the number of painters.
"Umu. And for those who enjoy music, as well."
A theater would be attached to the Village Five Art Museum. The plan was for it to be a venue for theatrical performances and music, not just static exhibits. Tia’s idea for a Cultural Academy would also be integrated. However, it wasn't exactly the kind of "academy" I had originally pictured; it was more like an entire apartment building where every single room was a classroom. It felt closer to a private school than a formal institution.
At the moment, we had no leads on teachers or students. I figured I should consult Michael-san or the Demon King about that.
Then there was the Demon King’s idea regarding the promotion of sports. Mass-producing the equipment would be easy enough, but finding space for tournaments was the real hurdle. For now, I’d have them clear a single ground in Village Five where baseball could be played.
"Does that about cover it?" I asked.
Yoko nodded with satisfaction. "Well, the merchants will certainly be making a scene as they scramble for artwork, so that should suffice."
Spending the cash was important, but apparently, it was equally important to make a public show of the fact that we were spending it. Hence, the "public-facing" actions.
"Now, onto the behind-the-scenes matters."
Yoko looked like she was having the time of her life. As I said before, we weren't discussing anything illicit. It was just a matter of spending cash on projects where the results were either invisible or very difficult to see from the outside.
"First, the formation of the Medical Corps."
While the people of this world were resilient against physical injuries thanks to healing magic, they were remarkably vulnerable to disease and plagues. Sickness could be cured with magic, but practitioners of such spells were rare. Furthermore, the treatments required precious medicines in addition to the caster's mana, making the costs astronomical. It was an amount that commoners—and even most nobles—simply couldn't afford.
We would form an organization to solve this: the Medical Corps. We would recruit volunteers and train them. These individuals would then wander the various regions in small groups, treating the sick wherever they went. They were to ignore social status and provide their services for free. They were strictly forbidden from accepting any payment whatsoever. In fact, they were instructed to literally run away to avoid being tipped. The goal was to create a group that operated out of pure benevolence.
"It’s an interesting idea. However, the flaw is that it will likely take thirty years before they can operate exactly as you envision, Village Head."
That was why it had to stay behind the scenes for now.
"Next, the formation of the Cooking Culture Group."
From my perspective, the culinary arts in this world were underdeveloped. Of course, that was just my biased view; the inhabitants were cooking perfectly well by their own standards. Every region had local dishes they were proud of.
The group's first mission would be to investigate and record these local specialties. Their second mission would be the research of unique seasonings and cooking methods found in different areas. Regardless of whether the food was delicious or unpalatable, I wanted to know what was out there. There were limits to what I could do with my knowledge alone, and this research might lead to ideas for entirely new dishes.
The final mission was the dissemination of the culinary knowledge I possessed. Yoko had suggested it might be more profitable to monopolize the information, but I wanted the basic techniques to be common knowledge. If everyone was eating reasonably good food, maybe there would be a few less conflicts in the world. It was probably just sugary idealism, but a world with better food was better than a world without it.
"More delicious food is always a good thing."
Yoko proceeded to dollop extra bean paste on top of her finished taiyaki. I wasn't entirely sure if that was the proper way to eat it.
"Next, the formation of the Monster Investigation Group."
This world had adventurers—people who hunted monsters and magic beasts for bounties and materials. While some acted as handymen in the cities, the general public view was that an adventurer was someone who fought monsters. These adventurers almost always belonged to the Adventurer Guild.
I had assumed the guild acted as a hub for sharing information, but the reality was quite different. The guild mainly focused on paying out bounties and managing requests. Training new adventurers wasn't actually part of their official mandate. While some individual branches did provide training, it was usually just a side hobby for the specific staff members working there.
Consequently, information on monsters was something you had to learn from your seniors. Adventurers who weren't lucky enough to have a mentor often met with grisly ends. While that might just be the way of their world, and such information was likely a trade secret for them, I didn't care. I wouldn't force them to talk; we would just investigate things ourselves.
That was the purpose of the Monster Investigation Group. Hiring local adventurers to gather data would be the primary method.
"It is always better to know than to be ignorant. If we can map the distribution of monsters and magic beasts, we might even be able to develop safer travel routes."
Having finished her taiyaki, Yoko demanded seconds. Unfortunately, I was currently making takoyaki. Gatto and the mountain elves had made the grills for those as well. Since some people were put off by octopus, only a few contained it. The majority were filled with chicken, fish, or scallops.
"It’s unfair to bring those out right after sweets," she grumbled, though she didn't hesitate to start eating them.
"That’s about the gist of it. All the behind-the-scenes projects will take a long time to bear fruit. Furthermore, while the total investment is large, the actual annual drain on our gold reserves is relatively small. Still, it sounds like it’ll be fun."
"I agree."
None of these projects could be done openly. As Yuri and Frau had warned me before, these acts would essentially be ignoring the authority of local magistrates and lords.
"Well, I’ve explained the situation to the Demon King and Beezel, and they’ve given me their tacit approval."
It likely wouldn't escalate into a major issue.
"However, there is one glaring problem," Yoko added.
"Oh?"
"As it stands, even if we combine the public and private projects... even if we carry out every single one of your wishes to the absolute maximum... we haven't even touched a quarter of the target budget. Ah, wait! Don't run away, Village Head!"
I decided to leave the thinking for another time.
Just as I was about to make my escape, someone who actually needed money appeared. It was Lu.
"Sorry. I’m running a bit short on funds. Lend me some?"