Noon arrived.
I was settled in a kotatsu in one of the mansion's rooms, enjoying a peaceful snack of mochi. I had seasoned mine with sugar and soy sauce, skipping the seaweed wrap. It was delicious. To wash it down, I had some lukewarm, weak green tea. I didn't mind it hot and strong, but when eating mochi, a milder brew was much easier to manage. It was a perfect match.
On either side of me, Kuro and Yuki were fast asleep inside the kotatsu with only their heads poking out. Aegis, the phoenix chick, was also snoozing, lying flat on his back on top of the table. A winter landscape stretched out beyond the window, but the weather was fair. Everything was peaceful.
I wasn't just idling my time away, however. Michael-san had arrived, and I was simply waiting for him. He had been spirited away by the civil official girls the moment he stepped foot in the village. While the Village of the Great Tree intended to continue trading with the Goroun Company as usual, the new year required various administrative adjustments.
The primary focus of their discussion was likely the payment system. While our village had no problem paying in cash, it had become difficult for the Goroun Company to do the same. It wasn't that they lacked the funds; rather, if they handed over massive amounts of currency to us, it would drain the local supply and destabilize the economies of Shashato City and Village Five.
This had been a concern for some time, so we cooperated by accepting as little cash as possible, opting instead for payment in kind. However, the staggering discrepancy between the value of our high-end exports and the goods we actually needed to buy had become the new hurdle. The products from the Village of the Great Tree were simply worth too much.
Furthermore, there were very few items our village or its subsidiaries actually required from the outside world. We were always in the market for clothes, lumber, and seafood, but those purchases didn't even come close to balancing the books. To bridge the deficit, we had the Goroun Company focus on producing high-demand crops in the regions surrounding Shashato and Village Five. They had been working hard on livestock farming as well, as consumption in those areas was on the rise.
Every bit of surplus crop and livestock produced through their efforts was purchased by our village, serving as the Goroun Company's payment to us. We then sold those goods back to Shashato and Village Five at low prices through the company’s distribution network. From a purely financial standpoint, our village didn't make a dime—in fact, we operated at a loss.
However, this ensured a stable food supply for the residents of those cities, which was a great help to them. Miyo, who worked in Shashato, had pointed out that such regional stability was technically the responsibility of lords and magistrates, but I didn't like the idea of our village prospering while our neighbors struggled. Besides, while we lost money on the raw ingredients, we made an incredible profit on the seasonings—the mayonnaise, soy sauce, and miso—that people bought to make that food delicious. The margins were so high that we wouldn't have even minded if the Goroun Company stopped paying us altogether.
The Goroun Company profited as well. Even though they struggled to keep up with their payments to us, they made a fortune selling our products to the surrounding regions at premium prices. It was a win-win situation. Still, apparently, it wasn't ideal for one side to profit too excessively, so I assumed that was what they were ironing out.
Michael-san was certainly taking his time. Eventually, however, he appeared, led into the room by a High Ogre maid.
Just as Michael-san went to sit across from me, Kuroyon slunk out from inside the kotatsu to vacate the spot. I hadn't even realized he was in there. I didn't scold him, though. I gave him a quick pat on the head as a reward before he moved toward the corner. He didn't seem inclined to leave the room, and since he was always quiet, I didn't mind.
As I petted Kuroyon, Michael-san settled into the kotatsu. The maid placed a cup of tea in front of him and cleared away my empty mochi plate. I told her I didn't need a refill yet, as I still had some left.
Upon hearing my reply, the maid nodded and gently picked up Aegis from the tabletop, moving him onto a stack of futons nearby. Aegis didn't even stir. I wondered if such a complete lack of survival instinct was normal for a living creature, but I supposed it was just a sign of how safe he felt.
I glanced at Kuro and Yuki on either side of me. They, too, remained fast asleep despite Michael-san's arrival. I could even hear faint snoring. It was a good thing that they felt secure enough to relax like this.
Since his meeting with the civil official girls was over, Michael-san and I settled into some idle chat. I never belittled these conversations; surprisingly important information often came to light during these informal talks, even if it was rare.
"There are no issues with the harvests in Shashato or the neighboring villages," Michael-san reported. "Regarding the crops you requested—the wheat, barley, corn, rice, tomatoes, pumpkins, cabbage, and potatoes—we are already planning further expansion of the fields. We expect the next harvest to increase by about twenty percent across the board."
Twenty percent sounded modest, but given the scale of the current operation, it was a massive volume. I worried if they were pushing the local farmers too hard.
"We aren't the ones driving them," Michael-san clarified. "The problem is that those crops sell for high prices the moment they hit the market, so the farmers are overworking themselves out of greed. We have to send in regular inspectors just to force them to take a break."
I see. That was reassuring, in a way. Still, stopping people who were determined to work was no easy task. We had the same issue here in our village.
"We've requested the Elf clans near Village Five—specifically those under Tree King-dono and Bow King-dono—to send over additional laborers. Things should stabilize once they get used to the work."
Once they got used to it, wouldn't they just use the extra hands to expand even more? But more importantly, I had specifically asked the Tree King and Bow King's villages to focus on growing tea and oil crops. It wasn't favoritism, but Yoko had asked me to give them some form of steady work, so I had entrusted them with those specialties. Yoko told me they were doing well, but I hadn't realized they had enough surplus manpower to send workers elsewhere. Were they that efficient, or were Elves just naturally gifted at agriculture?
"Ah, well... the thing is, the number of Elves under the Tree King and Bow King has been increasing lately," Michael-san explained.
I knew they were coordinating the local settlements, but had their numbers grown that much? I hoped they hadn't started conquering nearby clans to expand their influence.
"No, nothing like that," Michael-san said, sensing my concern. "It seems that word got out that those villages are under the jurisdiction of Village Five, so other Elf clans have started migrating there on their own."
I see.
"The migrants apparently want to live in Village Five itself, but Kinesta-san has been redirecting them to the outlying settlements instead."
Kinesta was the former princess of the Elf Empire and currently worked as the acting manager of the 'Kuro and Yuki' shop in Village Five. It made sense that other Elves would seek her out.
"Kinesta-san seemed quite annoyed by it, honestly. she has absolutely no interest in building a power base. She even told me that if it ever looks like she’s consolidating power, it’s only because she’s being coerced, and she wants us to rescue her."
That sounded like quite a burden for Michael-san to hear. I made a mental note to tell Yoko to speak with her.
"That would be appreciated," Michael-san agreed. "If something actually happens, our company will act, but it’s better if Yoko-sama and the Village Five security team are kept in the loop."
The Goroun Company employed a significant number of guards, but I didn't want them getting involved in anything dangerous if it could be avoided.
"Fufufu. Expanding a merchant guild sometimes requires a bit of rough business," Michael-san said with a chuckle.
"Just don't overdo it," I cautioned. Ultimately, Village Five was the one protecting Kinesta, so any trouble she faced should be handled by us.
Changing the subject from such ominous talk, I asked him about which products were currently trending.
"Well, there are many, but the magic items made in Village Five are seeing incredibly strong sales."
Magic items were certainly convenient. However, I remembered them being quite expensive. If they were selling that well, the economy must be booming.
"That’s part of it, but... Village Five has that group of craftsmen trained by Ya-sama and the other Mountain Elves, right?"
There was indeed such a group. We often contracted them to mass-produce parts for the Mountain Elves' designs.
"They collaborated with students from Ifuls Academy in Shashato to begin mass-producing magic items. They’ve earned a reputation for being affordable yet highly efficient."
I hadn't heard anything about that. I felt like someone should have mentioned it to me.
"Well, regarding your situation, Village Head..." Michael-san trailed off.
"What is it?"
"You have so many high-end or experimental magic items in this mansion already... I think the craftsmen felt it would be embarrassing to present mass-produced versions to you unless they improved the performance significantly."
I wasn't asking for gifts, but I understood the sentiment. Come to think of it, the magic tools in this village were either heirlooms brought in by Lu and the dragons or custom pieces Lu had built herself. Every single one was a priceless rarity. I suppose talk of cheap, mass-market versions wouldn't naturally drift this way.
"Besides, to keep costs down for mass production, the designs are very plain," Michael-san said, his eyes drifting to the edge of the kotatsu tabletop. "Are those... Kuro-dono and the others?"
I wished he wouldn't look too closely. I had thought the edge of the table looked a bit bare, so I had carved some designs into it. I didn't think it would be that noticeable on a kotatsu, but if Michael-san saw it, I suppose it stood out. For the record, the High Ogre maids disliked it because the grooves were a pain to clean.
It was true that practical items were better off being simple. There was no need for mass-produced tools to be ornate; elaborate decorations only drove up the price and slowed down production.
"Exactly," Michael-san continued. "The most popular items are lamps, stoves, refrigerated boxes, and water purifiers. Oh, and it looks like 'Kitchen Carriages' equipped with those tools are about to become a big hit."
Kitchen Carriages were essentially mobile kitchens loaded with utensils, tableware, ingredients, and water. They were lightweight enough to be pulled by a single horse and, while they had no room for passengers other than the driver, a single unit could cook meals for up to twenty people. They even had refrigerated storage for about a hundred meals' worth of ingredients. The only downside was that they required several people to deploy them for use.
Anyone familiar with our village would recognize them instantly—they were small, affordable versions of the camping carriages we used here. They were designed by the Mountain Elves and mass-produced in Village Five. I had heard that sales were initially poor, though.
"Originally, we marketed them to adventurers," Michael-san explained. "But for a small party, the carriage was too large, and since it required a horse, they felt it limited their mobility."
In other words, it was the wrong product for that demographic. Consequently, Village Five had bought up the stock to use for providing food at local events or during construction projects. I believe they even rented them out to the public.
"However, Yuri-sama saw the carriages in action at an event and recommended them to the Demon Kingdom Army."
The Demon Kingdom Army? A single carriage seemed far too small for military logistics.
"Yes, but Yuri-sama wasn't looking at the main army. She wanted them for the Patrol Units."
"Patrol Units?"
"Right. As you know, there are many settlements in the Demon Kingdom that don't have a resident lord or magistrate. The Patrol Units are groups of about ten soldiers who travel between those towns to provide security against monsters and magic beasts."
I see. It was hard for those towns to get help without a formal administrator to petition the capital.
"The problem is that these units have to provide their own food while on the march. The local towns don't always provide meals, and even when they do, the Demon Kingdom is home to so many different races that dietary requirements vary wildly. Sometimes a soldier literally can't eat what a village offers, but refusing the food causes a diplomatic incident. To avoid that, the units prefer to be self-sufficient. The Kitchen Carriage was the perfect solution."
"That makes sense," I said. "And since they're a mounted unit, having a horse-drawn carriage isn't a burden."
"Exactly. We only introduced five units at first, but word of their convenience has spread, and orders are pouring in. We might be asked to provide a hundred units by spring."
A hundred by spring?
I would have to tell Yoko to make sure the craftsmen didn't overextend themselves or accept any impossible deadlines.