Chapter 192

Carcein spent two days growing strawberries and grapes, then delivering them to the guards.

Those two days were also shared by the residents of Shatren territory.

Despite rushing to expand the land, the poor harvest rate started to worry them. Upon calculating, their worries turned into reality.

“Deficit…”

“Again?”

The faces of the residents of Shatren territory hardened.

“Even after spending so much on high-grade fertilizer, there’s still a deficit…”

“So, this famine has come after all.”

“What will happen to our food? We need to get supplies from outside now.”

They had used up all the subsidies and bought fertilizers. They thought they could cover the entire territory’s food expenses with the sales during the harvest season.

However, unexpected deficits led to many households facing severe hunger.

“This famine! No way. There’s another problem here!”

Amidst everyone’s gloom, Mafr clenched his fist and denied the situation.

“We’ve only used 2/3 of Shatren. A whole 1/3 of the land hasn’t been used. How can we expect proper profits?”

The residents nodded in agreement after pondering.

“Right, if we had more land, the harvest rate would have been higher. The problem lies in the farmland as Mafr said.”

“The problem isn’t just that. We abruptly changed the land from other crops to strawberry and grape fields. Even though it wasn’t obvious, experience tells us this would cause problems.”

“It must have greatly affected the harvest rate!”

“It’s not like 1/3 of the land just vanished!”

Deficit turned into famine, and famine pointed to a land issue.

And the arrows turned toward the lord of Shatren territory, Carcein, who hadn’t used 1/3 of the land.

“Huh. So, the reason for this deficit is obvious, isn’t it?”

“If we had cultivated that land ourselves, the yield would have increased. The results wouldn’t have been like this.”

“Maybe there wouldn’t have been a deficit either. With all that land used, we would have covered the costs and more.”

“What could be the cause of this painful setback? It must be due to someone unfit to be a lord!”

Everyone unanimously pointed out Carcein’s problem, and Mafr seized the opportunity.

“Everyone, don’t you think we should formally protest?”

“Protest?”

“We demand they provide us with food.”

“What?”

“The reasons for the deficit are clear. While we needed to step back when giving 1/3 of the land, the cause of this deficit is Carcein!”

The residents nodded in unison.

“That’s right. We don’t have to starve like this.”

“Why should we bear this burden when others are at fault?”

“Even during the off-season, it wasn’t this bad. As Mafr said, it’s worth protesting formally!”

“Let’s go! We’re demanding compensation properly!”

“**Oh!**”

Leading the charge, they went to protest against Carcein.

***

“Hmm.”

With all the UI elements showing in the status window, I propped my chin up with one hand.

“I guess this adjustment didn’t work out.”

The timing for using agent abilities was appropriate.

Daike moved according to my intentions two days later, and no other events occurred, and there was no mention of rank drops in the agent UI, so I could safely conclude there wasn’t a major issue.

However, I never expected the schedule to become this tangled.

“**A designated essential event is missing.**”

“**Main Episode. The agent of Shatren is pushed to the background.**”

“**Episode VII is changed to Flora’s birthday.**”

“**Episode VII. Flora’s birthday is ongoing.**”

“**You must spend a day at the birthday party venue.**”

Although I had experienced several times where hidden conditions caused the main episode to change drastically, this game had instances where the plot shifted rapidly.

That happened during the third week of the Eastern Nobles’ Meeting, when Episode VII was about to take place.

It was during Flora’s approaching birthday.

“Sigh. Why did I have to leave at this moment?”

The攻略method of Shatren involves pointing out and proving issues.

In other words, mastering the Clue and Prove Event is crucial.

At first, Carcein had no influence but needs to gradually gain rights and build power through proof.

But now, a payment delay has arrived.

“Tsk. There’s no choice. I can’t refuse this episode.”

If Flora’s birthday is missed, family affinity drops by 30%. If certain preparations aren’t made, -10% affinity is fixed, leading to disaster.

Moreover, because this coincides with the debutante ball of an important noble in the noble society, everyone receives punishment.

Thus, it can’t be refused. Not only the fixed family power represented by the gray box, but even the duke’s servants and anyone who heard the news turn their backs on me.

No matter which path is chosen, it leads to a bad ending.

Therefore, Episode VII involving Flora’s birthday is practically mandatory in the third week.

The answer came quickly. Since I couldn’t immediately proceed with the Clue and Prove Event, I decided to prioritize the main episode, Flora’s birthday.

“The proof is ready, so it doesn’t matter. The critical issue now is the food problem.”

Pointing out the farming method issues by showing the strawberries and grapes I harvested can wait.

Instead, solving the food problem caused by converting all existing land to strawberry and grape fields is the priority.

“I’ll ask him. That guy is perfect for this.”

My prediction might be wrong.

If they managed well, they might not have touched it.

If they didn’t touch it, I’d lose a card, but even then, this card isn’t very effective. When I return, the most crucial issue to prove through the Clue and Prove Event is the farming method.

If I don’t take it, it’ll be what it is.

When I return…

Many things will have happened.

***

About 30 minutes after Carcein left in the carriage.

Residents who came looking for the lord learned about the current lord’s whereabouts from the guards.

“Really? The lord is away?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know when he’ll return?”

“We don’t know either.”

The residents couldn’t hide their confusion at the guard’s response.

‘Maybe he already sensed something and ran away?’

‘Or maybe he knew we would come and made excuses.’

‘Is he trying to avoid giving anything?!’

All sorts of thoughts spread among the residents.

Though they formally protested according to the rules of the symposium, without the lord present, they couldn’t use it.

In the midst of this chaos,

The guards nodded to each other and brought baskets and boxes filled with items.

“These… are ingredients?”

“Did you prepare these?”

“How could we?”

When the ban was issued, Daike was quite worried.

Since several guards had seen people secretly buying ingredients in Shatren territory, issuing the ban seemed inevitable.

After the closure order, transactions near the territory noticeably decreased. Blocked routes meant even imported ingredients reduced.

But what about now?

This seems like Carcein planned ahead.

“Before leaving, the lord said to bring these if you come looking for him.”

Fresh vegetables, grown in this land, returned to the residents. What a reliable method.

Maintaining the ban while avoiding problems in the territory.

Indeed, the most reliable approach.

So, Daike, Frict, and other guards distributed the ingredients, revealing the true lord’s intention.

The residents likely bowed in admiration of the lord’s benevolence.

But…

“Hmph. Trying to make a show of this?”

“You think we’ll be grateful?”

“Even if we get these, the land taken from us remains ours.”

The residents reacted angrily to the lord’s intentions.

‘What? Shouldn’t we be happy…?’

‘The food problem is solved, yet they’re angry?’

Daike and the guards were puzzled. They didn’t understand why.

‘Is that too harsh?’

‘No, other lords openly embezzle, yet they’re reluctant to accept produce given directly?’

‘Especially since Lord Carsein bought meat with his own money! Isn’t refusing this a serious problem?!’

The residents felt they had gone off track somewhere.

Unable to hold back his anger, Daike gritted his teeth.

“Whoa!”

“Hey!”

“What is this?!”

As Daike’s spear approached one resident’s neck, they shouted in shock.

“If you don’t want to be taken away, stop here and go back.”

“What?”

“I’m telling you to quietly take it back. Unless you want to criticize us for bringing it here.”

Mafr, the action leader of the territory, looked at Daike with wide eyes.

At the fierce gaze, Mafr swallowed hard and turned away.

“…What a nuisance. As a guard. Tch.”

Once the residents left, the guards released their pent-up frustration.

“What’s wrong with those guys? How can they react like that?”

“They’re almost starving to death!”

“With such treatment from the lord, they should be grateful! These ingrates!”

“I don’t know. Maybe their pride swelled after growing expensive fruits.”

All the guards felt the same.

Carcein was their benefactor.

Despite suffering losses, he generously offered Shatren strawberries and grapes.

Seeing such a person insulted before their eyes was infuriating, but the guards could barely calm down after seeing the residents threatening them.

“Shouldn’t we say something?”

“I agree!”

“It’s too blatant! I can’t stand it!”

Then, Daike, who had been grinding his teeth, muttered softly.

“Let’s go back.”

“Daike!”

“Is this right?”

“We have to endure our anger. None of us want the young master to suffer because of us.”

The guards nodded reluctantly, though they felt regret.

Following Daike’s advice, they decided to retreat.

“Frict. Didn’t those people say they traded with another territory’s people from the north road?”

“Yeah. They seemed to be using a workaround to avoid the ban.”

“Then, let’s take some revenge.”

After a few hours,

The guards intensified their security.

“Excuse me, but could you show us what’s inside?”

“What is this nonsense?”

“You’re a guard of our territory. Why are you asking to see our belongings?”

“If you don’t show us, we’ll have to inspect by force.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?!”

“We are guards. We monitor suspicious activities within this territory. Is that nonsense?”

“Do you think we should just let it go without checking what external items are being brought in? As guards, we can’t overlook this.”

Facing the residents’ uneasy expressions, the guards performed the inspection.

“This…”

“Something suspicious. We’ll take it.”

“No, how is this suspicious?!”

“It hasn’t been verified.”

“All external items need to be checked.”

Watching the residents’ twisted reactions toward Carcein, a faint anger surfaced.

A small revenge from a distance.

Through this process, the guards concluded within themselves.

The disgrace of Shatren must be due to problems with the residents.

*Ding!*

**Daike and the guards’ affinity significantly increased.**

[Daike]

[Current Affinity: 52%]

**Affinity settings changed due to meeting conditions.**

[Guard’s Anger]

[Current Affinity: 52%]