Chapter 184

In the early hours of dawn,

I stepped outside and after some light stretching, I sat on a suitable rock and came to a spot where several flower pots were placed.

This was the same place where the residents had come to me with complaints just days ago.

-“Even though you’ve taken the authority over this land, it’s different if you use us as you please!”

-“We still can’t trust you. We fear you’ll ruin this land!”

-“Even with all your authority—”

The residents still doubted me deeply.

With just one sentence, I managed to quell their complaints.

-I have no intention of forcing you to plant the existing crops. But if you don’t follow even that, who knows what will happen next?

The affinity box of the residents flickered, but this was the least they could agree on. They weren’t being asked to do anything else; they were just told they could use the leftover land for whatever they wanted. They couldn’t demand more than that.

Affinity and recognition stopped there, allowing me to move on to the next choice.

-If only I had put more pressure on them. Anyway, those people wouldn’t believe me anyway.

Thinking about it, if being criticized and cursed at was inevitable, perhaps it would be better to act tyrannically and secure my authority firmly. After all, I wouldn’t feel any pain anymore.

-Whatever, for now, this is the priority.

▶Potatoes are planted here. The expected harvest grade is B+.

◀

▶Carrots are planted here. The expected harvest grade is A-.◀

▶Cabbages are planted here. The expected harvest grade is────◀

…

…

As I approached, I could see the crop management window.

This window shows the player information about the crops planted.

Given the importance of agriculture in managing a territory, this kind of UI was displayed.

I first saw the crop management window not long ago when the residents came to me.

Every time I passed by the field, seeing this window showing which crops were planted, I realized there was something I needed to check and decided to test it out.

That test was these flower pots.

I had personally planted the crops and checked them.

-Hmm. Some are already ready for harvest, and the rest should be ready within a few days.

It’s unrealistically fast.

How can crops grow fully in just a day or two? It was destroying my common sense of how things work.

But this extreme growth rate was exactly what I was testing.

-This must be… because of the game settings.

After dismissing my doubts, I turned my head towards the status window.

It still wasn’t showing up.

Even after three days.

Just before the residents came to me.

I was already suspicious then.

The sub-episode window, which usually shows up fine.

The main episode window directing the agent employment.

The lord’s UI window for managing the field.

The symposium status window linked to the performance trigger.

Apart from those, system messages and progress display windows were all there.

But I couldn’t help feeling odd about one thing not showing up.

I thought it might reappear after some time…

But it didn’t.

Even after reaching the field since meeting the residents, that window still hadn’t appeared.

[1. Crops in this world grow several times faster than usual, and while the yield decreases, they can be harvested multiple times a year.

[2. Crops infused with mana grow much faster. Therefore, the fertility of the land includes the amount of mana.

[3. Crops that grow quickly due to consuming mana have longer harvest cycles depending on the amount of mana they consume.]

To be honest, this window was useless from the player’s perspective.

Trying to use it in choices made little sense, and seeking hints from it was pointless. Usually, scenes would skip, causing time to fly by.

If you spent weeks or months in-game, nothing would progress. The game probably included these different commonsense rules to accelerate the pace and alleviate the slow development speed.

But what about now?

Now, it’s no longer just a game setting.

The setting of this world is no longer just a simple game setup—it has become reality for me. That’s why the game didn’t want to give me such setting hints.

-Sigh. It’s a relief I got a handle on it before it was too late. Even though the content is only three lines, I remember everything…

If I hadn’t addressed this, I can’t imagine what would have happened.

For now, securing the necessary food is a priority, so I need to keep an eye on how things develop.

-Yawn. Hey…?

Ferdy came out, still half-asleep.

-No, why are you up so early? Didn’t you get enough sleep?

-I just woke up.

-What? It’s the middle of the night.

-I slept for five hours.

-…Only five hours?

-Yeah, five hours.

He’s saying the same thing as Harnier. With so many tasks, spending five hours sleeping feels like a lot.

-Don’t you worry about getting hurt or something?

-Don’t worry. I’m naturally a heavy sleeper. And I just want to change this territory as soon as possible.

…

Getting hurt by lack of sleep?

Come on, it’s just a few hours.

If I ever got hurt, it would be from dealing with those crazy women at home, not from not sleeping.

I should cherish this time and think about escaping from this dukedom as soon as possible. Tsk.

-So, what about that girl?

-What girl?

-The girl you secretly brought into your room yesterday.

-!

-While stretching and practicing mana training, I heard her clearly. My hearing amplification kicked in, and I naturally started to hear sounds.

I woke up, stretched, and went outside to increase my mana proficiency.

My enhanced hearing picked up movement sounds.

The location was none other than Ferdy’s place.

He had allowed someone into his small cabin.

-Brother, well, I wasn’t trying to hide it, but…

-Let’s talk about this later.

-What?

-Tap tap.

The sound of boots, worn by guards, was clearly audible through my enhanced ears.

-A visitor came.

-Ting!

▶Daike has visited you.◀

▶An agent-specific choice has appeared.◀

***

Although I knew nothing about Daike’s background, Memorial informed me of everything.

Helketa I, a rare disease. Daike’s younger sister is suffering from it.

It’s extremely painful, and if left untreated for too long, it can lead to death. However, there is a way to solve it.

A special medicine made from rare ingredients.

With that, Helketa I can be completely cured.

However, the special medicine requires Shatren strawberries.

Given the scarcity of Shatren strawberries, it’s unlikely that a commoner like him could easily obtain them. So he supported the Shatren guard to maximize his chances of acquiring them.

Even though he supported the Shatren guard, supplies never came.

He tried to save money to buy them in advance, but it was impossible.

Thus, a year passed.

During this year, Daike couldn’t even catch a glimpse of a Shatren strawberry.

That was the content of the Memorial I saw.

Unfortunately, even if I returned to the present, there’s no hope for him. Considering the episode progression, Daike will be unable to obtain Shatren strawberries alone no matter what he does.

Even if he saved money, prices rose, and reservation costs increased dramatically, making it impossible for him to buy them himself.

I had to persuade him multiple times through choices and convince him to come to me.

This usually happened around the end of the third week.

-But, right now, it’s only been three days.

Quickly informing him of the truth through side work and notes proved quite helpful.

Even if he came to me and said he couldn’t believe it, that wouldn’t happen.

How could I say he gave up after seeing his face?

He faced the reality he wanted to avoid.

Though I hadn’t chosen him before, in this situation, it’s better this way. I chose the newly generated option without hesitation.

-[5. You understand now?]

-You seem to have finally calmed down. Or rather, regained your senses?

I deliberately used a harsh tone to make sure he understood.

When Daike heard this, he twitched his lips and lowered his head in response.

-…Yes. The price increase was absurd. The calculation you wrote in your notebook matched perfectly. And I confirmed it by listening in; the D-grade strawberries I need are priced beyond what commoners can afford.

So, he actually confirmed it himself.

That must have been tough.

-But, you think there might be a solution because His Highness knows everything, right?

Daike clenched his fist and revealed his true intentions.

Though he didn’t finish his sentence, I could guess his feelings.

He’s grasping at straws.

-That’s enough.

-Why ask me now? I’m the one who caused the rise in Shatren’s numbers in this territory.

-!

-Should I really trust that you have a real solution? One that I can rely on? And that you’re not just lying like before?

-Ka-chunk!

Daike fell to his knees.

-I don’t know much about what happened before the famine. I was so focused on finding Shatren strawberries.

-Ting!

-Conditions met.

-You can designate this NPC as an agent. The decision is made via the choice.

-Even if you don’t believe me, I didn’t listen to any conversation. No, I didn’t hear anything at all. That’s why I won’t ask His Highness. Because I know the statistics are true!

-Pak!

-Please… save my sister…

Daike bowed his head and pleaded instead of asking a question.

His posture showed unwavering obedience.

-How will you respond to Daike’s question?

-You must have heard that I manage one-third of Shatren territory. While I can’t use the land for food crops, I can grow Shatren strawberries on a small plot.

-Then…!

-I can grow them, but I can’t guarantee anything. The strawberries you want might not be produced.

-…Isn’t this option more likely than having nothing at all?

Smart kid.

Last choice.

-[2. If I follow you and a sufficient amount of strawberries are produced, I promise to give you a good amount.]

-Do you have the resolve to follow me?

There’s no need for such lengthy words.

Will you follow me or not?

That’s enough.

-Yes…! If there’s a way to save my sister, I’ll do anything!

-You will be recruited as an agent!

-[Shatren Territory Agent List]

-[1. Ferdy]

-[2. Daike]☑

***

[Daike]

[Affinity: 0%]

Now that Daike is an agent, he no longer shows me the gray box.

Instead, a clear white box appears.

Affinity is 0%.

This means I can now use Daike’s agent abilities.

-[2. Daike]

-Rank: B

-Ability: Controller

-You can check visitation and departure records of people in Shatren territory. With a higher rank, you can control and block visitors.

Daike’s ability is the Controller.

He can verify all traders entering and leaving Shatren territory, so I can tell if any external interference occurred.

Due to his lower rank, he can control civilians, small-scale merchants, and wandering traders, but controlling nobles is impossible unless the residents’ will aligns.

Still, this is enough.

I already have evidence to block external interference.

-Focusing on planting strawberries seems crucial.

Because it’s not a game, I have to plant them myself, which is quite a hassle.

-Shall I use Ferdy’s information-gathering skills to gather some intel first?

While pondering this,

Two girls I had forgotten about came to visit.

-Clatter clatter!

-Yo, yo! Trisha!

-Big brother, you’re planning to plant strawberries in the remaining field, right? I can help with that!

-What?

Trisha swallowed hard and continued.

-Big brother, you asked Ferdy about the prices of Shatren strawberries and grapes recently, right?

-…How did you find out?

-I wrote down the prices for you!

Finding out the trading prices of Shatren strawberries and grapes was part of the groundwork before accepting Daike.

I made a chart and graph to make the statistics more convincing.

But, did Trisha write down all the prices?

-No, wait.

Actually, that makes sense.

How could Ferdy find out the prices of Shatren strawberries and grapes?

Shatren strawberries and grapes are monopolized by the nobles, so there’s no separate market.

Considering Ferdy, a notorious thief in Shatren, finding out such information doesn’t make sense. Even as an information gatherer, he couldn’t have gotten it just by eavesdropping.

The answer was quick.

…Those prices were truly given by Trisha.

But how did Trisha know the prices?

She’s a lower-ranked information gatherer compared to Ferdy. How did she figure it out?

Information isn’t easy to obtain. The more detailed, the more effort it takes. And a person with this level of sophistication…

-Huh.

Now, I understand why Ferdy did what he did.

Trisha has always been friendly toward Carsein. She’s the one who cares most about this territory.

So, Trisha wasn’t hiding anything from Ferdy.

She came voluntarily to help.

-You’re Brem’s granddaughter, aren’t you, Trisha?