Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Radical Ideas

Baronet Stanley Barclay  looks at his drinking buddies one by one. 

Baron Scott Aldiss, who earns a wage as a knight under House of Guerrin. His family owns a number of boats and chickens. 

Baron Curtis Blackwell is also a knight. His family owns tangerine farm and cows. 

Baron Leonhardt Strauch has the highest position in the army among those four as he is the head of Redcliffe archery division. His family owns a strawberry farms and several boats.

“Now that’s the way to do it. I remember Baronet mentioning the higher-ups, so what happened exactly?”

“Huh? Ah, what was it, did I talk about that?”

“Yeah, you mentioned something along those lines……it appears to me that you might’ve had a little too much to drink, should I bring some non-alcoholic beverages over? Does that sound agreeable?”

“That’s right. Stanley, would you like some water? The water they serve here does not stink of moss.”

“Ehhh-, that wouldn’t be necessary. I’m fine, I’m fine.” Heat pulses across Stanley's face, he does not need a mirror to know that his face has turned completely red. “......ahhh, I was talking about my woes. I’m broke, broke.”

“We’re in a similar situation, am I right?”

“That’s right, our demesnes aren’t exactly prospering either”

“No, no. It’s not what you think it is. If those higher-ups have done what I asked them to, there should’ve been large sums of gold flooding into my pockets. But they won’t listen. It’s all their fault. Every single one of them is worthless.”

“Nothing apart from agricultural produce at the moment. Damn it.”

A lot of trials were being run on various aspects of production, but none had bore fruit yet.

“Agricultural produce, huh… It would be nice to have some kind of unique product, otherwise...”

“Typical agricultural products don’t sell for much, but that’s to be expected.”

The four noblemen speak of a lot of their own opinions.

They are correct, that is why there is a need to cultivate crops of higher value. It would be risky as it is probable that they would not be able to harvest the crop in the short-run, the fact of whether a crop could be cultivated at all or not had to be investigated too. Even so, it is a necessary investment for the future, yet the lady and those viscounts would always use “that is too risky.” or "we need to wait" as their excuse even in the face of a desperate appeal.

“Considering that current situation, if nothing changes then I could only wait for a bad harvest so the price of grain would go up!” Stanley laments.

"The lady marquis is really use..."

Curtis jabs Scott with his elbow mid-sentence and then he moves closer to Stanley to whisper.

“You’re right, but even if a bad harvest occurs, the price won’t necessarily rise. Did you know that there is a huge amount of cheap grain being transported from Abram and Edgehall to the Redcliffe? So the price for regular produce is unlikely to fluctuate much and it would be equally unlikely for any non-value-added product to fetch a high price.”

“What!?”

“Ah, Stanley, you’re being too loud.”

Stanley surveys his surroundings in a frenzy, lowered his voice, and then said to Leonhardt, “is that true?”

“Mhm, the intel was obtained from trustworthy sources, it was being spread amongst a few of the noblemen in the wharf. Apparently the Abram and Edgehall are storing large quantities of grain in warehouses owned by the noblemen in the Redcliffe. It is said that they are even allowed to sell them, but Abram and Edgehall obviously had the priority input on how they were being used.”

“Hm? So it isn’t Redcliffe exporting goods, but rather, other region is storing food in the Redcliffe?”

“That’s right. I don’t know much about the exact details other than the fact that it’s there for storage only and the outsiders had already paid for the storage fee… or was it rent for the warehouses? In any case, the local noble families make money from that deal.”

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"What is the purpose?"

"Since those goods are transferred to the wharf, they are exporting them via the sea route."

"But it is never disclosed in our weekly meeting."

"Apparently, the ones from Edgehall is being arranged directly between Marchioness and Marquis Raeven. While Abram, merchants guild there act as a broker between some viscounts there and viscounts here."

"Those higher-ups... Ignoring our appeal but making those deals behind our back." Stanley laments.

“Outsiders storing grain in Redcliffe is a disturbing development because they theoretically have complete control over its market price. They’ll definitely raise the prices due to our bad harvest this year. What’s even more terrifying is the fact that the nobles who are optimistic about such a blatant trap and have switched their farmlands to only grow cash crops aren’t the minority. Their mentality is that even if anything bad were to happen, they could get through a famine by importing grain, even if the price is a bit higher.”

A lot of landed nobles in this faction have this mentality. Despite his attempts to subtly hint at the perils of doing so, their attitudes clearly demonstrates their belief that they alone would not be affected by it. They are determined to put their plans into action.

“...We lost a great amount of our labour force in that war. It’s easy to see that they’re fixated on the short term profits based off of how they’re distributing their remaining work force alone.”

To let go of petty gains and instead focus on long term profits should’ve been common sense for those at the top of the hierarchy.

All the nobles without connections want to do is to better develop their land. For this to happen, the territory must also change for the better.

They have the idea not just because they are nobles, it is also borne of their desperation.

What they desire is to survive.

That’s why radical ideas start to cross their minds.

Leonhardt surveys their surrounding. Upon finding out there is no one besides them, he raises a question,

"The Marchioness is no good. I believe the longer she remains at the helm, the more problems befall upon us."

The other three gawk and survey around nervously.

"I agree."

The other two nod.

"At least another dozen of noblemen have the same opinion about us."

"Are you thinking of overthrowing her?"

"Many had raised that idea. That's absurd but everyone is really hard-pressed now."

"Considering what you said, including us, about twenty noble families are frustrated about her. There are obviously more who are disillusioned with what's going on but are keeping quiet."

"But, to think of overthrowing her. That's traitorous."

"But the most important thing is if you really want to overthrow her. How you do it? What happens after that?" Leonhardt's sound logic make them speechless for a while.

Their heart and rational are conflicting fiercely. 

Nothing could be done for now. They just drink with demotivated looks for the rest of the night.

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