Princess Bibliophile - Chapter 8

Volume 01; Act 04 – Part 03

It was a tax revenue problem due to recent poor catches in Weimar, a district facing the port, and His Highness and Lord Alexei was talking about lowering it. I had a question, so I just asked it, “Hasn’t Weimar been getting good catches for the past six months or so?”

His Highness blinked and calmly questioned me back, so I answered honestly, “――― In Dan Eduard’s travel journal, which was published a month ago, he mentions fishing techniques from Weimar. He stated that the local speciality made with Sami fish is heavenly.”

Lord Alexei frowned, “So what?” I felt like I could hear him say even though he hadn’t spoken. I also flinched a little inside, but I still somehow managed to reply, “Mr Dan’s writing is not popular because it isn’t available to the general public… but the things he writes about are accurate. There is no mention in his book about Weimar having a scarcity of fish. His book is based on the area when he visited it this year, so it isn’t about the past. And…”

I hesitated a little. It was really embarrassing.

“I was curious about what Sami fish dishes were like… So I ordered the Weimar regional circulation notice.”

“Regional circulation notice?” His Highness spoke as if he had heard something unexpected.

I nodded and answered, “They didn’t have any cookbooks, so I asked them if it would be in the regional circulation notice. The content was vibrant, so I traced back and ordered notices from up to six months back. ――― None of the articles I read spoke about Weimar having a scarcity of fish. They did write about how active the fishermen are. They also have articles on different dishes made with Sami fish. I didn’t see any articles that talked about them having poor catch…”

They wouldn’t be vibrant if they have a scarcity of fish, and the fishermen wouldn’t be active. Nor have a lot of fish specialities.

His Highness and Lord Alexei looked at each other grimly when I said that much. His Highness immediately gave him an order “――― Alex. Quickly look into the Weimar feudal lord and consul.”

They discovered fraud and collusion in a flash, and the tax embezzlement came to light.

I think I look pitiful now.

“Isn’t that because Your Highness and Lord Alexei looked into Weimar and found this out?”

That is not my achievement. His Highness laughed and shook his head.

“That wouldn’t have come to light if Elli hadn’t said anything. And it was you who made the cookbook and published it, right? As the people said earlier, the market seafood became more popular because of that.”

“I realised for the first time that regional circulation notices were a powerful thing,” and “You also recommended they should publish the short columns which depicted the daily life of housewives. That was also extremely popular, so the publishers are waiting to see what you have your eye on next.” ―――

I was a bit flabbergasted.

I had the recipes compiled into a single cookbook because the chefs at my house wanted it, and I also assembled the short columns because I wanted to read them all together.

I really don’t know what makes people happy.

“――― And your greatest achievement was the matter in Maldura Kingdom.”

I pulled my chin in at His Highness’s words. I certainly remember saying a lot of uncalled remarks about that.

In addition to the usual aspects, it was around the time when the people who were in charge of crop management came together to take measures to prevent the price of this year’s harvested wheat from falling.

I couldn’t help but state because they were discussing marine trade in the south, “――― It’s better to buy as much stock as possible.”

His Highness and his aides were used to me joining in on their conversation, so they asked why I thought so. I wasn’t that confident at that time, but I spoke anyway, “Six months ago, I was helping air out the books in the palace archives, and I found a memorandum from the person in charge three generations ago…”

They were also used to my stories starting at a random place, and Lord Alexei urged me to continue.

“According to the memorandum, Southlynd was blessed with a good harvest that year, but the other kingdoms had an early cold wave, and their crops were damaged. The internal administration had a rough time because of the after-effects, and Maldura invaded them.”

“So that will happen again this year?”

“With all due respect, I haven’t received any reports like that from the weather officials.”

The crop manager looked dubious. Crops and weather are closely related to each other, so the two departments are always working together.

I replied hesitantly, “Weather damage doesn’t necessarily occur in a year with good harvest. Therefore, it’s difficult for weather officials to predict the weather. This is what I recall… Mr Yulin Coral wrote something similar in his academic book about weather reports 50 years ago, which has now gone out of print.”

I recalled a book I had read in the past at our fief.

“Mr Coral also made the same precedent as the memorandum, but his book wasn’t treated as academic because the content also went back into myths and his work was abolished. However, his point is the same.

In the memorandum at the archives, the author wrote that a similar phenomenon had happened in another kingdom when he was smaller. There was a minimal precedent in the fief called 『Ars Breath』. Both of these authors… thought that weather damage was caused by a condition or rule.”

“Conditions…”

“Yes. So, I was curious and did some research…”

This was not limited to Southlynd. If an area in the Ars continent continues to have good harvest, then another area will have weather damage. This wasn’t absolute, so they couldn’t determine the condition.

But, I thought that it would be possible to predict this by taking statistics, so I asked for cooperation from authors of weather expert books and from people who seemed to be free at the weather office. I also consulted with Prince Theodore and asked him to collect weather information from other kingdoms… Of course, those were difficult to obtain.

Information about other kingdoms is often challenging to obtain. So, while in the middle of looking through the past records of the continental merchants…”

“There is a 70% probability that there will be weather damage from a cold wave in the northwest region, which includes Maldura.”

There was a lot of tension in the room.

“Could you show me the statistics?” the manager asked, and I told him that they were with Prince Theodore in the palace archives. He instructed a chamberlain to go get the statistics, but Lord Alexei calmly stopped him, “Please wait.”

“Assuming that the cold wave prediction is accurate… Is that a reason for our kingdom to buy the wheat? Shouldn’t we pay attention to market control and distribution instead?” He said, and Sir Glenn also replied while looking like a soldier, “Yeah. We should be more vigilant near the border of Maldura. There’s a good chance that Maldura will attack. We should contact the fief feudal lord and take action.”

“――― Do we have to fire back every time they wage war?” I said quietly. Every time I read history books, I can’t help but wonder.

Why does war never cease?

Why do people who wage war learn nothing from their predecessors?

“Would people feel safe if we strengthened our own defences when another kingdom comes at us with armed forces?

Is returning force with power something a civilised kingdom does? ――― We are not barbarians. We are cultured people with weapons known as knowledge.”

The room fell silent. I said what I was thinking, “It’s easy to wage war. However, many more things (mainly books) are lost because of this. Historical facts teach us this. Instead of waiting for them to wage war, we, as a civilised kingdom, should pick the buds before it starts.”

Lord Alexei thought deeply, and then muttered, “I see.”

“What Miss Elianna says is ideal… But, do you think that reason could convince a kingdom that’s proud of its barbarism?”

I smiled back, “I don’t. But why do we have to respond to their level? We must have our own way. And it’s the role of the government officials to use the wisdom they have to achieve this.”

Sir Glenn looked as if he was sweating cold sweat. Lord Alexei’s icy-blue eyes twinkled sharply.

His Highness Christopher snigger a little, “It’s Alex’s loss. ――― War is certainly an act of murder, no matter what just cause is behind it. Also, this age is different from the civil war age, where winning is lionised. All that remains behind is life which is irretrievably lost, and deep-rooted evil. I cannot lightly cause war as someone who will become King of a kingdom. If we can take measures before this happens, then we should.

Call Uncle and the weather office, and also bring the statistics that Elianna had researched. I will inform His Majesty and the ministers that I would like to hold an emergency meeting first thing in the afternoon,” His Highness immediately gave instructions, and everyone began to move.

I was also responsible for the statistics, so it was decided that I would sit on in the meeting even though it was frightening.

That was the incident about avoiding war with Maldura that the squad leader had mentioned.

I remembered many of my own brazen remarks from that time and became smaller. His Highness stared at me gently.

“Elli has become popular with women from military families since that incident. Nobody likes to send their husbands or sons to war.”

“But, credit for that doesn’t solely belong to me.”

Of course, people opposed this. But, it was His Highness and the centre wing who insisted that we could gain favour from Maldura by supporting them and that the surrounding kingdoms would know Southlynd for their act of humanity.

I was able to forecast the weather damage because I had that memorandum and book, and I was able to achieve that prediction with the help of the others and the weather officials.

“But it started with you,” His Highness was beating the air (it was in the eastern handbook). I somehow managed to come up with a counter-argument.

“But I’m not the one who made Hololeion weaves widely known in high society.”

“But it was Elli who revived and ordered it.”

I was at a loss for words.

I read an old passage written by a continental merchant related to a weather issue, there was a rare description of a type of fabric which was no longer being produced. In the old days, when paper wasn’t as popular as it is now, they had the custom of recording weaving techniques.

I was curious about what the fabric was like, so I discussed the technique with an artisan, and what I got was Hololeion weaves.

But, that’s ―――.

“Well, it was certainly Countess Storrev and her daughter who showed it off in high society,” His Highness said amusingly. I looked even more miserable.

Earl Storrev House is the home of my late mother. My aunt, mother’s younger sister, took in an adopted son-in-law to replace the heir that had died so that he could succeed the House. The other day, it was that aunt who injured her back and made me read endless romance novels to her.

Aunt has three daughters. My cousins are very lively and are engrossed with fashion. My number was up as soon as they saw the Hololeion weaves.

I couldn’t even get a say in before they declared, 『We’re going to make this popular in high society! 』. I was deprived of words by their strange declaration. The Hololeion weaves were a craze in no time, and there were shrieks of protest from the fief where the weaves were made.

His Highness laughed wickedly, “Your family is protecting you. They are protecting your reputation in high society.”

I went silent. Indeed, my aunt and cousins always looked after me after I lost my mother.

“But, I wasn’t the one who discovered that Zelga was a fake. That credit goes to brother,” I tried to argue once again, but His Highness only smiled.

“You were the first to realise that something was wrong with it.”

If I remember correctly, that happened a month ago.

As I entered the office from the archives, I came across a scene where His Highness and Lord Alexei were looking sullenly at a ceramic piece.

When I also stared at the piece, His Highness noticed me and explained, “It seems like they discovered a Zelga piece.”

I was curious and kept staring at the ceramic piece which was also known as the royal family’s treasure… “Oh my!” I tilted my head.

“Did you get it appraised?”

“――― It’s been appraised. Do you find something suspicious?” Lord Alexei’s response caused me to frown. I did have my doubts, but there shouldn’t be anything wrong with it if it has been appraised.

But, I don’t know…

“Elianna?” His Highness urged. I stared back at his blue eyes and understood.

“Isn’t this a fake?”

The two stepped forward in surprise and bent down to look at the ceramic piece. I made an eave in the pottery with the hand which wasn’t holding onto my book and checked in the shadows.

“… Zelga is regarded as the royal treasure because of its prized 『Zelga Blue』which was produced with a mineral and unique composition that doesn’t exist today. ――― Zelga means dawn in the ancient language. In other words, 『Zelga Blue』is the deep colour of dawn… This seems to be a more simple substance.”

“Are you sure?” Lord Alexei asked while a little tensed. I made myself smaller because I wasn’t confident.

“I don’t know anything else about arts and crafts… Brother might know about this.”

Brother Alfred is well versed in the field of art (books). So I told them that he might know more about this, so brother was summoned straight away. He said this as soon as he saw the piece “――― It’s a fake.”

He was completely certain.

He explained it in much more details than I had done and even revealed the differences in patterns and other things.

His Highness leaned against the chair, held his forehead, and sighed while looking mixed.

“It’s fortunate that it was appraised by the appraisers from the royal palace treasury before we made it public. This is Earl Casull’s responsibility.”

One of brother’s eyebrows twitched, but the conversation ended when His Highness said, “Please keep this a secret.”

After that, I wasn’t involved because he was exchanging words with Sir Glenn while looking like he had mixed feelings.

For some reason, this was also linked together like the previous incidents…