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Vol 03 Chapter 83: Industry

The current industries of our country include the manufacturing of paper and the mining of rock salt. Thanks to our victory in the war against King Domorgal’s Country, the mining and processing of garnet has been added to this list.

Right now, thanks to these three, our country’s finances are flourishing. However, we need as much money as we can get.

We are about to start flood control, the construction of a new capital, and several roads around the country. Moreover, we need money for various things, including the production of iron weapons, armor, and tools and the proliferation of horses and cattle.

And more importantly, I want to quickly spread the monetary economy throughout the country. For that, I think we need more industries. The manufacture of paper and iron, and the mining of garnet are industries exclusively owned by the country.

This increases the nation’s income, but it doesn’t make the citizens wealthy. Furthermore, our citizens don’t use paper, and only a few patricians buy garnet.

While earning foreign currency is important, expanding domestic demand is also crucial. We need products that even the plebeians in King Rosais’ Country can afford if they spend a little more.

As a starting point, I considered promoting the production of alcoholic beverages like whiskey, vodka, and grappa. If we switch from the current alembic to a continuous distillation apparatus, mass production of distilled spirits should be possible. I only know about the mechanism of the continuous distillation apparatus, but I’ll leave its manufacturing to the craftsmen.

I’m sure they will be able to create something we can use. As long as it’s not worse than the traditional alembic, it’s fine. We can improve it over a few years.

Every village in the country produces wine.

What we need to do is ensure that the young wine they’ve been exporting without aging is properly aged. Well, even if we start now, it should take at least three years before we can export it on a full scale.

In this regard, grappa1, which only needs around six months of aging, is interesting so we should promote its production. It’s also made from the waste pomace of wine production, so it’s a great way to increase the profit ratio of wine.

One drink I won’t be promoting is beer. I don’t really understand the reasons, but it seems that Adernians and Kirisians do not like beer.

For Adernians, wine is not a recreational drink; it’s a means of hydration and is normally diluted in water before being consumed. They consider it barbaric to drink beer, which is drunk in large quantities without diluting it.

But the main reason is that beer is made from barley; for the Adernians barley is livestock feed, and they refuse to consume anything containing it.

Although vodka can also be made from barley, it should be acceptable if we use a different grain. It also doesn’t have the issue of being typically consumed in large quantities, and one common way of consuming it is diluted with water, so we should be able to sell it.

Well, there are some people who drink vodka in large quantities, but that is a different issue.

Lastly, I want to promote the cultivation of fibers for textiles; the main ones are flax and cannabis. The issue I’m pondering is whether or not to promote cannabis.

◇

「What should we do about cannabis?」

I asked Julia and Tetra about their opinions.

It’s a well-known fact that cannabis can be used to produce drugs. Naturally, if we promote its cultivation, there will be those who grow it for recreational use.

Enforcing regulations against this will be extremely difficult.

In King Rosais’ Country, many villages already cultivate cannabis, so we didn’t prohibit it. Banning it could mean taking away people’s livelihoods and failing to meet the domestic demand for textiles.

But still, marijuana, derived from cannabis, is a drug. Though it’s often said that ‘the toxicity of marijuana is lower than that of tobacco.’

I’ve never smoked tobacco or marijuana (which is obvious), but to me, both seem unnecessary. It would be better if they didn’t become popular.

It can lead to worsening public safety and increased healthcare costs. It also becomes a source of income for criminal organizations.

At this stage, since most of the population hasn’t been in contact with marijuana or knows about it, we may be able to prevent it from entering society. Once it becomes a habit, it’s no longer something that can be easily eliminated.

However, cannabis can be used to make clothes.

Recently, we’ve been receiving a large supply of wool from the Equus Tribe, so the demand for textiles is being met. However, if we unify the Adernian Peninsula, there’s a high likelihood that the demand will outpace supply.

We’re promoting the use of distilled spirits for disinfection through magicians, greatly reducing the number of deaths from puerperal fever. The four-field system is gradually becoming more widespread, significantly increasing food production.

This will lead to an expansion in the demand for clothing in the future.

Should we monopolize cannabis to prevent a drug epidemic, or promote its cultivation to meet the demand for clothing?

「We should monopolize it. We can promote the production of flax instead of cannabis for textiles. We don’t need unnecessary things. Drugs that make people stupid should be regulated.」

Tetra was the first to express her opinion.

Flax is a very common fiber in the Kirisian and Adernian peninsulas. My clothes are made of flax too. It’s softer than cannabis and feels better on the skin.

Well, flax might be enough to meet the demand. Maybe there’s no need to promote cannabis.

「Hmm, I think it’s okay to recommend it. Once you’ve cultivated flax, you can’t grow it in the same field again, right? On the other hand, you can rotate crops with cannabis, so it can be produced in large quantities. Besides, even if you regulate marijuana, it will still make its way in, right? Like, the Kirisians are always smoking it.」

Julia, in contrast to us, was in favor of cannabis.

Now that she mentions it, there are many Kirisians addicted to marijuana… If they enter our country, it might naturally spread.

Kirisian: 「This is really fun, man. Want one?」

Adernian: 「Really! Let’s try it!!」

Damn Kirisians, don’t drag my pure Adernians into the dark side.

「If we’re going to prohibit its use as a drug, we might have to ban trade with other countries. If we can’t stop it from entering the country, isn’t it better to profit from it?」

Hmm, what should we do?

「Let’s put off recommending it for now. For the time being, we’ll only promote the cultivation of flax. We’ll stop involving the country in cannabis cultivation. If the demand increases and supply becomes insufficient, then we can consider promoting it.」

In the end, we settled on a compromise.

◇

「Why is it that you’re promoting the production of cattle, pigs, and horses, but not sheep so much?」

「Because the Equus Tribe raises sheep. I want to avoid trade friction. The military power of the Equus Tribe is formidable.」

The reason why there has never been a military conflict between the Equus Tribe and King Rosais’ Country is thanks to the Alvan mountain range. It’s not easy to cross the mountains with horses. Besides, it seems the Equus Tribe wasn’t very interested in the lands beyond the mountains.

However, the situation has changed a bit since we formed an alliance. There’s a very high chance they might consider invading the wealthy King Rosais’ Country.

That’s why we should try to squash any potential for conflict as much as possible. It’s always better to be on good terms with our neighbors.

In the case of cattle and pigs, there’s no competition. Cows serve as a labor force and provide milk. Pigs fatten up quickly, making them ideal for meat.

We source horses from the Equus Tribe; however, their horses are suitable for war but not as much for farming.

We should source warhorses from the Equus Tribe and produce workhorses on our own.

「I prefer river fish over pork.」

「I like fruits more than meat.」

It’s healthier, sure, but that’s why you’re short.

「By the way.」

With that preamble, Julia lowered her voice and asked.

「You mentioned unifying the Adernian Peninsula. Do you have any plans to start waging war soon?」

She wanted to ask about the war, huh?

「There are no plans for that at the moment. I’ve just become king, after all. I want to focus more on domestic affairs for now.」

We’re currently short on manpower due to all the construction projects we just started. Engaging in war would require us to halt them.

「War will have to wait at least wait until the training of the standing army is complete.」

◇

「How’s the training of the army going?」

I called Ron, Roswald, and Gram to ask about their progress. Ron is in charge of the heavy infantry, Roswald of the cavalry, and Gram of the archers and javelin throwers.

Ron spoke first.

「There’s a difference in skill level between the soldiers who were previously part of the standing army in the Aris territory and the new recruits, but overall, it’s going smoothly. In another month, they should be ready for actual combat.」

No issues with the heavy infantry then. Next, what about Gram?

「Archery requires technical skill. The standing army now includes former archers and hunters, so their skill level is decent. However… it’s still far from what I’m aiming for. They’re also not yet accustomed to handling longbows. They’re combat-ready, but there’s room for improvement.」

So, no significant issues with the archers. Now for Roswald.

「By the way, what happened to that blond guy? Is he still a soldier?」

He had bought his own freedom from slavery, after all.

「You mean Vilgar? He squandered all his money on a prostitute and went broke. So, he’s working properly as a soldier now. Most of the other former slaves are in a similar situation. The ones who didn’t squander everything also came back because they wanted more money.」

That’s good to hear. We can’t afford to lose the Germanis; it would be a blow to our military strength.

「The skill gap between the newly added cavalry and the veterans is too vast. It’s not even a fair comparison… The only ones who can stand up to the Equus Tribe are the former Germanis slaves. Realistically, deploying them in battle is…」

Difficult, huh…

「I understand, cavalry training is complicated. Maybe we could purchase more slaves from Ainz… But relying too much on foreigners isn’t good… Just do your best. I’m not expecting Equus Tribe-level performance. Being able to fight properly is enough.」

It’s unrealistic to expect to beat the Equus Tribe. They are nomads and have lived all their lives straddling a horse.

「Is there going to be a war soon?」

Ron asked.

「No, there are no plans to start one at the moment. But… there’s a slight possibility we might be dragged into one.」

King Rosais’ Country has rapidly expanded its national power. Now, our population has surpassed 200,000.

The populations of King Belvedire’s Country to the south and King Evile’s Country to the west are around 100,000 each. It wouldn’t be surprising if they perceived us as a threat.

The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. There’s a real risk of being surrounded like Nobunaga faced.

「That’s why the standing army is so important. We can mobilize them immediately without the need for the patricians’ permission. Please take care of it.」

「Understood!!!」

It seems there are no issues with the standing army. Things should be stable for a while.

「By the way, when are you guys planning to get married?」

I asked, and all three of them blushed and turned away. It seems they haven’t decided yet.

Set on a date already guys.

◇

「Bartolo, what’s the situation in King Domorgal’s Country?」

「It seems they are deeply embroiled in a succession dispute.」

I asked Bartolo about the situation in King Domorgal’s Country.

I also gather intelligence on them, but Bartolo, whose territory is adjacent to theirs, should have more detailed information.

「Why do you ask that?」

「It would be bad if we were surrounded by King Domorgal’s Country, King Evile’s Country, King Belvedire’s Country, and the Equus Tribe, right?」

The Equus Tribe is an ally, so a betrayal seems unlikely, but… nothing is certain in this world.

「That’s true… I don’t think King Domorgal’s Country or the Equus Tribe have any intention of invading our country. It shouldn’t be an issue. King Domorgal’s Country doesn’t have the capacity for it, and the Equus Tribe is, after all, an ally. The only concerns are King Evile’s Country and King Belvedire’s Country. But regarding King Evile’s Country, you can be at ease.」

Why is that?

「King Evile is a cautious man. He won’t make a move easily. Since neither Domorgal nor Equus intends to invade us, it’s difficult to establish an encirclement. King Evile won’t act.」

So, it’s conceivable only if King Domorgal’s Country stabilizes and the Equus Tribe changes its stance.

「What about King Belvedire’s Country?」

「Well… I’m not sure. But the king of that country has always tried to stop our country from becoming a powerful unified country that’s why he supported King Ferme’s independence. So there’s a possibility he will try to attack us. However, it’s unlikely he will act if the other three countries aren’t enthusiastic.」

Hmm… so there’s no immediate concern.

「Right. By the way, what do you think about forming alliances with the city-states of Kirisia?」

「Hmm, why not? It won’t be disadvantageous for us. Was there an overture?」

「Ainz mentioned it. Such talk is circulating in Lezado.」

So, it’s just talk for now. Ainz is probably the one pushing it. He might be aiming to expand his influence in Lezado with my backing.

Forming an alliance with Lezado could also serve as a check on King Belvedire’s Country.

「Why not go there and see for yourself?」

「Huh?」

「How about a honeymoon trip? Visit the three countries of Lezado, Gehenna, and Nemes while you have the chance?」

That might be a …… good idea.

TN1: Grappa is an Italian distilled spirit crafted from pomace—the blend of grape skins, seeds, stems, and pulp remaining after the winemaking process.