Chapter 11
n.o.ble and Honor Student In the middle of a room that was dimly illuminated by candles, a man in his prime age with neat and short brown hair was facing a large work desk and reading the report that was written on the parchment in his hand.Reading the report, His expression became stern. One can predict that the content was inauspicious.On the top of the desk was a stack of parchment similar to what the man held on his hand and on the side of that stack was a quill pen that was put inside a small ceramic vessel that contained black ink.In j.a.panese term, the room size was 16 tatamis wide. It only furnished with minimal furniture. A desk, a chair, a shelf and a large rug from st.i.tched animal pelt. Not one expensive articles could be seen.
(1 Tatami Wide is equal to 0.604997277512 square meter, 16 tatami = ~9,7 square meter. Quite wide.)When the man was pondering the report, a knocking sound can be heard from the door. 「This is Isaac. I just returned from Grisea Village.」 「Enter.」
The man put down the parchment in his hand, while Isaac, that held a parchment in his right hand, asked permission and entered the room. Isaac then presented his parchment to the man. 「Nelson-sama, about the state of Grisea Village, the situation that Nelson-sama worried for did not happened. On the contrary, by building water channel in the village, there is no longer any need to worry about water.」 「...... what do you say?」 The man that read the report ---- Nelson --- raised his face to Isaac direction and skim he report on the parchment that he received.Nelson had a puzzled expression when reading it. Isaac wondered if something was wrong and made a slight movement while still standing upright. 「According to this the water channel had water flowing inside it, is that true?」 「Yes. With certainty, there is water flowing in it. The water channel is connected to a reservoir, and the reservoir is half full with water.」 「Impossible.」 ![]()
Left is Nelson, Right is Isaac. "Impossible"Hearing Isaac answer, Nelson changed his glance from the parchment to Isaac.Receiving this sharp glance, even if he doesn’t think that he had done something wrong, Isaac back was wet with cold sweat. 「Ho-however, It had been confirmed with my own eyes, so it can’t be possibly wrong and........」 「Isaac, do you know what is the distance of that village from the river? Also do you know about the terrain surrounding that river?」 「...... No, I ask for your forgiveness.」 「...... is that so?」 Nelson stood up and pulled out two large parchments from the shelf on the wall. 「Let see. Why it is impossible for the water to flow in the water channel? Let me explain. It is good to start memorizing the geography.」 Nelson tapped the shoulder of Isaac who hung his head and then he spreaded out the two parchments.Drawn on the first sheet was the map of Grisea Village area that he governed. The second one was a map of an area that was a little farther from the village. The aqueduct in the village and the point where it was predicted to be connected to the river was also drawn. 「Listen, first of all the distance of Grisea Village to the river, for an adult it will take fourth Koku (about 30 minutes) to walk there. In addition, because of the prolonged drought there is little food, the able body man was diminished because of the previous war so the manpower was lacking. There almost no bronze tools in the village.」(TL note: Koku is a Chinese derived time unit. It’s about 2 hour long.) Nelson confirmed with Isaac if he understood until this point. His answer was positive, so Nelson continued his explanation. 「Although it wasn’t stated in the report, when did the rain fell, but you had visit the Grisea village about........ 1 month ago. Sometime after that, the rain fell and then they desperately build water channel? Well it’s not a story that I don’t understand. However.......」 When Nelson said that, he pointed his finger at the river that was drawn on the map. 「If the water surface in this river and this water channel had the same att.i.tude that is. Unfortunately, this water surface in this river is too low for it to flow to the water channel. Even if you put the water channel further at the upstream, the upstream river was distant from the village and there were many hills between them.」 「Wha.......? Then that water, where does it come from......?」 Hearing Nelson"s explanation, Isaac looked over the map and groaned.Isaac had personally seen the water flowing in the water channel with his own eyes, so it was a fact. He had thought that it was certain that the water channel was dug to the river.But that river cannot flow to the water channel.As far as can be seen on the map, there were no other water sources near the village, where the water come from, he really doesn’t had the slightest idea.For water channel flow to cut through the hill or detour around the big hill was impossible if you realistically considered the available time or manpower. 「That’s what I still don’t understand...... Well, If we investigate the water channel then I will understand.」 「That’s right, then tomorrow once again I will go to Grisea Village.」 To Isaac that was in high spirit, Nelson shook his head. 「You should do your other tasks. Moreover, the availability of water at Grisea Village is not a bad news, so, now we will just pend the matter of where are the water sources for another time. Even if we go to Grisea Village now, it will take a full day. We don’t have time for conducting another investigation.」 「..... Yes. I ask for your forgiveness.」
Isaac dropped his shoulders. Because of his lack of attention, another cause of concern appeared in Nelson’s domain.When Nelson saw Isaac"s expression, he once again lightly tapped Isaac shoulder to ease his tension. 「Do not worry so much. The number of your visit to Grisea Village can still be counted with one hand. Besides, it’s not a bad news. Rather it was good one. You can understand the local geography now. Isn’t this considered a good ending?」 「But, even if this time all ends well, when I think that because of my mistake something that cannot be undone happened, then....」 Isaac get further discouraged, so Nelson sighed in disappointment and changed the conversation topic. 「By the way, how is Rize recently? Do you both get along well?」 「Eh!? N-No, nothing important happening, Sir!」 Hearing that sudden question, Issac become fl.u.s.tered and hurriedly answered.Seeing that Isaac"s response, Nelson was sighing exaggeratedly. 「Hear me Isaac, you can’t turn my daughter"s face with this. Although I don’t know what her preference in men is, I am certain it is a person who can attack and seize the fort at the same time.」 「..... Nelson-sama’s daughter, ojou-sama is nicknamed Arcadian’s Shield. I think her fort is nothing less than impregnable stronghold.」 「Wahahahaha. What a wise choice of words! Surely that girl fort is worthy of that moniker!」 To the Nelson that was laughing hard, Isaac can only said, 「No, That is not joke, but the truth....」 And drop his shoulders once again. ✦✧✦✧ On the other hand, at the same time, in the residence of the Grisea Village ‘s chief, Valin. Surrounding the hearth, with firewood crackling under the flame, was Kazura, Valetta, and Valin. The three of them was talking about the crops and the taxation. (TL: the poor guy was always referred as village chief by the author, so I changed that and typing Village Chief was time consuming) 「I see. So, every two or three months, you send tribute of crops as tax. Does the n.o.ble trade it with other areas to change it into money?」 「Yes, because that money was for the tribute to the Royal Family, if the tax are not collected, then he will get reprimand from the Royal Family. But if you receive permission from the Royal Family, it’s possible to pay the tribute with crops or other goods directly instead of money.」 「Fumufumu. Valetta-san is knowledgeable. I admire you.」
Hearing Kazura compliment, Valetta face became a little blushed, she then smiled. 「Father has told me various things. Since I’m a village chief’s daughter, if I don’t have education to some extent, I can’t guide the villagers.」(Need help on this line: 村長の娘であるからには、ある程度の学がなければ村の人たちに示しがつきませんから) 「Yes, even if she’s my daughter, Valetta is a very smart girl. Even if she came from a small village like this one, she could served under the the n.o.bles like Nelson-sama. So, I think that i was better for her to had a proper education, even if it was only for little, however ...」 Hearing Valin’s word, Valetta turned her face to him and smiled sweetly. 「Uun, no. I like this village so I don’t want to leave it. Moreover, if I left, this house will immediately be covered with dust. After one month, father will be buried under ma.s.ses of dusts.」 「Wait a minute, Valetta. What cruel words. No matter how you see it, Father can clean the house too.」 Valin said this while gazing at Valetta with a warm eyes.Maybe, Valetta worried if Valin living alone in this house.Seeing this two person, Kazura’s heart becoming warmer and he thought「To had such strong filial love, she was a devoted daughter.」
(ED: And so Valetta slowly trapped Kazura in her webs of moe...) (TL: So true brother, so true...)
「So then err... The tax for this time is 8 tenths of the previous tribute, right?」 「Yes. It was Isaac’s instruction yesterday. The proper tribute was in crops, however, the potato in the fields have not full-grown. Also, the fields for growing the beans for the tribute were repurposed for the planting of quick growing plant that the village will use as food.」 Kazura nodded and understand a little why the tribute changed into timber.Remembering the lumbering work progress when they built the aqueduct, there will be no problem for timber this time.He didn’t know how much timber was needed for the previous tribute, but with the Axes and Saw he had brought, it surely would not become a problematic task. 「Have you ever pay taxes more than the instructed amount?」(Thanks for the kind anon who pointed this out?) To Kazura’s question, Valetta nod. 「Yes. Although I don’t know about the other village, in case that the harvest of crops is above expectation, or in case we had gathered a large number of fire wood, then after selling it to the city, part of the money could be collected as an addition for the tribute.」 「Ee? Why?」 「Nelson-sama decide the taxes while properly thinking about our livelihood, so if there is some trouble in the village he could actively grant a.s.sistance. But this current famine, as expected, it looks like it is impossible.」 「Oo, he sounds like a nice Lord.」
Kazura nod and feel respect to Nelson when he heard Valetta’s answer.If he had not taken his position as a considerable good governor, then Nelson back wouldn’t need to be burdened.
(ED: I believe this is something towards the lines of "You scratch my back, I scratch ours. Since Nelson made things easy for the villagers, they would make things easy for him.) (TL: I agree... I weak with j.a.pan idiom...)It doesn’t mean that everyone would repay the favor for his kindness, there are, after all, villages that falsify the harvest report for their own comfort, or so what Kazura had heard from Valin at the dinner.(TLC needed: かなりの善政を敷いているようではあるが、それ故にナルソンの負う苦労は半端なものではないだろう。優しくしていても全てのものが恩に報いるわけではないだろうし、夕食時に村長から聞いたように、収穫量をごまかして自分達だけ楽をしようという村も必ず出てくるのだ。)If you are too kind, then they become spoiled. If you are too strict, then they would rebelled.In this world too, government was something complicated. 「Therefore, like now, the time when tax revenue keeps decreasing, we somehow want to pay more to Nelson-sama. Surely Nelson-sama has difficulties paying the taxes to Royal Family.」 「I see...... So, not only you want to give tribute of the requested timber, if possible you also wanted to give crops for the tribute. Then, at this moment, how many fields that was planted with potatoes?」 「The potatoes fields are only 2 tenths since the other fields completely withered because of the drought.」 「2 Tenths, huh? Hmm....」 Nelson"s territory of Grisea Village can be considered an Honor Student, because it somehow want to pay the tax in larger amount than necessary. (This is the first time Kazura heard the name of the village from Valin.) 「(There is no time to increase the number of potato seedlings now, but maybe we can increase the quality of the potato?)」 Though it was easier to bring a large amount of crops from j.a.pan, but this world food had great difference in taste and shape. If there was suddenly there a large quant.i.ty of new variety of crops in the tribute, it would be highly suspicious.Kazura thought that, for now, there is no need to worry about the timber, so let"s concentrate in growing the crops as much as possible so it can be used as a tax tribute. 「Ano, can I inspect the potato fields tomorrow? I want to see the condition of the remaining potatoes.」 「Oh, you want to inspect? Thank you very much.」 「E? Y, Yes. For the time being, I will only look.....」 Wondering why Valin suddenly bowed and thanked him, Kazura was puzzled in his heart. 「Then, do you want to go to sleep? The sun had set for some time.」 「Ah, is that so? Should I sleep then?」 By Valetta’s voice, the discussion of that night was over. The three of them will visit the fields tomorrow.