episode_0021

21. Increasing Food Supplies

Five years ago, while making explosive arrows in what was essentially a storage shed turned stable, Liliana had come to visit me.

Just in case, I’d asked if she was someone connected to the imperial family, to which she’d replied no…

And yet, here was Liliana, reunited with me at an imperial ball.

I couldn’t help but feel betrayed, but since it was true that she held no title, she didn’t mingle with the nobles.

Even though the ball had begun, Liliana stayed by my side, engaged in lively conversation.

She told me her story.

She had joined the Imperial Knights at a young age, but the rigid class system and corruption made advancement impossible unless you bribed your way up.

The knights were such a mess that there were even those who lusted after Liliana’s body, demanding she prostitute herself.

Disillusioned, she left the knighthood halfway and met two exceptionally talented women: Ellara Laverno and Taysi Wents.

The three of them fought together, worked as adventurers, and helped people.

Eventually, they made a vow to change this rotten world and swore an oath of sisterhood.

“And then I met you.”

“That day you came to my place five years ago?”

After meeting me, Liliana realized the former emperor didn’t have much time left.

But having dropped out of school and lacking connections or titles, she had no choice but to wander.

During that time, she was scouted by a senior knight who had looked out for her.

Nigram, situated directly above Redmain.

A man who, despite being the descendant of a baronial family, caught the eye of Nigram’s ruler and married into the Aldrins family as a son-in-law.

The son-in-law of the Aldrins family, the ruler of the north, and the White Snow General—Alvarun Aldrins.

Because they were close, he took in Liliana and her sworn sisters, informing her that he was currently working to unify the northeastern region.

“What, am I boring you?”

Liliana pouted when she saw me busily stuffing my face.

I did want to listen attentively, but the food was just too delicious.

Excluding the time spent in the carriage, I’d been summoned right after the war with Penrose…

During the war, I’d had nothing but hardtack and stone bread.

I even tried boiling them in a pot to make them somewhat edible…

So, after so long, I couldn’t focus on her stories, too distracted by the sight of real meat.

And the most important thing was…

“Even if you explain all that, I still don’t really get it… I didn’t even know Lumiar was the emperor’s land.”

“That makes sense, since you lived out in the sticks.”

Liliana nodded, understanding my ignorance.

This world didn’t even have proper schools—only nobles and knights had access to education.

Or maybe mages.

A world with an extreme gap in knowledge, literally.

Then Liliana rummaged through her small pouch.

From the tiny bag strapped to her hip, she pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me.

“What’s this?”

“A present.”

My eyes widened as I stared at Liliana.

In this medieval world, maps were military-grade equipment—luxurious and expensive.

Definitely not something a mere adventurer could just casually whip out as a gift.

To put it in modern terms…

It was like suddenly receiving a car as a gift from a friend you hadn’t seen in ages.

Or maybe being handed a finely crafted, high-end watch by a master artisan.

“Maps are crazy expensive, aren’t they?”

“If you’re grateful, come play with me on your next day off.”

How could someone be this kind…?

Liliana even pointed out tourist spots on the map for me.

Mysterious places she had discovered during her own adventures…

“Near Redmain is Ternova. East of there, in the sea, there’s a strange island.”

“An island?”

“Yeah, it’s… kinda smells like piss—but it’s pure white and has an amazing view.

The villagers nearby say they pray for a good harvest while looking at it.”

A white island that smells like piss?

Suddenly, it felt like electricity shot through my brain, and I remembered something.

One of the tasks Erica had given me like homework came to mind.

If the island Liliana described matched the one I was thinking of…

No, it definitely had to be.

A smell like piss meant it reeked of ammonia.

And a pure white island in the sea? Most likely a deposit formed by bird droppings.

This had to be…

“Guano Island.”

“Huh? That’s its name? I’ve never heard it had a name before…?”

Given that current scientific knowledge was stuck in the 800s, they’d have no idea what guano was.

I grilled Liliana for more details, extracting every clue I could about the island.

The more she talked, the more certain I became, and I started calculating estimates.

“It was about big enough for five orcs to stand atop… Area? Hmm… I didn’t go myself, but it was just under four times the height of the island.”

“Thanks, Liliana!”

“Guess that was more interesting than my story?”

Once I’d heard everything, I pulled out the notebook Erica had given me.

Using a pencil, I ran some calculations…

“Assuming the height is roughly 15m and the area around 55m…”

From what Erica had told me, Redmain was about six times the size of the Korean Peninsula.

Estimating its area at 3,320,000 km², I assumed 20% of that was farmland.

Since Redmain had plenty of mountains and undeveloped land, I went with the global average for arable land.

Assuming 100kg of fertilizer per hectare per year…

“With simple math, it should last 8.5 years. If mixed with compost, it could go even longer…”

Eight years was more than enough.

Plus, guano islands could always be discovered elsewhere.

Optimistically, finding another one could mean 40 years without worrying about crops.

Or in eight years, I might even invent chemical fertilizer using the Haber process.

Grinning, I looked up from the notebook.

By now, Liliana had left my table and was chatting with other nobles.

Alongside Cecilia and Erica’s group.

Like Archimedes shouting “Eureka!” upon seeing water overflow in his bath,

I dashed toward Erica, who was talking to nobles from another region.

I hesitated, worried about breaking etiquette… but seeing me, Erica chuckled and patted my back.

“Well, my favorite fox… what astonishing thing do you plan to make this time?”

“I’ve found a way to increase food supplies, just as you wished, Countess. By two to three times!”

Surely, she’d praise me?

Maybe even accept my resignation.

Ever the perceptive one, I paused briefly to gauge the mood—what a man I was.

Compared to my past life, my social skills had improved dramatically.

————————————

These kinds of gatherings are such a pain.

Forced to act all decorous to match the nobles’ standards.

Of course, the main goal was securing allies and distinguishing enemies, but since this was an imperial ball, noble formalities couldn’t be avoided.

Being all stiff and beating around the bush was inefficient—but in noble circles, it was a necessity.

As my patience thinned, more and more nobles finished their greetings.

About an hour in,

my beloved fox—who should’ve been soothing my nerves—was busy whispering with some white-haired milkmaid-looking woman.

I wanted to poke him with my toes right then and there, but I restrained myself.

While nursing my frustration, Cecilia approached me.

“Having a tough time, my friend?”

“Yeah. It’s fucking unbearable.”

“Oops… Still the same Erica, I see.”

Just looking at her made me suffocate—Cecilia Luxia.

The more I talked with nobles, the more I realized this young fossil was the most reasonable one here.

So I spent a while chatting idly with her.

“By the way, Erica. Do you like Cain romantically?”

“Not really? Never really thought about it that way.”

“I see…”

I don’t love my fox in a romantic way.

It’s just—being near him calms me, teasing him makes me happy, his every move is genuine and upright, his playful fox tail flickers cutely, his pretty antics are endearing, and being around him just feels nice.

Hmm… is this what love feels like? Never been in love, so I’m not sure.

What is love, anyway?

I do love talented people, but this feels different.

No matter how much I adored talent, I didn’t feel the urge to stick to them like I do with my fox.

“Scum like you has no business being here.”

“Cedric.”

Right as I was lost in thought, a blond man approached, picking a fight with Cecilia.

Cedric Luxia—Cecilia’s half-brother and the sole heir to House Luxia.

Despite sharing the same blood, his manners were atrocious, though he was an absurdly handsome noble.

Beside him was a burly man with short purple hair in a sporty cut—undeniably military-looking.

Standing slightly taller than my fox (who was already 190cm) and far more muscular,

his sharp eyes exuded masculinity as he greeted Cecilia and me.

“Regar Steelwint. Descendant of a baronet and currently an active soldier—”

“My hunting dog.”

“……Yes.”

Even after that insult, Regar clenched his eyes shut, swallowed his anger, and returned to a neutral expression.

Seemed like Cedric bullied him regularly.

Though he endured it almost pathetically, Regar’s combat skills and leadership were said to be overwhelming—

even capable of defeating Vivian in a duel within a single move.

If Vivian was entry-level S-rank, Regar was mid-tier S-rank.

Just as I was eyeing him as potential talent, Alvarun Aldrins and Liliana Pendleton arrived.

Though merely a baron, Alvarun had caught the eye of the de facto ruler of the northeast and married in as a son-in-law.

With status rivaling Regar’s, he was reportedly unifying the northeastern region.

And under him—Liliana Pendleton.

A distant relative of the emperor and part of an oddly powerful trio of sworn sisters—a “virtuous general.”

One who knelt enemies without hesitation, ended lives indifferently, yet helped the common folk with kindness.

Clearly, she was someone worth coveting… so why did I dislike her so much?

Was it because I saw her laughing so comfortably with my fox?

Either way, the rulers of the central and eastern lands had gathered.

Cecilia Luxia, Cedric Luxia — Yellow Arcadia.

(Son-in-law) Alvarun Aldrins, Liliana Pendleton — Mold-colored Nigram.

Erica Grace — Blue Redmain.

Essentially, those gathered here were the warlords of this era—those most likely to seize ultimate power.

Future enemies, no doubt—but for now, stable relations were necessary to secure and expand influence…

Sigh… What an ironic bond we’d have to forge.

Playing the part of nobles, we exchanged meaningless pleasantries before diving into conversation.

Every word spoken had to be weighed ten times over to avoid leaks—

and every word heard had to be dissected ten times to decipher intent.

Of course, Cecilia’s idiot half-brother blabbed secrets like it was nothing.

On top of that, completely detached from reality, he made an outright rude demand.

“Hand it over.”

“What?”

“The designs for your flying machines and the mass-production manuals. As the rightful heir of House Luxia, I grant you the honor of presenting them to me.”

Was this guy insane?

Even Cecilia scowled, glaring at her half-brother, but he kept shamelessly demanding military secrets.

Regar, trailing behind him, sighed in sheer embarrassment.

Then Duke Alvarun, no slouch in military matters himself, chimed in.

“That *is* quite intriguing, Countess. What kind of magic did you employ? What price would you sell it for?”

“Indeed… Surely among *us*, such knowledge isn’t too much to share?”

Cecilia, reading the room, joined the pressure campaign.

Her emphasis on “*us*” was clear—if I shared the tech with *her*, she’d back me.

As if I’d fall for such transparent maneuvering—I wasn’t a child.

Still, seeing my fox being acknowledged felt oddly satisfying.

Just as I was weathering their political pressure with practiced deflection, my fox came sprinting over.

Was it relief at seeing my emotional support doll amidst these suffocating nobles?

Or maybe my mood lifted watching these warlords fawn over his achievements?

I gave his back an affectionate pat as he hesitated, looking adorably wary.

“Well, my favorite fox… what astonishing thing do you plan to make this time?”

No doubt, he’d unveil something so brilliant it’d make their eyes pop.

Like a kid showing off their favorite toy to friends,

he’d rattle off some impossible invention and flatten these nobles’ noses in awe.

Seeing my expectant look, my fox nodded eagerly before answering excitedly:

“I’ve found a way to increase food supplies, just as you wished, Countess. By two to three times!”

The moment those words left his mouth, I smacked the back of his head to shut him up.

You idiot—why would you blurt *military secrets* in front of these snakes?!