Chapter 23
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Obtaining the Farm (2)
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Dominic had his eye on a particular farm at first glance, but if any other merchant or wealthy landowner saw it, they probably would have sneered that the young man didn't know the first thing about land.
"Are you really set on this plot?"
"Yes."
"Why not think it over again?"
"This one's perfect."
"Short on cash?"
"What, are you offering to lend me some?"
"If you need it."
"For real?"
Ian's unhesitating reply made Dominic's eyes widen.
"Nah, I'm good. I don't even have enough to pay generous interest anyway. Just enough for this, so thanks for the offer."
But Dominic still smacked his lips while flipping the map of the land he'd chosen this way and that.
"You're Evergreen's Village Chief, right?"
"You know me?"
"You're all the talk these days. But you should listen to what this knight here has to say."
At that moment, a merchant sitting near Dominic chimed in.
"That land you're eyeing. Like it says, it's fertile enough that anything you plant will grow well."
"Sounds like good land."
"Right. But the problem is how small it is."
The merchant shook his head.
"It's surrounded by mountains on all sides, so expanding by clearing land won't be easy. And even if you manage that... look here. The path leading into the farm."
The merchant pointed to the winding trail on the map.
"Only one road, huh?"
"That's right."
"If you go see it yourself, it's barely a footpath wide enough for one cart. Not set up for hauling crops in bulk."
The merchant's eyes seemed to carry a gentle warning not to get his hopes up.
"Thanks for the advice, sir. But this is exactly the kind of land I'm looking for."
"Weren't you planning to expand your business? That's what I thought."
What Dominic didn't know was that his name was already spreading among the local merchant groups.
Anton's Merchant Group's success was noteworthy enough for merchants running mid- and small-scale operations.
It wasn't for nothing that the Rondo Merchant Group had targeted Dominic and Evergreen.
"I figured after making a killing on seaweed, you'd turn to crops next. Guess I got that wrong."
"Oh, no, that's not it. I will be farming. But I have no plans to sell the crops at market. I won't even have enough for my own use."
"Haha, looks like I jumped the gun. Sorry about that."
"No worries. I learned a lot thanks to you."
The merchant advising Dominic had assumed he was diving headfirst into the food business. He figured clutching that map so tightly meant as much.
"Must be planning a communal farm for the villagers. A true village-first mindset. Haha!"
That would explain picking that land.
It was too tough for mass production to sell, but perfect for growing enough crops to feed a small village.
'Half right.'
The merchant's guess was half correct, half off.
But Dominic saw no need to correct him.
"The auction will begin shortly. Before that, please note the announcement and pay attention."
At that point, the court official drew all eyes by signaling the start of the auction.
"Today's auction allows each person to bid on only two items."
"What? No one said anything about that!"
"What kind of auction is this?"
Grumbles of irritation erupted from all sides.
"It's the Lord's decision. Doesn't look good if a few people monopolize a criminal's seized goods, so probably best to hold back."
"Hmph... well, if that's the case..."
"Damn it! Which ones to go for now... the intel, the intel!"
In the frantic atmosphere, only Dominic barely suppressed a grin, chuckling to himself.
'You sly old fox, helping me out like this? Heh. Gotta live right after all!'
With a limit on bids per person, everyone would strategize for the most valuable items.
Which meant no pointless competition for flawed picks like the farm Dominic wanted.
'Perfect.'
The auction began.
The energy started building.
"Number 23. Any more bids?"
"Still not giving up? Tsk! Here, 100 gold more!"
"Number 11. Any more?"
"Damn! Can't go higher... I fold."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"The Rondo Merchant Group main building goes to bidder number 11!"
"Hahaha! Thank you!"
Rondo's assets were finding new owners one by one.
With each auction's end, sacks of gold coins piled up in the transparent bin beside the auctioneer.
'That'll be real comfort for the victims.'
The money was nice, but seeing the criminal's wealth dissolve before their eyes would be solace in itself.
"Next up: the Rutvia Farm."
It was the turn of the farm Dominic had been waiting for.
"Not a large plot, but fertile enough for any crop to thrive. The farmhands are currently indebted to the Rondo Merchant Group with usurious loans they couldn't repay. Since those were illegal contracts, the workers are free to return home today. So you'll need to renegotiate contracts or hire new ones..."
The auctioneer's explanation dragged on, but the more Dominic heard, the more he wondered if they even wanted to sell the place.
'...Should I pass?'
Even Dominic felt that way.
"Auction starting. Opening bid..."
Unlike the others, the mood was subdued as bidding began.
The only paddle raised was Dominic's.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The beer mugs clinked merrily.
"Congratulations, Village Chief Dominic!"
"Thanks."
"Small farm, sure, but prime land at that price? Pure luck, nothing else!"
"Luck? Nah, it's 'cause I've lived right—heaven's blessing. Kekeke."
Anton and Dominic kept knocking back beers, sharing the joy of auction success.
Dominic had snagged his dream farm at the opening bid.
Forty percent cheaper than planned.
'No one else bid. My gain.'
Dominic raised his paddle without hesitation at the starting price.
No one followed, and the auction ended anticlimactically.
"You grabbed six wagons for peanuts too."
"Yeah, was worried with all the new clients, but now I can breathe."
"Raking it in with a pitchfork, huh?"
"Not that much. Ingredients take up so much space. Profits are modest by volume. Heh. Speaking of, any chance to ramp up seaweed production? Word's spreading— inquiries pouring in from other regions."
"I'll ask the Fishing Cooperative."
"Please do. So, spill it now."
Anton prodded slyly.
"Why that farm? Really for a village communal plot? Location's kinda iffy for that..."
"Oh, that..."
Dominic trailed off unusually.
"More importantly, can you source some seeds? Possible?"
"Seeds? Right, for farming. What kind?"
"Here."
Dominic handed over a paper crammed with writing.
"...All this?"
"Yup. All of it. How long?"
"Hmm. Seeds are easy, but this many varieties each need specific fertilizers. That could take time."
"No fertilizers needed."
"Pardon?"
This world resembled his past-life Earth in startling ways, but with odd twists.
'Like fertilizers.'
On Earth, chemical fertilizers debuted as late as 1843.
'Proper ammonia synthesis didn't come till after 1910.'
The Haber-Bosch process, still used today and Nobel Prize-winning, was invented in 1913—hailed for accelerating human progress.
Fixing atmospheric nitrogen was like "making bread from air"—sheer magic.
'Here, they literally use magic for fertilizer.'
With magic filling science's shoes, even fertilizers were made magically.
"No fertilizer means slower growth."
"Fine. Few weeks at most."
"Might end up smaller."
"Won't change the taste."
Anton looked baffled.
"You're a fisherman, so you don't know farming, Chief. Fertilizer is..."
"I'm no fisherman, and I do know farming."
"But really no fertilizer?"
"Yep. Organic? Organic?"
"...Or-gan-ic?"
"Or-gan-ic."
Anton asked what it meant, but Dominic just added, "It's a thing. Rich folks go nuts for it."
'What scheme's he cooking up now?'
Ian, listening in, shared the curiosity but saw no point in asking.
Time would show him with his own eyes.
"If no fertilizers, promoters, or pesticides... I can deliver all seeds in four days."
"Perfect. And payment in seaweed or dried mussels?"
"Of course."
"Then cheers!"
Clink!
The mugs clinked merrily once more.