Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Inspecting the People's Livelihood
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After smoothly wrapping up the profit-sharing negotiations with the nobles, I headed back to my office to take care of some business.
Once I returned to the office and finished my tasks, I realized there was still quite a bit of time left in the day.
No clock around, but with the sun high overhead, there had to be some time remaining. What should I do...
After days of grueling work with the title succession and scraping together funds for the standing army, couldn't I just kick back and relax for the rest of the day...?
Lost in those thoughts, I sat there blankly at my desk when Ella came in with a tray of cookies and black tea.
"Master, if your head hurts, why not rest a bit... Aren't you pushing yourself too hard lately?"
"Thanks, Ella. I won't overdo it, so don't worry. What's next on the schedule?"
"Just a moment... Master."
She pulled out the slip of paper with my schedule tucked into her apron and began reading it off.
This was originally the butler's job, but Ella had insisted, "Ella is Master's maid, so I want to always be by your side and help out."
Still, having such a cute girl sticking close, managing my schedule and bringing snacks like this, made the whole lord thing feel almost tolerable.
Otherwise, I'd probably be bedridden from dealing with those self-serving noble creeps and that nauseating Count Schwain Excellency.
"Master, there's nothing else on today's schedule. Since you've finished your work, how about taking it easy?"
"Yeah, maybe I will."
Ella beamed and spoke up.
"Yes, Master. And try this cookie. It's from a shop down by the castle that all the noble ladies love. So good."
"Is it? Bet it's tasty."
I took a bite of the cookie Ella brought.
The nutty aroma of finely ground flour mixed with the sweet spread of honey—deliciously sweet and flavorful.
"It's great, Ella. Want one?"
"Yes, Master."
Ella nibbled on one of her own cookies.
Her face relaxed with every chew, cheeks puffing out like a squirrel. Adorably cute.
I ended up petting her head without thinking, like old times.
"Ah, you startled me?"
"Ah, no... Master, if you want, you can pet me more."
Ella's face flushed bright red as she said it, clearly embarrassed.
The atmosphere turned incredibly awkward in that instant, so I scrambled for an escape and blurted out an idea.
"No, no. These are so good. I want to go buy some myself—mind showing me the way?"
"Yes, Master. Let's go together."
With that, Ella walked a step ahead of me, her footsteps light and bouncy.
Come to think of it, Ella's basically family now—with no one else truly close—and I hadn't had much time to hang out lately because of the succession business.
Today felt leisurely enough, so I should spend some time with her.
Sneak out and inspect the people's livelihood while I'm at it.
* * *
To check on how folks were living, Ella and I disguised ourselves as a young master from some knight family and his maid.
Maid outfits were standard everywhere—white frilled apron over a black dress—but to hide my identity, I threw on a blue tunic and yellow vest.
The color combo looked ridiculous, but it was all we could grab in a hurry.
I ordered the guards to open the gates, and we stepped out to the market beyond the castle walls. The merchants' lively hawking filled the air, loud and boisterous.
"Come on, young master! You and your maid look cozy. How about this? Sandwiches are all the rage among the townsfolk lately. Stuff 'em with pickled fish or meat for extra flavor. Just one copper coin!"
"Grab a sandwich and pair it with this beer? Packed with barley—nice and thick!"
"Try this bread loaded with butter! Oh, toss in a bit more coin, and I'll slather on the honey!!"
The bailiffs and inspectors inside the barony had reported, "More prosperous than Nant City. Though we lag in culture and arts." I'd figured it was exaggerated...
But no exaggeration. Nant City's market wasn't this vibrant.
Sure, this spot right by the castle gates was probably the busiest...
Even so, distant stalls sold pork skewers, the bread was premium stuff with just a touch of barley, and pricey honey flew off the shelves. A sight to behold.
A few years back, when I left for Windheim, the "market" out front was just barley bread stuffed with cheap pickled fish.
Thinking back, it really hit different.
But those hawkers were eyeing us like they'd never let us pass without buying something, so in the end... I handed over five coppers and said,
"Two butter breads, slathered in honey."
"Right away, thanks! Your maid'll love 'em."
Ella's face turned beet red at that.
"Yes, I'm so happy to go out like this with Young Master. Thanks, I'll enjoy it."
"I'll bring you out more often, Ella."
"Thank you, Young Master."
* * *
Next, Ella and I ate at a restaurant popular with city folk.
For Ella: wheat bread, stew with cheese and cream, pork and milk.
For me: wheat bread with pickled pork.
As a history master's addict, the pickled pork sparked my scholarly curiosity, so I gave it a shot...
It wasn't rotten, but god, it tasted awful.
Meaty flavor buried under a salt lump chewiness, faint rancid whiff, and texture like wadded paper scraps...
Forced it down since I'd ordered it, but this wouldn't do...
Curiosity killed the cat, they say. Here it was beating up an isekai-reborn baron.
"Ugh, this taste is hell... Pure hell..."
"Master..."
"Who knew pickled pork felt like paper and tasted like nothing but salt..."
Ella looked at me with deep worry, then bought me some honeyed milk from a nearby stall, handing it over pityingly.
"Master, this should help."
"Thanks."
The honey milk from Ella settled my stomach a bit.
"Never touching pickled pork again... Something about it reminds me—oh yeah, those British navy guys complaining not to eat it..."
Seeing me lost in thought, Ella smiled and said,
"Master, want to check out more spots? You've liked the inn food and peddler grub, so how about a shop where townsfolk buy their tools?"
"The market? Yeah. Good point—I've only seen food so far. Let's go."
* * *
Ella led me to a street lined with artisan shops.
"Artisan street" meant mostly guilds—craftsmen's cooperatives.
Artisans of the same trade formed co-ops, a kind of cartel protecting mutual interests.
So at the smithy, hammers varied slightly in design and weight but cost about the same. Rare tools? "Oh, next door's Todd Smithy has 'em." Common occurrence.
Medieval small-scale economy had to work this way...
Problem was, it protected "medieval small-town profits" great, but buyers and sellers? Huge losses.
Guild cartels jacked prices—what could sell for 500 turned into 2,000, and buyers had no choice.
Especially here, with limited goods supply.
Sure enough, the tools for sale...
"Hey, young master! Perfect shoes for your maid. Just eight silvers."
"Eight silvers? Isn't that steep?"
The shop clerk smirked faintly at me.
"Say what you will, can't go lower. We've been in business years—think we'd cheat you?"
No, even Hamburg's pricier markets had these for six...
I made a dumbfounded face, and the artisan grinned wickedly.
"We're with the 'Clothiers' Guild,' young master. All sell at the same price in town."
"Got it. Sigh... Fine. Those shoes and that pink frilled dress—how much?"
"One gold and eight silvers, sir. Come back often."
I commissioned them tailored to Ella's size and left the shop.
* * *
Back at the manor, I felt a twinge of regret for being hasty.
Sure, "corrupt nobles" might torment commoners most and threaten my future, but guild-maintained "over-monopolies" could harm too.
Difference: guilds were essential this era. Couldn't "execute" or "purge" like rotten officials.
No—doing that would hand nobles and guilds pretext to flip the tables on me...
Pretexts back then boiled down to: "You broke the pact first, so I cut loyalty. Ignore, and it's still loyalty."
Overturn guilds with no wrongdoing on their part? Game over for me...
How to spin this positively?