Volume 2 Chapter 17-2 Trivial Matters After the Morning
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The younger sons of low-ranking nobles can’t even get a job guarding their own homes, so if they can’t find a suitable spouse, they end up living a pretty sad life.
I think they should just become adventurers, but it seems like they’d rather cling to the firstborn than risk the dangers of loss.
In this world, there’s wall barley, so as long as you put in the effort during the yearly wheat harvest, you won’t have to worry about food at least.
The wall barley growing far from human settlements gets left unripened and abandoned.
Anyone can cut it down as much as they want.
Because of this, the price of wheat is naturally quite low, but just before the harvest season, when supplies are running low, guilds sometimes buy it up for high prices.
If you harvest extra to catch such chances, you can earn some cash on the side.
Truly, wall barley is a blessing.
Thanks to this cheat plant brought by the so-called Goddess of Fertility, the population of this world has apparently grown more than tenfold.
You’d think that with unlimited food supply, the population would be exploding even more, but because of the constant attacks from the demon race, it seems like the population has remained steady for the last hundred years.
Summoning heroes is supposed to be the trump card to break this deadlock.
”This world isn’t supported only by the nobles. Below them are free people like merchants and skilled craftsmen who have citizenship. They have to pay taxes, but they can move freely within the country. There are procedures, but they can do business in other countries too.”
I feel a bit strange about Miss Floria’s words, “this world.” To me, everything, including the enemy demon race, is part of this world, but it seems that’s not quite how the general public sees it.
Speaking of which, Mr. Laken said he has citizenship.
It seems that ‘citizens’ in this world are a bit more esteemed than just regular villagers.
Mr. Zenom and Ms. Erin should also have citizenship.
Elves and dwarves living in human towns are either citizens or slaves, it seems.
”The commoners below are the vassals, you see. Vassals, who are considered the lord’s property, are strictly forbidden from moving around. If they belong to some sort of professional guild, they might get a shot at citizenship depending on their contribution. Some countries even let you buy citizenship with money.”
But being the lord’s property isn’t the same as being a slave who has to obey their master absolutely.
I guess they’re more like Edo-era farmers in my mind.
Most of the villagers in Toyata are vassals, but they didn’t seem to be living such unfortunate lives.
”So, to put it simply, it’s nobles with titles, nobles without titles, citizens, and vassals in that order, right?”
”Pretty much, but it gets complicated when you throw religious folks into the mix.”
Religion sounds like a mess.
In this world, numerous religious groups are stuck in a muddy power struggle.
Even Miss Floria, when she found out I didn’t really get the difference between a temple and a church, she didn’t bother explaining any further.
Well, a church is just a place to refresh your resurrection point, anyway.
Luckily, the old gods I’m supposedly looking after don’t care much about temples or prayers anymore, so I’m good.
”And it gets even more complicated when you consider the power dynamics between countries. For example, a Viscount in the Larse Empire is equivalent to a Duke in the Holy Kingdom.”
I sort of get how this works.
It’s like trying to figure out who’s higher up: a department head at a big company or one at a small company.
There are Counts with over a million vassals, and there are big Duchies with less than a thousand people.
I guess some adjustments are needed.
As for me, I can’t be bothered to remember all these complicated relationships.
I’d be in real trouble without Ms. Nina around.
”So, what’s the deal with the summoned Hero’s status, anyway?”
”A Hero is an existence beyond the class system. To put it extreme, they could be considered higher than royalty, or even below vassals.”
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Well, I guess if an alien came to Earth, they’d be in a similar position.
”That’s why there used to be a custom of having a princess accompany the Hero”
Now that’s what they call a doll princess, huh?
”These days, summoning a Hero has become like treating them as low-ranking nobles, it seems.”
I get it, at least from my experience.
When I think back to when I was first summoned, those big shot nobles were really full of themselves, and the lower nobles were either way too familiar or glaring at me like I was their rival.
”Even if a Hero starts off treated like a low-ranking noble, many countries want to give them a title as they level up and gain strength.”
I hear a title always comes with lands.
It seems like getting a title and using it to cheat the system of governance is the dream of many summoned Heroes.
But honestly, even without a title, if I’ve got the strength of a curry, I feel like I could probably conquer the world in a way…
”When Saburou has trouble with his status, feel free to use that you’re the beloved knight of the Baroness.”
Just hinting at a connection with a high-ranking noble seems to have a huge effect on low-ranking nobles.
It’s like borrowing the tiger’s might or something.
Uh oh, now I’m remembering that fox.
That’s going to get me down.
* * *
After finishing my meal, for some reason, the tailor gets called in to measure me.
It’s said that knowing the sizes of close people beforehand is handy for gift-giving.
So, does that mean someone’s going to give me a present?
The oddly pointed white-bearded tailor is supposed to be a skilled craftsman in the royal capital, favored by Ms. Floria.
If this dress alteration goes well, it might be nice to have this guy check it out too.
”Please feel free to come visit your beloved princess anytime. If you don’t show your face at least once every 6 months, I’ll be quite upset, alright?”
I hear it’s actually natural to visit about once a week.
But if you go there every single day, that’s seen as too much and could become gossip in high society.
* * *
After saying our goodbyes, I also take home some souvenirs loaded up like a cart from Ms. Floria.
It looks similar to the cart I got from Ms. Hóa, but this one’s brand new.
Rich noble people like to give their lovers gifts along with their carriages, but a love knight who pulls a cart home himself is pretty unique.
It kind of has that Don Quixote vibe.
I don’t really hate that sort of thing, though.
Of course, this funny story will quickly become gossip in the social circles, but clever Ms. Floria probably calculated all of that.
Ms. Floria is already famous for being thrifty in the royal capital, and if the gossip about the knight of the cart spreads, everyone will know that I’m under her protection.
It’s the best kind of advertising there is.
What a pain, I never thought I’d be picked up by such a strange person.
”Oh my, you’re quite late~desuwa.”
When I got back to the inn, Ms. Nina was in a bad mood for some reason.
Huh?
It was Ms. Nina who told me to take my time, right?
It’s ridiculous to go through all that trouble and then get jealous.
But I don’t say anything back because I’m scared.
I’ll sleep well today and set off for the village before dawn tomorrow.
The quail are waiting for me.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply