Chapter 225 Like Parent, Like Child – Economics and Logistics
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It was the middle of the night, and Ayumu found himself in the palace kitchen.
Second Princess Ronafermia had whined, “Sanai, I’m starving! I’ll waste away if I don’t eat!”
He almost muttered, Then go ahead and starve, but the thought of her wrath silenced him. Resigned, he set about making sandwiches—the quickest thing he could manage.
And yet, though reluctant, his hands moved with their usual care.
He sliced fresh Birene tomatoes, carved seasoned luncheon meat, washed lettuce leaves one by one, and even wiped them dry with cloth. Finally, he spread a thin layer of sharp mustard substitute, crafted long ago from wild karashina (T/N: Japanese mustard greens), across the buns.
Halfway through, he froze.
Damn it—I can’t stop myself from fussing over the details!
No sooner had he finished than the kitchen door creaked open. The emperor himself appeared in nightclothes, sniffing the air.
”Oh… Sanai, that looks delicious! Make one for me too.”
Ayumu tried to refuse politely. “Your Majesty, I… I’m terribly busy already, so…”
But the emperor pouted, rolling on the floor like a spoiled child.
”Nooo! If you don’t make me one, I’ll tell everyone about this!”
Absolutely disgraceful! Ayumu groaned inwardly. Blackmail and tantrums are the last things an emperor should use! Still, he gave in.
That kindness backfired. Soon Empress Sarendra arrived, smiling coolly.
”My share as well, if you please, Sanai.”
He nearly snapped. Like parent, like child… truly, this family is unbearable.
By the time he served everyone, Ronafermia shrieked, “You’re late!!”
And though both emperor and empress sniffed that the sandwiches were “overstuffed and improper,” they each demanded seconds. Ronafermia too wanted another. Again she shouted “Too slow!!” when he brought it.
This is madness! I did nothing wrong!
Still, life in the palace wasn’t all bad.
The gentle Princess Norfemina and the graceful Princess Anastasia eased his spirit whenever he glimpsed them.
Crown Prince Aare’s health too was improving. Thanks to Ayumu’s research, a medicine had been prepared using purified clotting factors, strengthening the prince’s fragile blood. Now, though exhausted, Aare was able to attend studies and even take martial lessons under the stern Commander Sergei of the Royal Knights—often returning in tears.
As for economics and logistics, those were Ayumu’s own lectures.
”Your Highness Aare,” he said in yesterday’s lesson, “as the future ruler, your first duty is to build proper highways. Even if goods are produced, without safe routes to move them, they are useless. Merchant-built gravel roads cannot be trusted for a nation’s lifeline.”
”Logistics are the blood vessels of the state. Control over stable distribution means control of the economy. But ruling a nation is not only about giving jobs to commoners. Prices rise when goods are scarce and fall when abundant. A wise ruler must move goods where they are needed to keep markets stable.”
He continued, voice firm.
”Neither can we neglect farming or industry. As an ancient emperor of China once said: A nation that neglects agriculture will perish. Most great economies in history were also great producers of food.”
”Depending on foreign lands for grain is like throwing away your people’s human rights. A nation unable to feed its own cannot even guarantee its citizens’ dignity.”
The young prince listened, eyes wide, as Ayumu pressed these truths into him.
Thus, amid tantrums and midnight chores, Ayumu still found himself shaping the foundations of empire.
”Your nation must always be mindful of its food situation,” Ayumu explained calmly. “But if all focus is poured into food alone, the country will never become truly wealthy. Ambitious neighbors and greedy lords are always watching with hungry eyes. As the heir to this land, Your Highness must always be ready for war. Yet to maintain a capable army requires coin… and much of it.”
He continued without pause.
”This is why industry is essential. Inns, transport, and retail shops—all those service trades—require little investment and can open quickly if one secures a location. But services are bound by the limits of their task; it is hard to add value beyond what is already defined. That means their prices, and thus their workers’ wages, stay low. A state gains more jobs, yes, but real growth becomes terribly difficult.”
Ayumu’s eyes sharpened.
”By contrast, manufacturing demands enormous investment, yet its rewards are greater. Manufactured goods can carry high added value, making it possible to sell above the cost of labor. That margin becomes profit, which in turn allows for higher wages. With workers earning more, money flows through the market, and the economy thrives. That, Your Highness, is the typical pattern of a nation that rises.”
Crown Prince Aare groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. “So… you mean everything’s important?” His answer, dulled by fatigue from sword drills and lessons, nearly ruined the point.
Ayumu did not scold. Instead, he gave a thin smile.
”I would call that keen-sighted… but no, Highness. That is not the true essence. Study is not only about memorizing facts. What you must truly learn is how to think in each field.”
He gestured with measured calm.
”I told you earlier that encouraging industry makes a nation rich. But that was just one example. In some cases, a ruler might encourage services first to gather tax income, then move to industry later. I never said services are evil—only that their quality of employment is lower.”
”Similarly, highways are vital for trade. Yet laying a grand road into the land of hostile lords or rival states? That only invites their armies to march more swiftly. Strategy must always be case by case.”
His tone grew heavier.
”A starving people cannot eat lessons. Priorities must be weighed. A leader cannot simply act on orders—they must learn how to judge. And above all, never misjudge money. To invest without funds is folly. To make goods with no way to move them is absurd. In the end, Highness… timing your coin is everything.”
That day’s lesson ended, but the words hung heavy.
Education is often named as the cure for poverty. Yet Ayumu knew the truth. Poor families in poor nations—whether in Africa, the Middle East, or old Japan—needed every child as a laborer. They birthed many children because survival demanded many hands. To tell the poor not to have children was something only the well-fed nations of the future could say.
Once, in Japan, entire families had to work just to scrape together a thin meal.
Thus Ayumu stressed again: “The first step is always deciding the priority for your budget.”
If peace held at home, then yes—make farms more efficient, gather surplus food, invest the profits in services, then build toward industry. That path was sound. But wait too long, and unrest could rise. Always… case by case.
Harsh though it seemed for a child prince, Ayumu knew Aare must learn not only lessons but the very ways of thought.
He even warned: “Do not make your people too clever. If they grow too educated, they will look to politics, and rebellion may follow. For commoners, basic arithmetic is enough. Literacy should not become a sword against the crown.”
As a final aside, Ayumu mentioned Keldan’s own policy.
”There, they use what we call the ‘3S’—screen, sport, and sex. By drowning the people in theater, games, and pleasure, they keep eyes away from politics. It works well. The masses chase gossip rags and lurid films instead of schemes. Just as planned. No loose ends.”
Notes:
• Ronafermia – Second Princess, Norfemina’s younger sister. Harassed by Doll’s poems, then slandered with rumors of stable boys. Publicly shamed him, hurled her glove, and forced a duel—pushing Ayumu to fight as her champion. After his win, she claimed it as proof of her virtue. Reminder: fiery, reckless, twists scandal into pride.
• Empress Sarendra – Aare’s mother who expresses quiet resentment towards Aare’s existence. But still love him.
• Anastasia – Younger imperial princess. Often accompanies Norfemina and Ronafermia. Playful, carefree, less political. Known for impulsive acts like cuddling Rostic cat-beastfolk soldiers (Scottish Grenadiers), showing childlike mischief rather than statecraft.
• Norfemina – First Imperial Princess. Blonde, blue-eyed, courteous and composed. Embodies imperial dignity during tours, observing from carriage. Known for grace and mercy toward servants, yet firm in rejecting scandal or improper advances. Serves as the gentle, diplomatic counterbalance to her harsher sister Ronafermia.
• Sergei – Elderly but towering commander of the Royal Knights, hawk-eyed and authoritative. Holds powers equal to a Defense Minister, trusted by Emperor Rai as his most loyal and stabilizing force.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply