Potatoes.
A representative famine relief crop.
They grow well in various soils and climates and are high in calories, making them an advantageous plant for survival—you wouldn’t starve to death with just potatoes.
However, caution is necessary because potatoes contain poison.
All parts of the potato plant except the tuber are toxic and should not be consumed. Historically, in
England, a major incident occurred when Queen Elizabeth was poisoned after eating potato leaves.
Potatoes are excellent food, but they must be properly understood and prepared.
In any case, it has become clear that the Count of Bolanchefort did not send poisonous plants to their third daughter. Instead, they provided the unfamiliar crop of potatoes (by their standards) to see if Scarlett could handle it properly.
In other words, Scarlett was not abandoned by her family.
“Lord, this is a plant called a potato.”
“Potato? I’ve never heard of it.”
That’s understandable.
Even on Earth, potatoes were crops that only grew in specific regions.
It took quite a long time for them to spread worldwide. It seems to be the same here.
“May I ask you one thing? When you cooked these potatoes, did you also cook the leaves?”
“Of course, I did. When you eat plants, don’t you usually eat the leaves?”
“This potato is a bit unusual. You should only eat the tuber part.”
“What? Are you telling me to eat the part buried in the ground? That’s absurd…”
“What’s the problem?”
“Isn’t there a saying, ‘The closer to the heavens, the more sacred; the closer to the ground, the more base’? It’s even in the scriptures.”
The scriptures.
Are they referring to the so-called Arianne Church?
Saint Arianne, who supposedly saved this world alongside the first hero, is now worshiped as a goddess, guiding the minds of many.
It’s essentially a religion, and people in this world live under its influence.
But, that’s not my concern.
“I don’t know about that. What use are sayings when people are about to starve to death?”
“So… what you’re saying is… this potato is an edible food source, and my sisters didn’t send it to torment me?”
“Rather than torment, they were probably testing you—to see if you could figure out how to make this crop edible.”
Lady Scarlett glared at me with suspicion.
“Are you just saying whatever comes to mind because you want a job? If it’s really edible, why don’t you eat it yourself? Then I’ll believe you.”
“Sure, why not.”
Potatoes are a familiar food I’ve eaten countless times on Earth.
I have no reason to hesitate.
I cut off the potato’s leaves, peeled the skin, and took a bite.
It didn’t have much flavor, but the texture wasn’t unpleasant either.
“Hmm… It would be better with some preparation. Even just a pinch of salt would improve it.”
“You actually ate it? You… You might get sick and die!”
“I won’t. Want to try it yourself, my Lord?”
I held out the potato to Scarlett, who stared at it as if it were some kind of monster.
“Forget it. If you don’t want to eat it, then don’t. But how do you expect others to eat a potato that even you refuse to touch?”
“What? Are you saying we should feed this to people?”
“It’s the solution to saving this village.”
“Saving the village? What do you mean?”
“Potatoes are one of the easiest crops to cultivate. Moreover, the large quantity of potatoes sent from your family is more than enough to feed the entire village. The issue isn’t a lack of food; it’s a problem of distribution. If we successfully distribute these potatoes to the villagers, the famine will be resolved. Isn’t hunger the most urgent issue in Ludin Village?”
“That may be true… but feeding people poisonous plants? That would just bring more criticism.”
“It’s not poisonous. Isn’t this food sent by your sisters? Do you not trust them? Do you really think they’ve abandoned you? If you don’t trust me either, I’ll burn all the potatoes and pretend this conversation never happened.”
“What are you doing, my Lord? Not eating?”
“Fine! I’ll eat it, okay?”
Scarlett, as if she were eating poison, took a deep breath several times before finally picking up the potato and nervously biting into it.
Her expression was overly dramatic for such a simple act.
“Hmm… Hmm… Hmm…”
“How is it?”
“It’s tasteless. Ugh.”
“That’s because it hasn’t been cooked at all. But it’s not inedible, right? And your stomach doesn’t hurt, does it?”
“…It doesn’t.”
“That’s what potatoes are. They’re edible. And considering Ludin Village’s current situation, flavor shouldn’t be the priority, right? Potatoes are highly nutritious and calorie-dense. Eating them alone can prevent malnutrition.”
“So… are you saying this potato is the savior of Ludin Village?”
“Exactly.”
Scarlett and I went down to the village to distribute the savior.
In the crumbling village of Ludin, the most lavish and bustling mansion belonged to none other than the village chief, Kyle.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he wandered through the garden, wearing a serious expression as if deeply lost in thought.
His son, Kai, approached him.
“Father.”
“Hmm… Kai. What is it?”
“I have something to discuss with you…”
“What is it?”
“It’s not something I can say out here… Let’s talk inside.”
The secret conversation continued indoors.
Despite no one being around to overhear, Kai spoke in a hushed tone.
“That guy… Victor, wasn’t it? He’s still staying at the castle. Doesn’t that mean he and Lady Scarlett must have come to some sort of understanding?”
“Are you worried?”
“Worried might not be the right word, but… Yes, I am. There’s also that prophecy, you know. The one that says an outsider descending from the mountain will save Ludin Village…”
“Wouldn’t it be good for the village to be saved? What’s the problem?”
“Father!”
Kai scolded his father’s flippancy, looking serious.
Lowering his voice even more, he spoke words no one should hear.
“If Victor saves the village, we’ll lose our chance to step in. Have you forgotten our family’s plan to become the new lords of Ludin?”
“You fool.”
This time, it was Kyle who turned stern, his expression intimidating.
“Watch your words.”
“…I apologize, Father.”
“How many times have I told you? The moment something like this leaks out, it’s over.”
“I know. But… it’s making me uneasy.”
“Listen carefully, my son,” Kyle began.
“I’ll explain our plan again. The last administrator sent by the Central Office was excessively harsh on the villagers, creating widespread resentment. People began to think they couldn’t rely on the central government anymore and that we needed to find a way to survive on our own. It was in the midst of this sentiment that Scarlett was appointed as the new lord.”
“You mean poor Lady Scarlett?”
“Watch your tongue! She’s the vicious Lady Scarlett.”
“Oh, right. My apologies.”
“Yes… She has to be seen as wicked. That’s the only way we’ll have justification to rise up against her.”
“Scarlett must be ousted for Ludin Village to truly belong to our family.”
“Exactly. That’s why I deliberately fed the villagers the potato leaves, knowing they were poisonous—to tarnish Scarlett’s reputation.”
“That plan worked perfectly. Now, if we just rally the people under a banner to kill Scarlett, they’ll rise up in no time. If we lead the charge, this land will soon be ours. But…”
“But what?”
Kai added cautiously, his voice tinged with concern.
“What happens afterward?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s easy to take over Ludin Castle and kill Scarlett. We could even govern this place ourselves. But would the Central Office stand by and do nothing? They wouldn’t take kindly to a noble being executed by commoners, even if it’s the so-called wicked Scarlett. If the Central Office intervenes, everything we’ve worked for will be ruined.”
“Oh… So you’ve learned to think ahead. You’re indeed worthy of succeeding me as Ludin Village’s ruler.”
“Hehe… I’m not that great.”
Kyle pulled out a letter from his coat and held it up.
“Do you know what this is?”
“No, Father.”
“Look at the seal on the envelope.”
“Huh? That crest…”
Kai’s eyes widened in shock as he recognized the wax seal on the letter.
“That’s… the crest of the Empire, isn’t it?”
“Yes. This is a letter from Zero, the Empire’s Guardian Knight. It contains a secret agreement: if I successfully take control of Ludin Village, the Empire will support us.”
“Ah, I see! So this land will become part of the Empire.”
“Exactly. And we’ll be granted titles by the Empire, officially becoming the lords of Ludin Village—nobles, at last. Hahaha… Once this land becomes part of the Empire, what can the Kingdom of Grimoire do about it?”
“Incredible! Father, you’ve planned everything perfectly!”
Kai was overjoyed but still expressed one concern.
“That means we absolutely cannot let Victor help Scarlett govern the village properly, right?”
“Don’t worry. Whatever Victor does, it won’t matter.”
“Why is that?”
“I suspected from the beginning that Victor wasn’t an ordinary man. This letter also contains details about Victor’s true identity. Once I reveal that information to the villagers, he’ll be finished. Haha… We’ll get rid of both Scarlett and Victor and take Ludin for ourselves. What do you think?”
“Perfect, Father. Absolutely perfect!”
While Kyle and Kai were lost in their dreams of becoming nobles, Victor and Scarlett descended to the village, carrying with them an enormous quantity of potatoes.
To be continued…
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