"Wool, horse milk wine at ......, wheat I tried for starters . Did you really think you could sell it?

　Bulgalon, Krom Clan Autonomous Region.
　In the center of the tent, Hercule said with a snicker.

　Right next to Hercule, Alicia was pouring a cup of horse milk.
　A step below, the chief of the Chrom clan and the following influential people were sitting with their faces turned down.

　So, but isn't ...... it delicious?　Horse milk wine.
　I don't dislike it, but just because I like it doesn't mean all Lemurians do.

　I'm not a fan, but just because I like it doesn't mean all Lemurians do.
　This wine, with its strong acidity, is very nutritious.

　Hercule had ordered it for his health and drank a cup or so every day. ......
　That's it, that's it.

　The Lemurians preferred wine. The Lemurians prefer wine, because it is part of the Messianic ritual. It's the only drink that is inferior to grape wine, although barley wine and, more recently, rice wine have become popular in some quarters.
　How do you treat horse milk wine?
　The general feeling of Lemurians is that it is not for human consumption.

　In the past, barley was considered a lowly food in Lemuria.
　In the past, barley was treated as a lowly food in Lemuria because it was used to feed livestock such as horses.
　Therefore, barley wine made from barley was a drink for livestock and a drink for barbarians.

　Recently, barley wine has become a drinkable beverage in Lemuria as well.
　This is because the culture of the warbeasts has been reimported.

　In the first place, there are a large number of warbeasts living in the Lemurian Empire.

　So what about horse milk wine?　For Lemurians, it is an unknown drink.
　It is a cloudy white, acidic, sloppy liquid.
　And it's made from horse's milk. ......

　It is not supposed to be drunk.

　You may think that goat's milk and cheese are eaten, but horse's milk is not?
　You might think.

　But even Japanese people can eat crabs and shrimps, but not spiders or caterpillars.
　The crab looks like a sea spider, and the peeled shrimp looks like a beetle larva.
　But you can eat crabs and shrimps, but not spiders and caterpillars.

　It's the same thing.

　"Oh, really?
　"Yeah, well, ...... you better keep drinking. You should keep drinking, because if you take away the horse milk wine from your diet, your nutrition will be unbalanced. Vitamin C is especially important. Aside from that, ......

　Hercule didn't come to give nutritional advice to the Bulgurons.
　I'll leave aside the discussion of the nutritional value of horse milk wine and move on to the topic at hand.

　Wool can be sold at ......, but it won't be very competitive. It's not very competitive. Other Bulgurons would sell it too.

　Sheep themselves are raised all over the Lemurian Empire.
　Hercule is focusing on the textile industry, and demand for textiles is actually growing. ......
　In addition to this, the Lemurian Empire is currently experiencing an increase in the production of cotton, which has led to a gradual decline in the demand for wool.


　In addition, the Lemurian Empire is now raising new breeds of sheep that produce high quality wool.
　As a result, the wool of the Bulgurons would be bought at a discount.

　Then there's wheat. ...... Well, I appreciate your willingness to try farming. But not wheat. The competition is too strong.

　The soil in Bulgaron is not thin, but ......
　The breadbasket of the Lemurian Empire, the province of Misr, the province of Suria, the province of Anatolikon.
　And it is inferior to the wheat production of the Kingdom of Khayastan and the Taurican Peninsula with Chernozem.

　And above all, the Bulgars are not very good at farming.
　They can produce enough for their own consumption, but not enough for a product.

　So, what should we make?

　Alicia asked, echoing the sentiments of the leading members of the Krom clan.
　Hercule thought for a moment before answering.

　"First, learn from the successful ones. ...... The Telltale clan sells horses, right?　Less sheep, more horses. Horses are in high demand in Lemuria right now. Not only for military use, but also as packhorses and farm horses. Not only horses, but donkeys as well. A mule, a cross between a horse and a donkey, would have high commercial value.

　A large area of land is essential for the growth of horses.
　However, the Lemurian Empire was an agrarian nation, and there were few large grassland areas suitable for growing horses.
　Even if there were, those lands were used for sheep grazing.
　In this respect, the land in Bourgaron is large, for better or worse.
　You can raise your horse in a big way.

　But won't we run out of food in case of emergency?
　"Hmm, good question. Here's a quiz for you. ...... There were two villages in the Lemurian Empire. One village specialized in growing wheat, the other grew wheat but focused more on producing commodity crops such as flax. Now, one day, there was a drought that damaged the crops. Now, which village do you think had more deaths?

　Alicia pondered a bit before answering.

　Isn't it the village that was growing commodity crops?　Because they have less food to eat. ......


　"The conclusion is incorrect. There were more deaths in the villages that specialized in wheat.

　Hercule gave the answer first, and then began to explain.

　The Lemurian Empire is large. The Lemurian Empire is a big place, so it's not uncommon for one place to have a bad harvest and another place to have a good harvest ....... If there is a bad harvest in the province of Misrule, it could be Suria, Anatolicon. Or you can buy wheat from Hayastan or Taurica. If you have money, you can buy anything. In addition, ...... wheat lasts only a year or two, but gold lasts for decades and can be stored for emergencies.

　To begin with, it is often the case that the producer and the owner of the wheat are different.
　In other words, the peasants who grow the wheat may be impoverished by low rents, but the lords may have financial difficulties, but they will not starve to death.

　Then there are the lords who pay large sums of money to buy wheat, or foreigners, and ......
　The peasants who don't have a dime.
　To whom would you sell your wheat?

　Good. Basically, in a market, if there is a buyer and a seller, the buyer is absolutely strong. The buyer can choose the seller, but the seller cannot choose the buyer.

　It depends, Hercule added in a quiet voice.

　In the middle of the desert, where there are no oases or anything like that, ......
　If there is a buyer and seller of water, the seller may be stronger.
　But such a situation rarely occurs.

　This also applies to the power relationship between countries. The Kingdom of Khayastan and the Empire of Lemuria are currently engaged in a one-sided excess of imports by the Lemurian Empire. Lemuria imports Hayastan's wheat from ......, but Lemuria doesn't need to be concerned about Hayastan's wheat. Lemuria does not need to be concerned about Hayastan wheat, so if Hayastan gets cocky, it can just raise the ...... tariff. That will be enough to ruin the economy of Hayastan. We are the only country that buys their wheat. That's why Hayastan can't stand against us. Gold can be substituted for all things, but wheat can only be substituted for gold.

　It is often said that the customer is God. ......
　It's very true.
　If there are no customers, the products in the store are nothing but junk.

　"I see. ...... I understand.

　Alicia poured herself a glass of horse milk while giving her advice. 　
　Hercule hugged Alicia's shoulders and pressed his lips to her cheek.

　Alicia's cheeks flushed.

　Now, as for farming, ...... given your lifestyle and culture, it would be impossible to farm on a large scale. This means that wheat, soybeans, grapes, flax, cotton ...... and other low-margin products are not suitable for you. High value-added products that are easily profitable even for a small-scale operation are preferable. In addition, I would prefer products that are not produced in Lemuria.

　What is it exactly?

　Alicia asks.
　Hercule lightly tapped Alicia on the head.

　"Can't you think for yourself a little?　
　I'm sorry, I don't understand ...... agriculture at all. ......　
　"What about the option of reading a book?
　I can't read .......　
　Oh, well, that's just as well.

　Hercule drank the horse milk wine and then cowered.
　Lunalie and Alicia are in similar positions, but they are different.

　Lunalie is a pervert, but she has a good head on her shoulders.
　She is subordinate to the Lemurian Empire, but is using her economic power to enrich the Kingdom of Khayastan.
　Lunalie can speak several languages, including Lemurian, Khayastan, Farsi, and Cyrillic, and she is able to fill in the gaps in her knowledge with books.

　Alicia, on the other hand, is smart, but ...... that's only when it comes to warfare, especially tactics.
　When it comes to the level of strategy, she is quite dubious.
　She is no good at politics, but she is no good at economics.

　And she can only speak Bulgarian and a smattering of Cyrillic.
　He is practically illiterate because there are almost no books in Bulgarian.

　(Or rather, the ethnicity of the people is very apparent. (Interesting ......)

　Hayastan is a nation that has been a vassal state for many years.
　It has been a vassal nation for many years.
　Therefore, the upper class can read and write other languages in order to be able to get around no matter what country controls them.

　The Bulgarians, on the other hand, have almost no period of domination.
　It sounds good to say that they have a robust culture, but they are a bit of a brainiac.

　You can find a lot of spices and flavors that grow around here. The spices that grow around here are saffron, but I'm not sure if that would be suitable for the climate of Bourgallon. Hmmm, anise, sunflower, rose...

　Hercule likes fragrant oils.
　But he doesn't like to apply them to himself.

　He likes to apply it to women, and the women he applies it to.

　Hercule thought of Karolina with rose oil.
　It's very good.

　But I don't know how to grow them. ......
　But I don't know how to grow it. " "I'd say at least look it up. If you can't read, it's no use. Next time, I'll introduce you to some members of the Reclamation Society. I'm sure you know one or two of them.
　Oh, thank you!
　No problem, ......, it's not much trouble.

　Weakening the Chromium clan is not what Hercule wants.


　As long as the Territorial Clan is not trustworthy, the Chromium Clan must maintain their position as the number one tribe in Bulgalon.

　"Oh, yes, ...... we'll be sending a camel to Bulgalon soon, can you get the horses used to the camel smell?
　That's ...... why?
　Because I plan to use it in my upcoming expedition.

　Not wanting to give too much away, Hercule answered shortly.
　There is no room for disobedience in whatever you do.
　Alicia nodded honestly.

　And while you're at it, convert her to Messianism. Our little medium has been nagging me. If we don't convert her soon, she might say she's going to Bulgalon to proselytize. She's a pain in the ass, that one. She's cute when she's quiet.

　Oh, uh, hey, Your Majesty. ......

　What's the matter?　You jealous?

　"......

　Hercule embraced the mute Alicia.
　He stroked her hair as the rest of the Chromes looked on.

　"Well, don't worry. I'll take good care of you as long as you're mine. Well, ......, we'd better get going. I didn't come to Bulgalon just to take care of the Chromes.

　With that, Hercule stood up, flipped his cloak, and left the tent.
　Alicia hurriedly followed behind him.

　"Huh. ......

　After they left, the Crom Clan Chief let out a loud sigh.
　This is the first time that I've ever seen such a thing.

　They all went limp.
　I guess that's just as well.

　They had been subjected to a constant barrage of killing and mind-altering magic from Hercule.

　"That's ...... irresistible.

　The Chrome Clan Chief muttered in a low voice.
　The leading members of the Chrom clan silently affirmed their agreement.