ONE COULD BE THE KING OF ANOTHER WORLD
Volume 1 (Ch 1 FINANCIAL PROBLEMS KINGDOM ) Part 4

"Harehouse... Our national treasure ?! Don't tell me you sold our national treasure! You didn't, did you ?! "I approached David, who looked very blunt about everything. "National treasure belongs to the whole country! Just selling them arbitrarily is a betrayal of our people!"

"Now, now, relax. If you say it belongs to the people, I would say selling it for the benefit of the people is all good.

"Although so, there must be objects with historical and cultural values..."

"Ohh, if that's your business, I have something to spare. Everything I sell is jewelry and ornaments that have material value."

David looked through the documents for the treasure vault inventory. "Treasures are divided into three categories: Category A (items with historical or cultural value), Category B (items without historical or cultural value but with onet m value), and Category C (everything). We only sell items from Category B. Rather than selling items in Category A, if we put them on a rotating screen in a museum, it tends to serve as a more permanent source of income."

"Well, maybe... Category C what?"

"Magic tools, grimoires, and the like. Honestly, I'm not sure how best to handle it. You could say they were like weapons. We cannot sell it or display it without appropriate precautions. That Complete Set of Heroes looked like it would probably get a good price, though ... Mind if I sell it?”

"Please, don't ..."

Technically, you're supposed to be a hero... Ah, wait, you're the king now, aren't you?

"But, if we have all this money, shouldn't it be for the military? At the officer school I learned 'Spend for defense, not for respect."

"Let me answer that word with another. 'Time is money.' In other words, by offering war subsidies as a sacrifice, we can obtain one of the resources our country needs most today: time."

"... Why do you have to speak in an indirect way?"

"Don't worry about that. After all, even if we are able to strengthen our troops, it would all be useless if we also cannot control the domestic problems. Until the food and refugee problem is resolved, we will only continue to lose the support of the people. Once that happens, we'll be left with a fragile state that's easily thrown into a riot with little agitation by foreign actors."

"No... People love this country too. They won't riot..."

"You're being idealistic there. "Only once a person is dressed and fed can he learn manners." In the end, you cannot have morals or patriotism on an empty stomach. If you're too busy looking after yourself, you can't afford to look for someone else."

David's eyes were cold as he said this. It was a hard and realistic view. That alone makes me feel like he's on target. From his appearance, you would expect him to be a weak person, yet somehow...

...he looks very reliable.

****************

After spending a few days, I was finally able to get a certain amount of funds. Although I am not flooded with cash, I will have the money I need for my reform for now. I managed to get all this money just from my direct ownership, without having to touch the Three Dukedoms, so I would love the praise for that, at least.

Looking around the room... That was a disaster. The bureaucrats fainted on their desks, others leaned against their seats, their faces staring upwards. On the sofa, Liscia had been lying down and snoring softly.

I moved towards her calmly, sat on the back of the sofa, and watched Liscia sleep. In the end, this girl stayed awake until almost dawn helped me with my work. Although she definitely wanted to say a thing or two to say about being forced into an engagement with me...

I patted his sleeping head. Her fine hair slid smoothly between my fingers. The joy of being released after such a long job definitely affected me. Normally, I'm too embarrassed to do this, but just sitting here like this makes me happy.

"Mrs ..."

Liscia groaned, so I pulled my hand from her hair. The next moment, Liscia opened her eyes and jumped up. Maybe he's still a little dizzy, because he's looking around.

With a wry smile, I said good morning to her. "Good morning, Liscia."

"P-Section ... Huh huh? Did I fall asleep ...?"

"We have reached a good stopping point now. Do you want to go back to sleep?

"Oh no. I'm doing fine. What about you, David? You haven't slept, have you?"

It seems like he's really awake. I'm glad to see him show attention to me as well.

Raising myself from the armrest, I spread my arms wide.

"I'm planning to take a long break after this, but.. can you come with me first?"

"Hm? Where's where?"

"To go for a walk before going to bed" I said.

In the light before dawn, Liscia and I jumped on a horse.

While breathing in the morning mist, Liscia's horse darted along with flops, flops, not bothered in the slightest by the weight of two people. Liscia sat in front holding the bridle, while I was behind her with my hands on her slender waist, holding on tight.

"Hey, don't press my stomach too hard," he objected.

"Cannot be. It's so scary."

"Pathetic. Usually don't you, as a man, be the one in control?"

"Well, I don't have a choice. Because I've never ridden a horse before."

In the modern world, there is rarely a chance to ride a horse.

At most, I rode a pony in the zoo as a child while someone easily carried it.

"In this country, almost everyone, from farmers, merchants to nobles can go up, you know?" he said to me.

"In my world, there are more comfortable vehicles."

"your world... Tell me about it, David ."

"Hm?"

"Are you ... leaving family, a lover maybe, in another world?" Liscia asked me doubtfully. Is he trying to consider my feelings?

"No, there's no. My last relative, my grandfather, just died yesterday. "

"...I'm sorry."

"It's nothing to apologize for. My grandfather had a full life. That's why, well... No one was waiting for me to return, so I guess I didn't feel the need to return in a hurry."

"Oh... You're not." Liscia looked somewhat relieved.

Liscia is speaking here. If the newly appointed king had told me that he wanted to go out of the city without a bodyguard, I doubt they would have allowed it. So, Liscia, who held the post as an officer, told them, "I have been sent out by order of the king," and played it as part of his duty.

After we safely passed through the gate, Liscia added, "Since I said it was a royal order, there will be a record of it. Who knows what Marx will say to us...

I ignored his complaints.

After a short drive through the city streets, we finally arrived at our station. "... Stop here" I said.

When she stopped her horse, Liscia looked at me doubtfully. "This is where you want to come? What I saw was a farmer's farm.

Indeed, there is nothing but a green field of leaves here. The fields are green, wet with morning dew, as far as the eye can see. This is a place... No doubt about it.

"This is the place I want to show you, Liscia."

"These fields? I think they're pretty when wet with this morning dew ..."

"Beauty. Even though this is why people starve to death."

"Who?" Liscia's eyes widened in surprise.

I let out a breath. "Watch well. 'This 'inedible field' is the root of the country's food crisis."

****************

Inedible fields ... That's what David calls the field that lies before me, looking at him bitterly. David said he wanted to show me these areas, but I still don't understand why.

"...Whatchu mean?"

"Serist what I said. All the fields you see here are cotton fields."

"Cotton field ... Uh! That's what you mean by eating!"

Cotton flowers are planted to produce cotton yarn. Sure enough, this field does not grow anything you can eat.

David sat there, resting his elbow on his thigh. "Jumping straight to my conclusion, it is this excessive increase in the number of cotton fields that has led to this country's food shortage."

...Coming again?"

Is he just sort of saying something extraordinary now? The cause of our food shortage?

"When I was sorting through the documents, I noticed them. With the expansion of the Demon King Domain, the demand for clothing and other daily necessities had skyrocketed. Of course, the demand for raw materials also increased. With the increasing selling price of cotton flowers, and being able to sell as much as you can produce, farmers have completely stopped growing the crops they have been producing up to that point. Plants grown for sale to others and not to be eaten are called ash plants. In other words: our farmers have turned to only growing commercial crops, which has led to a decline in the country's food self-sufficiency rate."

I'm speechless. Causes of food shortages of this country ...

I always assumed that it was bad weather, or that our country only had bad land to start with. This is a concrete reason, but I, who have lived in this country for more than ten years, have not seen it. Meanwhile David, who had been summoned here just a few days before, had succeeded.

"If I go further, I can say it is the cause of the economy of this country is also bad. When the level of food self-sufficiency falls, you have to import from other countries to avoid hunger. However, imported food also involves transportation, so food prices go up. That puts pressure on household budgets, but you can only cut food costs so far. If you don't eat, you'll be hungry. Of course, if you are going to trim the fat somewhere, it will be an insignificant and luxurious item. This change in spending practices led to a downward spiral in the economy."

What have I seen? Had I been an ordinary citizen, it would have been fine just to laugh at my jeers. But I am a princess.

The ignorance of those above kills those below.

"I. .. failed as king." I lost all strength, fell to my knees there. Throughout my life, I have never felt such helplessness

which I do now.

put out "Uh," and "Um," scratching

Looking at me like that, David had his head, before putting his hand over my head.

"Don't let that make you sad. We have the funds we need. It's not too late for agricultural reform."

"... What are you planning?"

"Give limitations on commercial crop growth, restore crop growth, and increase our self-sufficiency. The state will pay subsidies to help support that transition. First we will replant the fields with beans, which have various uses, and potatoes, which are resistant to hunger, and over time I want to increase the number of rice fields. After that..."

David speaks eloquently about his plans for agricultural reform. He used a lot of words like “sawah" which I was not familiar with, but when I saw his face, he looked very radiant.

I felt I could understand why my father abdicated to him. He is what this country needs most right now. We have to do whatever it takes to get him tied up here. Our engagement may be another chain to tie her up.

I guess I can't be upset about the engagement being decided without my input.

David said that once he made it to the country, he would restore the throne, but we cannot allow him to do so. It would be a disadvantage for the country to have a man with such rare talents. It needs to be prevented in any way.

He said he had no family in the world

length of time. If I were to be his family here, then,

can I keep him in this country? I wondered. As his fiancee, if I could make this marriage a fait accompli ... Wait, the best way to make it a fait accompli .. is basically .. do that with it ...

The thoughts that came to my mind made my face flushed.

"So, in the mountains we will ... Hey, Liscia, are you listening?"

"Geek! W-Why, yeah, I'm listening."

"Hm? Your face is all red, you know.'

"It's just sunrise! Don't think about it!"

Burned cheeks. I am ready to die of shame.

From there, I thought I didn't hear a word of David's explanation.

...****************...

Seriate...