Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 58

“Gula, you….”

The expression on his face clearly showed he had a lot to say but wouldn’t. Even for a commoner’s illegitimate child, Gula was a poisonous weed that even a stray dog wouldn’t eat.

To think he had confidently stormed out the front gate without knowing this. It would have been better to negotiate a price with Count Mereloff.

“But it’s true. Gula seeds are edible. They’re good roasted, boiled, and even raw. Considering the nutrients, satiety, and efficiency, it could be called a blessing from the gods.”

“That’s absurd.”

How could such a great crop have been unknown until now? Considering the state of the Bariel Empire, it was almost offensive to hear such words. Even now, scholars in the Imperial Palace were constantly researching to overcome the great famine.

And yet, Gula, which was scattered everywhere, was a blessing from the gods?

“I’ve been eating it lately.”

“You’ve been eating it?”

“Yes. It tastes great. I’m sure once Romandro tries it, he won’t be able to resist. Since the cultivation period is about a month, winter won’t be a problem.”

Squeak.

The carriage, which had been running smoothly, stopped midway. Once in the village square, once in front of the alley where the entertainment district was gathered, and again in the residential area. Each time the carriage stopped, the subordinates who had left earlier boarded.

But Beric looked a bit strange. His face was flushed, and every time he grinned, he smelled of wine. Ian glared at him and lightly scolded him.

“Beric. You’re not doing your job.”

“Huh? No, no. Just a little. The owner kept offering.”

Beric, who had boarded in front of the entertainment district, sniffed. How much alcohol had he managed to drink in that short time? As Ian was about to frown, Beric quickly changed the subject by reporting the situation.

“That’s the best bar around here, and dozens of people heard my story. They said they’d put up a notice too.”

-We will pay for Gula that is brought to us.

What Ian meant by buying ‘people’ was this. The people of the territory would gather Gula in the forests near Bratz, and the people of Mereloff’s territory would gather it in the areas near Mereloff.

“Did you specify the payment and period?”

“Of course. One gold coin for every three large sacks. We’ll only accept it within the next month.”

One gold coin was the amount a lower-class worker could earn in a month. Since Gula was small, filling three sacks wouldn’t be easy, but someone with good stamina could do it within half a month.

“But isn’t that too generous? One gold coin.”

“That’s how they’ll search the forest with their eyes burning. Considering the prosperous winter that one sack of Gula will bring, it’s not that expensive.”

And most importantly, the ‘period.’

If they didn’t set a one-month period, there would surely be people who would cultivate it and bring it. Sorry, but that was something that should never happen. What Ian wanted was Gula itself, and for all the nearby sprouts to wither away.

“How is Mereloff’s crop situation this year?”

“It doesn’t seem very good. It wasn’t a place for farming in the first place, and the river was polluted by the battle with the Central Army of Bratz. They seem to be predicting a bad harvest among themselves.”

“Do you know what Mereloff usually does in a bad harvest?”

“In winter, merchant caravans from the Hawan Kingdom come to Bariel. Economic activity becomes very active then.”

“…Merchant caravans.”

“Aren’t those the caravans that have everything except what’s missing? The really big ones carry several years’ worth of dried meat. The people of Mereloff’s territory provide them with lodging and convenience in exchange for buying food.”

“So, even if there’s a bad harvest, there’s no major unrest.”

“Actually, it would be easier to find a year that isn’t a bad harvest in Mereloff.”

Romandro’s subordinate gave an excellent answer to Ian’s continuous questions. It seemed he had gathered a lot of information before being dispatched.

Anyway, they didn’t know what the harvest would be like this fall. If they secured as much Gula as possible….

Who knows?

Mereloff might even propose a trade in reverse. While Ian was internally organizing his plans until winter, Romandro was just groaning, holding his temples.

‘Gula? Gulaaaa?’

He wanted to return to the territory immediately and confirm if Ian’s claim was true. If it wasn’t, he would give him a piece of his mind, magic user or not. And he was planning to visit Count Mereloff again as soon as it was dawn.

“Hey. Can’t you go any faster?”

“Is there an urgent matter?”

“Ah, you talk too much!”

“Understood. It’ll be quite bumpy. Let’s go!”

Crack! Neigh!

Ian, whether he knew of Romandro’s worries or not, was just coldly swatting away Beric’s hand, which was reaching for the dried meat in the box.

“Ah, you’re too much, Master. You really are.”

“Sober up and talk. Your speech has become like a street thug.”

“My mouth is bitter. Just one? Huh? Just one.”

In the end, when they arrived at the mansion, only an empty box remained. As soon as Romandro got out of the carriage, all the servants, including those in the kitchen, were in an uproar.

“What did you just say? Make food with this?”

“This is Gula. Your jokes are really bad today.”

“No, it’s true. Ian told us to make food with Gula. All famine relief cooking methods are possible, but he said to check carefully in case there’s any flesh on the outside of the seeds.”

The kitchen staff all crossed their arms and stared down at the Gula box. No matter how they thought about it, it was a waste of ingredients, a waste of fire, and a waste of manpower. Who in the world would make food with roadside weeds?

The head chef had no choice but to go up to Ian’s room himself to confirm the order.

“Ian. About tonight’s dinner.”

“Ah, yes. I heard about it. By the way, I like to boil Gula thoroughly and then use it. Cold is good too, but it’s an art when you eat it warm.”

“……”

He wasn’t joking. It was real.

The head chef took off his hat in bewilderment and bowed. The kitchen servants gathered around and urged the head chef.

“What did he say? Is he really telling us to cook with Gula?”

“Yes. Everyone needs to start the fire.”

“I don’t understand, really. Ah! I get it! Is he going to give it to the Molin and his group?”

“Don’t be silly. Have you ever seen anyone die from eating Gula?”

“Of course not! Who would eat that stuff?”

“No. If you’re weak, you can die from the poison. Remember the old shoe shiner? He ate Gula and died from it.”

Sizzle!

Has the kitchen ever been this noisy? The head chef couldn’t even think of calming the commotion and just kept turning the pan. It felt like all the sauces and spices being poured on top were being thrown down the drain. In all his life, this was the first time he felt guilty while cooking.

And a few hours later.

Romandro put a napkin around his neck with a tense expression. Then, the dining room door opened, and the servants entered in a line, pulling trolleys. A familiar yet unfamiliar smell of food. One thing he could be sure of was that it was stimulating his appetite.

“I-Is this all made with Gula?”

“Head chef. Please introduce the dishes.”

“…To be precise, it’s Gula seeds. This is a dessert made by roasting Gula seeds and then soaking them in honey. And this is a stew. It gets bigger when it swells. I can’t give you a name since there isn’t one.”

Ian didn’t know the detailed recipes either. As an emperor, he was always the one being served, and he had never been in the kitchen.

But they were quick to understand. They had spent their whole lives in front of the fire, so even if they cooked by feeling, the visual and olfactory stimulation was outstanding.

Clatter.

“Hmm.”

Ian didn’t hesitate to taste the food. He ate and dipped various things, fully savoring the Gula. Romandro frowned and poked at the Gula.

“…Is the doctor waiting outside?”

“No. It’s the middle of the night, so he’s at home, isn’t he?”

“I said to have him wait!”

“Hahaha. I’m joking. Don’t worry and eat.”

As Ian laughed heartily, Romandro sighed deeply and closed his eyes. And then, he quickly put the Gula in his mouth.

“Heeik!”

Romandro made a strange sound without realizing it. Ian watched his eyes slowly open and couldn’t help but laugh. Instead of words, his spoon went for the stew again.

“Does it suit your taste?”

“This, this….”

Why was it so delicious? Romandro seemed completely lost in the taste of the delicacy he was experiencing for the first time. Ian gestured to the servants standing at the back of the dining room.

“You all, come here.”

“Yes? Are you talking to us?”

“Don’t just stand there, have some food. Aren’t you curious?”

The servants hesitated, glancing at Romandro. He was drinking from the soup bowl as if he was possessed. It was not right to touch the master’s table, but they couldn’t easily move because of their perception of it as a weed.

“Thank you.”

“What would you like to eat?”

“I’ll have the one soaked in honey.”

The first to step forward among them was Hanna. Hanna cheerfully took the food and ate it, then covered her mouth in surprise as if it was unexpected.

“It’s delicious.”

“Right?”

“Hanna. Is it really delicious?”

“You should try it too, sister.”

“Then, excuse me, Ian….”

If the master and the Imperial advisor were eating like that, there couldn’t be any problems. At Hanna’s urging, the servants came one by one and took the Gula food.

“Huh?”

“Hmm…. Is this Gula?”

“No way. It’s really delicious.”

Ian smiled faintly as he watched the staff. He had offered it because they seemed hungry, but also because they were the ones who connected Ian and the people of the territory.

They were the important starting point for the Gula supply. One person became two, and two became four. As with all great achievements, the beginning was humble.

“Ha, this is really amazing. How did you find it?”

Romandro wiped his mouth, finally regaining his senses. All the bowls in front of him were completely empty.

“It was a coincidence.”

“Didn’t Derga feed you?”

“It wasn’t that. Anyway, we can get through this winter with Gula. We should start building greenhouses in the garden starting tomorrow. It takes root even in dry sand or water, but it’s weak against the cold.”

While building the greenhouses, they could mobilize the people of Mereloff and Bratz to sweep away all the Gula in the area. Since the demand was certain, they had to control the supply in this area to lead the market advantageously.

“When it snows? Right. Now that I think about it, it’s definitely hard to see in the winter.”

Romandro mumbled, forgetting his dignity and licking his spoon clean. And then, he casually asked Ian.

“After watching for a few days, if there are no problems with my body, I should include this in the report I send to the Imperial Palace. Is that okay?”

“Of course. You must inform them. Please be sure to include the circumstances of the discovery.”

He meant not to leave out Ian’s name. Well, it was absurd for Romandro, who had only recently come down to the border, to have independently discovered the edibility of Gula. Romandro waved his hand as if to say not to worry.

“I write the truth in my reports, even if a knife is at my throat. By the way, can I have more?”

“No, you can’t. There’s still a small amount. Remember that one seed produces more than ten Gula.”

As Ian refused with a smile, Romandro smacked his lips and put down his spoon. If he had known this would happen, he would have stopped the servants from taking the Gula.

“And everyone, keep your mouths shut until enough Gula seeds are collected.”

At Ian’s command, the servants, including Hanna, pretended to lock their mouths solemnly.