MCFPM 19

chapter 19

“Stop, stop!”

Cherylotte galloped over to Eonian and held him back.

As she stood beside him, his gaze, soft with a smile, met hers.

“It’s fine. I knocked them out in one go.”
“A smile won’t fix this! Guys like these need to be brought to trial as an example, just like you did!”
“Ah.”

Oh, right. Eonian had already dealt with the farmers who had thrown the corn.

“Uh… sorry. Too late now.”
“You… you bastard… You just hit them out of anger, didn’t you?”
“No, not at all. It’s just that they were far weaker than I expected. Really. If I’d known they were normal civilians, I would have subdued them gently…”

Eonian explained, sweating profusely as if to show he was sincere. He rambled on, insisting he genuinely thought they were some kind of underworld operatives.

“What on earth makes you think that? …Anyway, let’s leave these guys to the nearby peacekeepers.”
“…Yeah.”

He tied them up with ropes and dragged the “gang bundle” along with one hand. As they approached the middle-aged woman from earlier, she hesitated.

“Uh, uh… no… th-thank you. You’re a paladin, aren’t you?”
“No, it was simply my duty.”

Eonian smiled broadly, blocking the tied-up gang from view with his legs. Cherylotte actively joined in, covering the evidence to protect his kind appearance.

After handing the gang over to the peacekeepers, they were invited to the woman’s home as a gesture of thanks.

“A chance to observe the lives of the villagers firsthand…!”

Cherylotte clenched her fists and crossed the threshold. Her son wagged his long, thin tail and asked kindly:

“Wow, thanks for saving us. But, uh, what’s your relationship? Are you a couple?”
“Hey, kid, the man here is a priest, so no.”

His mother scolded him from the side, but Eonian shook his head.

“No, that’s correct. We’re a couple.”
“R-really?”
“Priests can marry too. They can take vows of celibacy, but…”

At that moment, Eonian’s gaze toward Cherylotte grew smooth, almost flirtatious.

“If my love hadn’t been reciprocated, my heart would have burned away entirely.”

…I feel like throwing up.

“Oh my, madam, you don’t look well… Are you feeling unwell?”
“Don’t worry. It’s just morning sickness.”
Gulp.

Cherylotte told the monumental lie with the most expressionless face possible, just to get back at Eonian, who had stirred her emotions.

It seemed to work; Eonian coughed awkwardly and didn’t move for a long while. When Cherylotte passed him with a smug smile, the sound of knocking came from the front door.

Knock, knock, knock.

Her mother covered her mouth in surprise. Her son’s expression turned serious.

“Oh dear, who could that be… No one’s supposed to visit today.”
“…Could it be the others from earlier?”
“Y-yes, that’s possible. They know my mom and I grow rare crops, so they might come looking for us.”

They explained that recently, while the weather was nice for going outside, food was scarce, and the neighborhood wasn’t safe. Though recognized by the guild as skilled farmers, their fame for high-quality crops drew disputes from other farmers.

“Wait, they’re not street thugs, but colleagues… Huh. Have you told the guildmaster?”
“Yes, but it won’t help… This is our land, so it’s hard to leave.”
“I see…”

Eonian clicked his tongue, troubled, but didn’t add more. Cherylotte pressed her lips together.

She finally understood why Eonian had brought her here directly—she had underestimated the situation.

“It’s not a problem solved simply by planting crops. The northern Agricultural Cooperative isn’t functioning. We need to revitalize it.”

This was her current mission for agricultural reform.

A cooperative is meant to protect its members’ rights and assist in trade. But most northern farmers didn’t seem to be members. Perhaps because the land was harsh and they saw no profit in joining.

“Even for me as a duke, having a cooperative makes things easier… If fights break out like this, it’s simpler to mediate or punish.”

Swallowing her disappointment, Cherylotte changed her thinking.

“No, no. If we help this time and convert part of it to state-run farming… the duke could oversee the cooperative.”

This would allow her to expand her influence while stabilizing the local economy.

Her eyes sparkled at the thought of achieving two goals at once. She turned sharply to Eonian.

“H-Honey.”
“Huh, uh?”
“We should probably find the guildmaster. Right?”

Eonian, standing dumbfounded, smiled in agreement.

Knock, knock, knock! The knocking resumed, faster than before. Cherylotte glanced at the trembling cow family and met Eonian’s eyes.

“…If you open it, I’ll point the gun.”
“Alright.”

Eonian nodded at Cherylotte as she drew her weapon. When he grabbed the door handle and swung it open, she shouted forcefully:

“Hands up!”
“….”
“…Uhh…?”

But…

“I don’t see anyone.”

Expecting them to be taller than her, she aimed the gun upward, but the figure wasn’t visible.

Cherylotte lowered the gun with a creak.

At that moment, sharp eyes pierced her. Small in stature but formidable in gaze, an elderly man with snowy hair tapped his cane.

“You’re looking for me, huh?”

It was the guildmaster.

Finding the guildmaster saved them some effort. Though Cherylotte had the gun trained on him, she chose to stay positive.

“My goodness, Lord Gelrn!”

The cow mother jumped up to greet him.

“You came all the way here, even though you’re not well!”
“Do I seem like I wasn’t expecting visitors?”
“Of course not! You always trust us.”

The warm welcome left Cherylotte and Eonian stuck in the corner. She poked Eonian’s side in frustration.

“…What should we do?”
“Let’s just stay quiet.”
“….”

Cherylotte sat tightly beside her “husband” Eonian.

Fortunately, the friendly cow mother arranged for them to sit with the guildmaster and naturally explained the situation.

“These two saved us. Lord Gelrn, don’t scold them too harshly.”
“…They saved our cooperative’s expert, so no reason to do so.”

Their actions earned them points. The guildmaster dipped dry bread into the potato soup presented by the cow mother.

“Seems they have business with me anyway.”
“Thank you for recognizing that.”
“…We’ll meet after the meal.”

Eonian smoothly facilitated the opportunity.

Cherylotte recalled the information Eonian had briefly shared before the meal:

“The guildmaster is a distant relative of the northern vassal family. He’s technically a baron, but his loyalty lies with the north rather than the duke’s house.”

Though a lower noble, he was in a position requiring cooperation rather than command. Cherylotte spoke up.

“I’d like to show you seed potatoes. They’re improved varieties.”
“That box… can I see it?”

The guildmaster opened the box, furrowing his already wrinkled brow.

Is it the appearance that’s a problem? Cherylotte thought. These are excellent crops; they’d be great as formal seeds.

“Those concentric brown rings… will they darken as they grow?”
“Yes. The fresher, the clearer and cleaner the rings.”
“Patented?”
“The Academy. A graduate student in the Biological University published it as first author under their name.”
“….”

The guildmaster frowned. Cherylotte, curious, asked:

“Excuse me, but is it okay for crops to look like this?”
“Have you never seen carrots grown by a beginner?”
“No.”

The guildmaster smiled for the first time.

“Those looked even more bizarre—limbs sprouting like cursed dolls… no, not limbs, more like a beast with hollowed parts and teeth.”
“….”
“So anyone judging by appearance alone is lacking discernment.”

Eonian subtly looked away. Cherylotte nudged his shoulder, delighted, and continued:

“Of course. In fact, this is by order of His Grace, Duke Chartreuse…”

The guildmaster nodded after the explanation.

“Ah, so His Grace wants these crops formally introduced in the north?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“…I’m afraid that can’t be done.”
“Excuse me?”

Cherylotte’s eyes widened. It seemed favorable, but why refuse? She tried to stop the guildmaster from leaving.

“Wait. If you see the patent and parts of the paper, you’ll see they grow fast and yield well. There’s no reason not to adopt them.”
“We are currently in a difficult position to challenge.”
“….”

Cherylotte was speechless.

“The main staple here is bread, so growing wheat and barley is already a stretch. Importing grains first is more practical to meet urgent needs. Please convey my advice to His Grace.”
“Even if I teach you how to grow them, you wouldn’t take them?”
“….”

The guildmaster shook his head.

“No.”