Chapter 242: Vegetables I Want to Promote
“I’ve left the management of the sweets to Auro, so you can handle the negotiations over there. — Since we’re going to discuss planting trees and fields, can you call Charles and get the map out?” I smoothly shifted the responsibility of dealing with Kiel onto Auro.
Kiel, grumbling, stepped out of the room to call Charles, while Faramia spread the island’s map across the office desk. The map was quite large, covering most of the desk.
“The discussion about the fields was halted because the soil was poor, right? Has that been resolved?” Soleil asked as she watched Faramia hold down the map with a paperweight.
“Yes, yes.”
“I understand. Please let me know if there’s a solution that an average person with decent financial means can implement. Anything beyond that is fine.”
Since Soleil said it was okay, I decided to let it slide.
“Are there any flowers or trees you want planted?” I asked the two women, Soleil and Faramia.
“How about blue flowers to represent the island’s color of indigo dye?” I thought I was asking about their favorite flowers, but instead, I got a strategic suggestion for the island.
“During ceremonies, we’ll need to decorate the castle and town with flags bearing the emblem, or simply hang blue cloth. We’ll need to decide whether to use other colors to make the flags stand out or to make the entire island blue,” Auro added. What came to mind was the deep indigo-dyed drum curtains. The island’s image color was a bit brighter blue, though.
Suddenly, my mind was filled with images from the Edo period. But then again, those were originally for sun protection. This island has intense sunlight, so utilizing them isn’t a bad idea.
The large cloth hanging from the eaves, stretched either vertically or diagonally, would flap in the wind, making a sound like a drum, hence the name “drum curtain.”
It’s pretty cool to have the shop name or family crest dyed in white on indigo. Here, it’s more common to express that through embroidery.
“The islanders would probably want to plant and decorate with their favorite flowers, so a predominance of blue should be fine, right?” I pushed aside the Edo period images and replaced them with the Romantic Road of Germany.
Cobblestone paths, white plaster and dark brown pillars — this island had stone houses. Stone houses, black iron window decorations, and flowers adorning the windowsills.
“While that might be the case for noble or wealthy merchant residences, if there’s space to plant flowers, they’ll plant vegetables or fruits instead,” Soleil remarked.
Uh-oh. My mental image of the town’s windows shifted from flowers to carrots, and now laundry was starting to hang out.
“The windowsills are designed to hold pots, and I’ve left space on the cobblestones by the entrance for planting…” My vision of the town was spiraling out of control.
Seedlings of radishes spilled over from the windowsill, with radishes starting to break through the cobblestones.
“Shall we prepare several types of seedlings here and distribute them? Thanks to the irrigation system, it’s much cooler than Naruadeid, and we have plenty of options. We plan to plant grapes, wisteria, and roses… and we also intend to plant colors like lemons, so there’s no need to force a uniformity,” Charles said cheerfully as he entered the room.
“I’ll leave it to you.” For now, I’d be satisfied with just some basil on the windowsill.
After that, we discussed the trees that would eventually become part of the forest and the fields.
“I want to plant potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants,” I said. Also cucumbers, radishes, melons… Oh, and I have seedlings for mangoes and sugarcane too.
“Those are all poisonous, right?” Kiel interjected.
“Are we talking about a poison garden?” Auro added.
“Potatoes have been gaining attention lately. They store well, grow underground, so they’re safe from birds, and even if trampled in a battlefield, they remain intact. They’re being marketed as a substitute for wheat, which suffers from reduced yields when trampled. I’ve heard the poison issue has been resolved. However, they don’t grow well in cold regions, so they haven’t spread as much as hoped,” Soleil explained.
“I’ve heard rumors about potatoes too. As long as you remove the sprouts and the green parts, there shouldn’t be any issues,” I added. With the rumors of poison, even things that could sell wouldn’t sell, so it seemed the merchants were working hard to spread the word.
Most people can’t even get their hands on recovery potions, let alone regular medicine. There are dubious folk remedies out there too. The overall nutritional state is poor, leading to low resistance.
They seem to be used to it, though; they’re usually quite resilient to bacteria and germs… But once they fall ill, it hits them hard. In this world, even something as simple as diarrhea can become a life-threatening issue.
“Potatoes turn green when exposed to sunlight, so store them in a cool, dark place. Eggplants and tomatoes are safe, so don’t worry — oh, how about we try tasting them?”
“Yes, my lord,” Auro replied with a smile.
“Wait, you answered immediately!?” Kiel exclaimed, his face contorting dramatically.
I have some potato gnocchi stored in [Storage], so let’s make gnocchi with eggplant, zucchini, and pancetta in tomato sauce. I’ll throw in some mozzarella too.
“Then if you’re free, let’s meet in thirty minutes at the tower.”
“Yes,” Auro replied instantly.
“Understood.” Soleil agreed and turned to Faramia, who responded with a slight bow.
“I’m interested too.”
“Yes, yes,” Charles chimed in.
“…I’ll participate,” Kiel said, his face a picture of displeasure.
Is he that afraid of being poisoned, or does he just dislike vegetables?