Establishing sustainable trade is essential. For a country, it is ideal to produce and sell everything domestically, so as not to be subject to others.
However, if one wants to gradually build a self-sufficient nation from scratch, it would be a waste of time and resources, and not a good choice.
Producing excess resources and then trading them for other necessities needed by the nation is what many nations choose to do. This is the case in the Monster-ruled Territories, the Silvermoon Tree Court, and the Dwarves and Orcs.
There are no exceptions except for the Empire... This does not mean that the Empire has all the resources and grows all the crops, but rather that the Empire has no need for trade.
Because ordinary people do not need abundant food to increase their happiness.
As long as I can eat my fill (and not starve), that's enough.
The empire never expected these disposable materials to become warriors fighting for the empire or civil servants improving the empire's environment... even though these commoners are an indispensable part of the empire.
"Xiao Ti?"
As Ira called out, the succubus servant, kneeling, appeared on the open-air platform. She... no, he waited quietly for Ira's instructions.
"Go ask Sirina and that ghost lady if they can buy some [Poison Eater Tree], which is a crop called Ancient Priest Tree. Tell them it's an easy-to-grow tuber crop."
As Ira said this, Tikkap immediately nodded and disappeared.
"A poisonous tree? What's that? An ancient priest tree?"
In response to Vera's question, Ira peeked out and looked at Tikkap, who seemed to be repeating his own words. He explained, "I think I've made myself clear. It's a tuberous crop, like taro."
“I can tell, I’m asking about something else…”
Seeing Vera's confusion, Ira understood what she really wanted to ask. He said, "It comes from the Silvermoon Tree Garden and was later widely cultivated in the orc territory. It's a kind of food crop that looks like a tree."
"Although it may not taste as good as wheat and is more troublesome to eat, requiring a lot of processing, I think we can plant the Ancient Priest Tree as a substitute for wheat and make it one of the foods in the Demon King's territory because it is easy to grow."
"You only need to slightly cut the branches of the poisonous tree, and after a complicated process, it can be eaten. If you stick the untreated branches in the ground and are lucky enough to have enough rainfall, new crops can grow. The rainfall here is quite suitable."
This makes it very clear that Ira believes the crop called the "Ancient Priest Tree" is very suitable to be grown as a staple food or as a supplementary food to Blue Mushrooms.
"Um, why didn't you mention this crop when I was in the Empire? The people of the Empire don't eat it at all. If it's so easy to grow, why didn't you promote it within the Empire?"
Vera looked at Ira with suspicion. According to his description, this crop was very suitable for poor people as food, and Ira should be a person who cares about the poor.
"..."
Regarding this, Ira didn't know where to begin. He organized his thoughts and said, "In fact, this crop is very popular in the Duchy, while the Empire already has black bread as a staple food, and the nobles don't need the commoners to get any more food."
"Moreover, if I were to propose the existence of such a thing and try to introduce it into the Empire, I would first face opposition and resistance from the nobles, because it was me, it was [Ira] who proposed it."
Ira shook his head helplessly as he sighed. He looked at Vera, who was nodding in agreement, and added, "Moreover, this crop is poisonous and must be detoxified before it can be eaten."
“I can foresee that some nobles will claim that the common people under their rule have been poisoned by the crops I introduced, and use this as a basis to launch a verbal attack against me, which will then lead to an endless mutual attack.”
It took countless decades for the Empire, already a colossal beast, to grow claws and bone spurs powerful enough to tear apart other giants, but the festering sores on its body still remained.
Neither the behemoth itself nor its claws could cure the festering sores... He only truly understood this after Ira left the Empire. To change the Empire, one must first step outside of it.
Only other behemoths can dissect the empire's festering sores along with the flesh that must be discarded.
"You've really had a tough time."
Amid Vera's reflections, Tikkapu's voice appeared before Ira once more, reporting, "Lady Ira, the Demon King asked how many you want to buy, although I think she might not understand what the Ancient Priest Tree is."
"..."
"Ah, I'm so grateful for her trust."
Ira shook his head, both amused and exasperated, then immediately became serious. He replied, "Seven or eight silver coins is enough. If you have trouble with funds, you can buy less. You might get ripped off, but don't worry about it too much."
"yes."
"..."
"Everyone really trusts you... I don't even have enough money to buy the experimental materials."
Vera said with a hint of bitterness, looking at the vanished Tikkapu, saying something she herself didn't believe: "My research was also for the Demon Lord's territory..."
As he spoke, Ira glanced at the former imperial court mage who had chosen to become a lich for the sake of a few wrinkles, and retorted, "If you said it was to explore the truth of magic, I might believe you a little more."
"Okay, actually I was trying to concoct a super aphrodisiac, trying to drug you so I could have a bunch of little liches with you."
Looking at Vera, who was spouting nonsense, Ira twitched her lips and retorted, "I don't think liches are capable of having offspring, nor do I think I, as an archon, will have descendants."
Upon hearing this, Vera was visibly stunned. Her eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed, "Huh? Even governors can't have children? No way?!"
Ira simply leaned against the wall quietly, and after a long while, he said, "Power that is not difficult to obtain always comes at a price, and this is no secret within the Empire... Perhaps that is why the Consul is the right-hand man of the royal family, someone they would never doubt."
Although Ira herself knew very well that Isabella and Joseph did not trust her for this reason.
"You guys are a bunch of...lunatics."
In response to Vera's sharp comments, Ira simply smiled and said, "I hope you can call them 'heroes'."
"Wait, what about you?"
"I have selfish desires. I only fight for the country I envision. Whether it's an empire or a demon kingdom, they are all just embryos, belonging to that world, to that ancient and ancient nation..."
When Vera realized the flaw in his words, Ira said this while looking in a direction that seemed very, very far away.
"Alternatives".
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