Published: January 4, 2026
The next day, on the outskirts of the town.
I left everything concerning the town to Maya, the imperial envoy who had just arrived, and I came to her house with Cindy and Newf.
It was a modest house made of wooden planks, with gaps here and there where the wind could seep through.
Near the house, there was a rice paddy.
It was probably the size that a single girl could manage on her own.
“Is this the place?”
“Ah, yes. We just finished harvesting, so I wonder if new shoots have sprouted…”
Newf said this and headed toward the rice paddy.
“Master, it looks like the harvest is quite high up.”
“Yeah, that’s what it looks like to me too.”
Cindy said this to me, and I nodded.
I have a decent amount of knowledge about rice paddies — rice cultivation.
It is the staple crop mainly grown in the southern regions, so important that the population fluctuates greatly depending on the yield.
Naturally, I’ve kept some knowledge about it in my head.
Newf’s rice paddy was harvested much higher than usual.
“Ah, there they are. These are it.”
Newf stopped in front of a certain stalk of rice, turned to me, and beckoned.
I walked over to her.
“Is this it?”
“Yeah.”
I bent down and looked closely at the rice.
Just as Newf said, new shoots were sprouting from behind the harvested stalks.
“...So, in other words…”
I thought for a moment.
“This will grow and can be harvested again.”
“—!!”
As I said this, Cindy gasped.
She instantly understood how significant this was.
On the other hand, Newf accepted it matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, if you harvest like this, a second harvest is barely possible. It’s tight unless there are many warm days, so if you go further north, it might not work.”
“Sunlight, huh? Are there any other factors affecting the yield?”
“The amount of initial compost and additional fertilizing has to be quite a bit more than usual. It’s obvious since you’re harvesting twice. Also, it’s because of this variety.”
“I see…”
I thought for a moment and asked Newf more.
“Will the second harvest’s yield vary greatly?”
“Just a little, but if done well, it can be about the same as the first harvest.”
“Is anyone else doing this?”
“Huh? I don’t think so. I just accidentally found this by leaving the paddy after a failed harvest and tried it as an experiment.”
“...Newf.”
“Y-yes. What do you want to ask next?”
“...”
I thought.
It was barely a few seconds, but my mind was spinning faster than it had in years.
For those few seconds, Newf looked anxious, glancing back and forth between my and Cindy’s faces.
“Um… what’s wrong—?”
“Your parents?”
“Eh? Parents? Mine?”
Newf suddenly looked as if she didn’t understand, but answered hesitantly.
“They’re gone…”
“Then, I’ll make you my adopted daughter.”
“...Huh?”
“Master? What does it mean to be an adopted daughter…?”
“That makes your status that of an imperial princess. When the next commander arrives, you’ll work under her as a special envoy, overseeing and expanding the cultivation of this variety.”
“……Eeeeeh!?”
For a moment, Newf screamed out in astonishment as she finally understood.
I quickly gave orders one after another.
“Cindy, contact the Imperial Capital. Call Evelyn here.”
“Evelyn-sama?”
“She understands all this in her head, but she can’t control those around her. Evelyn will be the stabilizing force.”
“To bring in someone like Evelyn-sama as a stabilizing force…?”
“Yes. That’s how serious I am.”
“—! Understood!”
“Newf.”
“Y-yes?”
“Your annual salary will be 5,000 Lien.”
“W-what?”
“That’s your stipend.”
“Eh!?”
“It’s equivalent to a prince’s, not just an imperial princess’s, including political duties. Don’t refuse. This is necessary.”
“Y-yes, yes, eeh!?”
“Cindy, also contact Henry at the same time.”
“Y-yes.”
“For at least one… no, two years, strengthen the frontlines and keep the enemy at bay. Don’t go on the offensive, but don’t let them think you won’t attack. It’s okay to lose some land if necessary. You can repeat that part verbatim.”