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Chapter 23. The Decoy Pig King In The Wilderness

■■■ King Cobel Pilatus II ■■■

Before me lies a warehouse filled with sacks of hemp. 

Each one is packed with fresh and delicious-looking potatoes. What in the world is happening?

According to the spy, the quantity of potatoes brought by this ship is around 3 tons. 

I've confirmed it since its arrival; there's no mistake. 

I even checked with the prime minister, and considering the quantities of other goods, there shouldn't be any mistake. 

The total amount of potatoes circulating in this town should be less than 5 tons. Even if they hastily gathered them with money, it shouldn't reach 20 tons.

Yet, here they are, right in front of me.

I don't understand.

"Dear King, I deeply apologize for the delay in delivery. It seems my subordinates were selecting high-quality items. I hope your generous heart can forgive us."

A foreigner with a smooth face and a peculiar smile stands before me. That man is the man my Cherina brought in earlier, pulled along suddenly.

I hadn't heard any rumors about this man. 

So it was unexpected. 

This crimson and noble woman is said to be suitable for me, and even I am not allowed to touch her. 

But once she's called him as an advisor, it's not easy to chase him away.

Initially, I enjoyed cornering her, showing her documents, thinking she would soon be mine anyway. 

Despite that, this man suddenly interjected.

At first, he talked about wanting copies of the documents. 

What's the point of increasing disadvantageous paperwork? 

Well, I'm generous, so be it.

He further mentioned wanting to check the warehouse.

I thought of going along and ending it, but he turned out to be surprisingly courteous, so I decided to entertain him.

Great King. Yes, it has a nice ring to it.

There are guards around; he can't escape.

While sipping tea with beautiful petals and stroking the buttocks of a common woman, Cherina and that man finally appeared. 

Now, they should be resigned, and unconsciously, my tongue can't stop licking my lips.

However, there was no look of despair on either of them.

Cherina seemed fatigued, but the man still had that eerie smile plastered on his face. Truly, a creepy man.

Well, fine. If I pull Cherina as my concubine, considering the contract breach, that should be enough, as my advisor suggested.

In terms of money, the Veliero Trading Company will pay, even if we demand ten times the amount as a penalty. 

That's how trading companies operate.

Originally, they couldn't oppose me, but the prime minister, crying, begged for patience for years, citing dignity and all, and today, I can't bear it any longer.

It's like the sack's tail is about to snap!

Take this!

"Your Majesty, I apologize for the inconvenience, but could you please visit the warehouse for a moment?"

I nodded dramatically toward Cherina's ample bosom.

"Well..."

Cherina's expression showed fatigue. 

She intends to buy time with the few remaining potatoes in the warehouse.

The prime minister, who wants to engage in useless negotiations, had a similar expression.

But.

Behind the large warehouse door was a mountain of potatoes.

I grabbed the prime minister by the collar, demanding an explanation.

"This is... I can't believe it. But with this many potatoes, if we use half as seed potatoes, and plant them right after the rainy season, maybe..."

"Enough! That doesn't matter! What about taking responsibility for this?!"

"T-That is..."

While I was arguing, the man approached. A black-haired man with a bellyaching smile.

And he uttered the opening line!

It's truly infuriating!

From there, the situation was in the man's control.

The quality was beyond reproach. 

Honestly, I would like to bring it to the castle right away for cooking. 

The potatoes were flawless, and with such quality, the quantity was small.

That's because the sea voyage takes time.

How delicious these potatoes must be...

"In your wisdom, Your Majesty, I believe you can appreciate the splendid quality of these potatoes. I inquired with Cherina-sama earlier, and she mentioned that in this region, they don't have a cooking method called 'boiling' as water is precious. I actually informed the soldiers outside of that cooking method, so if you'd like, please try it."

"A new cooking method?"

"Yes, the soldiers are currently trying it out."

"Where is it? I'll go see."

Without waiting for a reply, I went outside and found the elite guards I had stationed as lookouts happily munching on the potatoes.

"Hey, what's that?"

"This, Your Majesty! The merchant wanted to present a cooking method to Your Majesty, so we are trying the prototype!"

The guards hastily saluted, and 1 had a piece of potato ruining the atmosphere.

"...Potatoes, huh?"

"Yes, potatoes."

The potatoes on the bowl-shaped pottery were plump, with thin skins, and the insides bursting out with white flesh.

"Is it delicious?"

"It's extremely delicious. It's worthy of presentation."

Gulp. My throat made a sound. 

The scent of the potatoes was utterly devoid of earthiness, and was that the smell of butter? 

The combined aroma was overwhelming. 

Stir-fried potatoes with butter were a common dish in the royal palace. 

But this seemed to surpass even that.

"Alright, hand that over."

"Y-Yes?! As you can see, it's already half-eaten by a minor official! It's not something suitable to offer to Your Majesty!"

"In any case, all my food needs to be taste-tested. Is there something wrong with your health?"

"No, not at all. In fact, my appetite is increasing."

"Then there should be no problem."

"Y-Yes."

The prime minister hesitated for a while, but as usual, I silenced him. 

I snatched the plate from the guard.

With white steam rising, the potatoes, plump and swollen, had a cross-cut on top with just butter.

I pierced the fork with trembling fingers. 

As soon as I did, the potato crumbled! But it wasn't the discoloration of spoiled potatoes. 

It was fresh, pure white, and the crumbled flesh was exposed.

Was this the result of a special cooking method?

I placed the crumbled potato on the fork and coated it with butter.

Gulp.

A rich aroma entwined my nasal passages. 

Was this really the smell of potatoes?

Finally, I'm putting it in my mouth.

The world exploded.

What in the world had my life been for? I sure am excited to eat this! 

The gently crumbling potato in my mouth was deep, and the texture changed to a rich, buttery feel, even penetrating my spine.

"How is it, Your Majesty?"

The man had somehow appeared next to me.

Standing unauthorized beside me was very impolite, but no reprimands followed his next words.

"As an apology for the delayed delivery, would Your Majesty be interested in receiving a steamer to cook this dish?"

"What... did you say?"

A dedicated tool to make this dish? I want it!

I want that!

"U-Understood. Very well, Prime Minister, accept it."

"Yes."

"Then, please proceed with the delivery of the potatoes. We will prepare a new steamer by evening."

"W-What? Wait, the elaborate plan..."

"Your Majesty!"

"Ugh!"

I almost let it slip out.

"Y-Yes, alright. In that case, make sure to bring them into the castle by evening."

Cherina was frustrated, but she'll have to think of something else. 

This time, I'll endure with delicious potatoes.

"Wait a moment, Your Majesty."

As I tried to leave, that man stopped me again. What on earth is this man doing?

"The shipment can be handled by your guards, right?"

What is this man talking about? There's no way my guards would do such a menial job.

"Your Majesty... Indeed, earlier, Your Majesty did say such a thing."

The prime minister whispered in a low voice.

"Me?"

"Yes, you did."

Come to think of it, I may have blurted out such a thing, thinking they couldn't prepare it anyway.

"Ugh... Ugh... Prime Minister, what should I do?"

"Rejecting is easy, but at this point, you might have to swallow your pride. If we refuse, there's a risk of manipulation again. That advisor is always on guard."

The man the prime minister referred to, with a creepy smile, was staring at us.

"What would they do?"

"Well, for example, if it takes time to secure labor to carry it into the castle, they might delay the delivery."

"If they breach the contract by saying the goods are not there, we can't exert too much authority. The items are there, after all. We can't wield such strong power."

"What's the point of buying time with that?"

"That trading company is a maritime business, Your Majesty. The person you're interested in may escape by ship."

"That would be troublesome!"

"Yes, for us as well. The connection with the Veliaro Trading Company is a bond we desire earnestly. To fulfill Your Majesty's desires, we will do our utmost. So it might be wise for us to gracefully withdraw from this matter. Additionally, if we can successfully cultivate potatoes of such quality, it will undoubtedly enhance Your Majesty's prestige even further."

"Hmm... that's not a bad idea, but... will they grow?"

"According to the agricultural technician we recently recruited, by not just focusing on potatoes, interspersing different crops, and letting the fields rest, the probability of successful cultivation increases. Until now, we couldn't experiment with a large number, and the results were not promising. However, with this many potatoes, success is almost guaranteed."

The prime minister earnestly implored me with a serious gaze.

"Alright. This time, let's wear the mask of humility."

"You will get covered in mud."

"That's what I meant."

"Of course."

I turned to the man. Cherina had somehow stood next to him, ready to shout at him, but I couldn't find a reason.

"I'm generous. Once I say something, I won't go back on it. Leave it to us."

"Thank you. As expected of the esteemed King Pilatus of Pirata, known for his reputation."

The man politely expressed his gratitude. I thought about kicking him in the head, but I decided to let it go with a snort. As we were about to leave, something bothered me.

"...What's your name?"

I wasn't sure if I had asked before.

"My name is Akira. Nice to meet you."

I won't forget you, Akira.

――――

The 1800 bags of potatoes were too many to transport all at once, so initially, the guards carried them, and then regular soldiers made several round trips to bring them in. 

The sergeant seemed pleased, as it turned out to be good training.

The potato butter dish prepared by the chef was exquisite.

I came to love this potato butter dish until the day I died.

Yes, until the day I died.