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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Even wastelands can transform into bustling cities if they possess something special.
Detroit, a mining town in the American West during the frontier era, and Los Angeles, practically a desert but rich in gold.
My territory, Bio Village, also needs a unique industry.
And I’ve chosen kelp.
“The village is too small for salt production, and it lacks competitiveness compared to rock salt.”
In isekai fantasy novels, the “amazing sea salt!” trope only works in Korea, China, and Japan, where rock salt isn’t readily available.
Because in East Asia, obtaining salt required boiling seawater, a labor-intensive process.
But in our Almaina continent, where massive salt mines are abundant, sea salt isn’t particularly advantageous.
On the other hand, kelp can maintain a monopoly for a considerable time.
Stealing cultivation techniques isn’t easy.
Moreover, once harvested, it can be obtained in large quantities at a low cost, allowing for high-volume sales and substantial profits.
“Like those despicable lowlanders, who are like teachers to that abhorrent country, I’ll sell kelp endlessly…”
Lost in thought, someone tapped my shoulder.
I turned around to find the Duke standing there.
“Your Grace.”
“What are you pondering so deeply? Thinking about your new maid, perhaps?”
The Duke isn’t idle enough to pry into my maid’s affairs.
But I naturally brought Chloe with me on this visit, and one of the butlers must have reported it to him.
This alone shows that I’m quite high on his priority list.
“You’re finally acting like a boy your age.”
There are three main reasons for the Duke to make such a joke.
First, he feels close enough to tease me.
Second, he’s expressing his affection, and lastly, he’s showing the servants in the mansion how much he values me.
The last reason is the most important.
‘This story will spread throughout the Duke’s faction by tonight.’
So, I mustn’t take such jokes seriously.
It would be considered sexual harassment in the 21st century, but here, it’s a benevolent gesture from His Grace.
“I haven’t even held a woman’s hand, and being constantly around such a beauty…”
“Why are you so hesitant? Back in my day…”
The Duke gave me about three minutes of advice on how to “manfully” take a woman to bed.
I’m not a saint, and I’m not immune to such temptations.
Chloe is mine, and I have the power and money to do as I please.
But I won’t.
As a 21st-century Korean, I find the act of exploiting one’s power to take advantage of the weak repulsive.
‘This is my line in the sand.’
“Forgive me, Fabio. Seeing young men like you reminds me of my youth.”
“Thank you for your concern. And I sought you out today to present a special medicinal herb from the East found in my village.”
I handed him dried kelp in an overly luxurious box.
The Duke’s eyes widened as soon as he received it.
It seems rich old men in any world are obsessed with health products.
“The contents don’t seem special. It looks like dried hay.”
“I thought so too. But this kelp is very similar to a mysterious Eastern medicinal herb described in our family’s archives. So, I even tested its efficacy.”
I then pulled out a book written on seemingly old paper.
But I didn’t show him the contents.
A person of the Duke’s stature would see through it.
What I need to show him is this:
A lie so elaborate that it can even fool the Duke, who knows me well.
Honestly, I’d like to keep it from him as well, but right now, the Duke’s trust is more valuable than profit.
Someday, I plan to become powerful enough that even the Duke, or even the Emperor, can’t touch me.
But right now, my life depends on the Duke’s protection.
Even those from the Blacksmiths’ Guild would love to see me dead.
“These are the results of an efficacy test conducted on 30 pregnant women in Bio Village.”
The Duke’s eyes widened as he received the report.
His hands trembled slightly.
“Not a single death? Is this true?”
“Yes, it is.”
Actually, kelp doesn’t reduce maternal mortality rates during childbirth.
It just helps with postpartum recovery.
But those who don’t know this will see the results and the unfamiliar Eastern medicine and think,
‘Kelp prevents maternal deaths.’
If it can prevent death during childbirth, something feared by everyone, regardless of social status, they’ll be scrambling to get their hands on it.
“It’s natural for men and women to love each other and have children. But we should do our best to prevent tragedies during childbirth.”
My main customers, nobles and wealthy merchants, likely didn’t marry for love.
Marriages among nobles are just long-term alliances between families.
But these alliances are lifelines for nobles who rely on connections to survive.
But if the wife, the symbol of that alliance, dies during childbirth…
The marriage alliance, which involved immense financial and political investment, would be broken.
The Duke looked slightly somber.
“My daughter, Ella, who married Viscount Pecorine, also answered Deus’s call during childbirth. It’s common for nobles to experience such tragedies among their wives or those around them. Childbirth is a blessing from Deus, but it’s also dangerous.”
“My condolences, Your Grace.”
“Ella died when you were just a toddler. Don’t worry too much about it.”
The Duke is over 60, so his daughter would be in her 40s if she were alive.
But if she died 20 years ago… she passed away at a young age.
Duke Visconti briefly succumbed to grief, but then smiled.
“If the efficacy of this Eastern medicine is true, it will sell like hotcakes. The fear of losing one’s wife during childbirth is, in a way, more terrifying than a plague. What’s money compared to preventing that?”
If there’s a guarantee of preventing death, nobles would pay a fortune to ensure their wives’ safety.
Because losing their wives means losing the most valuable marriage alliances that protect their families.
“Or rather, how can a man call himself a man if he can’t even invest that much in his wife?”
The nobles on our continent are peculiar.
They marry their wives through political arrangements, with no love involved…
But when they appear in social circles with their wives, they pretend to cherish them immensely.
Because it makes them look good.
The postpartum care center I’m planning will operate similarly.
“I’ll purchase this Eastern medicine. How much is it?”
“One gold coin for five servings.”
Five servings of dried kelp is about 10 grams.
“Such a remarkable medicine for just one gold coin for five servings? Only 10 pounds?”
“I’m not giving you a special discount.”
The people in my village considered kelp just seaweed, even during a famine.
So, the production cost is practically zero.
But with marketing and some statistical manipulation…?
‘The Duke probably thinks even five gold coins would be a bargain.’
Less wealthy nobles might think differently than the incredibly rich Duke…
But no noble or merchant would skimp on kelp for their wives during childbirth.
Now that I’ve gauged his reaction, it’s time to reveal the truth.
“Your Grace, this kelp isn’t actually a special medicinal herb. It’s just a common seaweed that grows on rocks by the sea.”
The Duke’s face hardened.
“But its efficacy is real. And in the East, they use it as medicine for new mothers.”
“So you didn’t lie?”
“Didn’t I tell you that my life motto is to live long and prosper? I know my place, and I have no intention of lying to Your Grace. That’s why I’m revealing my trade secrets.”
I want to live a long life and make a lot of money.
So I can enjoy Chloe’s… company, and the luxurious lifestyle I couldn’t in Korea.
And I need to live long to see how far my abilities can take me.
“Kelp is a miracle cure for postpartum recovery. And to prevent maternal deaths, the physician, the mother, and the birthing environment must be kept clean.”
Most maternal deaths in the Middle Ages were due to infections like puerperal fever, contracted in unsanitary birthing environments.
“Isn’t that why the Bible emphasizes cleanliness? Because it’s beneficial.”
Most diseases can be avoided with proper hygiene.
This is a truth proven by modern medicine.
“I conducted experiments in my territory to verify these principles, and the results are a resounding success. So, I request your assistance.”
The Duke chuckled.
“What kind of assistance do you require?”
“Just spread the word that nobles can visit the hospital I’m building. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility with my life.”
Currently, the maternal mortality rate is about 10%.
Even reducing it to 8% would earn our hospital a good reputation.
Why? Because that 2% is a significant difference for expectant mothers.
And if it drops to 1%? It would be foolish not to visit our hospital.
“I’ll provide free treatment and childbirth assistance to the first person you refer. And I’ll offer a 40% discount on kelp and other products.”
If the Duke refers someone, their chances of survival during childbirth increase dramatically, and they receive expensive benefits for free?
The noble who receives that referral will be greatly indebted to the Duke.
It’s an attractive offer for the Duke, who is obsessed with overthrowing Sforza.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
The Duke stared intently into my eyes.
“Are you serious about risking your life?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, but on one condition.”
The Duke immediately drafted a contract.
“You don’t have to die if things go wrong. But you’ll pledge your life and soul to me. You’ll dedicate yourself to the everlasting glory of our Visconti family.”
“Serving Your Grace is my duty as a vassal.”
I immediately signed the contract.
The Duke then sent his cousin’s daughter to my hospital.
Naturally, she gave birth safely.
The nobles, deeply interested in childbirth, were ecstatic upon hearing this news.
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