From the capital city where Granado Castle stands, it's a four-day carriage ride to reach the Shadaran territory. Upon arrival, Shadaran was, in a word, rural.
"Wow, amazing. It's all wheat fields as far as the horizon!"
I leaned out of the carriage and shouted. Indeed, as far as the eye could see, it was a sea of golden wheat. It was just before the summer harvest, and the fields were at their most bountiful. It was a magnificent sight.
"This is Lady Marie's hometown..."
"Don't talk too much, or you'll bite your tongue. The roads here are different from the paved ones in the capital."
Lady Mio warned me. Indeed, the road that ran through the village was just a gravel path, not even flattened, with some parts eroded by rain and large rocks scattered about. It was the main road of the territory, yet there were no carriage tracks on the ground.
"Do they not use carriages much in Shadaran?"
I asked, almost to myself, and Lady Mio pointed to the rear window. As soon as I turned around, a pungent animal smell hit my nose. It was a large herd of cattle. At first, I thought they were strays because they looked so free, but there were fences, and they were being grazed on a vast pasture.
"The main industry in Shadaran is wheat, followed by potatoes, beans, and various vegetables, as well as livestock. Ninety percent of the livestock is cattle. Male calves are raised for meat, and milk is taken from the females. Their hides, bones, and horns can also be sold."
"What about the females that don't produce milk?"
"They are used as oxen, for transportation and heavy labor."
I looked around, amazed, and saw a villager leading a mountain of feed on the back of a cow, pulling the reins. It was so peaceful. In my hometown, Luhar, they used donkeys in the same way. In the capital, carriages were essential, but in the countryside, they were a luxury. Horses required a lot of care and money, and there was no urgent need to go anywhere. It was common to rent a carriage from a rental service for occasional long trips. I assumed it was the same in Shadaran.
I gazed at the herd of cows from the swaying carriage.
"...I'm a bit surprised. It's rural, but it's a large and fertile land, isn't it? Lady Marie said Shadaran was poor, so I imagined a much smaller, withered, and abandoned village."
"It's good land. That's why the lord fell into decline."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"The tax from the territory to the state is based on the area of arable land, not the yield."
"Hmm? So, if the land is fertile, the harvest should be..."
As I spoke, I understood what Lady Mio meant. As the carriage moved along the road, the wasteland increased. The cows seemed to be wandering rather than being grazed, eating weeds instead of feed. I was shocked to see a carcass in the herd. Where was the owner of this dairy farm? I looked around, but there were no houses or barns in sight.
"They must have abandoned farming and moved away, unable to find buyers and struggling to dispose of their livestock."
"Wait, so those cows are completely stray? Abandoned land!?"
"Probably. In recent years, many families have moved to the capital, abandoning their farms. This has led to the depopulation of many villages."
When she said that, I, who had left my hometown to live in the capital, had to agree.
"...But, for so many families to leave all at once... Even if the young people move to the city, wouldn't the elderly and the eldest sons stay in the countryside?"
"If they are in such dire straits that they can't make ends meet, there's no choice. If the territory's funds dry up, the land can't be maintained. Look over there, the water wheel is broken. Without it, they can't grind wheat."
"...Isn't that the baron's job?"
"Exactly. It's a vicious cycle."
The carriage jolted violently. On this rough road, even pulling a cart would be a struggle, requiring the strength of a grown man. On a well-maintained road, even a child could sell crops.
"After the war, many things in this country changed. The tax system, laws, prices... Adapting to these changes requires a lot of study. Many nobles who fell behind have declined."
Lady Mio said this as if to protect them.
"Shadaran was also prosperous before the war. The tax was based on population. In fact, records show that the Shadaran family frequently attended social events and lived a luxurious life until fifty years ago."
"Records? Did you investigate that much, Lady Mio?"
"Yes, in the process of tracing the family tree."
The carriage jolted again, and the driver turned to us.
"Lady Mio, we have arrived at the designated location."
"Thank you. We'll be back soon, so please wait here."
Lady Mio got out of the carriage without a bag and beckoned me. My question about where we were was ignored, and I followed her, looking around. What kind of facility was this... It wasn't the Shadaran manor. It was a two-story building made of red brick, quite impressive, but it lacked the smell of human life. An office? No, it seemed more like a public facility...
We passed a small front yard and came to the entrance, where there was a reception window. Lady Mio adjusted her white hat and knocked on the window. A middle-aged man appeared.
"I don't recognize you. Are you a new student?"
"Yes, I've come from the capital to study agriculture. I would like to tour the school, if that's possible?"
"Ah, really?"
I was startled by Lady Mio's words and was about to protest, but I received an elbow to the ribs. The man didn't press the issue and gave us visitor badges. We easily entered the unlocked entrance alone.
"Is this a school...?"
"The only school in Shadaran. However, unlike in the capital, it's not a given that children receive education. Most of the students are relatively wealthy boys—actually, almost all boys. There are no girls attending at the moment."
I glanced at the girls' restroom, which was sealed off.
"Could this be Lady Marie's alma mater?"
Lady Mio confirmed with a nod.
I wondered what we were supposed to see here, but Lady Mio stopped at the end of the hall and leaned against a corner, waiting. There was no one to meet, and she seemed to be wasting time. Then she turned around and went back to the reception.
"Hey, miss. Are you done with the tour?"
"Yes... I wanted to hear the students' impressions, but I was too scared to talk to the boys."
"Wha—!?"
I made a strange sound and received a punch from Lady Mio. It hurt. The man didn't notice and chuckled.
"Ah, it's a boys' school now. The tuition is high, and there are no farming families that can afford to send their daughters."
"That's a problem. I feel uneasy about entering without knowing anything. ...Is there a female graduate living nearby?"
"Well, last year, there was a daughter of the Shadaran baron."
"Oh, a baron's daughter! That's too intimidating!"
Lady Mio let out a dramatic scream.
"I can't possibly visit her. Is there a more casual commoner, preferably someone who runs a shop?"
"Ah, I see. In that case, there was a girl who dropped out this spring. She's the daughter of an innkeeper. She didn't find a job in the capital."
"...That would be convenient."
Lady Mio whispered in her usual voice. The man, looking puzzled, received another sweet smile from her.
"Could you give me her name and the location of the inn?"
She received a simple map and a note, which she gave to the driver, and we were off again. The inn in Shadaran, which was not a tourist destination, had no sign and looked like an ordinary house. They usually made a living from dairy farming and rented out spare rooms to occasional visitors, a typical bed-and-breakfast. We wouldn't have found it without directions.
We got out of the carriage again and knocked on the door of the house.
"Who is it, please...?"
A middle-aged woman slowly appeared. I braced myself for another of Lady Mio's dramatic performances—but this time, she was her usual expressionless self. She pushed her way into the room without a word, approached the woman, and whispered in a low voice.
"I am a detective from the capital. Are you the mother of Karina Burton? Your daughter may be involved in a certain incident. I need to verify her student ID for the investigation."