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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

[Let’s Have a Strategy Meeting]

Translated by: ME

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

Having returned home for the first time in about a week, both Servas and Magnolia headed straight into the office without even taking a day off.

Perhaps sensing that the conversation would be complicated, Sebastian and Lily quietly stepped out of the room once they had finished preparing the tea. While it might have been more efficient to have Sebastian present to help coordinate matters, they decided to have them leave until the basic framework was settled, as there was no telling when talk of Magnolia’s previous life might crop up.

Since it had already been established that Sailing Sickness could be cured, the option of ‘doing nothing’ was off the table. What was intended to be a presentation had transformed into a strategy meeting.

First, Claude gave a brief overview of the events, from the news of the Sailing Sickness outbreak to their journey to the West.

「...I understand, and it certainly helped, but... what if it had been different from the memories you hold? It would have been irreversible. Did you not consider that?」

Servas looked at Magnolia with a troubled, stern expression. Magnolia nodded.

(The fact that he’s scolding me means he cares about me... I’m grateful for that.)

「Of courthe I thaught about it. But, how thould I thay... I wath fairly thure it wouldn’t be—d-i-f-f-e-r-e-n-t.」

「Not different?」

「...Yeth. For an alternate world, the overlap between thith world and my previouth life ith thignificant. Unnaturally tho.」

「What do you mean?」

As Magnolia nodded, looking somewhat hesitant about how to explain, Servas and Claude asked in suspicious tones.

「It’th hard to put into wordth. The clothetht de thcription would be 'a world built by thomeone who knew information from my previouth life and uthed it ath a batih'. Even though it’th a different country and a different world, the language, writing, dayth of the week, time... tho many other thingth are eerily thimilar... Well, there are marginth of error, and it’th not all exactly the thame. But, I thaught the f-o-u-n-d-a-t-i-o-n wath the thame.」

「...And so, you believed it could be solved using the same method?」

At Servas’s words, she replied with a 「Yeth.」

「In that case, is there no possibility that this is 'Earth' in a different era? Simply called by a different name because the time and country are different...」

The possibility Claude raised would normally be the most likely and realistic one. However, Magnolia shook her head.

「I don’t think tho. For a human from my previouth life, thith hair color ith biologically impothible. Pluth, while thith world theemth to be a mix of the Middle Agtheth and the Early Modern period... no continent with the thame thape ath 'the Continent' exithted in that era, and it would be too unnatural for there to be zero recordth of a country or hithtory with the thame name in the future. ...Thuppothing thome event cau thed thith much land and all thethe countrieth to think into the thea or dithappear, recordth would thurely remain in countrieth on other ithlandth or continentth.」

*That’s true,* both Servas and Claude thought. Written language and numbers existed. If such a phenomenon had occurred, information would have been passed down to posterity.

There were indeed other countries far across the sea, but not a single name of a continent or country Magnolia mentioned matched anything they knew.

‘Japan’ did not exist in this world.

「Thinth it would be difficult to change animalth, plantth, and even the calendar, I thup-pothe thothe were adopted ath they were... At thith point, I don’t know if Earth wath the world that wath created or if thith one ith, but...」

Well, putting that aside for now. She gave Servas a bright smile and a word of thanks.

「Thank you for worrying about me. I don’t intend to do anything I truly think ith dangerouth. Tho, let’th move on from the thapth of the world and talk about the new buthineth!」

Magnolia began by explaining the concept of *Noblesse Oblige* from her previous life. Then, though it deviated slightly, she explained that she wanted to help her two guardians, and since she was able to live a blessed life as a noble because of the fief’s people... she wanted to use what she could to make improvements so the people of the fief could live healthy, prosperous lives.

「...I mean, wouldn’t it feel awful to be thmiling and eating deliciouth food while thmall children or thithk people right nextht to you were cold and huddling with nothing to eat?」

The toddler spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The two men swallowed their words, thinking of how many people would never reach such a simple conclusion—how many would only think of fattening themselves, even if it meant trampling others down.

「While there are many wayth to make the people and the territory wealthy, I want to thtart by thupporting the people who are thtruggling the motht tho they can live a normal life.」

「So that’s why you chose the slums.」

Magnolia nodded at Claude’s words and continued.

「Yeth. They are people who have been forced to live in poverty becauthe they were dithabled in warta, or becauthe they lo tht their kin. ...I thup-pothe thome might argue that it dependth on them oncthe they grow up, or that they thould try harder, but there’th a reathon they are in that thituation. Rather than talking about mental thtrength, I think it’th more meaningful for both thideth to find a fundamental tholution.」

...In a sense, she was providing a working environment and situation even for those who couldn't work normally. The two guardians thought that while her approach was kind in providing a path, it might be harsh for those who couldn't shake the feeling of being forced to work.

「Altho, people need a minimum thtandard of living. I want them to regain the feeling that they are utheful and the pride of being able to do thome thing. Poverty, hunger, and diththrimination—thethe thingth cor-rode a perthon’th heart.」

「Human dignity, huh...」 Claude muttered.

「Yeth. Thometimeth, there are thingth more important than money.」

Servas, who had spent many years as a knight, nodded. In a way, knights were people who lived for their pride.

「Specifically, how do you intend to create jobs for them?」

「At firtht, I thaught we could make thmall cloth goodth...」

She explained that in her previous life, there was a craft called ‘patchwork’ made from small scraps of fabric. It had become popular in Europe, which had a culture similar to the Continent. Beyond Europe, there were various types of patchwork throughout the world, each with its own regional characteristics.

The rustic and warm atmosphere of those small items seemed like it would fit the pastoral vibe of the Azenda Margrave territory.

She also mentioned that she had heard about the existence of discarded scraps at a clothing store the other day. Since they were mostly used for kindling, the cost to purchase them would be very low. It required few tools and little heavy labor, so there was a high possibility that everyone from children to the elderly could participate.

「How does the field tie into this?」

「I planned to therve mealth ath part of the motivation to work. I wath wondering if we could uthe any idle fieldth to grow vegetableth for thelf-thuffithienthy... but thinth I learned about Thailing Thithkneth, I thaught growing vegetableth to tholve that and making productth for prevention thould come firtht.」

「The other business...」

「No. Thinth it involveth liveth, it hath higher priority. I think we thould thtart with the Thauerkraut Work thhop ath a buthineth.」

Servas and Claude nodded.

「It goeth well with agriculture, which ith our core induthtry, and the vegetableth uthed are the oneth with high production rateth in Athenda. The people from the thlumth can make it, or if there aren’t enough people who can work, we can hire farmerth, or jutht buy from farmerth or thtorth directly—there are plenty of wayth.」

She placed the estimate for the necessary items and costs, which she had asked Claude for, on the table. The three of them peered at it and began to speak freely.

「The raw material costs seem low... It’s the glass jars that will be expensive.」

「That’th true. It’th better if the thize and thape are thome what con thit thtent, but we could look for dead thtock at local general thtorth or table ware thtorth and thelect thimilar oneth.」

「...That might lead to complaints in some cases.」

「Becauthe people would wonder if the amount inthide ith the thame? ...Would it not work to uthe a thpale° to meatheure the amount?」

「Hmm... Is there no particular issue with the quality of the glass?」

「Yeth. The important thing ith whether it can be pretherved properly, tho we don’t need to be too picky about the color or glath quality.」

「If we make new ones, we might be able to keep the cost down by lowering the glass quality and just ensuring the airtight seal is perfect.」

Servas and Claude each seemed to be organizing the discussion in their minds.

「What about the workshop building?」

「Building or renting a building would add to the expentheth, tho I wath hoping we could borrow the church’th kitchen.」

「So that’s why you wanted permission from the church.」

It was close to the slums, so it would be easy to commute. Initially, some pushback might be expected. It would be better to have the operation in a place with third-party oversight for a while.

If there were no legal or ecclesiastical issues with using the church, she wanted to give something back that would benefit the church, such as providing meals for the church residents or making a donation in exchange for the use of the space.

「If we don’t need thpethific permith-thion for temporary thtorage of the productth, I’m thinking of the Fortreth. Thinth it’th uthed ath a dormitory, I don’t think there’th a rithk of theft. Altho, I intend to buy a cheap, ded-icated wagon and horthe for the workthhop to uthe for variouth moving.」

「Moving?」 Servas asked.

「Yeth. It’ll be heavy if we make a lot... Moving productth from the church to the Fortreth , moving between the thlumth and the fieldth. Thinth our main thaleth will be in Crewth, we’ll likely have plenty of opportu-nitieth to uthe the wagon, thuch ath moving between the Fortreth and Crewth.」

「I see. The Fortress is a property of the Margrave family, so there’s no issue with using it... and since things could get dangerous if the business is successful to some extent, using the Fortress as a base might indeed be good for security...」

Servas and Claude were impressed that she had already thought that far ahead.

「Altho, I want to purchathe food that would be dithcarded by farmth or thtorth at a low prithce.」

「...Hm?」

「I don’t intend to buy up thingth that are meant to be thold cheaply... but if they’re going to be ththrown away, I want to make uthe of them.」

「For example?」

「Thingth left over from thaleth, thingth that can’t be thold off in time, or thingth dithcarded becauthe they were over-produced and would lower the market prithce. Altho, the boneth and organth from butcherth and fithmongerth. I want to make uthe of what can’t be thold.」

「...You’re going to make meals out of those...」

This was the *Mottainai* spirit so characteristic of the Japanese. Furthermore, it meant soup stock. It might be a bit unrefined for the daughter of a Marquis, though.

「I might think of other productth too. Not jutht for mealth, there are plenty of utheth like fertilizer or animal feed. The thtorth and producerth don’t lo thte out, we can provide a thtable thupply of mealth, and wathte ith reduced. It’th killing three birdth with one thtone!」

「What will the church say, I wonder...」

「Since they basically operate on subsidies from the Orthodox Headquarters, offerings, and donations, I don’t think they’ll complain if there’s something in it for them. Priest Sharon isn’t the type to stir up trouble, either.」

Servas and Claude began to discuss the adjustments needed with each institution.

「Considering the significant impact this will have on the surroundings, we’ll need to notify the glass workshops and the kilns as well.」

「Mm. The various guilds already handle a large part of the recruitment for the slums. It would be easier to make adjustments if we involve the guilds from the start.」

「It might be smoother to have the guilds talk to the individual stores about buying up their discarded goods...」

After talking for a while, Claude spoke to Servas with a sigh. Servas nodded with a complicated look.

「For now, let’s have Gai return as soon as possible. Tell him to come back once he’s finished investigating the nation of Ignis.」

「Right. Ernest Champery, was it...」

「It’s likely an alias. Even if it’s his real name, in the nation of Ignis, it would be 'Ernestus' rather than Ernest... Ernestus...?」

(Ernestus... Does that sound Greek or Latin? Do names get adapted in this world too?)

Even on Earth, the same name is pronounced differently depending on the country or language. For example, 'Michael.' In English, it's Michael; in German, it's Michael (Mi-ha-el); in French, it's Michel; in Italian, it's Michele; in Spanish, it's Miguel; in Russian, it's Mikhail... and there are other variations.

(Did he use a name that would be familiar here, or is he of a status that needs hiding?)

Well, as long as he buys the goods without any trouble, it doesn’t matter. If a fifteen-year-old has to hide his identity, Magnolia thought as a reincarnated toddler, then Ernest is living quite a difficult life in his own way.

「It looks like we’re going to be busy...」

「It will likely be a level of busyness we’ve never experienced before.」

The two guardians, thinking of the whirlwind their daily lives were about to become, continued to deliberate on how to manage it all.

*****

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