Chapter 134: Autonomous City of Aslo
When considering trade with the Transylvanian Duchy, the simplest option would be to engage in trade with one of the United Kingdom of Britannia’s ports.
However, deliberately bypassing those, our fleet set sail for the autonomous city of Aslo, located at the southern tip of the Sway Peninsula within the Germania Empire’s territory.
Our flagship is the carrack ship, accompanied by two cog ships. We’ve loaded artillery and cannons for protection, but we’ve minimized crew size to maximize food supplies. The Sway Peninsula, akin to the human world’s Arctic, is a barren expanse of tundra and coniferous forests, heavily influenced by miasma. It’s an uncultivated land where decent crops refuse to grow.
Yet, the one resource not lacking due to reckless deforestation across the entire Eura continent is timber. We’ll primarily trade wood and provisions. While it remains unclear what will sell best, we’ve stocked everything from grains to Transylvanian cheese, which we can sell while assessing market demand.
「However, King General, why deliberately choose the distant port of Aslo within Germania’s territory when we’re allowed to trade with Britannian ports?」
「Well, Admiral, avoiding trade taxes is the key.」 I
Admiral Jean asked me as his wild, tangled hair swayed with his belly.
「Ha! General, you’re quite the penny-pincher.」
「Call it frugality.」
「Still, I understand your point, Your Excellency. If the Germania Imperial Navy were still active, we’d face tolls in the Eleson Strait, more tolls upon entering Germania’s inland sea, and trade taxes upon reaching port. It’s becoming unbearable.」 「Exactly. Such practices are stifling commerce.」
If the Empire ever comes under my control, I’ll transform the entire Germania inland sea into a bustling marketplace. We’ll create a business-friendly region. If gold is needed, we’ll first let merchants prosper, then extract our share.
It’s not just the Empire; the tolls and taxes imposed by this world’s royalty and nobility—always setting up checkpoints—resemble devouring the goose that lays the golden eggs. We must change this mindset.
As we converse, our fleet crosses the Eleson Strait and enters the tranquil inland sea of Germania.
Ship travel is swifter than horse-drawn carriages—a convenience, indeed.
「General, there lies Aslo’s harbor.」
「Hmm, rather impressive.」
The harbor is encircled by sturdy stone walls, and a tall lighthouse stands sentinel. As the largest autonomous city within the Empire, it lives up to its reputation. The prevalence of wooden structures—uncommon on the far side of the continent—hints at its timber-centric identity.
「Attention! We’re docking at the harbor!」
Admiral Jean commands the sailors, and our ships glide smoothly into port.
These Silesien sailors, led by Admiral Jean, are adept—better suited for trade than naval warfare, they claim.
As our ships enter the harbor, a multitude of citizens swarms toward us, their voices rising in a cacophony. Gaunt and desperate, they stretch out their hands, pleading for sustenance.
「Sell us food!」 「It’s me! Sell to me!」 「Please!」
The situation verges on riotous—an abnormal state of affairs. Even the soldiers and sailors on deck, surveying the harbor, tense their faces with apprehension.
「What in the world…」
For a moment, I wonder if we’ve stumbled into a biohazard world.
Not zombies, but living citizens—yet the scene is dire.
Then, officials accompanied by city guards arrive, shouting themselves hoarse to restrain the surging crowd. The soldiers, brandishing spears, prompt the citizens to step back.
「Stay calm! I will handle the negotiations.」
Declares a middle-aged man in a velvet official’s robe, his purple mantle draped regally. Likely the city’s mayor, but his pallid face exudes melancholy. Even the mayor appears emaciated—why is everyone in such a state?
「By the emblem on our flag, you can probably tell that we are the Silesien fleet. We’ve come for trade, but what exactly is happening here?」
「Could it be that you’re the esteemed hero of Silesie?」
My shining Mithril Armor stands out, and it seems my reputation as a hero precedes me. They’ve been spreading the word.
「Yes, indeed. And who might you be?」
「I am Douglas Zonbart, Mayor of the autonomous city of Aslo. It’s embarrassing to admit, but Aslo is currently suffering from famine.」
「From what I can see, that’s evident… But you’re still engaging in trade, aren’t you?」
「Actually, since the collapse of the Imperial government, regular ships have stopped coming.」
According to Mayor Douglas, the Imperial Navy suffered defeat at the hands of the Britannian fleet. Cities that fell within Britannian territory during the previous war receive aid from the United Kingdom of Britannia. However, the fate of cities like Aslo, which remained part of the former Empire, is dire.
The devastated homeland won’t send relief. Understandably, each regional government within the former Empire is preoccupied with its own survival. They likely haven’t spared a thought for distant autonomous cities.
Mayor Douglas has been independently transporting food using the two cog ships and a small galley gathered in Aslo to aid the starving citizens. However, Aslo, the largest autonomous city on the Sway Peninsula, has a population of over ten thousand.
Unfortunately, they can’t secure enough food to sustain the entire population. It’s no wonder; even the Empire’s heartland has suffered famine-induced destruction. So, it’s not surprising that things are even worse here.
「That’s quite a predicament.」
「The ship we dispatched earlier lost contact, and it might have fallen prey to pirates. Currently, our citizens are banding together to fend off the goblin packs outside the city, surviving by consuming their flesh. We implore the Silesien hero to lend us assistance.」
Eating monster meat is commonplace among our volunteer corps.
From the citizens’ perspective, this seems like quite the emergency situation. Well, goblin meat is both smelly and unappetizing, so I understand their plight.
When I offered to teach them a palatable cooking method, they stared at me in disbelief. Indeed, the notion of using monster meat as regular sustenance doesn’t readily occur to the people of this world.
Even on the Sway Peninsula, where the environment is harsh and barren, only the pirates dwelling in the far north—where conditions are even more severe—rely on unappetizing monster meat as a staple food. These northern sea pirates, surviving on smoked monster meat, are derogatorily called ‘Smoked Meat Buccaneers’.
Given the dire food situation, perhaps resorting to piracy is inevitable. By our standards, even I, who willingly consume monster meat, would be considered a buccaneer.
「Even if you ask me for help, we desire trade in return for the food we’ve transported. 」
「Of course, we’d like to request that as well. However, this presents a unique opportunity. As representatives of Aslo, we implore you to consider adding our autonomous city to the protected lands of the Silesie Kingdom.」
I hadn’t expected an autonomous city, which values independence, to voluntarily seek protectorate status. They must be truly desperate. Since we had planned to eventually make the Empire a protectorate anyway, there’s no harm in doing so now.
「Understood. We’ll include you as a protectorate. For now, I’ll leave the food in Mayor Douglas’s care. In return, we’d appreciate some timber.」
「Certainly! If it’s wood that won’t be eaten, we have plenty to sell.」
That’s precisely why we came—to trade. But it seems there are more pressing matters.
「Well then, Mayor, care for a meal?」
「No, thank you. This precious food must be distributed evenly among the citizens.」
The mayor, with a perpetually stern expression and no inclination for pleasantries, strikes me as a highly principled individual. Despite his own hunger, he insists that he, as the mayor, will eat last—a testament to his commitment to governance.
Mayor Douglas promptly orders his subordinates, bureaucrats, and soldiers to inspect the total provisions aboard my fleet. Instead of food, they load the ship’s hold with ample high-quality timber. Surprisingly, this trade seems to be working out quite well.
「Mayor, our fleet will establish regular routes to the Duchy’s port of Pervert and the autonomous city of Aslo. We’ll engage in food and timber trade. Please make the necessary arrangements.」
「Yes. Aslo is currently facing severe scarcity. The unemployed are willing to eat anything. If there’s additional work we can provide, it would be greatly appreciated.」
Taking the mayor’s suggestion to heart, I decided to replenish our crew, which is still short on sailors, and place orders for minor components like cannon mounts. While our shipbuilding capabilities are limited to cog ships and small galleys, the city’s expertise in woodworking should allow us to craft wheeled mounts to absorb cannon recoil.
Wooden figurines are also a local specialty, though their demand may be minimal. When asked if I’d like to take some, I accept a small quantity. Their rustic design might not make them ideal merchandise, but personally, I find them quite endearing.
For now, with the established trade route in mind, I’ll return to the Kingdom of Silesie. Our fleet, armed with cannons despite its modest size of three ships, should hold its own against the galley-centric pirates of the North Sea even in my absence.
Considering Aslo, the largest autonomous city, is in such dire straits, I wonder how the Imperial territories are faring.
While other concerns weigh on my mind, ensuring stability within the Empire will require us to extend our aid here as well.