—Rond de Terra ・ Coastal Farmland

「Good afternoon, Mr. Alonso.」

「Ah! What the- Oh it's just you, My Lord.」

「Please, there's no need to address me as 『My Lord』.」

The man who was working in the field turned around and looked at Kouta with a cautious look on his face. Even so, Kouta responded with a warm smile.

「What is it? I am busy right now. Please do cut any long stories short.」

The man dropped his gaze and turned around to tend to his harvest. He roughly weighed it by hand and closely inspected it. After the thorough checkup, he nodded his head, satisfied.

「So? How was the harvest?」

「Un, this year's harvest is better than I imagined. Here, take it.」

He took two cuc.u.mber shaped vegetables and tossed them towards Kouta and Emily. The vegetables travelled a perfect in the air and one landed squarely in Emily's hand. The other landed on Kouta's head.

「Hahaha, what a slow fella we have here.」

「… … I'm not the sporty kind. What is this?」

「Take a bite. It tastes the best when freshly harvested.」

Kouta wiped the surface of the vegetable he picked up from the floor with his sleeves and took a bite.

「… … It's sweet?」

「It tastes the sweetest when freshly harvested. So? Do you like it?」

「It's delicious. Too be honest, this is the most delicious vegetable I have ever eaten in my life.」

「Of course, it is! Don't you think that only animals like chickens or cows are alive! Plants and flowers are alive too! If you take care of them with love and pa.s.sion, they will grow to be delicious in the end.」

Alonso picked up a cylindrical container from the ground and took a swig of water from it. He then wiped the sweat off his face with the towel draped across his neck and grinned.

「So, I will not give away this piece of land. I'm sorry, My Lord, but that's how it is.」

He was grinning happily, and sheer determination and stubbornness was evident in his words.

「I fully understand what My Lord said back then. This industry is hard and unstable. Like I said, these plants have their own lives. I cared for them with love, but that love may not be repaid. They fall sick easily and are weak to bad weather. I must say, my wife is the same.」

Alonso guffawed.

「However… … I still love my plants. So, even if what you say is true, that my life will become easier in the future, I still will not give up on farming. Sitting in front of a desk looking at numbers is not my cup of tea, unfortunately. I apologize, My Lord, if what I said upsets you, but that's how it is.」

Alonso bowed, and walked briskly back to tend to his field. Looking at his shrinking back, Emily felt a warm feeling in her chest

「So, Mr. Kouta, what will you do? It seems like Mr. Alonso does not intend to part ways with this land of his.」

Not every person here wants a comfortable and easy life. There are indeed some who are proud of their current jobs and love the land they live on. 「So what will you do about this,' Emily looked at Kouta expectedly.

「… … Yes. It does seem that Mr. Alonso to have an exceptional love for farming.」 Kouta shrugged nonchalantly, 「There's nothing we can do about that.」

Seeing Emily's puzzled expression, he also showed a puzzled expression.

「What is it?」

「N-no, it's nothing… … But is this fine?」

「It's fine. It's not like we can do anything about it anyways… … Unless, Miss Emily, you plan to use your authority to force him to move out?」

「Oi oi oi. Please don't do something like that.」

Alonso seemed to have overheard the conversation and shouted over his shoulder while working in the field. Emily hurriedly shook her head and replied.

「N-no! I didn't say that. I wasn't me! I would never say something like that!」

「Is that so? Since I can't get Mr. Alonso to leave voluntarily, then staying here would just be a waste of time. Then, Mr. Alonso, I will take my leave.」

Kouta turned around and walked away without another word, leaving Emily standing there. Then as she was also about to follow him, Kouta suddenly turned around.

「… … Now that you mention it, I seem to recall that you have a daughter. Is that true, Mr. Alonso?」

Although the topic of his daughter came out of nowhere, he immediately replied with a big smile.

「Yes! That cute daughter of mine just turned 18 too!」

「From what I have heard, she's quite talented as well?」

「No, no. She's just a normal girl. But I have to say, that girl of mine said that she wants to study at the University of Rarkia. She doesn't work in the fields but instead wishes to spend the entire day reading. It's quite troubling, you see.」

Even as he says that, the smile on Alonso's never wavered. As a father, seeing his own daughter working hard towards her dreams, the feeling of happiness welled up in Alonso's heart.

「University! That's great news!」

「She wants to be a doctor, you see! She even went around saying, 『I want to be a doctor and help the everyone here in Terra!』 I keep telling her, 『if you can't even take care of plants, how would you take care of people?』 Ahh… … That girl of mine is the same as her mum. Stubborn as a mule.」

「That is a really awe-inspiring dream! I wish the best of luck!」

Kouta smiled while nodding his head.

A really broad smile.

「Then it would be great if nothing happens to her.」

Kouta delivered the sentence with a smile as always. Even so, Emily felt a cold sweat starting to drip down her back.

「M-Mr. Kouta!」

「Yes? What is it?」

「What do you mean, 『what is it』! What are saying!」

「Eh? I only said, 『it would be great if she manages to finish her studies without any incidents』, that's all. What's wrong?」

Emily hurriedly rushed towards Kouta. However, she was pushed away by Alonso, who grabbed Kouta aloft by the collar. After decades of working at the fields, lifting somebody skinny like Kouta off the ground is not a hard task.

「… … Oi, oi. I don't care who you are, but don't you dare lay a finger on my daughter. I'm will beat you up if you harm even a single hair on her head, you hear me?」

「M-Mr. Alonso! Please calm down! Mr. Kouta! Take it back! Take back what you said!」

「H-Hold on! What are you doing!」

「Mr. Alonso is right to be angry at you! Mr. Kouta, even if Lady Erica ordered me to a.s.sist you, I, Emily Notesfilt, will not allow you to harm other people's daughter in any way!」

「What do you mean, 『harming other people's daughter』… …」

Kouta's face paled. He shook his head hurriedly.

「T-this is a misunderstanding! No one would hurt your daughter!」

Kouta hurriedly tried to explain himself. Without hiding the look of distrust on his face, Alonso reluctantly let go of Kouta's collar.

「… … Then… … Please explain.」

Alonso glared at Kouta.

「… …. Cough cough… … I admit that I used words that are easily misunderstood. I apologise… …」

Kouta then turned his gaze towards Emily.

「But that reaction was way over the top, wasn't it? What kind of person do you think I am?」

「Hmm, a devil, I guess? Anyway, from the way you said it, it would be hard to not misunderstand, wouldn't it? No matter how you look at it, it just sounds like you want to hurt Mr. Alonso's daughter, you know?」

Kouta frowned at Emily's frank response.

「… … That is not what I meant… … I guess beating around the bush is useless, so I'll just go straight to the point. Mr. Alonso, are you living comfortably right now?」

「Eh?」

「Of course, your vegetables are really delicious. However, planting your crops here on this piece of land, your harvests must have always been bad. Am I right?

「That's… … That's correct. It has always been quite rough.」

「Realistically, getting higher education will cost money. Although I do not know the cost of the tuition fees at the University of Rarkia, I doubt that it is free. Is my a.s.sumption correct, Miss Emily?」

「A year's tuition fee will cost about 50 platinum coins, I believe. However, the University of Rarkia has a scholars.h.i.+p system where the students with exceptional results could get a full -'

Kouta gave Emily a cold stare and she stopped in her tracks. Seeing the usually smiling Kouta having such an expression sent chills down her back.

「I personally do not believe that the environment will directly affect one's ability to study. However, I cannot say that these 2 things are isolated from one another. To be frank, is the level of the University of Rarkia so low that even someone from a small villager, even if they are really talented, can easily obtain a scholars.h.i.+p?」

「…… The University of Rarkia is not only the best school in Rarkia, but also in the entire continent of Orkena. The student body there includes the greatest and brightest minds throughout the continent.」

「Let's make some concessions. Let's say that Mr. Alonso's daughter manages to become a scholar sponsored by the university. Since the criteria for the scholars.h.i.+p is 『talent』, it may not be that far of a stretch. Mr. Alonso, your daughter wanted to be a doctor, didn't she?」

「Yes, that's right.」

「My knowledge of that field may be lacking but, I gather that study materials in the field of medicine isn't cheap, is it? Studying in that field requires knowing a lot of information, and reading books and other study materials is very important for achieving that goal. Does the aforementioned scholars.h.i.+p cover these expenses, Miss Emily?」

「… … No. Only tuition fees.」

「Fine. Let's make even more concessions. These kinds of books can be pa.s.sed down from seniors or bought at a discounted rate at second hand stores. However, I think that even if you manage to get books from these kinds of places, most of them will already be obsolete… … Fine, let's ignore that part as well. So how would she get to cla.s.s? You don't expect her to take a high-speed carriage from Rond de Terra to the capital every day, don't you?」

「Of course not. I would have stay at the capital, then have her travel go to cla.s.s from there.」

「Paying off the rental needs money. And since she's a girl, you wouldn't want her to stay at some weird place, would you? Do you have any acquaintances at Rarkia?」

「… … No.」

「Then she should find a place to play after she enrolls in the university. You wouldn't let her go by herself, would you? Either Mr. Alonso or your wife would accompany her, or perhaps even the both of you would go. Let me repeat this, the trip to the capital on high speed carriages takes up to 3 days. Where would you obtain the travel fees?」

「I-I have savings! I can at the very least pay for our travel expenses!」

「Let's make even more concessions then. Let's imagine that everything goes along to plan. Your daughter manages to enroll to the university, obtain the scholars.h.i.+p, buy study material at the cheapest price, and miraculously rent a reasonable place to stay at a cheap price. Miss Emily, how long can one study at the university?」

「The University of Rarkia does not limit how long one can study. Once the student feels that they have finished their studies and the university can confirm that the student is of a suitable level, they can graduate right then.」

「How long would it take to finish a course on medicine? Is it possible to complete it in a couple of years?」

「… … I doubt that. It would take at least five to six years in average.」

Kouta nodded at Emily's reply, and turned his head towards Alonso. Alonso got intimidated by his gaze and retreated a few steps back.」

「Mr. Alonso, can you 『realistically』 live for six more years?」

Alonso widened his eye upon hearing those words.

「S-six more years? Of course I can!」

「Really?」

「Of course. I am proud to say that I have never fallen sick in my entire life!」

「That's only true up till now, isn't it? Who know what will happen in the future.」

「T-that's true… … But thinking about these things won't help, will it?」

「You are not wrong. There's no use worrying over every little thing. However, Mr. Alonso, everything will die one day. It may be ten years later, twenty years later, tomorrow or even the day after tomorrow, no one knows. But the fact that you will die one day will not change. And when you do, would your daughter be able to continue her studies without any financial support?」

Kouta said while staring into Alonso's eyes as if admonis.h.i.+ng him. No matter how he averted his eyes, he could not shy away from Kouta gaze. There was nothing he could do but wait for Kouta to speak. Seeing this, Kouta nodded his head and continued.

「If you would sell this plot of land and move to the plot of land north to the lord's mansion, we would shoulder the entire cost of your daughter's studies in the university.」

「Shoulder… … the entire cost of her studies?」

「It includes the tuition fees, study materials, rent and food costs until the day she graduates. Of course, we will guarantee her safety as well. Even though things like entertainment and clothing costs are not included, don't you think that, from a financial standpoint, this is a rather interesting offer?」

「T-that's… … Well, you're not wrong… …」

Alonso's heart wavered. As a farmer, how would he bear the costs of his daughter's studies plus the cost of living in the capital? Even before it was mentioned by Kouta, he had thought about it since a long time ago.

「Of course, we also have our conditions. Apart from having you transfer that piece of land to us… … When your daughter successfully becomes a doctor, she must come back and practice here in Terra. These two conditions must be adhered to.」

「You want my daughter to come back to Terra? She planned to come back here in the first place though?」

「Then that's not a problem, is it?」

「T-then… … T-that's… …」

「Once you move, whether to continue farming or not is your decision to make. The size of land allocated is limited, so if you are fine with sacrificing the size of your house, the land can also be used for agriculture as well.」

Kouta smiled.

「So, what do you think?」

「… …Please give me some time to think it over… …」

Alonso squeezed the line out as if distressing over a decision.

「Please take your time.」

Kouta politely bowed, turned around and left.

「We await your reply.」