Sunset Plains, Tongbu City.
As a satellite city of the New Royal Capital, its city lord had the easiest job imaginable.
He didn't have to obey the New Royal Capital's endless rules or spend his days scheming against nobles. Nor did he have to eat dust on the border, worrying about Ratfolk, demons, or the Blade of Freedom. He could collect tolls and entry taxes, then ask the New Royal Capital for supplies whenever he felt like it.
The only nuisance was having to give perfectly good grain to those useless guards.
Fortunately, the Advisors had recently offered a clever suggestion: mix sand into the grain and sprinkle sawdust into the wheat.
City Lord Montella considered himself quite conscientious. He had mixed in less than a fifth and sold it at the original price, making only twenty percent more.
"Why does this look like so much?" Montella scooped up a handful of grain mixed with sand. Fine grains slipped through his fingers.
It looked like nearly half.
“The grain kernels are bigger than the Sand, so they all sink to the bottom,” the Advisors said quickly.
"Oh."
Montella knew little and had even less common sense. He believed him, brushed the Sand off his hands, and took a handkerchief.
"Report!"
A disheveled messenger ran up, exchanged a glance with the Advisors, and cried out in delight:
"A great victory at the front! Kingdom soldiers wiped out 130,000 Blade of Freedom troops at the border, and the rabble from Free City surrendered in tears!"
Hearing the victory report from the front, Montella said haughtily to the Advisors, “If I went to the front, I'd drive them back where they came from before January.”
"The Old Housemaster truly underestimated you."
The Advisors smiled obsequiously. Just then, a guard burst in, his face