Chapter 19 The Food Crisis Coming
Henry stood by the window in his study, satisfied, looking out at the nearby military camp. His ears filled with the sound of roaring. This camp was his stronghold, and his power depended on the shoulders of his soldiers.
A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and Henry turned to see Willow entering with a tray.
"Henry, your afternoon tea," Willow said softly, placing the tray on the table. It held an array of delicate pastries and a freshly brewed cup of coffee.
Afternoon tea was an essential part of the nobility's life. It usually consisted of pastries made with lard, wheat flour, and mint leaves and more luxurious ones made with butter.
Having tried it once, Henry had found it distasteful, too greasy for his liking. The accompanying beverages were either a murky oat wine or a tea made from bitter leaves.
Henry had tried both, finding the oat wine tolerable but the tea undrinkable. It was as bitter as a medicine, which was made from bile, enough to make him retch. Nobody could bear a cup of tea made from bitter leaves.
When Ruby first served the tea and pastries, Mila tasted them and immediately spat them out, only returning to a normal appetite after eating two bowls of polished rice porridge.
Since then, Henry taught Ruby and Willow how to make pastries and cakes using Earth's way, which was well received.
"Willow, your cooking is better than before. It is almost like the chef in my hometown." Henry praised, looking at the pastries.
"Wow! It is a chocolate cake!" Mila exclaimed, reaching for a piece of chocolate cake.
"This looks delicious!" Mila's eyes sparkled as she savored the cake, her cat ears twitching with delight.
"Here, try the coffee," Willow said happily, pouring a cup for Mila.
Henry took a sip of his coffee and then picked up a piece of cheesecake with a fork. After eating, he gave Willow a thumbs-up, which made her smile even more.
Henry brought both the coffee and the pastries, along with some seeds. He believed that soon, they would be able to enjoy a version of coffee and tea from another different world.
Henry handed two plates of pastries to Mila and told her to eat on the side. Then he turned to Willow and asked, "What's on your mind? Your eyes are wandering."
Willow blushed. She hadn't realized she had that habit.
"Is it because we don't have enough food?" Henry asked, resting his chin on his crossed hands.
"Yes, with an additional 140 soldiers, our current wheat supply won't last long," Willow replied, taking out a notebook that Henry had given her.
She had written many things in it, such as recipes for pastries and Henry's favorite foods and habits.
"Have the grain merchants raised their prices again?" Henry asked calmly, his eyes narrowing. "How much this time?"
Willow flipped through the notebook and said, "They've raised it by another copper coin. Coarse wheat is four copper coins per pound now."
"Damn!" Mila slammed the table, her anger rising. "These unscrupulous grain merchants are profiting from our hardships."
Henry remained calm. "They just want to make a profit before the autumn harvest."
"What should we do? If this continues, many people in Eldoria will starve," Willow said anxiously.
"Don't worry," Henry reassured her. "How long will it take to transport grain from the nearest city, and how much will it cost?"
Willow quickly checked her notes and reported, "It will take four days to transport the grain from the nearest city by water, and it will cost three copper coins per pound of wheat."
"How long can our current wheat supply last?" Henry asked, his eyes calculating.
"We can make it last for about eight days if we eat sparingly," Willow replied immediately.
Henry stood up and walked to the window, looking towards the direction of the military camp. "No need to be frugal. Immediately, let Vincent arrange for the purchase of wheat. I want enough for three thousand people for a month."
"Alright!" Willow quickly responded. She went to the desk, wrote down Henry's request on a piece of paper, and took out a seal from the cabinet to stamp Henry's name.
Henry then took out a pen and skillfully signed his name in the script of his otherworldly identity, a scene that had repeated many times in the past few days.
Willow was referred to as Henry's maid, but in reality, she acted more like a secretary. Because Henry's handwriting was a bit messy, Willow often wrote on his behalf.
"Alright," Henry ruffled Willow's hair and chuckled. "Let them raise the price if they want. I hope their grain won't go to waste."
He had come up with a brilliant plan. He knew that if the merchants didn't sell their grain soon, they would be left with nothing by the time of the autumn harvest.
"Okay!" Willow blushed and ran off to deliver Henry's orders.
"Mila, find out more about these grain merchants tonight. I want to know who the person behind them is," Henry said, his expression turning cold.
"No problem, leave it to me," Mila said confidently, taking out a military knife.
