C199

February 21st, 1999, Sunday.

Fuyuki City, Shinto Town, Hot Pot Restaurant.

"Mrs. Emiya, may I ask you one final question?" Shinji concluded his note-taking and pushed up his glasses before asking, "What was the King of Knights' stance towards the rebellious knight, Mordred?"

Irisviel paused for a moment, then responded, "I'm sorry, but this matter is quite sensitive and I haven't had the chance to ask about it myself."

"I understand. It's just a shame that we don't often get the opportunity to uncover the truth of history," Shinji said with a sigh.

Irisviel responded, "Perhaps some things are better left unasked, don't you think? In the Fourth Holy Grail War, Caster continuously prodded at Saber's weaknesses, which led her to vow to kill him. If he wasn't a child, Saber might have actually followed through with it."

"A child?" Shinji caught onto the significant detail.

Irisviel nodded in confirmation, "Yes. Caster was a child and he bore a striking resemblance to someone Saber knew when she was young. As a result, Saber abandoned her plan to kill Caster and even protected him during the later stages of the war."

She chose not to disclose the truth about Caster, despite being aware of his true identity and recognizing that the two boys before her were also familiar with him. However, she refused to reveal any information.

"I see. Well, that's alright. While we may not have access to all the intricate details of history, myths and legends can serve as a valuable supplement. After all, these stories are often told by those who were directly involved and can offer a glimpse into the true essence of history," Shinji said with a smile.

"Oh, by the way, Shinji," Isssei interjected, "I'm curious as to how the King managed to survive the Little Ice Age. It must have been quite challenging for ancient civilizations to endure such harsh conditions, especially since Europe lacked experience with disaster relief efforts during that time."

Shinji pondered for a moment before responding, "While I don't have all the details, based on my research, it seems that the King employed primitive greenhouse planting techniques and crop rotation technologies to adapt to the harsh conditions of the Little Ice Age."

Shinji paused for a moment before continuing, "Come to think of it, while this King is often lauded for his unmatched wisdom, his true abilities remain shrouded in mystery. However, in the realm of agriculture, his impact on history is undeniable. In particular, his contributions to the development of crop rotation technologies have been immense. Britain inherited and refined this technology, and it has since spread to many countries worldwide, including America. In the early 18th century, following European immigration to the Americas, the land suffered from severe soil erosion. Without this technology and knowledge, the erosion would have been even more devastating, and it's difficult to say how history might have unfolded."

Shinji added, "The many things and ideas left behind by this King continue to be of great value in modern society. This is why the British still hold him in such high esteem."

Adjusting his glasses, Shinji went on, "One of the most notable of these ideas is the King's expansionist philosophy, which was particularly aggressive in nature."

"Expansionist philosophy?" Isssei frowned.

"Yes," Shinji responded. "This King managed to rise from poverty to great wealth in just seven years, through the unification of Ireland, Britain, Frankia, and the Visigoths. One can only imagine how long it might have taken if he had resorted to war."

"Perhaps ten years?" Isssei ventured a guess.

Shaking his head, Shinji replied, "Not even close. During that period, the total population of the British Isles was likely no more than three hundred thousand. Additionally, both the Visigothic Kingdom and Gaul were major powers at the time. Furthermore, the King's military force in the British Isles was considered the weakest. If he had pursued a war, he probably would not have been able to gain control of the British Isles in just seven years."

"So, how did he achieve such a feat then?" Isssei asked.

"Through economic warfare!" Shinji exclaimed, adjusting his glasses. "Despite there being many educated individuals in modern society who remain unaware of the perils of economic warfare, this King was already employing economic warfare tactics in the 5th century. Prior to the Eternal King, nobody on the European continent was familiar with economic warfare, but after the King, everyone was fearful of it."

"How did he manage to do that?"

"It's related to the Little Ice Age."

...

Shirou met with the envoys of various kings in the palace, as he had expected. These envoys had all come to request food on behalf of their kingdoms. Despite their requests, he kindly entertained them but did not grant their wish for food.

The envoys persistently asked for food, but he could only respond helplessly, "To be honest, Camelot does have some surplus food, but it is not enough to distribute to all of your kingdoms. Furthermore, our country is struggling and impoverished. We can only use this small amount of food for ourselves, and I hope that we can trade it for something else. Why don't you return to your kingdoms and have your kings come to negotiate with us?"

Seeing through Shirou's intention to bargain, the envoys explained the benefits of sharing the food. They emphasized that the kings and Shirou were in this together, and that they would prosper or suffer together. However, Shirou simply smiled in response.

Feeling helpless, the envoys had no choice but to temporarily return and report the situation to their respective kings.

"What?! He wants me to go all the way to Cornwall just to see him? Who does he think he is?"

"I heard his army only has five hundred soldiers, while I have four thousand! How dare he demand that I come to see him?"

"Damn it! He must be trying to take advantage of us!"

Despite their frustration, the kings had no choice but to gather their knights and make the journey to Cornwall to meet with Shirou.

The Little Ice Age had inflicted severe damage to their agriculture, and their treasuries were running low. They were left with no choice but to seek food from other kingdoms.

However, resorting to violence or robbery would not solve their problem. Vortigern's magical beasts were already causing chaos, and it was essential for everyone to work together to repel them. Starting a fight now would only lead to doom for all. Even if they chose to fight, they would still need to confront the threat of Vortigern first.

Shirou had learned about the kings' plan through Merlin and instructed Gawain to withdraw their elite soldiers, leaving only five hundred inexperienced recruits dressed in ragged clothing.

When the kings arrived in Camelot and met Shirou, they initially believed he was trying to take advantage of them. However, to their surprise, Shirou was sincere and offered to share his food with them. He even proposed trading his surplus food for animal skins and weapons at a fair price, and at times, even at a higher ratio. He smiled genuinely and appeared to be genuinely concerned for everyone's well-being.

Shirou smiled as he said, "We are all in this together. How could I deceive my own people?"

The kings were pleasantly surprised to learn that they were not being taken advantage of and began to form a favorable opinion of Shirou. Later, Shirou took them to see the military camp and the old city area built by the people of Caerleon two years ago. However, the area was in a state of disrepair.

The kings observed Shirou's soldiers wearing tattered clothing and wielding outdated weapons, and they began to understand his situation a little better.

Their observations aligned with what the bards had sung about. Though they expressed sympathy on the surface, they couldn't help but look down on Shirou in their hearts.

Ultimately, the kings agreed to Shirou's proposal.

Despite agreeing to his terms, they couldn't help but think Shirou was naive for not asking for more when they were in dire need of food. They felt that even if a lion demanded a large sum of food in such a situation, they could still bear it as long as it didn't cross their bottom line. Therefore, they considered King Arthur's fair deal with them to be foolish.

Once the agreement was reached, Shirou invited the kings to dine at the palace. Amidst toasts and merriment, the guests enjoyed themselves.

Despite their previous mockery of Shirou as the "Debt King" two years ago, nobody mentioned it during the feast. It would have been a downer, and they were all here to beg for food. How could they bring up such a topic?

Shirou smiled and toasted with the kings, which made them very happy. He then proposed the details for free trade and tariff reductions. He suggested transporting a significant amount of food from Cornwall to various countries for sale, which would promote cultural exchange and support food supplies in all aspects.

After giving it some thought, the kings found no faults in Shirou's proposal. Instead, they felt like they were getting a great deal and agreed on the spot.

The following morning, the kings departed one by one, and Shirou saw them off with a smile.

"Your Majesty, I'm still having trouble understanding why you did this. It seems unnecessary. If you wanted their kingdoms, we could have simply ambushed them at the banquet with our assassins and killed them all!" Agravain's eyes gleamed with murderous intent, and his face radiated hostility.

Shirou patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Boiling water cannot cook a frog. Only warm water can slowly cook a frog."

Clapping his hands, Shirou asked, "By the way, how is the printing of the paper currency that I arranged for you coming along?"

"We've printed an entire warehouse full of them... but, my king, are you truly planning to use those pieces of paper as currency?" Agravain questioned, his confusion evident.

"What do you mean 'pieces of paper'? Those are paper money!" Shirou corrected, sounding displeased.

"But let's not dwell on that. I still need to visit Benoic. King Ban and Bors, my old friends, have also requested food. And, while I'm there, I might as well check out their leather production, which I've heard is quite impressive. Oh, and by the way, Agravain, please instruct Lucan to expand the farmland this year," he added.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Agravain replied.

As the king departed with a smile, Agravain remained puzzled by the king's actions. The king had made no grand demands nor had he resorted to assassination. Instead, he had simply traded food for a variety of resources and even had them print paper currency. It was all quite perplexing to Agravain.

"My king... what exactly are you trying to do?" Agravain muttered to himself, his face full of confusion.

...

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