The Speedrun Manual of Miss Witch-Chapter 143 - Avena Seeking Comfort for Grievances (1/2)

Great North Ansu Famine?

Hearing this, Ciel was slightly stunned.

Ciel had studied the history of this world and knew some things.

Both North Ansu and Ansu considered themselves the legitimate successors of the semi-lost empire “Old Ansu.” Moreover, North Ansu’s original name was Orlando, meaning “Holy Empire” in Old Ansu script.

However, Ansu’s development in the last two centuries had been extremely rapid. The growth in wealth and power allowed Ansu to completely overshadow Orlando, seizing a large number of Orlando’s parliamentary seats.

Decades ago, the country’s name was changed under the Queen’s auspices from the “United Kingdom of Ansu and Orlando” to the somewhat strange name “United Kingdom of Ansu and North Ansu.”

This change seemed like probing Orlando’s bottom line and indeed provoked numerous uprisings and resistance from Orlando, but all were suppressed by Ansu.

Presumably, once Orlando’s power weakened further, the name would have to be changed to “Kingdom of Ansu” or “Holy Kingdom of Ansu,” completely annexing Orlando.

Even now, from nobles down to commoners on both sides, there was strong hostility towards each other.

Ansu people called North Ansu people “lazy bums” and “barbarians,” while North Ansu people called Ansu people “vampires” and “greedy pigs.”

Some of this knowledge Ciel obtained from history books, some inadvertently learned through conversations. She herself rarely delved into these political issues, as these things were too distant from her.

For the past three years, she herself was still struggling with studies and livelihood, where would she find time to understand these things—she wasn’t taking civil service exams.

But the term “great famine” was somewhat sensitive.

And Isabella, seeing Ciel’s engrossed expression, knew she had bet correctly.

Saying too much about these things could lead to mistakes. She didn’t understand Ciel’s political stance, could only gamble. Thank heavens, Ciel clearly looked very interested.

“I know, I know,” Amy spoke up at this time, asking curiously, “Haven’t they been suffering from famine for over two years over there?”

“It’s more serious this year,” Isabella shook her head, explaining, “This year, North Ansu’s potatoes and other crops yielded almost nothing.”

“My father said it’s because they are lazy, don’t work, and don’t grow grain.” Amy blinked and said.

“Indeed,” Isabella shrugged, saying, “They also wanted to use this to return to the Ansu Parliament, seeking greater political rights and resources, but they actually succeeded.”

“Succeeded?” Ciel blinked.

In her previous life, a certain country experienced something similar, but that one seemed unsuccessful.

“Yes, the Minister of the Interior went over precisely to handle this matter,” Isabella nodded, saying, “To oversee the construction of railways, factories, and soup kitchens, providing work for relief, spending a lot of Ansu taxpayers’ money.”

“And then?” Hearing this, Ciel’s own eyebrows couldn’t help but raise slightly. She thought inwardly, as expected.

“Then trouble occurred,” Isabella shook her head, saying, “Before I came, Ansu was still having demonstrations, protesting the Queen and Prime Minister’s policy, believing the government shouldn’t lend money to those barbarians.”

Ciel slowly took a breath.

These Ansu people, from top to bottom, are really something else.

Hearing this, Ciel roughly knew how things had progressed.

Work-for-relief? According to Isabella, the capital for building factories was borrowed by the local North Ansu government from the Ansu government?

Ciel secretly shook her head.

A few soup kitchens couldn’t possibly save the millions in North Ansu. Work-for-relief was even more laughable. After they finished working and received those few shillings, where could they buy grain?

Is this a joke?

However, Ciel couldn’t really say if the Prime Minister and Queen were divine figures or not; after all, Great Britain in her previous life did it too.

After hesitating for a moment, Ciel still asked, “Did they... also increase grain imports and ban North Ansu’s grain exports?”

Hearing this, Isabella looked at Ciel somewhat surprisedly, saying, “Indeed. Didn’t you say you weren’t familiar with these matters? This decree was issued not long ago...”

Ciel: “...”

She could almost predict how things would develop next.

This policy sounded quite humane, the logic also simple.

Since they lacked grain themselves, they should ban grain exports and increase grain imports to supplement supply, so North Ansu people could at least buy grain.

But these policies failed to consider one group of people—grain merchants.

Ciel reached out, rubbing her temples.

Fortunately, this world had transcendent powers, and many “Plague Doctors” like Adele. They would probably rush to North Ansu to solve the potato blight problem.

However...

Ciel couldn’t be sure if this time’s North Ansu potato blight was caused by transcendents like “Plaguebearers”...

Ciel even began to suspect if the Queen of Ansu was also digesting some potion.

Moreover, Ciel was also worried if her obtaining the “Uniqueness” trait would cause a butterfly effect, accelerating the progress of certain events.

“It should be nothing major... no need to worry too much,” Isabella looked at Ciel’s reaction, hesitated slightly, then said, “Forgive my presumption, Miss Ciel, are you from North Ansu?”

“Hm? No, why?” Ciel shook her head, looking somewhat curiously at Isabella.

Was it her slightly worried expression just now that caused the misunderstanding?

“No... Don’t you know? The upper nobility of Old Ansu has two relatively pure bloodline hair colors, one is black, the other is red,” Isabella said, “I remember the hearsay is, red hair indicates Orlando noble bloodline, black hair is from the Ansu side.”

“Look, isn’t Lady Avena’s hair black? This is considered relatively pure Old Ansu bloodline.”

Is there such a saying?

Ciel shook her head, didn’t reply.

From Ciel’s previous memories, this red hair brought her mostly painful memories.

Especially in Ansu, red hair was often associated with witches, immorality, and debauchery in dramas. The lower the social stratum, the deeper the prejudice against red hair.

According to Isabella’s statement, it could also be slander, degradation, and defamation spread by the Ansu government against Orlando nobles. Ciel was unfairly implicated. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Meanwhile, Avena, having mostly dealt with the nobles around her, breathed a slight sigh of relief, her gaze searching the surroundings for Ciel’s figure.

Soon, she found Ciel sitting with two other beautiful young women, her brow furrowed slightly.

Ciel... how come after just a dozen minutes apart, she already knows another pretty girl.

Unsure if it was out of possessiveness, or just simple curiosity about what they were chatting about, Avena walked towards their table. Others sat two seats apart; Avena directly sat beside Ciel.