Baby Squirrel Is Good at Everything

“Fortunately, Count Zelot, I think I can ease your concerns.”

“…Ah, purely out of concern, of course, yes?”

“There’s no need to worry.”

Smile.

Beatty flashed a bright and confident smile before speaking in a clear voice.

“First of all, the soup kitchen won’t just be giving out food for free.”

“…Then what exactly is it?”

“How many people in the territory do you think are aware of Tuberosum as a viable food source?”

At Beatty’s question, the gathered officials exchanged intrigued glances.

“Wouldn’t many of them know by now? Especially with how incredible the fried version tastes with the right sauce—our soldiers love it.”

“Right. I tried some from the kitchen the other day, and honestly, I wish they’d open a shop selling just that near my home.”

The vassals residing in the duke’s castle, who had already tasted several Tuberosum dishes, responded enthusiastically.

However, Beatty simply observed their reactions without excitement, her gaze landing on the lieutenant.

Feeling the silent request for honesty, the lieutenant hesitated before awkwardly wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead and answering.

“…Truthfully, not that many.”

“What’s the estimate in numbers?”

“At best… one-eighth of the population.”

“What? That few?!”

Even before Beatty could react, the others were already exclaiming in shock.

Unfazed by the low number, Beatty simply nodded, her thoughts running smoothly.

Of course.

The military was vastly different from the common people in the territory.

Unlike soldiers, who lived in close quarters and followed orders from above, ordinary citizens had no centralized information network.

Given the vast expanse of the duchy’s land, it was inevitable that news would spread slowly.

Even reaching one-eighth of the population was likely thanks to soldiers bringing the information back home.

Tuberosum as a food source always spread slowly in the past, too.

Recalling how things had unfolded before her regression, Beatty spoke.

“The plant has long been considered poisonous. Even if people hear that it’s edible, it’s not easy to convince them to try it.”

“Hmm. That’s true.”

“What a waste… This is such good food.”

Seeing the officials lament as if it were their own problem, Beatty allowed a small smile to creep onto her lips.

“This is exactly the issue the soup kitchens will solve.”

“Huh? Ah!”

“Yes. The soup kitchens will take the lead in popularizing Tuberosum as food.”

“I see! By distributing Tuberosum-based meals through the kitchens, the information will spread far more effectively than just posting notices.”

“And we will be receiving something in return.”

“…Wait, I thought this was a ‘free’ soup kitchen?”

“We won’t be accepting money. But we will be taking something else.”

“…Taking what, exactly?”

The officials looked bewildered.

“Information.”

This was another significant function of soup kitchens from her past life.

Not only did they provide food, but they also served as hubs to gather intelligence from those who came to eat.

Furthermore, they could be used to spread controlled information to the people.

It was a highly efficient method of managing public opinion, one that had been praised by political scholars.

“We won’t be handing out food for nothing. It will be exchanged for valuable information.”

“Incredible! Not just a relief effort, but an effective method of governing the territory as well!”

The lieutenant was the first to exclaim in admiration.

“To think that a single initiative could tackle two major issues at once! Lady Beatty, you are truly remarkable!”

“As expected of our lady! I knew it from the moment she solved the military rations crisis!”

The officials heaped praise upon Beatty, calling her a genius and marveling at how deeply she thought things through.

Beatty’s face flushed red.

“I-It’s not that impressive…”

“Ah, but it is.”

Sigh.

“At this rate, we should commission a commemorative statue.”

“W-What?!”

Beatty, who had been shrinking from the overwhelming praise, jumped up in shock.

“Hm.”

Unfortunately, before she could protest, the Duke’s intrigued expression made it clear that the “Magnificent Lady Beatty Statue” plan was already in motion.

This is not happening!

Panicked, Beatty quickly changed the topic.

“Uh! About the budget for establishing the soup kitchens—”

“Oh. Right, we haven’t discussed the budget yet.”

The officials reacted as if they had forgotten, and Beatty discreetly wiped the sweat from her forehead.

Honestly, the budget is the biggest hurdle.

It was easy to say, “Let’s prepare for an uncertain famine just in case,” but in reality, it required a massive financial commitment.

Winter preparations alone were already expensive, and now she was proposing an entirely new initiative.

She knew that, no matter how noble the cause, there would be resistance due to financial constraints.

That’s why I prepared for this in advance.

Knowing that the first counterargument would be about the cost, Beatty had already come up with a plan to secure funding.

She cleared her throat, ready to present her proposal.

“I understand if there are concerns about the cost—”

“Oh, it’s fine.”

“…Huh?”

Having braced herself for a fight, Beatty was momentarily stunned by the unexpectedly easy agreement.

“I-I mean, if the budget isn’t enough—”

Before she could continue, the financial administrators waved their hands dismissively.

“Come now, my lady. We’re not that incompetent.”

“…Huh?”

“We can at least draft a budget without troubling you. Leave this to us.”

“I mean, I had a plan just in case…”

Beatty murmured, feeling slightly bewildered.

Hearing her mumble about a backup plan, the Duke turned to his treasurer.

“Treasurer.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Is our budget running low?”

His gaze carried an unspoken warning—if anyone dared claim that money was an issue for his daughter’s project, there would be hell to pay.

Fortunately, the treasurer, well aware of the duchy’s financial status, confidently responded.

“Not at all! With military supply expenses no longer draining our funds and the war compensation coming in, we’re actually running out of space in our warehouses.”

Unlike in her previous life, where the war had dragged on, this time, it had ended early, leaving the duchy with a surplus.

The treasurer looked positively delighted as he spoke about the overflowing storage.

You see that, my dear?

The Duke shot Beatty a proud, expectant look.

“……”

Uh… so I don’t need to use my backup funding plan, huh?

Feeling slightly awkward, Beatty quietly slid the documents she had prepared back into her bag.

Later That Day

“Yaaawn.”

A yawn escaped before she could stifle it.

Maybe it was the exhaustion finally catching up to her now that the tension had eased.

Having just finished a walk through the garden to digest the massive pile of snacks her father and the older vassals had given her after the meeting, Beatty stretched her small body.

I’m so sleepy…

For a young child’s body, an all-nighter was nothing short of a death sentence.

Even as she walked, her eyelids felt unbearably heavy.

Maybe I should head inside and take a nap…?

Just as she was debating whether to go back to her room, an unusual sound echoed behind her.

Dagdak! Dagdak! Dadak!

Huh? What’s that noise…?

“Tailfur!”

Spotting her brother on horseback, Beatty’s eyes widened.

“Stay right where you are!”

Immediately afterward, a massive force overwhelmed her.

“!!!”

Without slowing down, Carl reached down and scooped Beatty up onto his horse.

By the time she processed what had happened, her surroundings had completely changed.

“Sque—!”

Startled, Beatty’s ears and tail instinctively popped out as she let out an uncontrollable squeak.

“—Squeeeeeeak!”@@novelbin@@

Carl, somehow interpreting her squirrel cry in his own way, responded cheerfully.

“Hm? You want to go even faster?”

That’s NOT what I meant!

With no safety measures in place, Beatty bounced precariously atop the galloping horse.

“Chut! Chuchu chuu chu—!!”

You reckless—! This is insane—!!

“Alright then. Hyah!”

Seeing his normally composed little sister sounding so lively, Carl smirked in satisfaction and urged the horse to go faster.

This is insane! This is insane! This is insane!

Of course, Beatty’s internal screams were very different from what Carl assumed.

Her waist hurt from being grabbed so abruptly.

The high vantage point was dizzying.

And with every jolt of the horse’s hooves over uneven terrain, her small body was sent flying up and down.

What the hell is this?!

Though she cursed him in her mind, there was nothing she could do.

With no choice but to cling desperately to her brother’s solid frame, she barely managed to squeak out:

“J-Just a little—”

“A little faster?”

Nooooooo!

Unfortunately, her brother completely misunderstood.

As the horse sped up even more, Beatty clung on for dear life, silently vowing—

Never again! Never in my life am I riding anything but a safe, stable carriage!