"Young master, ......"

'Don't cry, grandpa!"

　I shouted at the old man, who was dressed in black and crying, at his poorly made office desk. His voice was high-pitched, making me realize that he was, unfortunately, only five years old. In fact, I wanted to start crying myself. Do not cry before the child.

　I hold my head in my hands and stare at the piece of parchment on my desk. What I'm looking at is a report of our territory's income and expenditures. It's all stained red. It is a disgusting reality.

　The parchment's deficit shows my territory's debt. There were so many debts in my territory that it was too much to count them.

"I wish you had worked a little harder, father. ......"

'I am sorry to hear that, my lord. I'm sure he was worried about his son until the end of his life. ......"

　I meant that I wished he would have reduced his debts a little, but to my grandfather, it sounded like the lament of an infant wishing his father had lived a little longer.

　Three months ago, Baron von Bernhard Baumgarten, my father in this life, died. The cause of his death was illness. My father, who had never been physically strong, may be relieved at the birth of me, his heir, but after I was born, he became old and thin all at once.

　My mother, Amalia Baumgarten, also died of poor post-natal growth. I and my twin sister, Cornelia, were the only ones left in the Baumgarten family.

　Therefore, I, the older brother, became the Baron von Baumgarten's head of the family. ...... It is a crazy idea to entrust the management of a territory to a five year old child. There is no way I could ever manage it properly.

This is because Baron Baumgarten is located on an isolated island on the outskirts of the kingdom and is an unprofitable, loss-making territory with no good local products.

　Normally, a deputy would have been sent from Hübner's parent, the frontier count, or from the royal capital as a guardian,......, but the deputy probably decided against the order to manage the territory, which has been in the red continuously, because the deputy would be responsible for the deficit if it appeared.

　If he can afford to care about the deputy, he can care about us, his children, too, don't you think?

　I got some money from the royal family and my parents.

　However, the land is too poor to be self sufficient. There is no way to extract taxes from the people, and the barons are borrowing money to feed the people. The Barons are borrowing money to feed the people.

Something must be done for Cornelia's sake. ......

"Yong master, ......!"

　At my mutterings, the grandpa was so moved that he turned his tear-stained eyes to me. Perhaps he was struck by the sense of responsibility that a weak five-year-old has to deal with a younger sister and a territory.

　Cornelia is weak, perhaps inherited from father's illness. The medicine that keeps Cornelia alive also cost money. When money runs out, her sister's life runs out.

"Damn."

　I am a reincarnation. I am only five years old in this life, but in my previous life, I had a shitty life as a slave to a black company, but I remember that I lived it well enough. Why is Cornelia, and not me, being afflicted with the illness? If I could, I would have taken my sister's illness instead of hers long ago. ......

　And because I have some knowledge as a reincarnated person, I know that this territory is impossibly stuck.

　If this continues, Cornelia will have less than two years to live, even if the debt is paid off. The realization of this fact weighs heavily on me.

"Ahhh ......"

　No matter what I thought, I couldn't come up with a good way to get rid of it, and I couldn't think of anything else to do.

"Oh, boy. ......."

　The old man's words begin to sound watered down again. I'm not talking about tears, I'm talking about a solution.　But I guess he doesn't have a plan either. I know that.

　I know that the usual way is no longer enough. Then, even if I have to get my hands dirty, I have to make an emergency and ruthless decision.

"Oh, ......."

　As a result of scratching my head and continuing to think even though my head was burning, a method popped into my mind. It came to me.

　No specialties that can be used to make money?　There are some. There are a lot of them, and some of them are thrown away in the mountains. What a waste.

　But if I take this money, I'll be doomed. But .......

　I don't care about myself. What is important is Cornelia's life. For that, I would sell my soul to the devil.

'Grandpa, I've made up my mind: ......!"

" Boy, ......?"

　The old man's voice was trembling, as if he had noticed my comatose determination. I'm not a five year old kid. I'm only a five year old kid. It will be my grandpa who will actually make the move. I have to get him on my side. And he must be prepared to get his hands dirty.

　This is the point where we reach a watershed.

　I will turn the hearts of the kind-hearted and loyal subjects who would cry for us siblings into blood.

"Sell the people! I will sell the people!

" Boy!?'

　As expected, the grandpa was surprised with his eyes peeled back. That's right. Selling out the people to protect them is not the way a lord should behave. No matter what my excuses are, my sins will never be forgiven.

　But for the sake of Cornelia, I'm willing to give up everything.

"I'll give up everything for Cornelia!　Human sacrifice is outrageous!　I will suffer the resentment of my people, and in the worst case, I will be killed!"

　I knew this kind-hearted and loyal subject would object.

"I know. This is not human slavery, grandfather".

'What?"

　I'm deceiving my one and only loyal subject and making him part of this evil.

"The Baumgarten are poor. We cannot even feed our own people. Do you know what they are doing?　They are throwing babies into the mountains. That's how many innocent babies are dying."

"That's ......."

　You know that too, Grandpa. Grandpa even took over the office for Father. I'm sure Grandpa knows more about the territory than I do.

"I want to save the babies. Therefore, I will take care of children between the ages of three and fifteen from the people of the territory in my house."

"What are you going to do?　If you do that, the family will lose ...... money."

"If there is a bad harvest, I will buy food and serve it to the people. It makes no difference."

That may be so, but it is not ....... What are you going to do with the children?　I am firmly against human sacrifice!'

"The children will be educated. When they reach adulthood, we will send them to serve in other territories."

"Serve ......?"

　In this world, education is outrageously behind the times. This is because knowledge is hidden by the upper classes. Most commoners have never been educated. Well, it is more convenient to rule if the people are stupid.

　But because of this, the end organizations, which should be called the subordinates of the lower level officials, are dysfunctional. That is where the government takes advantage of.

　They sell educated commoners to lower level officials under the pretense of service. Even if it were not for this, there would be many people who would want to hire educated people. Besides the lower officials, he could also sell them to the trading companies.

"Yes, that's right. We will only receive their wages to pay for their education. We are not traffickers or slave traders."

　With nothing to sell, my territory has no other choice but to sell these non-goods services.

This is the only way, grandfather. Cornelia's life will be lost if I don't do something about it. Please, Grandpa. Please understand.

"My boy?"

　Grandpa was surprised to the point of overreacting.He must have been surprised that I, a nobleman and a lord, bowed so deeply to him. It's an unorthodox behavior in this world, but as a Japanese in a previous life, I have no qualms about bowing.

　　Besides, I bowed my head to apologize to the grandpa. No matter how beautifully I decorate it, what I am doing is nothing but human trafficking. i wants him to be a part of it. Just bowing down is not enough.

Please, grandfather. Save us, or at least my sister!

"Please raise your face!　It is outrageous that you should bow to me, young master!"

"Please, ......"

　I bowed my head and pushed. I know this is a kind of threat. I'm sorry, grandpa. However, Cornelia's life is at stake if you don't let her through here.

"......Yes, Marie, we're done. ......"

　I continued to lower my head, and the old man nodded his head as if he had lost his patience.

"'Thank you, 　Thank you, Grandpa"!

　I'm going to let my kind-hearted loyal retainer's hand get dirty,.......

　I will bear a great deal of remorse. But I decided that I would give everything I had for Cornelia.

　No matter what happens, I won't let this vow be broken!