"Mr. Yila, is the manufacturing of fertilizer something you can't tell us about?"
Satan Ye asked, looking up at Yila.
"Yes."
"Indeed it is."
Yila and Hilena answered simultaneously.
"Hmm..."
Satan Ye pondered. Her little head was well aware of the significance of fertilizer to the Demon King Territory. She looked at Yila and said: "Do you want something? Can I exchange something for it?"
"..."
Yila didn't answer.
"Gold coins? Even in the Silver Moon Tree Court, gold coins are useful, right?"
At Hilena's words, Yila couldn't help but smile. He said, "But you don't have many gold coins left, do you... Maybe in Demon King City, there are only silver coins left."
No, that's too exaggerated... Even if you're this poor, there would still be some gold coins; to say there are no crystal coins is more likely.
The currency system of this world is very cliché, consisting of copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, and a generally equivalent currency called [Mana Crystal (Crystal Coin)], but the exchange is not the 100 to 1 ratio often found in novels.
The exchange rate from gold coins to silver coins is 1 to 12, meaning one gold coin can be exchanged for twelve silver coins.
The exchange rate from silver coins to copper coins is 1 to 16, meaning one silver coin can be exchanged for sixteen copper coins.
This logic is quite simple, 192 copper coins for one gold coin, but because of different embossing and specifications in minting by various countries, the value of gold coins varies; the value of silver coins and copper coins is the same.
Exchanging gold coins for silver coins at a one-to-twelve ratio is the exchange method for the Empire's Thorn Gold Coins, while the more solidly made Flower Crown Courtyard (Silver Moon Tree Court) gold coins are at a one-to-fifteen ratio.
The white gold coins of the Church, mixed with other metals, exchange one white gold coin for 9 silver coins...
"Haha, even in the current situation, there are still gold coins..."
Hilena laughed lightly.
"Hahaha, that's true..."
Yila responded with a smile.
It's very clear that Hilena planned to move past this topic, and this was also what Yila had in mind... it's not that he was unwilling to explain, but he couldn't accept the fact that already existed.
Even though he knew it was a fact.
However, Satan Ye didn't understand the meaning behind their exchange, she seriously pondered on how to obtain the formula, then seriously asked: "Mr. Yila... I heard you like lolis?"
"..."
Yila: "???">
Hilena: "???">
"You can't just say that randomly, I can't exactly say I like them."
Yila, a bit troubled, rubbed his nose. He looked at Satan Ye, who might not truly understand what "loli" meant, and said: "You heard this from Vera, right?"
"Yes."
As expected, this term had been unconsciously mentioned by Yila to Yose once, and then Yose used it, followed by Vera, which led to the Empire people almost all understanding it. Isabella gave Yila a strange look for a long time after understanding what it meant.
Now, thanks to Vera, many of the magical beings, including Hilena, probably understood it too.
"Do you know what "loli" means?"
Yila asked, as he looked at Satan Ye's Lolita-style dress, suddenly becoming aware—no matter from the original definition or the reinterpreted meaning, the term "loli" suited Satan Ye quite well.
"Yes, it means a little girl, like a delicious carrot, who could be called Lila... like me."
The explanation was strange, but it seemed to work.
But did you really know so well?! Do you also have the awareness of being a loli?!
Yila's mouth twitched, not knowing how to retort for a moment... The name Lila, in the Empire, is similar to "Xiao Fang" or "Xiao Hong" in past lives, indeed a name that makes one think of loli.
"Demon King..."
Hilena said awkwardly, she seemed to understand that this term wasn't meant to be understood like that, but evidently, she felt Yila wasn't someone who liked lolis, relatively speaking, perhaps the Empire nobility preferred it more.
"How about I order a selection of lolis throughout the territory for you?"
For saying so and looking expectantly at Yila, waiting for his response, Yila couldn't help but laugh: "Hahaha, please don't... Hahahahahaha, that's too ridiculous~"
"Eh?"
Although Satan Ye didn't quite understand, she knew she had misunderstood. She looked down at the ground, a bit embarrassed, and said: "Sorry, Mr. Yila."
"..."
"Oh well, forget it..."
Yila said, reaching out to pat Satan Ye's head, seemingly having made some decision, he said: "Let the idle magical beings collect dead grass, wood chips, and then burn them into ash. Once the latrines are built, collect the manure inside."
This statement was odd; even though they were talking about fertilizer earlier, the topic switched to ash and manure abruptly.
Satan Ye didn't quite understand, but Hilena immediately thought of a possibility, her eyes widened instantly, sparkling with anticipating stars, she said: "Lord Yila, could it be?"
It was too real, earlier it was "Mr." and now it's "Lord."
"You probably don't understand what 'fermentation' is, what 'decomposition' is, likening it to flour fermentation would definitely make you feel gross, so I'll directly tell you the craft and process."
Yila said calmly, looking at the little fairies listening at his side, their eyes bright and shiny, he said: "Store the collected manure from magical beings and livestock in places far away from residential territory."
Here Yila stressed the 'far away', something he had to be cautious about, in the Empire at that time, the concept of fertilizer already existed, just that the template was relatively crude, only with farmers exchanging knowledge amongst themselves, so it was fine.
But he was genuinely afraid that on the side of magical beings, they'd collect and compost it right then and there.
"Mix the burnt ash from earlier into the manure pile, along with straw and weeds for turning the pile over; ensuring ventilation conditions, the manure pile will gradually dry up, then transform into granules like the fertilizer you've been purchasing."
"As for the misunderstanding brought up by Vera who came from the ivory tower regarding the role of [Mana] you mentioned, it only aids in high temperatures during composting to kill germs, parasite eggs, and weed seeds, as well as ensuring ventilation."
"And it could also mislead other countries trying to research."
"..."
"Thank you, Mr. Yila."
Satan Ye said gratefully, her head only reaching Yila's chest, she went forward to hug him... She felt Yila liked patting her head, so to express gratitude, she decided to stick her head over for Yila to pat.
"Indeed you should thank me, but a king shouldn't completely let down their guard; they should maintain... no, never mind."
Yila however, didn't know what Satan Ye was thinking in her heart, he simply responded.
"Thank you, Lord Yila."
Perhaps Satan Ye wasn't clear on the underlying meaning of Yila's compromise at this point, but Hilena was... From now on, Yila was no longer the Empire's Governor, he was Satan Ye's teacher.
Only the Demon King's teacher.