"Thank goodness…" Orwin sighed in relief, patting his chest. "Since you said that, I believe you."
Concerns about the coming winter still lingered, but with Elina's assurance, he no longer felt anxious.
"In that case, may I ask a second question?"
"Of course," Elina nodded slightly. "Just tell me your doubts, and we'll discuss them."
"What about attracting merchants to our town?" Orwin asked, picking up another document and pointing to the top line. "It says here that you want the people to buy their own food, isn't that so? But is that even possible? Our town is isolated, and there's no way merchants would want to come here. Besides, most of us are very poor."
He sighed, both shyly and helplessly. Remembering how hard their lives had been, he felt the urge to cry.
While many people prospered, they had been left behind. He had once thought the fault lay with the regional and central governments.
