Ch.117Water Merchant

What’s the best money-making business in this world?

The answer is water business.

It’s a slang term for selling alcohol, but interestingly, selling actual water is quite profitable too.

Even in this world, there were countless places where water wasn’t suitable for consumption, so exporting clean water from water-rich regions to areas with no water or contaminated water wasn’t particularly special.

Some countries even sold lime water to desert nations, then used that money to buy clean water in return.

Back to alcohol, Amurtat was currently generating decent revenue from liquor.

This was because the water quality was naturally clean, and with a fairly large population, they could produce alcohol in significant quantities.

And now that Fahrenheit had weakened to the point where they were making porridge from malt instead of alcohol, Amurtat was the only country in the north capable of distributing quality liquor in large quantities.

Alcohol is something that can be made crudely if desired, but conversely, can become limitlessly expensive when made with premium quality.

As the saying goes, “pull out the horn while the iron is hot,” Amurtat’s breweries had undergone major expansions.

In truth, the expansions had been completed much earlier, but the farms supplying raw materials hadn’t yet reached satisfactory production levels, and with Fahrenheit’s unstable political situation, the matter had naturally been forgotten.

Fortunately, Fahrenheit’s situation had now stabilized, and after several years, the farms were boasting decent yields. As a result, the greatly expanded breweries were now receiving numerous raw materials and producing countless barrels of alcohol.

Overall, those employed in alcohol-related businesses numbered over 300,000—enough to fill three decent-sized cities.

In reality, this figure of 300,000 was calculated largely for administrative convenience, and those who actually considered themselves to be in the “alcohol business” probably numbered only around 100,000. But from my perspective at court, where all information converged, that’s how it appeared.

“Now that we’re producing more alcohol, we should be selling more… why aren’t sales increasing?”

Strangely, however, this increased alcohol production wasn’t being exported.

Finding this curious, I investigated with my aide and discovered, surprisingly, that over 80% of the increased alcohol inventory was being consumed domestically.

“Are they drinking instead of eating? Or was alcohol production insufficient until now?”

Since I wasn’t much of a drinker myself, I was puzzled by this domestic consumption, but my aide soon resolved my confusion.

“Well, it’s probably both, Your Majesty.”

“Both?”

“Yes. Your assumption that alcohol wasn’t in short supply was because… the citizens were enduring. Who would petition Your Majesty for more alcohol rather than, say, a hospital? Besides, surprisingly, adventurers and day laborers often really do drink instead of eating.”

“Really? Why?”

“Adventurers don’t so much drink alcohol as… use high-proof spirits for disinfection instead of expensive potions, or trade it with others. Day laborers drink to forget their fatigue and pain because their work is so grueling. Rather than enjoying alcohol… they’d be in trouble without it.”

“I see…”

Indeed, it seems I had been too complacent about alcohol production and supply.

Even with my game knowledge, this was reality—a world based on game settings, not the actual game world.

The people here could feel pain and die just like me, so I should have provided something that could clearly reduce their suffering.

“What loyal citizens, enduring such hard labor without even numbing their nerves with alcohol.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

In this world, alcohol served more than just as a beverage.

Beyond being a simple disinfectant or painkiller, for those who couldn’t afford proper medicine, soaking raw medicinal ingredients in alcohol created reliable home remedies. It was closer to a medical supply that required periodic replacement.

“Should we build more breweries, then?”

“Rather than Amurtat City, it would make more sense to build them in Woodbury. Adventurers are gradually moving there, and construction workers are heavily stationed there.”

“Then look for sites in Woodbury. We need at least three large breweries like those in Amurtat.”

“Three… understood.”

*

Several days later.

Around the time I could hear Michaela preparing dinner, my aide presented me with documents.

“Regarding the brewery sites you mentioned earlier, prices have skyrocketed due to active new city development. I could only secure three locations. We could have purchased five at the previous rates…”

My aide clicked his tongue regretfully. Though the court was now transferring its role to the private sector, the inability to freely manipulate the economy was becoming a source of deep regret.

“But you still secured three locations. Don’t look so glum. Now Woodbury will have breweries too, which means more jobs.”

Using money earned from making alcohol to buy alcohol made in alcohol-producing places… what a perfect economic circle, isn’t it?

“By the way, Woodbury is starting to feel quite urban now. It reminds me of Amurtat in the past.”

“Is that so? Well, we had those days too.”

I can’t even remember what things looked like 25 years ago.

To be more honest, I don’t remember anything from before my head injury. Even an immortal monarch can’t remember everything.

“Are you there?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Tell the chamberlain to prepare an extra portion for dinner. I will dine with my aide today.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

I seated my aide, who was standing awkwardly, and called a servant to increase Michaela’s workload.

“Your Majesty?”

“Let’s have dinner together for a change. Or… have we eaten together before?”

“Hmm… we often shared bread and wine when working in Your Majesty’s office.”

“Could that be called a meal?”

“Functionally, perhaps. But this is the first time I’ve been offered a properly set table.”

“Then enjoy it.”

My old aide.

Fortunately, though he was old, he hadn’t gone bald, making him appear quite young for his actual age.

Well, being over 90 now, he’d look young no matter what.

It was quite a fresh experience to see how differently a person could appear based on whether they had hair or not.

“Now Amurtat has become the undisputed hegemon of the north.”

“We’ve come a long way indeed.”

“Yes. But we cannot stop.”

For a nation to continue existing, society must constantly circulate.

The rich becoming poor, the poor becoming rich, the old dying, and children being born—this circulation forms the spokes that support the great wheel of the nation.

But what happens if the rich stay rich, the poor stay poor, the old cling to life, and children cannot be born?

The wheel would instantly collapse under its own weight.

“Dinner is served.”

Though slightly delayed due to the additional portion, I didn’t blame Michaela.

Michaela was now over forty, but thanks to our regular sexual relations (with proper contraception, of course), she still maintained a girlish appearance.

Clatter. Clatter…

Various side dishes and the main course were quickly laid out on the table, and then Michaela sat beside me, waiting for us to finish our meal.

“Please, eat.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Having already concluded our business discussion, there was no reason to talk during the meal.

Besides, it would be against protocol for him, a subject, to speak first when I, the monarch, hadn’t opened my mouth.

Afterward, we finished our meal, and Michaela cleared the dishes and table before returning to her dining room.

“Did you enjoy the meal?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s consideration, this old man enjoyed a fine feast after a long time.”

“Well, you need to live long, don’t you?”

After offering him these kind words, I noticed it had become night. I refilled the inkwell, replaced the candles in the candlestick, and retired to bed.

And that night, Michaela extracted one more portion of energy from me than usual.