Ch.118Wine (1)

After Lord Malachi Falten, a mid-level mage blinded by the ancient technological treasure before his eyes, had recklessly made promises that I ended up accepting…

-Click, whirrrr.

Lord Falten reached into his coat lining—which I suspected contained some kind of space-expanding power similar to my magic backpack—and pulled out something resembling a document case. From this case, he proceeded to extract a vast array of items and began his “work.”

‘…Is that what they call an automaton?’

Wooden dolls that made sounds like winding clockwork when you stood near them—automatons that appeared to be work assistants—walked out of the case carrying equipment.

To put it in perspective, he laid out all sorts of magical tools resembling various machine tools like lathes and presses, instantly forming a workshop. He then drew magical circles in the air, gradually completing what would be a workshop in the magical sense as well.

For a mage, a workshop is literally a “workshop” where magical research is conducted and magical tools are crafted, but it can also refer to a quasi-dimensional space created using barriers and the like.

Of course, the dimensional space he set up here wasn’t so much a fortress-like place, but rather closer to a tool that assisted in remotely supplying magical power to internal facilities.

Considering that planting such a fortress on someone else’s land would be practically equivalent to a declaration of war, it would not be strange to describe it as something closer to a taboo.

“Lord Malachi Falten. Then… shall I lend you this entire warehouse?”

“Of course, Lord Alzar. I sincerely express my gratitude for your accommodation.”

After observing him for a moment, I indicated my willingness to provide him with as much convenience as possible while preparing to leave.

At this point, there was obviously nothing more I could contribute by staying.

※ ※ ※

And so, while the golem armor was being repaired by the expert’s delicate touch…

Naturally, I was also busy with various matters of my own.

Currently, I act as a judge in minor disputes and quarrels in the village, train my apprentice Pierre, spar with Hannah, handle various tasks with Charlotte, and visit Lord Lucius and Gretel.

Thanks to this schedule that practically required me to be in two places at once, I still managed to find time to finally resolve the village’s long-standing wish for alcohol supply after much deliberation.

In fact, in medieval fantasy society, alcohol holds value beyond simply drinking and getting intoxicated.

First, it’s virtually the only luxury item accessible to ordinary commoners, so supplying it reduces social discontent.

Despite all the social problems alcohol brings, frankly speaking, it’s about a million times better than smoking opium or inhaling cannabis smoke.

…Considering that unauthorized supply of special narcotics is typically facilitated through pleasure cult members, such measures (legalizing alcohol) also have the effect of hindering the expansion of cult influence.

Additionally, alcohol raises body temperature when consumed during cold winters, and strong spirits can be used as fuel.

Also, most water sources from the western continent’s bedrock contain limestone, making the water quite cloudy and thick. Vinegar made from wine is often used to neutralize this limestone water to make it easier to drink.

People simply prefer alcohol, which is easier to drink and tastes better, over the bland and tough limestone water.

Furthermore, in the Holy Empire, beer is so commonly used as a meal substitute that they even have foods like “beer soup” made with thick, cloudy beer rich with solid ingredients.

In any case, alcohol is an indispensable element in human society and in this current society, and I’ve made it possible to supply this element.

For starters, beer supply will naturally occur once agricultural land is released to individuals.

To modern people, beer typically brings to mind lagers or ales made with barley and hops, with wheat beer feeling somewhat different.

But in this current era, “beer” mostly refers to the broader concept of “alcoholic beverages made by fermenting grains.”

It can be made from oats, rye, wheat, barley—pretty much any grain—and the production methods vary greatly, making it extremely difficult to define precisely.

Some might claim that alcohol-containing porridge-like substances made from fermented bread is beer, and though rare, there are cases where properly distilled spirits are called beer.

Basically, any alcohol made by fermenting grains is considered beer, and I don’t really have justification to regulate this level of quality… the home-brewed level of cloudy alcohol.

Cloudy alcohol—drinks with solid particles—of course serves as an alcoholic beverage, but in pre-modern society, it also firmly serves as a meal substitute.

Beyond helping people endure hard labor with the power of alcohol, most pre-modern alcoholic beverages (cloudy drinks) are of terribly low quality due to insufficient production techniques.

Of course, if you properly use brewing equipment and distillation, you can produce decent alcohol, but how great could the quality of home-brewed beers really be?

Most have floating particles or feel thick, and some are deliberately made thick for consumption as food.

Even in Joseon, which prohibited alcohol due to concerns about grain waste, cloudy alcohol was exempted for these very reasons… or so my memory tells me.

Anyway, while the immediate issue of alcohol supply is being somewhat resolved, there are still aspects that remain slightly inadequate.

Specifically, unlike the previously mentioned alcohol, there’s the matter of fruit wines (wine) and distilled spirits that require proper brewing facilities.

For wines made from fruits (not just grapes, but any fermented fruit drinks often called wine)… there’s no one who knows how to make them, and fruits aren’t abundant enough to use for this purpose.

Moreover, in a situation where we might not have enough grain for self-sufficiency, cultivating fruit varieties used for wine production carries significant risk in many ways…

Similarly, producing distilled spirits, which require high grain consumption, is not a wise choice when food shortages are likely.

However, despite the solid demand for distilled spirits and fruit wines, there’s no way to distribute them in the village when we can’t afford to import wine.

“Gretel, are you there?”

“Y-Yes! Yes! I’m coming out!”

So I called for Gretel, who was working in her workshop guarded by two gargoyles in statue form at the entrance, to propose using magic that might solve this complex problem.

“What? So… you’re asking if my candy-making magic can make alcohol…?”

“That’s right, Miss Gretel. Your marvelous magic should be more than capable of it.”

The proposal was to produce alcohol through her “candy-making magic” that she still uses occasionally.

This “candy-making magic” that Gretel uses isn’t just about making butter cookies—it actually encompasses an incredible meaning.

This is because the “candy-making magic” shapes magical energy—a highly non-material energy—into a form that, although illusory, has taste and provides a slight sense of fullness.

To put it in real-world terms, it’s like turning sand into rice grains or pinecones into grenades—completely absurd.

In fact, when I asked Lord Falten, a mid-level mage, about it a few days ago, he was utterly astonished. This could be described as a characteristic unique to a witch’s spell, which has almost no set formula.

Anyway, back to the main point.

“W-Well then… I’ll try…”

“Excellent thinking, Miss Gretel. Here’s a sample. Please use it as a reference when you enjoy it with your father.”

After watching Gretel accept my proposal after some consideration, I handed her a bottle of Charmant vintage wine that I had been saving for special occasions.

…Let’s ignore that feeling of being watched like a thief from somewhere.

※ ※ ※

And, some time later…

Word came from Gretel that she had completed the “wine-making magic.”