Unavoidable, Alcohol (7)
…… And so, a week later.
“Asuma-sama! We did it! Look at this rainbow-like shine! Now this is truly worthy of the Saintess herself!”
“Whoa! That’s amazing…!”
Beaming from ear to ear, the craftsmen proudly showed me a complete set of accessories — a tiara, a necklace, and… uh, what’s this one? A decorative belt? So that’s a thing, huh. Makes sense.
“When you told us about that ‘heating trick,’ Asuma-sama, we tried all sorts of ways, but it turned out that using magic fire instead of a regular furnace gave us a much more stable color.”
I think their bright smiles weren’t just because they’d finished the job — it was because they’d succeeded.
Yeah. They’d managed to create titanium oxide film.
Titanium, as a metal, looks pretty dull on its own. Kind of a dark grayish silver, darker than ordinary silver.
But when you heat it, it oxidizes, and that oxide layer causes light interference — producing a whole range of colors. Just like soap bubbles.
Depending on the thickness of that oxide layer, the color changes. If you make the layer uniform, you get, say, “a completely blue metal.” But if you vary the thickness slightly, you can make it shimmer like a rainbow — a “soap-bubble-colored metal.”
… When I showed the craftsmen this metal called titanium, and how it turns rainbow-colored when oxidized by heating, they were thrilled.
“This is the one!” “It’s brand new, so let’s go with this!” “Looks fun, let’s do it!” “New tech!” they all said, totally fired up.
Gotta love that kind of enthusiasm — people who get excited about new stuff? My kind of folks.
And so, the “Titanium and Crystal Accessory Set” was completed — redesigned and made from scratch. And man, it turned out beautiful.
Since crystal is a colorless gemstone, using the metal’s color to make up for that works surprisingly well, apparently. They framed the crystals in fine, delicate metalwork so the rainbow hues wouldn’t overpower the design — making the crystal itself the star of the piece.
… Wait. Crystal?
“Hey, old man — these stones, are they actually ‘some kind of transparent gem that’s not quartz’?”
“Oh, yeah! Weirdly hard stuff, that was! But we managed somehow! Perfect finish, right!?”
… So it looks like this isn’t quartz at all. It’s diamond.
No wonder it’s so dazzling — the refractive index gives it away!
Still, how the heck did they even cut a diamond!?
Man, fantasy settings sure don’t hold back!
“Well, the Saintess’s outfit’s all white anyway, right? So this’ll match her perfectly!”
“Yeah, we really nailed this one!”
Setting aside the whole diamond-processing mystery, the craftsmen seemed thoroughly satisfied. I can’t wait to deliver this to the Saintess.
… If this gets her to side with Panis Village, that’d be a huge help.
Anyway.
“The offering for the Saintess is ready. We’ve asked Princess Laperesiana to deliver it to her. The craftsmen will keep producing accessories using our gemstones and titanium as the village’s specialty products. All right — everything’s going smooth, smooth…”
“You’re nervous, aren’t you? It’s okay, Asuma-sama. You don’t have to tremble so much…”
I was trembling so hard I’d basically turned into a vibrating phone, and Edele-san gently pulled me into a hug. Ah—my nerves and everything else just melted away… melting…
“Princess Laperesiana will handle the rest. Let’s just wait patiently.”
“Yeah… umm, Edele-san, you’re holding me like that, and now I’m getting sleepy…”
And now she started gently rocking me while still holding me! Stop! Don’t rock me to sleep!
If you hug me, warm me up, and rock me, I’m totally gonna pass out!
This grade-schooler body’s got no resistance to this kind of thing! Come on!
“You should rest, Asuma-sama. You’ve been spending a lot of time at the brewery lately, haven’t you?”
Ah, yeah… well, yeah. I have been busy lately.
While the craftsmen were working on titanium and diamond accessories, I had too much free time, so I started hanging around the brewery. When I heard, “The wine’s ready!” I went, “Then how about we try making brandy!?” Or I’d bring samples to the cafeteria like, “So how’s the wine taste!? I can’t drink, so I dunno!” … Basically, I’d been all over the place on the alcohol front.
If the jewelry business didn’t pan out, booze was going to be the village’s main industry anyway. Gotta diversify your investments, right?
“But I still wanna talk to the distillers about that herbal brandy with slime herbs, and check up on the fruit-tomato project, and see how the glass bottle production’s going, and then—”
“Nope! You’ve been working too hard! Time for a nap!”
… And that was that. I didn’t stand a chance.
With lightning-fast precision, Edele-san grabbed a towel blanket from nearby, wrapped me up like a burrito while still holding me, and started rocking again to lull me to sleep…
… and yeah, I lost. Totally conked out. Can you blame me? No one could fight that.
That day, everyone around me kept saying, “You need rest!” over and over, so I gave in and took it easy.
If I tried to sneak in any work, Edele-san would just put me to sleep again, so there was no escaping it.
With nothing else to do, I hung out at the cafeteria, relaxing and handing out freshly made wine and brandy to adventurers, asking for their opinions.
As for the wine — the general verdict was, “Pretty good, I’d say.”
Then again, adventurers probably aren’t exactly wine connoisseurs.
Honestly, anyone who eats honey off a knife probably isn’t the most reliable judge of flavor, you know?
… Anyway, the brandy, on the other hand, was a massive hit.
“Fragrant and super strong!” — that was the review.
Well, yeah — brandy’s supposed to age in barrels, so fresh out of the still, it’s probably got that harsh, punchy edge. I’ve never had alcohol myself, but I’m guessing it’s got that raw, fiery taste that smooths out with time.
Still, considering this world doesn’t really have distilled spirits yet, the high alcohol content alone might make it a huge sensation.
But that’s also risky — if people start thinking, “Distilled liquor is strong but not tasty,” that reputation will be hard to shake. First impressions matter, and I want ours to be perfect from the start…
So, I summoned Mishisia-san and Lisas-san. Sorry, but I need your help with this!
“Uhh, here’s the freshly made wine. And this one’s the freshly made brandy. Please, have a taste.”
“Wow! Smells amazing! Cheers!”
“Didn’t think I’d be drinking in broad daylight…”
Different reactions, but both were willing to try — which I appreciated.
… And then—
“Mmm… the wine’s really good. Must be from excellent grapes. It’s got a rich flavor, and the aroma’s lovely.”
“Yeah… this isn’t bad at all. You could serve this at the royal castle, no problem.”
“Nice! Guess all that breeding work paid off!”
The wine got glowing reviews — score one for me!
See, I knew that wine grapes have less water than table grapes, and that using drier, more flavorful varieties would make better wine, so I bred accordingly.
The table grapes, meanwhile, were their own success — big, juicy, and sweet.
… But anyway, the wine was a hit. The brandy, though—
“And this one—whoa! Delicious! It’s got a bit of a kick, but it’s not bad at all, Asuma-sama!”
“Gah—wh-what is this!? My throat’s on fire!”
While Mishisia-san smiled happily, Lisas-san started coughing violently. Yeah… figures.
He’s probably just not used to distilled liquor yet. I wouldn’t know, but still…
Also, seriously, how is Mishisia-san fine!?
“Asuma-sama! What is this stuff!?”
“Uh, it’s called distilled liquor. Probably about three times stronger than wine. If we let it age, it’ll mellow out more.”
“I-I see… terrifying stuff…”
“Aw, but it’s such a tasty drink! Asuma-sama, can I have another?”
… Lisas-san and I exchanged a look that clearly said, “Isn’t she the scary one here, not the booze?”
But Mishisia-san, blissfully unaware, just smiled away.
Yeah, please, stay that way forever.
“Well… I guess, now that I know what it is, I could drink it, maybe… but still, sorry, it’s just too strong for me.”
“I see~...”
The adventurers were reacting like, “This is fine as it is!” but really, the general sensibilities are probably closer to Lisas-san’s. Which means, for brandy to become widely accepted… it’d need at least a year, two, maybe three years of aging. Even then, popularization might still be tough… Should I focus on marketing it to adventurers rather than nobles?
Or maybe… I could get some aged and unaged liquors from towns, analyze their components, and then use dungeon power to give Panis brandy the same effect…?
“Hmm… hey, Asuma-sama. Can I have one of those tomatoes?”
While I was lost in thought, Mishisia-san spoke up.
Here, “tomato” means the recently bred fruit tomatoes that have gotten absurdly sweet. This isn’t really a tomato anymore—it’s something like… a fruit!
“Sure, go ahead. You need a snack with that, right… hmm?”
I was watching, expecting Mishisia-san to just have a tomato as a snack with her next drink… but no. She crushed the fruit tomato and started dropping it into the brandy glass.
… Oh?
“This tomato’s super sweet and fragrant, right? Mixing it in should mellow the alcohol’s harshness! It’ll also bring out extra flavor and sweetness, making it easier to drink!”
Ah… I see now. The experience from that Bloody Mary experiment is paying off here. Makes sense…
“Yeah! It’s delicious! The flavor’s a bit heavy, but… oh! What if we turn it into a fruit liqueur instead? I bet it’d be great!”
…Y eah.
It’s good to have companions with both general sensibilities and specialized ones.
“Right! Then, let’s use that ‘Delicious Magic’ thing we found with Generic-kun the other day! Let’s put it on!”
“That’s a bit… I’d rather not risk weird dependencies…”
“Still, as a talking point, it could get attention, couldn’t it…?”
“Ehh… even Lisas-san’s saying that!?”
… And that’s why a voice of reason like me is important. Absolutely vital. Otherwise, we could end up making booze that’s basically a drug!
So, the new brandy was temporarily turned into fruit liqueur using tomatoes and grapes. If those work out, we’ll try other fruits from town too.
Mishisia-san said, “Even just a day of soaking can make a difference, so let’s taste it again tomorrow!”
Lisas-san got pretty drunk on just one glass of brandy, but he’ll have to try it again tomorrow. That’s rough…
Well, it seems there’s now a path forward for the brandy. I can relax a bit and keep at it gradually.
… Or so I thought, one particular day.
“Lisas! Are you here!?”
We were eating in the cafeteria when a sudden, commanding voice cut through the air, and everyone looked toward the entrance.
“Princess Laperesiana!? What brings you here!? Coming in person…!”
Yes! Princess Laperesiana herself had arrived! I was completely shocked—didn’t expect her to come directly!
We moved to a more private spot… my temporary residence. I wondered if it was okay to have a princess here, but… well, there’s a slime, so that should be fine.
“Now, regarding the accessories — they’ve been very well received.”
“Yes!”
Princess Laperesiana smiled broadly as she said this. Success!
“The Saintess herself was particularly delighted. She looked very charming and pleased.”
I see… so the Saintess is adorable? Well, Princess Laperesiana is elegant, so I guess most people look cute in comparison.
“… Even in the Grand Cathedral, there were comments like, ‘Perhaps it wasn’t a mistake for the craftsmen to move their base to Panis Village.’”
“The results exceeded expectations!”
Even the response beyond the Saintess herself! Amazing, titanium! And diamonds! And of course, the craftsmen’s power!
“… However, there’s a bit of a problem.”
Of course, it wasn’t all celebration. I had a feeling something like this would happen.
“The Saintess’s desire to visit Panis Village is fine… but there are opinions saying, ‘A village beyond the voice of God is dangerous.’ Some even foolishly suggest purging it.”
“Ah… crap.”
Purging. I see… So it’s really time to gear up completely, huh?
“As a member of the royal family, I also had to speak out: ‘What right do you have to purge a village of innocent people who neither sin nor cause harm?’ Lately, the Church’s actions have been outrageous. The king must govern. The Church is even challenging that principle. I’ve discussed this with the First Prince before.”
Ah, so Princess Laperesiana addressed it herself. Good.
Yes, I think separating church and state is important. Otherwise, things go very wrong — my otherworldly knowledge proves that.
But…
“As a result… they’ve fallen into the Second Prince’s faction.”
… That was totally unexpected!
“They willingly joined the losing side!? No way!”
“Well, that was the only faction with royal allies. Still… the Church’s backing is tricky. To make the First Prince win, we’ll have to handle not just the Second Prince, but the Church as well.”
Whoa! Princess Laperesiana’s being dragged right into this! Aaaah!
I was panicking, but Princess Laperesiana said:
“However, this is a good opportunity. If we can settle everything at once, that’s for the best.”
She took a sip of herbal tea that Mishisia-san offered, exhaling gently. Watching that, I thought:
“… Can we really just settle the Church?”
She blinked, then smiled softly.
“Hmm… difficult. I would like to resolve it, yes. Their blessings are known only to them, and many villages rely on them. So we can’t erase them completely.”
Ah, that makes sense. Not everywhere can do Panis-style slime farming, so villages probably still want the Church’s ‘blessings.’
But requiring large donations or leaving the blessings entirely at the Church’s discretion is definitely a problem. That’s a big issue.
“However… at least, if it’s no longer the state religion with royal backing, it could become a modest religious faction. That would be acceptable. Removing ‘state’ or ‘church’ is tricky, though.”
“Yes.”
Right. If the Church loses state support and becomes a humble sect, fine.
If it becomes entirely absorbed into the state and loses its religious nature, turning into a technical organization — fine as well. Makes sense.
“Of course, the excuse doesn’t exist yet. Once your brother, the Second Prince, wins the throne, I want you to deal with it first.”
… So, having the excuse is what matters, right?
“All right, Princess Laperesiana. I have a request!”
I knelt in front of her. She asked about my odd posture, then knelt with me. Such a kind person!
“Send the corrupt upper ranks to Panis Village. The Saintess can come too, if you like. But have someone as a monitor and reporter. Your Highness can do it too.”
Putting aside the posture, my request was simple: “Turn Panis Village into a mixed chaos venue, at least for now.”
“Hmm… many want to see Panis Village. Some out of goodwill, some out of malice…”
“Exactly! And those with malice are the ones who want to come the most! Send all of them here!”
Princess Laperesiana tilted her head, “Hmm…?” But I said:
“There’ll be some trouble, so handle it as you see fit…”
She was a bit stunned.
“Uh… we’re expecting to produce some really tasty alcohol.”
“… Huh?”
Yeah, that makes sense. I didn’t expect that either.
So we’re actually going to implement Mishisia-san’s idea — the ‘Delicious Magic-Enhanced Brandy’!
What do you think about this chapter?
