Autumn arrived, and Jin and Lam’s horse barley liquor production had achieved notable stability in quality. Currently, the two brew one barrel of horse barley liquor every day.
The production process for horse barley liquor involves several steps:
- Steaming process: Steaming the horse barley — ensuring proper elasticity post-steaming is critical.
- Layering process: Sprinkling sake malt every 5 cm of steamed horse barley — uniform thickness and distribution are essential.
- Initial stirring: Stirring to promote primary fermentation — requires delicate handling.
- Heavy stirring: Stirring to promote the main fermentation — vigorous mixing is necessary.
The two clearly demonstrated distinct strengths and weaknesses, so I proposed a division of labor. Jin, with his dexterity, took charge of checking the elasticity after steaming and performing the initial stirring. Lam, adept at heavy lifting, handled the heavy stirring. They collaborated on the remaining tasks.
As for me, I brew one barrel (approximately 90 liters) every five days, amounting to 72 barrels per year. So far, all of mine have been premium-grade sake. Jin and Lam, producing 360 barrels a year, started with 80% second-grade and 20% first-grade sake. Recently, their output has evened out to 50% for each grade.
To their delight, they managed to produce one premium-grade barrel. I still remember how they hugged each other in joy when it happened. While their production is steadily improving, my hope is to see at least 30% of their output reach premium grade. It hasn’t even been a year since they started, so this level of success is already commendable.
One day, something remarkable happened — I gained a little brother! A chubby, red-faced little bundle of joy.
“Waaaah! Waaaah!”
“Oh, are you hungry? Hehe,” my mother cooed.
Unlike before, my mother is now eating properly, and her milk production is sufficient. I’m relieved that my brother won’t have to endure the hardships I faced back then.
My brother’s name is Siegward. His presence has brightened up the entire estate. Everyone, from my parents to the staff, is completely taken with him.
“Master, a messenger from the Lightstar Marquisate has arrived.”
“I see. Siegward, I’ll see you later.”
The mention of the Lightstar Marquisate froze Father’s expression. I’ve heard that the current head, Badras, succeeded after the previous lord retired. The aftermath of that succession allowed Father to take in Mother and me.
Curious about the messenger’s purpose, I discreetly peered around the corner. The messenger’s face was familiar — Pernia, Badras’s sycophant, who had insulted me on several occasions.
I couldn’t eavesdrop on their conversation from the study, but Pernia left after about 15 minutes, clearly in a foul mood.
Knocking on Father’s door, I asked hesitantly, “Father…?”
“Ah, Toma . Come in.”
Peeking through the door crack, I saw Father gesturing for me to enter.
“What did the messenger want…?”
“Oh, nothing significant. Why aren’t you at the brewery today?”
His tone was gentle as usual, but I sensed an undercurrent of unease.
“I’m going, but… was it because of me?”
“Don’t be silly. What could you have done wrong? The Lightstar Marquisate’s business doesn’t concern you. Don’t worry about it.”
“…”
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were imposing unreasonable demands. But what could a child like me do? I could only hope Father wasn’t overextending himself.
At the brewery, I worked on the liquor production, focusing on the heavy stirring.
“Hey, Toma , is this good?”
Ben, one of the heavy-stirring team members, called out. He’s invaluable in this task. Today, since there was steaming involved, he skipped dungeon exploration but often works on the liquor before heading into the dungeon.
“Toma , could you check the finished horse barley liquor?”
“Coming!”
Jin called me over to inspect the batch. We used three sections of the old mine as breweries. I worked in one, while Jin and Lam used the other two. Each barrel was meticulously labeled with its production date.
Lam opened the lid of a barrel prepared 45 days ago. While adults could peer inside directly, I had to climb a step ladder to get a look.
“—Analyze and Display Information!”
So close! The alcohol content was 51%. The taste was excellent, but for premium-grade designation, it needed to reach 55%.
“This is very close to premium grade! You’re both doing excellent work. Just keep refining your craft day by day.”
“Thank you!” they replied in unison.
I’d witnessed the immense effort they put in — blood, sweat, and tears. This progress is no surprise to me.
