Lord Dardale hesitated for a moment before speaking, as if the words were difficult to say.
“Would it be possible for you to supply alcohol to the temple as well?”
“You mean the ‘Horse King’ wine?”
“Ah, well, actually, if it’s not too much trouble, we were hoping you could create a new kind of alcohol specifically for temple use.”
Though he claimed it was hard to say, he said it rather boldly.
“A new kind of alcohol, huh…”
Father frowned deeply again.
Creating a new type of alcohol is no easy task. It seems he thinks it’s a simple request.
“Toma , is it possible?”
“I can’t guarantee success, but I think it’s doable.”
I wouldn’t guarantee it, but I wasn’t planning to fail either.
“However, I cannot agree to making it exclusively for the temple.”
“And why is that?”
“The power granted to me by Deuro-sama is meant to be used for the benefit of many. Reserving it solely for the temple would go against Deuro-sama’s will.”
“I see. My apologies for the suggestion. I withdraw it.”
He backed down surprisingly quickly.
“In that case, I have another proposal. Toma -sama mentioned that creating a new type of alcohol is possible.”
“…Yes.”
Didn’t he just withdraw?
“In that case, would it be possible for the temple to purchase, let’s say, half—no, even a third of the new alcohol produced, as a priority? Of course, we are willing to pay a higher price than the other buyers.”
He shifted from exclusivity to a priority right. The trick here seems to be not asking for the entire stock.
“I’ll discuss it with my father and get back to you.”
“Please do give it positive consideration. Also, as for the initial costs of producing the new alcohol, the temple would be happy to cover them. At least allow us to do that much.”
“I’ll also discuss that with my father before responding.”
The temple, which venerates the divine envoy who usurped Deuro-sama’s seat as the main deity, could very well be my enemy. Still, I can’t afford to antagonize the temple at this moment.
No, perhaps this is an opportunity. I could establish Deuro-sama’s influence within the temple. As an apostle, I should hold some degree of influence there. If I can increase the number of Deuro-sama’s followers within the temple, I might be able to avoid unnecessary conflicts.
As a first step, I’ll bring Lord Dardale over to my side. Using the new alcohol for this purpose seems like a good idea. Then, leveraging the alcohol as a bridge, I can gradually spread Deuro-sama’s influence within the temple.
Heh heh heh. This is quite a brilliant plan, if I do say so myself!
After consulting with Father, I decided to allocate 20% of the new alcohol’s production to the temple. However, this would apply to only one type of the new alcohol, not all varieties we might create.
“That’s perfectly acceptable. Thank you very much,” Lord Dardale accepted without hesitation. Perhaps he had considered 20% as a reasonable compromise from the beginning. This old lady is not to be underestimated.
“Toma -sama, it seems you already have an idea for the new alcohol. Could you share a little about it, if it’s not too much trouble?”
“Well, I had initially hoped to use ingredients produced here in the Ashud territory, like with Horse King wine, but unfortunately, I haven’t discovered anything suitable. So, I’m considering using ingredients produced in nearby territories.”
“A very logical decision.”
“The ingredient I have my eye on is a fruit called Apo, grown in the Axel territory.”
Apo is a fruit similar to apples in my previous life. It’s harvested in late autumn to early winter, aged for a time, and then sold. I’ve eaten it a few times, and when aged, it becomes very sweet with a pleasant tartness—a truly delicious fruit.
“The Apo from the Bayerlein Duke’s lands? Oh, I adore Apo. Ohohoho.”
“I love Apo, too. Hahaha.”
Haha. Let’s just laugh along.
“Now then, Toma , about the Apo. How much do you need?”
“For the initial trial, about one ton should suffice.”
One ton is quite a bit, but not excessively so. Apo is a fruit that stores well, and I’ve heard it’s in high demand. Its storability also makes it ideal for long-distance trade.
If securing a ton proves difficult, I’ll settle for as much as I can get.
One day, word arrived that a messenger from the Bayerlein Duke would be visiting in three days.
