To brew beer in the Bardo domain, I first needed to train craftsmen.
So, I held a public recruitment for beer brewers in the Bardo domain. Over a hundred people applied.
“I never expected there would be this many applicants.” “I’m surprised too.” “It’s because Deuro is the god of alcohol, and Thomas is his apostle, which they must have heard about.” “Is my reputation really that widespread?” “Hahaha. The Bardo domain is well-known as the birthplace of Apostle Thomas. People here are eagerly waiting for you to come back to the territory.”
So, that’s how it is. I hadn’t actively spread the faith in Bardo domain, so this was surprising.
“The temple has also started constructing a new shrine, just because it’s the birthplace of Thomas. It’s said to be as grand as the main shrine.” “Wait, I didn’t know about that.” “I couldn’t refuse the construction of a temple for Thomas, so I gave my approval.”
What?! I never imagined something like that was happening.
“The temple is selling holy liquor, Affelpop, and focusing lamps to the faithful. It seems their coffers are getting quite full.”
The focusing lamps are sold through the temple. The temple in Ashwood Domain buys them all and handles distribution and everything else. The Rocksfall family’s finances are quite healthy because of this. However, Affelpop is only being sold at a 20% priority rate. I know they are buying up all the Affelpop sold to general merchants, but to think they are selling it to the faithful…
I just want everyone to enjoy it, so I hope they don’t engage in overly greedy business practices.
The conversation shifted, but I decided to hire ten beer craftsmen.
A local deputy in Bardo Domain would select ten candidates and send them to the capital.
“Thomas, let’s go shopping together.”
I hadn’t been shopping in a while, so I readily agreed to my mother’s suggestion.
Grandfather would take care of things, while my mother, Ziegwald, grandmother, my mother’s personal maid Lulka, grandmother’s personal maid Diana, and my personal maid Lara all climbed into one carriage.
My grandmother, mother, and I sat together, while the personal maids sat in front. Ziegwald was happily sitting on my grandmother’s lap.
Normally, the carriage feels spacious, but with seven people inside, it was a bit cramped. It could still fit a couple more people, though.
The carriage was surrounded by five knights from the Rocksfall family, five from the Beyerline family, and five from the temple.
The first stop was, of course, clothes. As soon as we entered the store, the women (including the maids) started picking fabrics.
Holding Ziegwald, I realized just how long women’s shopping for clothes could take.
“Big Brother.” “What’s wrong?” “I need to pee.” “Ah, okay…”
Where’s the restroom?
The store employee showed me to the restroom, where I helped Ziegwald relieve himself.
Since noble families frequented this store, the restroom was of high quality. The toilet was angled with a gentle stream of water flowing.
The larger toilet was also a flushing one, but in Ashwood Domain’s mansion, the large toilet was still a pit latrine, with waste used as fertilizer.
After returning from the restroom, the women’s shopping continued. With nothing else to do, I took Ziegwald in my arms again and began looking at the fabrics.
The materials for noble clothing were generally silk. However, high-quality fabrics sometimes used monster materials. Among them, the thread from Festalspiders was a premium material called “Festals Fabric,” prized for its feel and appearance. It was extremely expensive and highly sought after. Honestly, I wasn’t interested, but I heard this store didn’t carry it.
“Festals Fabric only comes in once every few years, and it’s not uncommon for there to be no stock for over ten years.”
I had seen Festalspiders deep in the Ashwood Domain forests. However, since they were spider-shaped magic beasts and no one ate them, they were rarely hunted. Even when they were hunted, the webs weren’t brought back.
The threads of Festalspiders were harvested from their nest, similar to silkworms’ cocoons, but those nests were located in dangerous cliffs, so no one dared to harvest them. Life was more valuable.
It took two hours for the women to choose their fabrics… and after that, they had to select the dress designs, making it a true trial for a man.
“Big Brother, I’m hungry.” “We’ll be done soon…”
I didn’t want to make cute Ziegwald suffer from hunger, but I didn’t have the courage to enter that room again.
“Oh, I know. How about some candy?”
“Yay!”
I took out some candy from the interdimensional warehouse and gave it to Ziegwald.
“Yummy.”
Ziegwald’s mood improved a little. I just wanted it to be over soon, Mother.
However, while Captain Suzanna and the other knights stood completely still, I couldn’t maintain that posture for hours. What incredible mental strength they had.
By the time we left the store, I was extremely tired, but the women were all satisfied.
For lunch, we went to a restaurant that my grandmother knew. Of course, no restaurant would refuse my grandmother.
After lunch, we visited a jeweler named Tifas Bulgar.
“This is Lord Rocksfall! And the Duchess of Beyerline, the Lady of Rocksfall, welcome!”
Tifas occasionally visited our mansion to buy jewels.
“Today, I’d like to request some jewelry designs.”
“Designs, you say?”
“I’ll provide the gems, but I’d like you to create designs that would suit my mother, grandmother, Duchess Teresia of Beyerline, Miss Rosemary, Lord Louis of the Rittenheim Baronage, and Miss Thalia.”
“Not just for me, but also for Teresia and Rosemary?”
“Of course. Please make whatever jewelry you like, Grandma.”
“I’m so happy. Thank you, dear.”
If I only gifted jewelry to my mother and grandmother, Teresia and the others might feel left out. Plus, since they are all close to me, I couldn’t leave out Louis and Thalia. If I left Thalia out, I’d be hearing complaints later.
“So, you’re providing the gems, and entrusting the design and production of the jewelry to us, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“I understand.”
Tifas happily accepted the request.
My mother wanted a necklace, and my grandmother wanted a bracelet. I passed on their design preferences, and left the rest to Tifas for the other four.
“Thank you, Thomas.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing them finished.”
“Seeing my mother and grandmother smile makes me very happy as well. Right, Ziegwald?”
“Yes!”
