Chapter 60: Distilled Liquors (6)

It was really a coincidence when I saw it.

"Arthur, what are you eating?"

Arthur carried the oak barrel and bit into a "white fruit."

The round fruit on the bunch looked like grapes, but because the color was so white that I asked with a sense of disbelief.

But.

"...C-crunch, it's grapes."

The answer that came back was the word 'grapes.'

I tilted my head.

"I heard these days it's not easy to get grapes. Where did you source them from?"

As far as I know that recently in the empire, getting grapes is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack.

The vineyards have all been turned into a mess by the pests that came over from across the sea.

But Arthur replied as if it were no big deal.

"...Crunch, grapes, many. If you go to the tundra."

"Are you talking about the tundra in front of the Ice Mountains?"

Arthur answered by nodding his head. And I was a bit surprised.

The 'Tundra' was a frozen land near the Arctic, an area where monsters roamed.

This place is then adjacent to the Ice Mountains, an area where humans could not come and go due to the presence of monsters.

However, according to Arthur, various plants and fruits, in addition to grapes, are said to be growing in the tundra.

"...It was true."

Late in the evening, I, having arrived at the tundra, gazed in astonishment at the scene unfolding before my eyes.

The grand icy majesty of the mountain range seems to touch the sky and stretch endlessly unfolds before me.

The trees, laden with white fruits, were growing against that backdrop of the pristine mountain range, where everlasting snow that never melts had turned the its peaks white.

The moon hanging over the icy mountain gently illuminates the fruits hanging on it.

There lay was 'grapes' that, although different in color, was hard to find in the empire.

*

The empire had numerous vineyards.

However, if asked to name the best among them, the citizens of the Empire doesn't hesitate to mention the Northern Bordeaux region.

The cool breeze blowing in from the sea, the clear and clean water flowing in from the melting glaciers of the icy mountains. Even the blazing sun.

The Bordeaux region, where the Ice Mountains block the cold waves, was the optimal environment for growing grapes.

When the season of ripening grapes arrives, the Bordeaux region is completely dyed in shades of violet.

However, this year, there was not a hint of violet to be found.

"...Ha, I'm done for."

Looking at the vineyard that had turned into a wasteland, the elf named Ior hung her head sadly.

It had been nearly 200 years since Ior, who had run away from the Elf Forest because she loved grapes so much, settled in the Bordeaux region.

However, for Ior, who has been harvesting grapes in the Bordeaux region for 200 years, this was the first time experiencing such a dire situation.

Even during droughts when it didn't rain, and the eternal snow where everything freezes solid, preventing any water from flowing in, she didn't feel as hopeless as she did now.

"Ugh, filthy bastards."

Ior, upon discovering the green pest hopping around on the floor, crushed it in a fit of anger.

However, when she saw dozens of the same pests hopping behind it, light seemed to fade from her eyes.

"Sigh."

Ior, who had plopped down on the ground, let out a deep sigh.

If it were a natural problem, she would somehow solve it with the help of the spirits, but with these pests she felt helpless.

No matter how many times she killed them, it kept coming back and was even deadly to the grapevine.

The Elf Grape Association even held a bounty contest offering one million gold to anyone who could find a way to exterminate this pest, but no clear solution has emerged yet.

Even if it comes out, by that time, Ior would have already fell into ruin and be sitting out on the street.

"I'm done for."

As Ior frowned upon her approaching fate, worrying about the bleak future.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her head.

As she looked up in confusion, a young man with gray hair wearing a white robe was staring intently at her.

"Is this the Ior Vineyard?"

"Yes, that's right. I'm Ior."

Ior, thinking the young man was a guest who came to buy grapes, said with an apologetic face.

"If you came to purchase grapes, then I'm sorry, but there's nothing left."

She looked at the devastated vineyard with a sorrowful gaze.

"As you can see, there's no ripe grapes this year."

"I'm not here to get grapes."

"So what are you here for?"

'If he didn't come to the vineyard to get grapes, then what brought you here?'

As she observed him with a puzzled expression, an unexpected answer was uttered from the young man.

"I came here to help you with growing grapes."

"...Help me grow grapes?"

"Yes, I found a solution for the pests."

"!"

*

The young man revealed himself to be the wizard 'Yuri Grail' who came out of the White Tower.

"Oh, so you're the one who made the tofu!"

Although she lived in the countryside raising only grapes, Ior had heard rumors about Yuri's reputation.

Yuri, who developed tofu, was practically a celebrity amongst elven society.

But the joy of seeing a celebrity was short-lived; upon seeing the white grapes Yuri brought as a solution, Ior was left disappointed.

No wonder, since Ior has grown as many as 13 different types of grapes.

But all those grapes couldn't withstand the pests and died.

"Even if it's a new variety of grape, it would die quickly when it is mobbed by pests. I've experimented it myself too."

Ior, just in case, brought and planted disease-resistant grapes, but they were still infested by pests. Yet Yuri was undeterred.

"This grape variety should be fine."

Yuri transplanted the white grapevine he has brought to Ior's vineyard.

Ior thought it was a useless effort as she looked at it.

Because it was clear that in just a week, they would be overrun by pests and die.

And so, when a fortnight had passed, Ior was astonished.

"Uh, how..."

The grapevine that Yuri had planted was perfectly fine.

Although Ior was in charge, it was incomprehensible on how they were unharmed.

"How?"

To the astonished Ior, Yuri explained in a single sentence on why the grapevine remained intact.

"They're grapevines from the tundra."

*

Until the arrival of Guinness, wine was the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the empire.

No, even after Guinness appeared, the nobility enjoyed wine.

The nobles looked down on commoners and dwarves, calling them "people who only know beer," and considered wine to be their own refined hobby.

The empire had numerous expensive wines, and there were many nobles who're willing to buy them.

It was an era when wine soon equated to money.

The empire's vintners collected various grapevines to produce more expensive wines.

Of course, not only the grapevines that existed on the continent but also those brought over from across the sea were collected.

All the grapevines that exist in this world have taken root in the empire.

The problem was that when the grapevines were brought in, the pests that had been parasitizing those also entered the empire.

The pests of the grapevines that exist across the entire continent have gathered in one place.

It was nothing short of a 'pest party.'

Even the elf, known as the gardener of the continent, found it impossible to protect the grapevines from the attacks of these pests.

But I knew how to protect the grapes from pests.

Because this kind of thing happened in my past life too.

The secret lies in the root of the vine.

In Europe, where wine has developed, various grapevines were gathered to produce good-tasting wine, and when American grapevines were introduced, the pests that came with them annihilated the European grapes.

The 'roots' of the grapevine had been gnawed away.

In Europe, they sought a solution to this problem, and the answer was 'American grapevines.'

The roots of the American grapevine, the source of the pest, had a strong resistance to said pests.

Realizing this, the Europeans then grafted their own grapevine stems onto the roots of American grapevines.

The roots are American, but the grapes that grow on them have become European.

Meanwhile, the grapevines in the tundra belongs to a highly resistant variety.

The variety that survived despite enduring the harsh climate of the tundra and the magic of the beasts was the white grape. Compared to them, pests were nothing.

"If that's the case, then we might be able to continue cultivating grapes...!"

Ior cheered as she looked at the white grapes.

She cut the branches of the surviving grapevines and grafted them onto the tundra grapevines.

"Growl."

The polar bears brought the grapevines from the tundra, roots and all, and planted them in Ior's vineyard, so the grafting process went smoothly.

Because the grape farmers of the Bordeaux region helped with the work, it took only two weeks to complete the grafting.

The grapes that were losing their vitality were able to grow safely with the help of the white grapevine, and a smile bloomed on Ior's face.

"I think we can harvest the grapes!"

"Done, it's done!"

Even the faces of the farmers, who had been overwhelmed by the despair of not being able to harvest the grapes, were now filled with vitality.

But their joy didn't end there.

"What, what is this fruit...?!"

Ior was stunned when she tasted the fruit wine made from the grapes she had grown herself.

Ior had drunk countless fruit wines until now, but the fruit wine brought by Yuri was something even herself hasn't tasted before.

It was obvious.

The alcohol she drank wasn't ordinary fruit wine but a spirit made through distillation 'brandy.'

*

Recently, whiskey had been flourishing within the empire, but the elves showed no interest in it whatsoever.

To the elves who considered only "fruit wine" the best, dwarves and humans who brewed and drank alcohol from grains were incomprehensible beings.

These days, the elves' complaints has reached0 a boiling point because of some ignorant humans who secretly entered the Elven Forest tried to cut down trees without permission, claiming they needed to make barrels.

Naturally, the complaint was directed at the White Tower, which made the whiskey.

However, the elves couldn't bring themselves to voice their complaints.

"The new ear for fruit wine has arrived...!"

"Ah, I'm so happy."

At the White Tower, it was as if they had foreseen that this would happen, introducing them to a new fruit liquor called 'brandy.'

To the elves who lived immersed in fruit wine, brandy was an irresistible temptation.

The brandy, infused with sweet fruit aromas and refreshing floral scents, quickly pushed aside the existing fruit wines and spread like a trend throughout elven society.

The problem started from there.

The young elves started cutting down trees, claiming they needed to age the brandy.

The elves, who used to curse the humans for cutting down trees, found themselves in the absurd situation of cutting down the trees themselves.

"Heh, kids these days..."

An elf of short-stature clicked his tongue as he watched the young elves chopping down branches.

"You've been tainted by humanity."

The young elf, Elder Heindel, was displeased with the reckless behavior of the young elves producing barrels for fruit wine.

Fortunately, the young elves knew the line they should not cross, so they did not kill the tree.

During the pruning period, all that was done was cutting the branches.

Of course, they didn't even try getting close to the World Tree.

"Heindel, I've told you several times that there is no such thing as a World Tree..."

"It's noisy, so go back inside."

Heindel returned the earth spirit Gnome, his companion and contracted spirit.

The spirits did not understand the elves who revered the World Tree.

It was a remark made by someone who didn't know the gratitude owed to the World Tree, which had provided a foundation for life since the Elven race first appeared on this land.

"That fellow is back again."

Suddenly, as Heindel was gazing at the World Tree, an unexpected guest appeared before his eyes.

A dignified human man with a gentlemanly appearance approached Heindel, accompanied by his attendants.

"Excuse me again today."

"Are you here to investigate the ingredients again?"

"That's right." The safety of the Lukon fruit has not been fully confirmed yet.

Marquis Owen Summernut,

This man, who is the Minister of the Empire's Ministry of Magic, would tour the Elf Forest every month.

Because through inspection the 'safety' of elf-made goods, including those Lukon fruits, being imported into the empire was part of the many responsibilities of the Ministry of Magic.

Among of them also includes examining its growth process.

Although Elder Heindel wasn't pleased with Marquis Owen, who was circling the World Tree for inspection, he couldn't just kick him out either.

Even the elves of the forest, who were a forest-dwelling race, had to eat to survive, so trade with the empire was important.

Just in case customs were to be blocked, it could deal a heavy blow to elven society, so they were somewhat tolerating the investigation done by Marquis Owen.

But lately, it was also true that he had doubts about whether this guy was genuinely investigating.

"Today, I will only investigate the trees and finish."

"The trees as well?"

"The most widely circulated item in the empire is elf wood, isn't it?"

"I understand."

Heindel, glancing at Owen who was disappearing into the forest with his attendant, took a sip of brandy.

"...It does taste good."

The lingering sweet fruit scent tickled the tip of Heindel's nose, and his face relaxed languidly.

Heindel honestly understood why the young elves were so taken with brandy.

As Heindel leaned against the World Tree and sipped his brandy, he suddenly noticed the World Tree's branches sticking out messily.

"...."

Heindel, who had been looking around, stood up.

"Today, I will be pruning those branches for you."

Snap─

A branch of the World Tree was cut off.