Chapter 62: Prohibition (1)

Holy Water.

I simply considered it to be 'alcohol,' but for the people of the otherworld, holy water held much greater value than I had originally thought.

Holy water which is used to heal wounds, a material for potions, and is generally used in most church rituals, was a revered to be a 'sacred' substance to the people of the otherworld.

And the organization that established this sacred image of holy water was none other than the 'Church.'

The Church deemed the alcohol used to disinfect wounds as aligning with their values and had been branding it as 'holy water' for hundreds of years.

The distilled spirits instantly transformed the sacred image of holy water, created through such management and effort, into the image of 'holy water = alcohol.'

The imperialists has now reached a point where saying "holy water" naturally elicits the response, "Isn't that alcohol?"

'The Church wouldn't look kindly upon this.'

Sure enough, as soon as I poured the brandy, the saint came out to find me.

It was a visit that you couldn't help but understand the reason for, even without asking.

"You came here because of the distilled spirits, didn't you?"

"That's right. Distilled spirits."

I recalled the dozens of responses I had prepared for today.

I was ready to counter anything that came out of the saint's mouth.

Indeed, the words that came from the saint's mouth were within the realm of expectations.

"I came because of Fairy Coke."

"Just as I thought."

"Yes, that's right."

Fairy Coke.

Fairy Coke, a Cocktail made by mixing whiskey with cola, is a drink that polar bears go crazy for.

However, some old-fashioned priests did not welcome the emergence of Fairy Coke.

That makes sense because the initial image of 'cola' wasn't favorable.

There were various rumors, saying it was the excrements of demons or the product of black magic.

Mixing such a dark beverage with 'holy water' was bound to elicit a negative response from the Church.

They were talking a lot among the congregation, saying that the 'purity' of the holy water had been tarnished.

As expected, the saint pointed that out.

"His Holiness the Pope is very interested in Fairy Coke."

"Even the Pope?"

It was just as I was about to fall into deep contemplation upon hearing that even the Pope had joined in.

"Yes, he was so impressed that he decided to give Fairy Coke a 'baptism'."

"...What?"

"Hehe, were you surprised?"

The saint chuckled softly, as if finding my flustered reaction amusing.

But I still had to be dumbfounded.

Baptism is the rite that causes a non-believer to be reborn as a child of God.

In other words, it was about the church acknowledging the 'Fairy Coke.'

"Why?"

Not knowing the reason, I tilted my head in confusion.

"Why is the Pope trying to baptize Fairy Coke?"

"It seems he highly values peace between races."

"Peace?"

What kind of peace?

"Hehe, you're quite humble Yuri."

"?"

The saint gave a benevolent smile at my expression of confusion.

"The video of the polar bears who invaded the Blue Magic Tower were seen drinking Fairy Coke and reconciling was watched by myself, His Holiness the Pope, and all the cardinals."

"...."

"Everyone was deeply moved by that video. Of course, I feel the same way."

The polar bears' migration was so sudden that it even woke me up from my slumber.

Therefore, except for a very small number of the Blue Tower officials who knew the truth, everyone believed that the purpose of the polar bears' southward movement was the "invade the Blue Tower."

"No one would ever think that the entire race's goal would come down just to drink a Fairy Coke."

Even I found it hard to believe, even though I saw it with my own eyes.

However, it seemed that the Pope, who happened to see this, misunderstood it as a scene where the polar bears and the Blue Tower made a dramatic reconciliation with just one fairy Coke.

"He was so impressed that he decided to baptize Fairy Coke on the spot."

─I must have been blind all this time. Holy water can't be the only gift bestowed by God.

It is said that the Pope had an opportunity to reflect once again on the purity of the holy water he mentioned.

"He reflects often."

Previously, he had gelato and then initiated reforms.

This new Pope had an open mind.

Well, if hundreds of polar bears came in, had a drink, and then switched to making reconciliations, I would be moved too.

Although it was absurd, realizing that the saint's visit was not to held me accountable, I asked with a much more at ease heart.

"Then the reason you came isn't just for the Fairy Coke's baptism."

"You're quite perceptive."

She nodded in agreement.

"How much do you know about the 'monasteries,'?"

"I understand it to be a places for praying to God."

If the Church is a place to spread the teachings of God to people, a monastery was solely a place to offer prayers to God.

The monastery that did not engage in evangelism was located outside the city and also served as a 'rest stop' providing lodging and meals to travelers.

For travelers, the indispensable 'rest stop' in this otherworld was the monastery.

"You know it well."

The saint smiled gently.

"Besides that, the monastery is also a place where 'holy water' is made."

The holy water of the church is all made in the monastery.

And to create holy water, 'funds' were inevitably necessary.

Since money was needed for the church's relief activities, the monastery has been selling items that could generate income, such as 'wine' and 'beer.'

"But as the vineyards collapse, the monasteries found themselves in a precarious situation."

The saint did not speak, but this was deeply connected to me.

Most of the items sold at the monastery have been upgraded to 'superior alternatives' by me.

Decisively, as the grape farming failed, the monasteries found themselves on the brink of bankruptcy.

Although the grapes had recovered, the monastery's wine did not sell because it was overshadowed by fairy whiskey.

It wasn't my intention, but it ended up threatening the monastery's existence.

Therefore, it was not difficult to guess the reason why the saint spoke cautiously.

"You want to know how to make distilled spirits."

"...I know it's a difficult request. So, there's no need to go out of your way to accommodate me."

Distilled liquor was bringing a lot of income to our White Tower.

Even the saint, knowing that, asked me for it but didn't seem to have high expectations.

There won't be anyone who wishes for a competitor to appear.

However.

"I'll tell let you."

The saint's eyes widened like a rabbit's.

"...You mean you're going to teach me how to make distilled spirits?"

"Yes. Instead, there will be conditions."

"What is it?"

"The monastery's ledger must be transparently disclosed."

Before Guinness beer appeared, some monasteries sold 'Gruit' at a high price.

This was merely an exception in some monasteries, but there was no guarantee that it wouldn't apply to distilled spirits as well.

Therefore, I made the transparent disclosure of the accounts a condition.

"Is that really all it takes?"

"Yes."

The saint seemed surprised by such trivial conditions, but I also wanted the disclosure of the distillation method.

That way, distilled spirits using various grains from each region will be produced.

"Our Magic Tower can't handle all the demand either."

It was impossible to meet the entire empire's demand with only the holy water produced in the Blue Tower.

To meet this demand, the cooperation of the monasteries that produces holy water was essential.

Because all the countless monasteries scattered across the continent were essentially 'distilleries.'

If I just let them know, the monasteries will start distilling spirits right away.

Of course, it won't have a significant impact on our sales.

"Of course, the aging levels are different."

Aria's aging technique wasn't something you could just imitate because you wanted to.

"...Ah."

The surprised saint quickly got up from her seat and expressed her gratitude to me.

"On behalf of the Church, I sincerely thank you Yuri Grail."

To Yusephine, who bowed politely, a noble dignity befitting the term "saint" was felt.

But what was reflected behind such visage was just a curious girl.

"Up to this point, it was a matter of the Church, and my personal matters are separate."

"?"

"Can I try a Fairy Coke?"

"Fairy Coke?"

Yusephine blushed shyly.

"...I was really curious about what it would taste like for the Polar Bear to drink and enjoy it."

"I see."

I chuckled softly, stood up, and brought back the fairy whiskey.

It was a fairy whiskey aged in oak barrels made from Elf Mountain's fruit trees, which polar bears love.

I matched it with BoliCola and squeezed lemon juice into it.

Yusephine's eyes sparkled like a dream-filled girl's as she watched the manufacturing process.

I felt like she was more of a regular girl fan than a saint as I handed her the cocktail I had made.

"It's Fairy Coke."

"Ah, this is...!"

Yusephine looked at the fairy cocktail in the glass with an excited expression.

In Yusephine's eyes, joy sparkled as she drank that sip.

"How is it?"

"It's amazing."

Yusephine's exclamations still contained a hint of profanity.

*

Not long after Yusephine's visit, distilleries began to appear in the monasteries spread across the continent.

Originally, it was a monastery that extracted holy water from grapes, so making distilled spirits was a piece of cake.

Various grains are used to make whiskey and brandy, and in the process, several Cocktails are created.

In that way, distilled liquor began to be exported beyond the empire to foreign countries, and perhaps they felt threatened by it.

"In our territory, you can't drink alcohol!"

"Alcohol disrupts a person's reasons. It cannot be distributed in the Magic Towers, the sanctuaries of wisdom."

"The Red Tower will prohibit alcohol."

Alcohol began to be banned in all areas they influenced, including the Twelve Towers.

It was the enactment of the "Prohibition Act" aimed at the White Tower.