Chapter 63: Prohibition (2)

There are numerous monasteries in the empire.

As soon as the monastery, which also served as a 'distillery' for making holy water, began producing distilled spirits, it quickly spread throughout the empire.

The grains that were left over after being consumed as food were all turned into whiskey and brandy, and the culture of distilled spirits flourished.

Of course, the 'Fairy Coke' and 'Cognac' from the White Tower sold like hotcakes.

With even the Pope having baptized the Fairy Cock it was hard to find anyone who avoided alcohol.

And as the popularity of these distilled spirits grew, so did the fame of the White Tower, leading to the emergence of those who felt uncomfortable.

"We can't keep leaving it like this."

"Is there really a problem with processed foods?"

People gathered around a long table were having a conversation.

They were wizards wearing robes that symbolized their respective magic towers.

"Making processed foods shouldn't be a problem, right? The important thing is public perception."

A young man wearing a yellow robe said.

"People are starting to compare the White Tower with our Union's Towers."

"Oh, impressive, isn't it?"

A playful voice received the words.

It was a woman in a black dress, leaning back as if half-buried in the chair.

"So, does that mean it's now the Thirteenth Tower?"

The wizards sitting around the table frowned at the woman's joking remark.

They were the masters of the twelve towers known as the Union's Twelve Towers.

"Black Tower Master, your joke is going too far."

"It was just a joke, Red Tower Master."

At Echidna's words, the face of the old man, known as the Red Tower Master, darkened.

"Master of the Red Tower, please don't be angry. It would be best for the Black Tower Master to do the same."

The young man in the yellow robe, who brought up the topic of the White Tower, mediated between the two.

"This isn't a place for us to argue, is it?"

"So, what is it that you want to say, Yellow Tower Master?"

"It means that there's a need to be aware of the White Tower."

No one agreed with the words of the young man known as the Yellow Tower Master.

It was uncomfortable for the White Tower to be gaining fame, but it was questionable whether the Twelve Towers needed to keep them in check.

"I've been enjoying how cheap and convenient processed foods are these days, but aren't you being a bit too sensitive, Yellow Tower Master?"

A woman in a green robe scooped gelato and chuckled.

Although they didn't say anything, the other tower masters also seemed to agree with the woman's words.

There was no need to make a fuss over just processed food.

However, despite that, the Yellow Tower Master did not waver in his insistence that the White Tower should be kept in check.

The reason was known to all the Tower Masters gathered in the meeting room.

The Black Tower Master Echidna revealed the reason.

"It seems like you were really troubled because preservation magic was phased out by the military."

The Yellow Tower Master's face hardened.

It was true that the preservation magic, which was the specialty of the Yellow Tower, had become a secondary option due to the 'canning' developed by the White Tower.

The mass resignation of the generals from the military who had been supporting the Yellow Tower was also a painful shock.

"...Yes, it did have quite an impact, but that's not the only reason I brought it up."

"Then what is it?"

The Yellow Tower Master placed an object on the table instead of answering.

"This is a 'scroll' sold at the White Tower for the aging of distilled spirits."

A scroll is a magical tool that helps even those who do not know magic to use it.

The value of a scroll, which is a one-time-use magical tool that activates when the paper is torn, varies greatly depending on the magic inscribed on it.

The magic of the scroll that the Yellow Tower Master had laid out was not that great.

Because it was a magic whose entire efficacy was to shorten the time it took for alcohol to 'mature.'

However, the complexion of the other tower masters who looked at the scroll was not good.

"It's not parchment."

"Yes, it's 'Pulp'."

The paper that wizards use to make scrolls is 'parchment.'

Due to the development of papermaking technology, paper made from pulp had emerged, but the magicians still clung to parchment.

If they use cheap pulp, the value of the scrolls will inevitably decrease, which would be a loss for the magic towers that profit from the scrolls.

"So, how exactly is the worth of this pulp scroll?"

"It's costs ten gold."

"...Ten gold?"

"Are you really saying it's ten gold?"

The tower masters had a look of utter bewilderment on their faces.

Even so, the price of the scroll started at a minimum of a hundred gold, no matter how low you tried to set it.

This was an unwritten rule established by the Twelve Towers, and it was absolutely necessary for the 'advancement' of magic.

If anyone could easily use magic through a scroll, the value of magic would inevitably decrease.

The popularization of magic through scrolls was something the Twelve Towers did not want.

However, the White Tower started selling scrolls cheaply under the pretext of spreading 'distilled spirits.'

The tower masters who had been trying to maintain a relaxed demeanor now looked tense.

"I could tolerate it when Groot was expelled, but this is just too much."

"These days, there have been a lot of inquiries about the scroll prices, and I guess this is the reason why."

"The popularization of crystal orbs are also a big problem."

The grievances that had been held back all this time came pouring out.

They didn't say anything out of pride, but they regarded the White Tower as a thorn on their sides.

Spreading magic that enriches the lives of the citizens essentially meant diminishing the privileges of the wizards.

The tower masters were chatting about various things in the meantime when a loud bang interrupted them.

Bang!

"Listening to this, it's so disgraceful that I can't bear it."

The short girl who had her arms crossed slammed her hands on the table and stood up.

The girl with blue hair and dragon horns was the master of the Blue Tower, Myrtienne.

"Blue Tower Master, what's the meaning of this!"

The startled Yellow Tower Master protested, but Myrtienne left the meeting room without looking back.

"Hmph, just leave it. That dragon girl is probably busy making money with the White Tower."

No one stopped Myrtienne as she left the meeting room.

They were busy discussing how to stop the White Tower's dominance.

And so, what came out of all that brainstorming was the 'Prohibition Act.'

Beer and fairy whiskey, among other alcoholic beverages, were the main sources of income for the White Tower.

The argument of the Yellow Tower was that if alcohol is banned, the spread of "scroll" can also be stopped.

"Will the royal family just sit idly by?"

"It is a well-known fact that the current emperor does not have a good relationship with the Church. He was the one who just stood by and watched the monasteries fall apart, didn't he?"

Of course, the Twelve Towers did not have the authority to enforce a 'Prohibition Law' across the entire empire.

However, just considering the areas they influenced, it was enormous, amounting to almost 'half' of the empire.

The local lords held autonomy over their respective territories, so if the Twelve Towers lent their support, it was entirely possible for them to enforce prohibition laws on their own.

The current empire's Ministry of Magic was mostly composed of members from the Twelve Towers.

"But if you suddenly ban alcohol, there might be side effects."

"I heard that Eastern countries have prohibition laws, but there are no issues at all."

"Hmm, if that's the case, then it might be worth a try."

"I'll contact the Ministry of Magic."

The Tower Masters who had concluded their discussion left the conference room.

It was the moment when the half-hearted prohibition law, led by the Twelfth Tower, was decided.

*

The news that the Twelve Towers is enforcing Prohibition spread throughout the entire empire in an instant.

Due to the excessive abuse of alcohol, there were talks of banning it out of concern for the health of the citizens.

"Prohibition, you say! What kind of crazy talk is this!"

"How much do you have to drink for it to be dangerous!?"

The citizens of the territory where the Prohibition Act is being implemented raised their voices in opposition, saying it was absurd.

That being said, it was rare for the citizens of the empire to drink so much that they would lose consciousness.

The news that the alcohol that had been responsible for our joys and sorrows would be banned overnight was like a bolt from the blue.

However, despite the opposition from the citizens of the empire, the Prohibition Act was enacted.

It was possible because not only the local lords with autonomy but also the heads of the 'Ministry of Magic,' who were responsible for the health of the empire's citizens, were filled with wizards belonging to the Twelve Towers.

And, the side effects appeared in less than a month.

The first brewer who was prohibited from selling alcohol went bankrupt. When the brewers went bankrupt, the repercussions were directly felt by the farmers.

That makes sense, as alcohol contains numerous crops such as barley, corn, and grapes.

Since processing crops into alcohol and selling them yields much higher profits than just selling the crops, most farmers in the empire focused on farming for alcohol production.

Moreover, the damage was even greater because the distillation craze was in full swing due to the monasteries.

When the brewers who were supposed to buy the crops disappeared, the farmers also became unable to sell their crops.

The unsold crops became surplus and piled up day by day, and the farmers who couldn't endure this began to go bankrupt one by one.

As the economy collapsed, the interest in alcohol among the common people actually increased when it was banned.

"Is the alcohol really that good?"

"I want to try it just once."

Even people who originally didn't drink alcohol are now seeking it out, creating a counterproductive effect.

People were willing to pay extra to get alcohol, and as the demand for alcohol increased, various schemes to evade the law emerged.

"Medical holy water for sale!"

"Brandy potion!"

There have been cases of people turning alcohol that was used for 'medical purposes' into distilled spirits for sale, and a 'brandy potion' targeting the upper class has emerged.

The potion imbued with magic was expensive, but it was not classified as alcohol, and the medicinal distillate was distributed under the pretext of being a disinfectant.

Meanwhile, among the common people, the number of those going to church every weekend increased exponentially.

"It is the wine bestowed by God."

"Ah, thank you."

Using religious ceremonies as an excuse to drink wine, everyone started practicing their faith.

There were even tours that involved drinking alcohol in regions where it was legal and then returning.

"Today, there is supposed to be a boat party at the Lior estate."

"Oh! A boat party, you say? I will definitely go too!"

"Me too!"

Besides that, there were nobles who rented entire cruise ships to enjoy drinking parties at sea and then return, and there were even crazy nobles who went to foreign embassies to legally drink to their heart's content.

"Ha ha ha!"

"Drink up, drink up!"

On the streets, the number of people drinking has increased even more than before the Prohibition was enacted.

Selling or making alcohol is illegal, but drinking it itself is not, so it was possible.

Of course, such things were only possible for some wealthy individuals who had the luxury of time.

The commoners, unable to escape the law, found their only solace in going to church every weekend and having a glass of wine.

"Ah, I'm so envious."

"Alcohol, I want to drink alcohol."

It was on one of these days, about three months after the Prohibition Act had been implemented.

"What's that? Welch's?"

"Is it a brick?"

Products containing grape juice, grape concentrate, and grape blocks, which are made from the raw juice of grapes, have been released at the street market.

"Hey, what the heck. It's juice."

"Of course."

Those who were captivated by the picture of grapes had to be disappointed to find out it was a beverage, not wine.

However, that thought soon changed.

※Warning: If you store this grape juice with sugar and water for more than 7 days, it will turn into wine.

"...What is this?"

A friendly warning was written below the grape juice.