Chapter 71: Cereal (3)

In the Empire, "breakfast" represented indulgence.

This was closely related to the drinking culture of the Empire, where the nobility preferred to enjoy wine as their morning drink rather than water of poor quality.

Since they started drinking from the morning, meals became longer and more extravagant, and naturally, breakfast came to be seen as a symbol of 'vulgarity.'

Moralists believed that two meals a day, lunch and dinner, were sufficient, and the church described breakfast as a forbidden pleasure.

Meanwhile, the negative perception of breakfast was also related to social status, as those who had to eat breakfast regularly belonged to the lower social classes.

Breakfast was like a symbol indicating that one belonged to the impoverished class who had to endure hard industry work.

Due to such social perceptions, a culture of avoiding breakfast had formed in the Empire.

The change in that culture was due to the emergence of "fresh milk."

To be precise, it was through a single statement.

[ I think drinking milk in the morning has been helpful. ]

'Bianca' enjoyed drinking milk in the morning and considered it the secret to her growth.

Although it was a passing remark during the interview, Bianca's statement sparked a lot of interest.

"Isn't it true that drinking milk in the morning is good for you?"

"Yes, that's why these days, I drink milk first thing in the morning."

As the rumor spread that 'morning milk' was good for growth and development, noble daughters began drinking milk in the morning, and parents with children followed the nobles' example and had their kids drink milk in the morning as well.

As 'morning milk' spread like a trend throughout the Empire, Cornflakes were released at the White Tower accordingly.

At that incredible launch timing, Aria clicked her tongue.

"I can't tell if he's a merchant or a wizard."

"What?"

"You planned all of this on purpose, didn't you?"

As Aria said, Bianca's 'interview' was a buildup to establishing breakfast culture in the Empire.

Bianca's statements, as the symbol of the dairy industry, were each having a significant impact.

Even the casual remarks that Bianca made as she passed by became a guide for the young ladies in their daily lives.

"But is it really necessary to target the morning?"

"If it's not breakfast, then it's not cereal."

"What is that?"

Aria did not understand why I insisted on breakfast, but it was a very important issue.

Conveniently enjoying cereal was the most suitable meal for busy mornings.

The fact that it is easy to eat and saves time was the advantage that cereal promoted.

The phrase "It gives you the power of a tiger!" was also a slogan aimed at breakfast.

"Alright! Just hearing the powerful line "Good!" makes the start of the day energetic."

Now that the dairy industry coins are skyrocketing, it's the perfect opportunity to make cornflakes a trend.

I visited Lilith' house over the weekend when Bianca's tavern was closed.

"Miss Lilith, are you there?"

Standing in front of the door and calling out for Lilith while looking around, I tilted my head in confusion.

'Is this the right place?'

The magic carriage that had been so proudly boasted about before was nowhere to be found, leaving only an old cart sitting alone in the yard.

It was hard to believe that a place like an ordinary working-class home was where Lilith, who loved to show off, lived.

"Surprisingly frugal."

As I was wondering about that, the old wooden door creaked open with a squeak.

What appeared when the wooden door was opened was Lilith with a sulky expression.

"W-what the wizard!? P-please come in."

Lilith, startled to see me, guided me inside.

"Welcome boss."

"Yes, excuse me."

While I was exchanging greetings with Bianca, Lilith came over with freshly brewed barley tea.

It's impressive to see someone carrying a tray with a teacup balanced on it with their short limbs.

Lilith's unique trait was that she spoke authoritatively but worked harder than anyone else.

"I didn't have anything proper to serve, so I made some barley tea."

"Ah, I'll drink well."

As I received and drank the barley tea, I asked about the puzzling point.

"I couldn't see the magic carriage outside."

"I- I sold it because I didn't need it."

"?"

Lilith, who stammers as if flustered, and Bianca, who gives an awkward smile.

I felt an awkward atmosphere, but since there was nothing particularly strange about it, I nodded.

"Well, you did say you were moving soon."

It was rare for nobles to sell their magic carriages when moving, but since there were some, Lilith was one of them.

But.

"I-I decided to postpone the moving for later. Leaving this beloved home is..."

When Lilith stopped speaking, Bianca wrapped her arms around Lilith's shoulders.

"Lilith, let's speak honestly."

"...Hic, actually, it's ruined."

Lilith's shoulders slumped.

"I sold the house I'm moving to, and I sold all the magic carriages too."

"Yes?"

"N-no, the farm is also being seized by the Empire─"

As she spoke, perhaps overwhelmed by sorrow, Lilith burst into tears in Bianca's arms.

"I-I didn't know anything, hic! What am I going to do if they take everything away from me! How can you take everything away from me!"

"It's okay, it's okay right?"

"Ahh!"

Bianca comforted Lilith, who was crying sorrowfully, by patting her back.

After crying sorrowfully for a while, Lilith calmed down and finally shared her story.

But, that story was very pitiful.

"...Are you saying they took everything under the pretext of additional fines?"

"That's right. All the money I earned from delivering milk flyers and serving at the pub for a year was taken away."

Lilith's shoulders drooped with sadness.

"Now there are only two farms left."

Lilith, the vampire who lived in the Abyss, was ignorant of the human concept of taxes.

It was natural that Bianca, a country girl, didn't know much, and there was no one around to ask for advice.

What I heard from those in the underworld was that stealing money from the Empire is considered taxes, so the best thing to do is to delay paying it as much as possible.

Of course that only meant she had delayed payments which would incur additional taxes but…

"They took all my money, saying they were collecting the Dairy Farming Association's embezzled funds."

"...."

Listening to it made my head spin.

So, during the audit of the Ministry of Magic, it was discovered that the head of the Dairy Farming Association had been involved in corruption with the ministry.

However, this guy named Igor, the head of the association, quickly passed the position to Lilith before the Ministry of Magic's audit could be conducted.

Lilith, who knew nothing, was offered the position of "Dairy Farming Association Chairman," and enchanted by the title, happily accepted the position. However, as a result, she ended up taking on all the tasks that the previous chairman had left unfinished.

While Lilith, who didn't even know she was being made as the scapegoat behind the Dairy Farming Association, was stammering, the Empire stripped her of everything under the pretext of collecting illicitly amassed funds.

Vampires couldn't help but be ignorant of concept of human tax, but the Empire's Ministry of Finance was merciless to anyone in such matters.

Thanks to that, Lilith was left alone, pacing back and forth.

"I heard that if you don't pay the money, the remaining farms will be seized as well. Uh, what should I do?"

"Where did that bastard, the head of the Dairy Farming Association, go?"

"Th-that's the thing, I can't get in touch with him."

"H-he's gone."

Oh my, I can't believe there's such a scam even in the otherworld.

I was dumbfounded as if I had been scammed in a rental fraud, but in fact, Lilith had no words to say either.

The money Lilith used to start the milk business was also earned from bootlegging, so it couldn't be considered clean. The problem was that the amount spent was too large compared to what was earned.

"I'll talk to the Ministry of Finance for you, so you don't have to worry too much."

"T-thank you wizard. Hic."

"Still, it's true that we used the dairy cooperative's funds, so we'll have to start saving money from scratch."

"It's a shame, but it seems necessary."

I presented a business opportunity to Lilith, who was accepting reality.

Lilith's eyes sparkled upon hearing the story.

"That would be nice!"

"Yes, it will definitely go well."

The business I handed over to Lilith was a collaboration between milk and cornflakes.

*

After finishing my conversation with Lilith, I visited the First Princess Luciela a few days later.

In situations like this, it was faster to go to the royal family than to the Ministry of Finance.

"Oh my goodness, such a thing...!"

Sure enough, the First Princess, who was such a fanatic fan of Lilith's milk that she would even rob the Ministry of Magic, immediately took action upon hearing about Lilith's dire situation.

Not only was the wanted notice for the former Dairy Farming Association's chairman was issued throughout the Empire, but all the seizure warrants for the remaining farms for Lilith were also canceled.

In an Empire where class was everything, the words of the royal family were as good as law.

Of course, it was possible because the circumstances that the previous Dairy Farming Association chairman had shifted the blame onto Lilith were acknowledged.

But should we call it a blessing in disguise?

"Fraud?! Lilith?!"

"I feel so sorry for Lilith."

"I'll buy Lilith's milk!"

A movement to buy Lilith milk among the nobles has arisen, claiming to help Lilith who was scammed.

The sales of Lilith's Milk, which benefited from the publicity effect due to the fraud case, increased.

In this way, buying Lilith's milk and drinking it every morning became a trend among the citizens of the Empire.

"...What is this?"

"Frosted Flakes?"

[ Delicious grain cereal to mix with milk! Frosted Flakes! ]

"This is good… right?"

As people began to buy Lilith's milk, cornflakes started to come along with it.

===

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