Chapter 121: Warming Cabinet (5)

I was certain that presenting the warming cabinet to the Emperor would create an immense promotional effect.

The Emperor enjoyed subtly showing off his frugality to his officials under the guise of "assignments".

If I could win over the Emperor, then introducing the warming cabinet to the Empire's deeply hierarchical society would be effortless.

However—

"Don't you think just presenting the warming cabinet is a bit underwhelming?"

"Really?"

"Yes. It's a rare occasion—an imperial banquet—so it'd be a waste to show something everyone already knows."

"Hmm, I see your point."

I nodded at Aria's suggestion.

While marketing the warming cabinet as the "Goddess's Box" would certainly be effective, this was still an imperial banquet.

It was a special occasion where not only the Three Northern Kingdoms but also dignitaries from all nations would be present.

Who knew when another opportunity like this would arise?

Simply showcasing the warming cabinet alone felt lackluster.

I needed something that would firmly imprint the warming cabinet in everyone's minds—

Something that would completely captivate the Emperor.

'Let's Be has already been used…'

At first, I considered using Let's Be, but I knew it wasn't enough.

However, my dilemma didn't last long—

Because I immediately thought of something.

"Ssanghwatang."

There was nothing better than a tonic drink to warm the body in winter.

And in this world, tonic elixirs were already widely accepted.

After all, the Blue Tower primarily produced fatigue recovery potions.

Even the Emperor himself was known to enjoy these potions.

Not just the Emperor—all nobles were obsessed with them.

In fact, the name of the most famous fatigue recovery potion, Mandragora, literally meant "Macho Man".

In other words, fatigue recovery potions were basically aphrodisiacs.

Interest in "stamina boosters" was just as intense in this world as it was in my past life.

The market was so competitive that a high-quality elixir could be sold for exorbitant prices.

Now, here was the crucial point—

The Empire was abundant with herbs related to stamina recovery.

The soil was so fertile that even ginseng, which was rare in my previous world, could be found growing wildly in the mountains.

Of course, there were also deadly poisonous plants, so misidentifying one could mean instant death.

And…

'When it comes to herbs, there's no one better than elves.'

Elves were the foremost experts in herbal medicine.

One of the main reasons the Empire maintained good relations with the elves was because of this very fact.

After all, elves were the ones cultivating the key ingredients for the tonics loved by humans.

However, there was a minor issue—

The flavor profile of elven herbal drinks was quite different from the Ssanghwatang I had in mind.

"I'll have to leave that part to Aria."

When it came to taste, Aria was far more of an expert than I was.

With the cooperation of the Blue Tower, I was confident we could develop something exceptional.

"It doesn't have to taste exactly the same."

I could have replicated it through alchemy, but I didn't intend to do that.

Instead, I wanted to create a unique herbal tea —one that utilized the ingredients of this world and would be exclusive to the White Tower.

The flavor base would be inspired by the Ssanghwatang of my past life, but its effects would be far superior.

After all, the Elven Forest was practically an herbal goldmine.

*

"Herbs? Feel free to take as many as you need."

Elder Heindel of the elves granted permission without hesitation.

It was as if I had just asked to pluck weeds from his backyard.

Which, in a way, made sense—

Herbs grew like wild weeds in this land.

People often assumed that elves never harmed plants, but that wasn't entirely true.

In fact, their biggest headache lately was young elves cutting down trees to make oak barrels.

That aside—

I eyed Heindel's liquor bottle and frowned slightly.

"Elder, isn't that a branch of the World Tree?"

"Ahem… I merely performed a little pruning."

The elder cleared his throat while swirling his brandy-like liquor.

Inside his bottle was a large branch, unmistakably from the World Tree.

"I couldn't just discard my mother's branch, so I decided to preserve it this way."

"I see…"

"Indeed."

"...."

Apparently, cutting down trees wasn't just a problem among young elves.

*

With the elves' cooperation secured, I sought out Ayla, the Blue Tower's alchemy expert.

Since the elves provided the ingredients, it only made sense to have the Blue Tower handle the production.

"A fatigue recovery potion? You've come to the right place! That's our specialty here at the Blue Magic Tower."

As always, Ayla puffed up her chest in pride—but then, she suddenly looked at me suspiciously.

"But… why do you need a fatigue recovery potion?"

"It's not what you're thinking."

I cut her off immediately before her thoughts wandered in the wrong direction.

"I just need something that warms the body—nothing more."

"If that's all, it's not difficult… but then, what's the point?"

Ayla tilted her head.

In this world, fatigue recovery potions were primarily marketed as aphrodisiacs.

Only the strongest and most expensive versions were ever made into potions.

But my herbal tea was completely different—

It was meant to be a mass-produced, everyday tonic that anyone could enjoy.

A commercialized tonic drink like this didn't exist in this world.

'And that's the biggest advantage.'

If I could offer a cheap, mass-produced stamina drink, nobles would go crazy for it.

Personally, I just hoped it tasted the way I wanted…

"Can you, do it?"

"I'll give it a try."

Aria answered confidently.

Just one sentence, but that was more than enough for me.

When it came to taste, there was no one better than Aria.

Even if the flavor turned out different, I trusted that she'd create something amazing.

*

It took a full month for the imperial banquet to commence.

Gathering nobles and royalty from the Three Northern Kingdoms and other territories took time.

During that month, Aria and Ayla worked tirelessly—and finally, they perfected the herbal tea recipe.

A thick, black liquid with a sweet herbal aroma spread across my tongue.

"How is it?"

Aria asked nervously, while Ayla clenched her fists, waiting for my reaction.

I gave them a thumbs-up.

"You did great. It's perfect."

"Yes!"

Aria cheered, and Ayla sighed in relief.

They were both completely exhausted.

They had worked nonstop for a month, barely sleeping, just to finish the herbal tea in time for the banquet.

Watching them celebrate, I couldn't help but smile.

"It's even better than I expected."

I stared at the dark liquid, surprised.

I had worried that it might taste different, but Aria had nailed the flavor.

It wasn't exactly the same as herbal tea, but given the available ingredients, it was the best possible version.

In fact, I liked this version better.

The higher quality herbs made the flavor richer and deeper.

And the best part?

This wasn't just any herbal tea—

This was a limited-edition version infused with Mandragora, the "Macho Man" herb.

'Now, all that's left… is to present it to the Emperor.'

*

Early morning on the day of the Imperial Palace Banquet

"Ugh… O-okay, I've got my hat, my formal robe is on…"

Ranya had been flustered since morning.

Despite having thoroughly prepared the day before, she still wasn't at ease, pacing restlessly around the room.

"Did you bring your staff?"

"Yeah, I have it."

"Toiletries? Pajamas?"

"Y-yeah."

"A book to read while you're there?"

"Packed it."

"Then you're all set, really."

Only after I went through everything with her did Ranya finally relax.

Since the banquet would last four days, there was a lot to prepare.

Though, what she needed most was probably mental preparation.

"Did you pack everything, senior?"

"Yeah, the warming cabinets are loaded onto the mana-powered carriage."

"Not that."

"What?"

I tilted my head in confusion. Was there something else besides the warming cabinets?

Aria let out a sigh.

"Seriously."

Then, she started holding up various outfits against my body.

She always worried too much about appearances when standing in front of others.

'She really does stand out.'

I glanced at Aria with fresh eyes.

Dressed in a deep blue gown, she exuded elegance.

I never gave it much thought before, but Aria was undeniably beautiful.

A perfect example of the 'cat-like beauty' type.

Her natural features were striking, but dressed like this, she could easily pass for a noble lady from a high-ranking ducal house.

The fact that she had black hair and black eyes—an uncommon sight in the Empire—made her stand out even more.

"How about this? Blue doesn't look too bad on you."

"…Oh, yeah, it's nice."

Aria continued coordinating my outfit, completely unaware that I had been staring at her.

As we made our way to the imperial palace, we engaged in casual conversation.

For everyone except the Tower Master, this would be our first time attending a royal banquet.

"Tower Master, what's the banquet hall like?"

"It's just... huge."

Dressed in a white robe, Ranya spread her arms wide as if to emphasize the size. She was as adorable as ever.

'She would look great in a dress, too.'

I had been secretly looking forward to seeing her in one, but since she had adamantly refused, I decided to let it go for now.

Just attending the banquet was already a huge step for her.

If I pushed her into wearing a dress as well, she might actually pass out.

"The Grand Duke of Samar is attending too."

"Really? That's impressive."

Aria's words caught me off guard.

Samar—the land of coffee.

And the Grand Duke of Samar, their leader, was infamous for never making public appearances.

I had met his daughter a few times, but I had yet to see the Grand Duke himself.

With the Twelve Tower Masters, northern royalty, and even the Grand Duke attending…

This banquet was shaping up to be quite the spectacle.

"Sion, everything ready?"

"Yes, the tribute has been securely packed in the warming cabinets. We have plenty of stock."

"Good. Let's go."

After receiving Zion's confirmation, I stepped out of the mana carriage.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at the imperial palace.

Now, all that was left was to serve the Emperor a warm, revitalizing drink.

Time to introduce him to Ssanghwatang.

***

Translator's Note: Ssanghwa-tang is a traditional Korean herbal tea with a deep brown color and a slightly bitter taste that was made by boiling down various herbs. However, nowadays the most common way to drink it is to buy it pre-made in a bottle. 

***

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