Dream Life

February 15th.

Steven, the Duke of Etherlington's maid, contacted me last night to see him in the morning.

He had asked me to introduce a young civilian to the construction of a distillery in Feelobisher at a dinner party hosted by the Ezarrington family. I guess I got that aim and got in touch with you.

Finish your training and breakfast and head to the mansion of the Duke of Ezarrington house next to the Seawell family where you are staying around 9 a.m.

I'm only taking Sharon as my secretary's replacement today.

As soon as he entered the mansion, he was led to the reception room, where Steven was waiting. Three men his age early twenties stand behind him.

Greetings also point there to the three of them by saying, "I'm a young civilian of the Phyllobisher family that you were asking for".

The first slightly puffy man with a round face stepped forward.

"It's Leonard Muirhead," he says, offering his right hand. Taking that hand,

"I'm Zacharias Lockhart, second son of the Lockhart family. This is my fiancée Sharon."

Steven will explain him right away.

"Leonardo is a bureaucrat at the Agriculture Bureau. He also has knowledge of liquor brewing"

Immediately after that, Leonardo denies it with a laugh.

"Of course, I don't have as much knowledge as you, the son of a liquor god. So I hope you don't expect me to do that"

Looks more cheerful than I thought.

I say, "You're me next," and a man of good stature comes forward.

"It's Umberto Renfield. I'll just say first that I'm not a samurai."

He is nearly two meters tall, because he is the owner of thick chest plates and horny jaws and is less uncomfortable to be told he is a samurai waving his sword on the front line.

However, that foothold is the amateur itself, and the image of a samurai is quickly disappearing.

"Umberto is a man of the Viscount Renfield family famous for his sugar production. By chance, Leonardo called out because he was in Empire City."

I greeted him too, and the third came forward.

"It's Montague Underwood. Nice to meet you..."

He's a tall, skinny guy, the opposite of Umberto, and you're not sure, he talks to Boso with a slight top-down.

"Montague is the second son of the Baron Underwood family and a bureaucrat at the Agency. He's in charge of building roads and ports, but this guy's strong on numbers."

Somehow I was convinced it felt that way.

"These three have little knowledge of His Excellency the Chancellor. I think it fits the terms you said."

Bureaucrats in the agricultural sector with knowledge of liquor brewing, those whose cane production is the main industry home, and even more accountancy resistant bureaucrats. It was a well-thought out candidate.

"Thank you. I have no particular objection, but I just want to confirm one thing."

Did the four of them question each other or look slightly at each other? And Steven, on behalf of "What do you want to confirm?," he said.

"Guys, do you like alcohol? This is the most important thing."

The four looked frightened when they didn't understand at first, but laughed immediately.

Steven answered the question in a representative fashion.

"Of course I like booze. I also had a drink in the commercial district last night in conjunction with today's meeting. Of course, I can't whale as much as Dwarf, and I'm not as restrained as you or Radford. Is this the answer?

"Yes," he replied with a smile,

"If it's fun to drink, there's no problem. It doesn't really matter to the Dwarves how much they drink or how much they restrain themselves to the taste. Because they say they live to enjoy alcohol."

Then I explained the draft I was warming up.

"I will distill the liquor made from the squeeze of sugar cane to create a new liquor… perhaps, but it should be a distilled liquor with a fragrance that feels strongly sweet. So we believe there are other sales channels besides Dwarves......"

After explaining about thirty minutes, I will answer questions from the three of us. Umberto has been the first to ask questions.

"Production, but we don't make booze on a large scale to squeeze it. My people are just making their own cheap drinks. Earlier we talked about distilled liquor, which would be a third to a fifth of the original liquor. I think it's hard to secure that much."

"As I have explained to His Excellency the Prime Minister, I will use waste molasses (moraces). We have heard that Moraces are less useful and less expensive for a large number of them. If we use this as a raw material, we think the production of brewed liquor will be fine."

"Sure," Umberto nodded.

"I may be wrong because I studied after listening to you, too," Leonardo started talking.

"Phyllobisher territory is further south than here. Even warmer climates often fail to age wine. Wouldn't there be a problem storing distilled liquor?

He pokes a sharp spot for studying in a short period of time.

"I don't think that's a problem either. If the temperature changes significantly, it will age early for that matter, so it could be shipped in a short period of time. You won't know until you try, but distilled liquor is more resistant to degradation than brewed liquor. If we succeed, we wonder if it will mature well in a year or so."

Short-term aging is probably possible. Dark rum and tequila are delicious enough for short-term aging.

"I guess there's no problem if Sir is like that," he nodded.

"And I even think it's okay to ship without aging."

This is imagining white rum.

"I won't let it age...... so aren't the Dwarves convinced?

Steven asked with a surprise look on his face.

"I don't know if I'm going to try this, but I also think it's a distilled wine without aging as a new wine."

"If Sir says so, the Dwarves will be convinced."

Everyone was nodding, including Sharon in that whine.

Umberto is concerned about the funds.

"I mean in financial terms, it's tough to say that it takes about three years of maturation, but if you can cash in within a year, what's going to happen? If there's a problem, it's the distillery's construction money. I do not know to what extent your Excellency will consider the budget, but the Phyllobisher family should have little surplus funding. Is there anything on your mind around that?

"I plan to get a loan from the Blacksmith Guild. If you give them a preferential right to sell, they'll be able to accommodate the necessary funds at low interest rates without any problems."

"That helps," Montague strokes down his chest.

"But there's a condition," I said, and the three of them tighten their faces.

"The Dwarves may think they'll do anything about booze, but that's a big mistake. They don't work with whoever they don't like."

"I mean, he says we need to be liked," Leonardo asks.

"Exactly. It doesn't have to be funny when you say you like it. be recognized as their friends. I'll make this point."

"" Friends of the Dwarves "or... Sir and others. Is that possible outside of Lockhart and Lord Radford?

I snort loudly at it.

"His Excellency the Marquis of Seawell has already been recognized by the Dwarves. We have also heard that His Excellency the Duke of Ezarrington was similarly recognised. It's never something you can do."

Still, the three don't break the look of confusion.

"They like people who hit on things with passion. It doesn't have to be about booze. So all you have to do is show that you are all entering this job with enthusiasm, for your homeland's sake. This time there is also a favourable condition: the production of the new distilled liquor they want. So let's bump our enthusiasm without thinking too hard"

Does that make the three of them feel somewhat easier, and the grin returns.

We then wrap up the bones of the plan, including Sharon.

Now that it's before noon, we've decided to pull up, but it looks like the four of us, including Steven, are going to keep discussing it, staring at the paperwork that put together the bones of the plan.

On the way home, I asked Sharon if he had any prospects.

"What do you think will happen?

"Right," he replied, "I think maybe those guys will be fine".

"Why?" When I heard it, I laughed nicely,

"Because you were all serious. Everyone at Dwarf loves being serious. If you are going to enter into one thing, as Master Zach said, you must admit it."

"Right."

"But you might want to be with Master Zach at first"

"Of course I'm going to go with you at first and explain... that doesn't sound like it"

So smile again,

"You're going to drink too much alcohol, so I think I'm going to have to ask Master Zach to hang the magic of detoxification. Don't you think?

"Right. That's true."

At that time, I was grossly broken up, too. It's not about them, it's about her getting brighter.

(It hasn't been that long since they told me to freeze my engagement, but did it blow out? At this rate, getting Father's forgiveness doesn't seem to be such a long day...)

■ ■ ■

Three people, Leonard Muirhead, Umberto Renfield and Montague Underwood, will work out plans to build a distillery.

Steven Etherington was envious, even as he took part in their serious discussions.

(I have nothing hotter than this. I'm just caricaturally walking down the path my father laid out for me...)

Himself, until now, was not dissatisfied with it. However, he points out that he must cut up the Duke of Ezarrington territory in the near future, and is beginning to remember in a hurry.

(Will you inherit that father's trail from me? With Adolf, we'll figure it out, but then what? What can I do now? Isn't there anything you can do without Ezarrington's name...)

He remembered a dazzling resemblance to ruling a vast Duke on his own. If I had my father's belly, Uncle Adolf Rednapp, I would just have to approve, but I don't think it's possible in my own capacity.

He is said to be an English talent who graduated from the Imperial Academy of Higher Studies with outstanding grades. But that just devoured to the top with an addition by the title.

(And who is this guy named Zacharias? I heard that you did not just express your opinion without being so afraid of your father, but also to His Excellency the Chancellor. There are many people whose feet tremble just to report to His Excellency. Myself, my legs are dull just to say I'm going to Your Excellency's office for the first year...)

I was surprised that Zacharias did himself a favor.

I have difficulty hiding my surprise knowing that the reason for this is to make sure I understand my relationship with the Blacksmith Guild as the successor to the Duke of Ezarrington family.

(I know exactly why Father and Adolph want to hand him over. You think Ezarrington will decline in my abilities. So I thought about putting on a good man...)

He has been compared to his father since elementary school, and that is what he hates and throws out his schooling. That self-blame was the source of his lack of confidence.

With that in mind, Leonardo said, "Could you let me know what Master Steven has to say?"

"I wonder what it's like," he said.

"They say the Kaum Kingdom has enforced legislation on the quality of distilled liquor. With that in mind, I thought I'd make a similar law in Phyllobisher. If we think the same thing in Ezarrington and Seawell, why don't we jointly propose it to the Chancellor?"

"The law? That was made from the liver of Queen Katrina. Your Excellency was impressed when he overheard the information."

So I recall the content of the law.

"But that should have had a maturation period of more than three years. It will make it harder to ship in the short term, Zacharias said."

"You know very well! That's Steven."

Umberto is impressed, but Steven laughs bitterly, "It's a coincidence," he said.

It's really a coincidence that he knew about the law. It was not voluntarily examined because the Prime Minister ordered it to be investigated.

(The Chancellor may have expected this to happen. That's possible......)

Obviously it is overrated, but I assume so from the presence of the Prime Minister.

"I have a bill that I got from Kaum. Let's use that as a basis for our efforts."

"It helps," the three bow their heads.

"Let Zacharias check where we could. If it's alcohol law, it's best to let him know."

You're right.

The four then discussed the plan until nightfall.