Chapter 26

    Searching for New Ingredients

    The wheat, peas, and Job’s tears had been harvested. The abundant yield from Lord Landbruh’s blessing continued to astonish Kit every time.

    With such a variety of food available, meals were rotated frequently, ensuring they were no longer monotonous like before. Finding meat during the summer wasn’t particularly difficult, as hunters, when free from tending their own fields, regularly went out searching for delicious food. With more than twenty gold coins in hand, the Little Scholar consulted with the village elders and submitted a request to the village’s central administration.

    They wished to begin raising livestock seriously for meat consumption. Thus, the local livestock initiative was launched.

    Not long after, several large, plump wild rabbits were delivered to the church. Of course, they were still alive, though they exhibited some signs of fear. A simple animal shelter, constructed from appropriately sized pinewood, was quickly built. In total, Kit only spent an additional thirty silver coins—covering the cost of the rabbits and the wages for construction.

    The wood from the forest was something he had directly prayed for from the Goddess Foris, so there was no expense for that.

    A safe shelter free from natural predators, an abundance of food from the nearby agricultural plots, and the care provided by the children at the church, who were particularly fond of small, fluffy animals, allowed the rabbits to quickly adapt and reproduce. It was expected that in no time at all, there would be an endless supply of protein from rabbit meat.

    Kit also suggested to the hunters that they try to capture wild chickens, and he continued to post notices offering to buy them, despite the difficulty of finding such animals in the northern lands.

    Following this, villagers who approved of the livestock initiative frequently came to seek knowledge and tour the animal shelters, with the intent of replicating them for their own livelihood. Many households thus began raising fluffy rabbits with increasing affection, though they couldn’t help but salivate at the thought of rabbit-based meals.

    .....

    The continuous use of divine blessings caused the mana in the children's bodies to increase and develop at a much faster rate than children in major city academies. For Kit, who had received the blessings of three deities, his growth had advanced so rapidly that his mana reserves likely rivaled those of high priests.

    With his confidence steadily growing, the young man began contemplating how to tackle the main quests he had received from the three deities. The power he had been granted ought to be repaid in some way.

    The most pressing question now was… which deity’s task should he complete first?

    The dessert for Goddess Foris that he had envisioned still required an answer from Father Matthew and Father Jacob’s research. There were barely any trees in this region that produced deliciously sweet fruit, so Kit could only wait for saplings from other regions to be brought in for cultivation. However... he should set out on a mission to locate a wild beehive. Whether to obtain honey for cooking or to capture a queen bee for future honey harvesting, both were excellent prospects. The villagers who brewed their own mead liquor would likely have some knowledge about the whereabouts of such resources, as the sweet nectar was a key ingredient in their favorite drink.

    Kit vaguely recalled—back when he was the local bear—that there were plenty of delicious honeycombs in the eastern forest.

    As for the solemn Lord Gaiel’s mission, it would have to wait until Kit had gathered enough elements of merriment. He was thinking of celebrating the autumn season with roasted sweet potatoes as usual. This year, he intended to make the festival even grander—befitting the status of Lord Gaiel, ruler of the land… Another crucial aspect of this event was scheduling it at the right time, which had not yet arrived.

    So, what he could immediately begin now was undertaking Lord Landbruh’s mission. On the outside, Lord Landbruh did not seem like someone who would enjoy intoxicating drinks, yet he had assigned a task to craft such a beverage. The first type of alcohol Kit could attempt was one fermented from sweet potatoes.

    Having made up his mind, the Little Scholar dipped a quill into black ink and began drafting on a smooth parchment sheet he had stocked as a substitute for paper. A sketch of a wooden barrel with a sealed lid, free of leaks, was drawn. A measuring cylinder made of iron, a cooling pipe for distillation, and a funnel for pouring liquids were also roughly outlined. After that, he headed to the village, making his way straight to the Smith household—the only blacksmith in the area.

    The sound of hammering iron echoed throughout the premises as Kit stepped through the fence. If he recalled correctly… the master blacksmith, the pillar of the household, had passed away last winter. His eldest son was likely honing his smithing skills now. Thus, the young man did not knock on the front door but instead circled around to the back, where the new blacksmith worked.

    The scorching heat wafted toward him, making Kit blink several times to adjust. Amidst the bright orange-red glow of burning black charcoal, a sweat-drenched figure was diligently hammering a piece of metal into an unusual shape.

    Judging from this blacksmith’s ability to forge oddly shaped objects, Kit’s sketches would likely become reality soon.

    “Ah, David, is that you? When did you get here?” The burly young man with slight stubble turned to see the boy, who had been watching him for quite some time unnoticed.

    “Heh-heh, hello, Brother Hugh. I was afraid of interrupting your concentration, so I stood watching for a while,” Kit greeted with a smile before bringing up his request. Or rather… it should be called a commission.

    “I want to order these items based on these sketches. Can you take a look for me?” He handed over the folded parchment inked with his designs. The novice blacksmith examined it for a moment, but since he could not read the text, Kit had to provide further explanations.

    “A wooden barrel? Reinforced with iron bands to prevent leaks. Mm… I think I can do it. But… your distillation apparatus will take quite some time.” Although the intricate structure seemed daunting, the prospect of crafting such equipment excited him in a way he had never felt before. If he succeeded, his reputation would surely soar.

    “Two sizes of barrels. Five large ones and ten small ones, right? Give me about two weeks. The red pinewood needs to be cured to remove its oils first. Otherwise, the stored liquid might develop an undesirable taste.”

    “Understood. As for the price… could you give me an estimate?”

    “The large barrels should be around ten silver coins each, while the small ones would be five per unit. Uh… would that be too much for you?” The new blacksmith still lacked confidence, but based on Kit’s calculations, the pricing seemed reasonable. Just the high-quality iron sheets for reinforcing two wooden barrels, along with the top and bottom rims to ensure a tight seal, would account for nearly 7-10ths of the total cost.

    “The price is fair, Brother. No worries. I’ll put down a fifty-silver deposit upfront. When they’re done, please have them delivered to the church.”

    Thus, a major commission for the Smith family was successfully settled. Kit also took this opportunity to purchase mead fermentation starters from the villagers, securing a full cloth bag of essential ingredients. He even got to taste freshly brewed mead—a sweet, throat-burning liquor.

    The mission to gather honey and beehives was spread among the hunters and local brewers. Additionally, Kit decided to buy a medium-sized wooden bottle of honey from the villagers, who were willing to part with it for five silver coins. It was quite expensive, but given the amount, he could likely experiment with brewing or making sweets in abundance. In fifteen days, when the wooden barrels arrived, everything would start taking shape.

    While waiting for the work he commissioned, Kit continued his studies in reading and writing. The second batch of crops had grown lush and was nearly ready for harvest. In less than a month, they would be reaping their second yield. So far, there had been no water shortages for cultivation, but no one could predict the situation in the outskirts—especially in the southern cities.

    How severe would the calamity foretold by Lord Landbruh’s vision be?

    The snow on the high mountain peaks had almost entirely melted, causing the water levels of both small and large streams to visibly recede. During the height of summer, rain-laden clouds should have drifted in to moisten the land, but the sky remained eerily clear, and the sun blazed even more intensely. The rice fields and most of the grain crops were wilting more than usual.

    Only the sweet potato vines continued to flourish, their leaves plump and vibrant. These plants were highly drought-resistant and required less water than expected, allowing the villagers to continue living comfortably without worrying too much about the future.

    Not long after, fifteen wooden barrels were delivered to Redwood Church—two days ahead of schedule. The craftsmanship was meticulous, with a smooth, polished surface treated with thickened resin. The tightly sealed lids had no leaks, showcasing the dedication of Hugh, the blacksmith, who had poured his utmost effort into the work. He even included a thin-sheet metal funnel and two tiny wooden barrels as a bonus. They fit well in hand for small-scale fermentation experiments—or perhaps… they were exceptionally well-crafted containers, suitable for offerings to the deities.

    An idea for a creative handicraft struck Kit momentarily, and he quickly explained it to Hugh. He then placed an additional order for ten small barrels, each only a hand’s span tall, adorned with intricate engravings on polished iron bands. Six of these would be offered to the deities who blessed all the children in the church, three would be dedicated to Lord Landbruh, and the final one—he would keep for himself to test and expand his knowledge of beverage development. Another thirty silver coins were paid in advance, while Hugh beamed with delight at receiving yet another high-paying commission.

    Even his father…had never earned a full gold coin in less than a month. His confidence surged exponentially.

    Freed from the shadows of his past, his craftsmanship improved rapidly. It would not be long before the Smith family became a pillar of support for many others.

    The following day, the grand church bustled with activity—it was time to brew fermented sweet potato liquor as an offering to the deities.

    The children worked together to clean the soil-covered sweet potatoes, peeling them before Kit and Anna used razor-sharp knives—crafted by Sister Anne from the claws of a crescent moon bear—to cut them into small pieces. The large iron pot, once used for simmering soup, was scrubbed spotlessly clean before being used to boil the sweet potatoes until fully cooked.

    The large wooden barrels, scalded with boiling water more than three times, were then used to contain the mashed sweet potatoes. The hot liquid, filtered of solid remnants, was poured in until it reached the brim. The boiled wooden lid was then tightly sealed on top, leaving a small wooden stopper slightly open to allow the mixture inside to cool down. Sack after sack of sweet potatoes were boiled and processed in this manner until three large barrels were filled.

    For the remaining two barrels, Kit planned to experiment with a new type of mead infused with aromatic forest berries—or perhaps brew beer using sacks of barley. The variety of drinks soon to be crafted would surely add vibrancy to future meals.

    Once the wooden barrels had returned to normal temperature, yeast starters were added.

    The Little Scholar could only hope that their sterilization efforts were thorough enough and that the fermenting liquids would be successful.

    One month from now, they would wait with hopeful anticipation.