NOVEL NEXT Chapter 384
Zigmeser’s visit was sudden.
“I’m going to meet a merchant who supplies ingredients to the castle. Want to tag along? He’s someone I often rely on for my rather personal hobby.”
“Hobby?”
“Like rare ingredients, for example. Garum, that sort of thing.”
Karem couldn’t refuse that offer.
After all, Bendleig’s work had just finished, and the royal fermentation workshop was starting to yield results.
Thanks to that, Karem’s daily life was back to normal.
“Well, should I prepare anything to take?”
“I don’t know… just bring some money along.”
“Money?”
“If there’s something you fancy, you can buy it, can’t you?”
Since it wasn’t a wrong statement, Karem, who had just come down to the lobby, went back up to the top floor to change into his outing clothes and grab a pouch of money.
“Is there something happening today?”
“I’m going sightseeing with Sir Zigmeser. I’ll be back before the dinner banquet.”
It would be a lie if he said he didn’t have any expectations at all.
If there were a capable merchant able to procure garum all the way from Servianus, which was miles away from the poor logistics and distribution of Europa, surely there would be many other things as well.
It was the same when enjoying snacks disguised as a gathering with Zigmeser. However, one question naturally arose.
“Why didn’t you take me along earlier?”
“Last year? I was going to.”
“But…?”
“Each time, you weren’t present, were you?”
“Ah.”
Thinking about it, that was indeed true.
The year before, he was still unfamiliar with Zigmeser, and around the same time last year, Karem was following Catherine and enduring unnecessary hardships at Afterglow Fortress.
“When I thought about taking you along, something else came up, and you weren’t at the castle. Just like this spring.”
Zigmeser’s conclusion, as he pinched Karem’s waist with his finger, seemed to imply that it was all Karem’s fault. If he had just stayed in the castle, he would have been shown around properly.
“I tried to introduce you a couple of times, but my schedule went sideways, and it was awkward, but, well…”
Zigmeser shrugged while looking up at Karem, fiddling with his chin.
“Looks like I was able to introduce you before this year ends.”
“If it had been delayed by just a day or two, it would have been pushed back again.”
“Anyway, do you have any plans?”
“I’m going to a villa for a break.”
“Hmm? Ah, right. You said you got an invitation?”
Zigmeser blinked and belatedly recalled that fact.
‘This down-to-earth fellow, no, I mean, is it really that down-to-earth?’
Thinking about it, his fixation on rare ingredients was quite severe. Fire Witch Finger or Beaver Vanilla, for example.
“Anyway, I have to acknowledge your obsession and madness.”
Karem frowned at the sudden slander.
“To even think about eating something from the Beaver’s genitals, combined with Alraune from head to toe covered in poison. I mean, it’s a monster, so it’s not like you can’t eat it, but still. The Fire Witch Finger is just… astonishing.”
“Why are we suddenly discussing this?”
It would be one thing if it was a long time ago, but now that such words came up, Karem found it absurd.
“You eat all three of those dishes deliciously. Egg Tart, Tiramisu. And on days when you indulge in something spicy, you even gulp down spicy hangover soup.”
Cough cough.
“And can you imagine a time without those three?”
Without Vanilla, Coffee, and Red Pepper Powder?
“…Impossible.”
Feeling somewhat guilty for his earlier statement, Zigmeser’s reply came slowly.
Spring, autumn, winter. Especially in the harsh winter, he couldn’t imagine surviving without broth filled with garlic and red pepper powder or a Cold Resistance Potion.
Waking in the morning, if he didn’t pair a light snack with Alraune’s Tear, the day felt unsettling, and vanilla had become an essential item in baking.
“That’s why I’m a little worried.”
“Worried about what?”
“About vanilla.”
Zigmeser casually tossed a skewer at Karem, as if indifferent.
“The price is rising.”
“Suddenly?”
“Not suddenly.”
Demand exceeds supply, and when supplies dwindle, prices rise. Vanilla was precisely that case.
Craving sweetness was an instinct of living creatures.
Even the lower class, who couldn’t even dream of honey or sugar, were making pies out of vegetables to enjoy some sweetness—so what about the nobles?
Before indulging in their desire for sweetness, nobles would spare no expense for gourmet food.
For those nobles, vanilla was introduced as a sweetener that pairs better than any spice with white sugar in bread and desserts.
A year since the development of vanilla, the aristocrats across Europa feasted greedily on it.
Anyone with a bit of money indulged in vanilla. Overflowing demand. Merchants pressured alchemists, and the alchemists pressured the Adventurer Guild, which is why there hadn’t been any orders to hunt the Grizzly Beaver posted on the guild’s board.
Adventurers mercilessly harvested the Grizzly Beaver’s peanuts.
The last survivors of Grizzly Beaver civilization wept tears of blood in concern about the situation unfolding all over Europa.
And that was the problem.
“I’ve heard their seed is running dry.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s gotten so bad that people are suggesting we keep them in one place and raise the Grizzly Beavers intentionally.”
After silently listening, Karem thought to himself. A Grizzly Beaver peanut farm? It sounded terrifying just to hear—
Wait a second.
Could it be that this is my fault?
The Grizzly Beaver black wizard that Karem encountered at Afterglow Fortress had intuitively predicted this situation and couldn’t stop it.
And the repercussions of this had struck Grizzly Beavers all over Europa.
“That’s why the Adventurer Guild is buzzing with unexpected expeditions all over the place.”
The absurd statement that they were jumping into the barbaric world for unknown origins and untold wealth made Karem ask just in case.
“Is there perhaps an issue with the supplies coming into the castle too?”
“What? The castle, in Winterhome?”
If he had had a beard, Zigmeser might have coughed hard enough to have his beard shake. He waved his hands and shook his head.
“In the past, that might have been true, but the current Felwinter Family wouldn’t have that kind of money. Even if it did rise to a 1:2 ratio compared to gold, they could spend more than enough.”
“Then there shouldn’t be any problems.”
Honestly, if I can use it without issues right now, who cares if the price goes up? More shocking to Karem was the possibility that the price might exceed even that of pepper in medieval times.
“I wonder if they’ll look for real vanilla as a substitute.”
“Hmm? What do you mean by real?”
“Nothing at all.”
Karem quickly brushed off the topic.
“But where are we headed?”
“We have to walk a bit.”
*
*
*
Zigmeser’s steps made Karem think, does he mean to go as far as the outer castle? Then he thought he wouldn’t return in time for the banquet, which made him stop.
After passing through an area bustling with shops and mansions, they finally reached a comparatively shabby-looking building in the inner castle.
“So, what is this place?”
“What else? It’s a warehouse.”
The inner castle traders seemed to frequent this area, as Karem could see some burly thugs and adventurers standing guard as they passed.
Some looked so heavily armed that it seemed excessive, rivaling the guards or knights from Winterhome’s main castle.
“It’s the inner castle’s warehouse, so it’s natural for it to be fortified.”
“Is that really natural?”
“Yeah. It would be one thing if it were a central warehouse in the wealthier districts, but thieves who ransack are not uncommon in these outskirts of the inner castle.”
Hearing about armed heists made Karem think maybe thieves enjoy playing robbery games, but the expression on Zigmeser’s face was extremely serious.
It was all he could do not to laugh, especially since he had no eyebrows to help hide his amusement.
“Therefore, I don’t have the money to rent a central warehouse, and those who can’t afford them and don’t want to use a warehouse in the outer castle for the sake of security or that it’s too far out have no choice but to use this one.”
“If the guard costs less, that would be the better choice.”
“Here we are. This is it.”
The warehouse building lacked any decorations or features typical of warehouse architecture. As soon as Zigmeser entered, the adventurers on guard immediately moved aside.
“Sir Zigmeser! You can go right in!”
“Yeah. You’re always doing a great job.”
Although Zigmeser was somewhat familiar with them, naturally, the adventurers displayed a wary attitude towards Karem as he followed behind.
“By the way, who is the person following you—”
“Oh, that’s my companion.”
“Oops! My apologies!”
Just for a moment.
Karem immediately followed Zigmeser, passing the adventurers and stepping into the warehouse. The door closed behind him instantly.
Click—
“Oh.”
As Karem examined the inside of the warehouse, he found himself a bit impressed. It felt similar to Catherine’s office, filled with occult elements, but with a focus on cooking instead.
Though they looked similar at first glance, upon closer inspection, the various grains like wheat, barley, and beans, all different in color and shape, were stacked all along the walls in sacks.
The quality was comparable to that used in kitchens.
Implying that they were of sufficient quality to supply to the Duke’s Family.
“So, who are we meeting?”
Karem, fiddling with a sack of neat yellow wheat grain, asked.
“The owner of the warehouse items.”
“Where is the owner?”
“He’s probably upstairs. Ahem! Guests are here! How long are you going to stay cooped up upstairs!!!”
Bang bang bang—! Huh? What!?
It sounded like something was being worked on upstairs, followed by the noise of something crashing to the floor. In the mix, a bewildering voice echoed faintly.
“Sir Zigmeser? What shall we do?”
“Hmm… just a moment—”
Crash! Smash—! Ahh—! Clatter—
Before Zigmeser could finish his sentence, it sounded like an earthquake as the noise of something collapsing on the floor grew louder than before.
Along with that, the bewildered voice could clearly be heard transforming into a scream.
“I can’t go on like this. We’re going up.”
“Is that okay?”
“If we don’t go up, things will be a lot worse for you.”
Why it would be a problem, he didn’t know, but they were guests in a warehouse with an owner, so… wait, are we really going up?
Following Zigmeser to the first floor, it was stocked with grains like before, and every floor was piled high with all kinds of goods neatly separated.
On the second floor, spice boxes were strangely familiar, piled up in a confusing jumble that made it hard to identify anything by their scent, while the third floor was filled with bags of assorted fruits and boxes and barrels. The fourth floor had the stench of dried fish wafting heavily.
“Here, ugh—!”
“Oh… indeed, so this is why. Cough cough—!”
The fifth floor, in the attic room, seemed to have some flour-like substance burst out, clouding the air.
Large and small sacks, sealed boxes, and wooden barrels were all jumbled up like a boar had broken in without a care in the world.
In the chaos where there was hardly any room to step, it appeared that if arranged properly, the attic would be filled to the ceiling with goods.
“…Sir Zigmeser?”
“Hah… what is it?”
While the actual party might be lower down, Karem couldn’t help but voice what was on his mind at the sight of this mess.
“The person you said you were going to introduce me is probably dead by now.”
“Who says someone is dying?!”
A half-dead childlike voice suddenly shrieked out in a fit.
“More importantly, Sir Zigmeser! Please help me! I can’t move!”
From under the mess of chaos.