The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 106

Chapter 106: Tent Stove and Strong Liquor

At the moment the conversation paused, there was a bit of commotion on the other side of the door. When Marie opened the door, Cedric and August entered, each carrying a long cylindrical object. The stove they brought in was a tent stove, characterized by a square main body, which was about the size of a large knight’s embrace, with a long chimney protruding from it.

“What is that?”

“This is a simple tent stove that we made recently. If it proves useful, I thought you might consider taking it back to the Soarasonne Smithing Guild for mass production.”

“Using fire inside a tent is dangerous. Even if it’s prohibited, accidents where the tent catches fire occasionally happen.”

In the military, a superior’s orders are absolute. In this feudal society, the enforcement must be quite strict.

Nevertheless, it was easy to imagine how unbearably cold it could get.

“Yes, that’s why we’ve designed it to minimize such risks.”

As Melfina rose from the sofa, Alexis also got up, seemingly intrigued.

Even though it’s a tent stove, its mechanism is very simple. It’s a metal box with a lid, featuring air intake holes, and it stands on four legs with a long chimney. There is a space next to the chimney where you can boil water or easily heat up food.

It was originally made for a picnic with Serleine but had been left in storage after a single use. Although it must have gathered dust, it seems Cedric and August cleaned it up nicely.

“The chimney must always be installed to extend outside the tent, and you put charcoal inside here and light a fire. When you want to extinguish the fire, you insert an iron plate into the groove beneath the air intake holes, and the fire will go out after a while.”

“It’s quite small.”

“Even so, it’s pretty warm. When you light the fire, it gets quite dry, but by placing a copper kettle on top, the humidity increases, which raises the perceived temperature, and you always have hot drinks available.”

August also knelt beside the stove, opening the lid to add or remove charcoal and peering into the bottom of the stove. Since it was a very simple design, it was easy to understand its mechanism just by looking at it.

“There’s almost no risk of ignition, but avoid placing flammable materials nearby. If you’re worried, you could use one tent for several people and assign someone to keep watch. …Shall we test its performance?”

Apparently interested, Alexis nodded with a serious expression.

“The tent is in the barracks, so it would be better to actually set it up there to see how it works. Cedric, could you ask Rad and Cliff to take this to the barracks?”

“Yes, immediately.”

“Marie—could you prepare [something]?”

After a quiet whisper, Marie glanced briefly at Melfina.

“…Is that alright?”

“Yes. Please bring two cups for tasting and some milk along with them.”

Marie nodded solemnly, bowed, and left the room immediately.

“Shall we go as well? The days get dark quickly at this time of year.”

Unlike Marie and Cedric, who had already used the stove, Alexis and August still seemed somewhat skeptical.

But that skepticism would soon be replaced.

＊　＊　＊

Although the barracks where the knights and soldiers were staying wasn’t very far from the lord’s residence, the uneven terrain made it necessary for Melfina and Marie to ride along on the wagon carrying the stove.

Even though spring was approaching day by day, snow remained thick on the ground except for the areas where it had been cleared.

—Soon, the snow will start to melt.

Winter in the North is long, but the time when the thick gray clouds covering the sky break up is gradually increasing.

It didn’t take long to reach the barracks, and as soon as the soldiers noticed them, a buzz of excitement started. By the time they arrived at the grounds, two of the stationed knights were running toward them.

“Your Excellency!”

“It’s been a while!”

Roland and Sigmund stopped a few steps away, performing the formal knightly salute. Alexis responded with a gracious nod.

“I’m glad to see everyone in good health. I’ve heard you’ve been guarding Her Highness Serleine well.”

“Thank you. …We’ve been troubled by not being able to accompany you on the Pluina expedition.”

“It’s truly a relief that you are all well.”

Their voices carried more than just the formality of knightly etiquette; they were filled with genuine emotion.

Although Alexis had rarely interacted with knights other than August and Cedric, it was clear that he was deeply respected by his subordinates.

“If you had called us, we would have gone to the lord’s residence ourselves.”

“Lady Melfina suggested testing the tent stove, so we’re giving it a try.”

“Oh, that’s truly a good thing!”

“Let’s set up the tent immediately. Dirk!”

Sigmund called out to his squire, Dirk, who gave a deep bow and then ran with the surrounding soldiers to the warehouse. In no time, the tent was set up, and the stove was efficiently installed.

Cedric placed charcoal and kindling into the stove, and it soon began to emit heat.

“I see, this is quite warm.”

“It will be even warmer once the heat spreads throughout the tent.”

As Marie covered the copper milk pan, poured in the milk, and carefully stirred it with a wooden spatula to avoid overheating, Melfina sat down on a bench inside the tent and let out a small sigh.

“Cedric, please remove everyone else and clear the area.”

“Understood. Let’s go, August.”

“Your Excellency, I’ll stay by your side.”

“This is a conversation not meant for others’ ears.”

“…August, do as the lady says.”

Clearly instructed by Alexis, August, unable to argue, left the tent with visible reluctance. As the temperature inside the not-so-large tent began to rise and the charcoal started to glow red, the tent became quite warm, enough to make one sweat a little while wearing a fur coat.

Marie poured the warmed milk into a cup and then added a transparent liquid halfway up. After adding grated ginger and a pinch of sugar, she stirred it slowly to complete the drink.

“I’ll have the first sip.”

Melfina took a sip, and almost immediately, Alexis did the same, like an impatient child.

Suddenly, Alexis covered his mouth with his palm and coughed lightly. Perhaps he had been caught off guard by the milk, but the drink was very strong.

“…Lady Melfina, what is this?”

“It’s a strong alcoholic beverage diluted with milk. I’m surprised you tried it before I could tell you to drink it slowly.”

Although Alexis had a skeptical expression, seeing Melfina drink the rest slowly, he tipped his cup again.

“—I’m surprised, but this is quite good. Also, it’s warming me up from the inside.”

“Strong alcohol improves blood circulation and raises body temperature. In moderate amounts, it also helps to relax and ease tension. With a stove and this drink during a winter expedition, I believe it would allow for deeper rest than now.”

“Hm…”

Alexis drank about half of his cup, slowly turning it and sniffing it.

“Is sugar essential for this drink?”

“No, the sugar is just for adjusting the taste to make it more palatable for first-time drinkers. If you don’t have milk, you can dilute it with water instead. The strong alcohol can irritate the mucous membranes, so it’s not recommended to drink it straight.”

“So the high alcohol content indicates that it was created with the help of alchemy?”

Alexis seems to know that high-proof alcohol can be made using alchemy.

“No, even without magic, strong alcohol can be made by commoners or serfs.”

The base liquor is almost the same as making ale, and distillation isn’t particularly special. Alexis remained silent for a moment, reflecting on Melfina’s words while gazing into his cup.

At the sudden crackling of the firewood in the stove, Alexis looked up.

“I… can’t even imagine how this is made.”

In this world, alcohol fermentation relies entirely on microorganisms. As Julius once said, only alchemists can currently make strong alcohol.

However, if distillation becomes a common method, mass production will become feasible.

“This is a drink I started making personally in the Enkar region. It’s made from corn, and it actually needs to be aged for two or three years to be fully completed.”

“From corn…”

“Would you like to try the base liquor as well? It’s young and strong, so it will be diluted with water.”

“I’d like to.”

Marie brought a jar from the cellar and poured its contents into a new cup, diluting it with water to about half.

The young bourbon lacked depth and was extremely strong in alcohol content. After tasting the diluted version and remaining silent for a moment, Alexis looked at Melfina with a serious expression.

“I understand now why you wanted to clear the area. How many people are capable of making this?”

“Only I, Marie, Cedric, and Julius, whom we hired as an alchemist, know the basic production methods.”

“Is Lord Savini trustworthy?”

“He tends to have a bit of a bias toward his interests, but he’s not the type to be interested in wealth, so there’s less risk of technical leaks compared to hiring others.”

“You mentioned it’s young alcohol. Will it become stronger with aging?”

“No, it’s the opposite. During aging, the alcohol content decreases, and the depth of flavor increases. After aging, it becomes much better than this.”

Alexis remained silent for a moment and then drank the diluted liquor in one gulp.

“Lady Melfina, you are a very intelligent person. Therefore, you must also foresee what will happen after creating this drink with sugar.”

“Yes, actually, I intended to release it more gradually, and at least observe its development over two years. Given the current situation, there is no room to focus on anything other than food.”

Even if a good product is made, it’s meaningless without buyers. In the midst of a famine, few will have the luxury to spend on luxuries.

But Alexis nodded and sat deeply into the sofa, choosing his words thoughtfully.

“Once the famine is over and people have more leisure, there will be a trend towards new forms of entertainment to relieve the accumulated stress. Sweet drinks with strong alcohol. Your creations will be in high demand.”

“Oh… I’m surprised, as you don’t seem very interested in people’s minds.”

“I am a ruler, after all.”

Economic trends are an essential factor in running a system. Even if Alexis himself isn’t interested in trends, he seems to have a good understanding of their mechanics.

“No matter how innovative the product, in the Enkar region, there isn’t enough power to keep this technology secret. Spies seeking basic technological knowledge will swarm, and there’s also a possibility of attracting attention from both the church and the temple.”

“Indeed.”

The church and temple, which prohibit private duels, would not engage in overt harassment. However, damage to vested interests always breeds resentment.

From here on, it becomes a matter of delicate political maneuvering.

“Will you make a deal with me, Your Grace?”

“It won’t be unconditional, though.”

“As expected.”

Alexis’s expression, as inscrutable as ever, showed only the faintest hint of redness on his usually pale cheeks. In normal circumstances, he wouldn’t be accustomed to such strong alcohol in this world.

Melfina allowed a subtle smile to play at her lips.