Chapter 19 Maybe It'S Not There
'Develop another source of income and reduce our dependence on wheat a bit more. If possible, find a way to get cash quickly.'
Sara, who had just arrived in Grandchester territory and didn't know much about the land, decided to ask Robert and the bureaucrats.
"Are there any special products in Grandchester that aren't stored?"
Then, Pollux quickly replied.
"There's Elma. Every year, we carefully select the highest-quality fruits and offer them to the royal family. They're popular in the capital during late autumn and winter, but since they're fruits, they're not stored. By the way, we process the ones that are bad in color or shape into jam or bottle them as juice."
Robert chimed in.
"You can make Elma liquor from the juice."
"Elma becomes a liquor?"
"Yeah. We ferment the juice to make it, and it's simple but delicious."
"Is it sold in the capital?"
"No, it's more like a commoner's drink, so it's only consumed within the territory."
"Why is that? It's a waste."
Pollux answered.
"In the past, we discussed selling Elma liquor in the capital, but we gave up because the bottles kept breaking."
"Maybe Elma liquor is carbonated?"
"That's right. There are ones that are carbonated and ones that aren't."
"There are also ones that accidentally turn into vinegar."
'Ah, I see. It's like cider. If it turns into vinegar, that means it's like apple cider vinegar. If we can do it well, it could become a special product.'
Cider, which means apple liquor in French, is also the origin of the word "cider". There are carbonated and non-carbonated types, but in Japan, the carbonated type is more common. When fermented in a sealed state, the carbon dioxide gas produced during the process increases the internal pressure in the barrel, making it a sparkling liquor.
However, unless it's a metal tank, it won't become a highly carbonated cider. If it's made in a normal household, it's likely to be non-carbonated or weakly carbonated. Even so, if it's stored in a place with poor storage conditions, accidents like the bottle breaking can't be avoided. In Sarasa's world, there were occasional news reports of beer and other drinks exploding.
'Hmm? Doing a second fermentation in the bottle like champagne, how about that?'
Sarasa was a big fan of liquor, and as part of her company's business, she was also involved in importing liquor and other drinks.
"Maybe the bottle's strength or color was the problem, or it was stored poorly and that's why it exploded. If we thoroughly check the quality during manufacturing, distribution, and sales, it shouldn't happen, right?"
"The bottle's strength, you say... If we use high-quality bottles, the price will go up. Elma liquor is for commoners, after all..."
"People from Grandchester think Elma liquor is for commoners, but in other territories, it's not that popular, so I think it has a rare value. As for the bottles, how about we create a system to buy back the bottles we sell? That way, we can lower the price for the next purchase, and the resale rate will go up, don't you think?"
"That's a good point."
"But will there be any merchants who will take on that task...?"
"Why don't we talk to the merchants who considered selling our products last time and see what they say?"
Up until that point, Sarasa's memories had stimulated Sara's brain.
"By the way, doesn't Elma liquor get distilled?"
"Distillation, is that what those alchemists do when they make medicine?"
It seems that in this world, distillation is a patented technique exclusive to alchemists.
'Hmm? So that means there's no distilled liquor in this world?'
Sara had caught a whiff of the scent of liquor, or rather, the scent of money. It seemed that the blood of her past life as a company employee was stirring.
"I'd like to meet the alchemists in the territory. Can you arrange that for me?"
"Wait, Sara. Why do you want to meet the alchemists?"
"I've just thought of it, so I'm not sure if it'll actually work out, but I'm thinking of distilling Elma liquor to create a new liquor."
"Distilling liquor?"
Robert and Pollux were shocked, their eyes wide open.
"This is Elma liquor we're talking about, so I want to make a profit from it. However, currently, there are issues with transportation and storage, so we can only sell it in limited quantities. I want to solve this problem."
"Will distilling solve the problem?"
"I'm not sure unless we try, but I think it's worth a shot."
'Speaking of apples, Calvados! I want to drink it! I super want to drink it!'
Sarasa was also a huge fan of Calvados. Technically, only those made in Normandy, France can be called Calvados, so it should be called Apple Brandy or Elma Brandy, but in Sara's mind, it was already Calvados.
Even if it turns out well, it'll probably be years before she can drink it, but considering the aging process, it's not bad.
'Heh-heh, my blood is boiling with excitement for drinking!'
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