Chapter 224 Opening Ceremony Of The Hunting Tournament Iii
The Marquis, waiting for the right moment, raised his voice towards the venue.
"Actually, besides cider, a new type of liquor has been made in Grandchester. This drink is called 'Elma brandy' because it is made from Elma grown in Grandchester. However, it has a very strong liquor content, so I do not recommend it for those who are not good with liquor. If you would like to try it, please ask one of the nearby servers, and they will bring it to you."
Nobles have a strange fascination with new and rare things. The Marquis's words greatly piqued the curiosity of these nobles.
One by one, the nobles reached for the small shot glasses filled with Elma brandy, enjoying the aroma before tasting it. Many of them coughed, but most of the nobles, known for their love of liquor, expressed their admiration.
"This, this is an incredible drink. How on earth was this made...?"
"Indeed, the flavor of Elma is present, but it has such a rich and smooth taste."
"I cannot express this drink with my vocabulary. It is simply wonderful."
'Ughhh, I want to drink too. I wonder if Sophia would allow me just one shot?'
But thinking calmly, Sophia realized that she had never drunk liquor in this body, and she had no idea how strong she was against it. If she gave in to temptation and drank here, she might embarrass herself at what could be her debut as a merchant. Sophia held back firmly.
"Here we have the Elma brandy, but it's even less in quantity than the cider from earlier, and it will probably be a long time before it hits the market. Elma brandy requires a long aging period. What you all tasted is a 20-year-old version."
Then, the Marquis received the Elma brandy in a beautiful decorative bottle from the attendant and raised the bottle high.
"I have prepared a bottle of Elma brandy here. This is from the same barrel that we offer to the royal family, and I would like to give this bottle of Elma brandy to the winner of the hunting tournament, in addition to the prize money. I also have bottles of the 10-year-old version ready for the second and third place winners, so I hope everyone will give their best in the tournament starting tomorrow."
The venue was filled with cheers, and applause erupted. The nobles, confident in their skills, seemed more motivated than ever.
Just then, Count Harrington approached from behind Sophia.
"Sophia, is that Elma brandy sold by your merchant guild?"
"Yes, it is."
"Is it really a 20-year-old?"
"There's no way Marquis Grandchester would lie in such a public setting."
"But if it's a 20-year aging drink, then at your age..."
As he murmured this, Count Harrington suddenly looked shocked.
"Could it be that it's a fairy!?"
Sophia simply smiled brightly, neither confirming nor denying it.
"Sophia, please. I want you to let me have that Elma brandy. I know it's rare, but as the lord of a region known for its wine, I can't just sit here idly and do nothing."
"Most of the 20-year-old barrels have already been bought by the Grandchester family as offerings to the royal family. The amount I can use freely is very small, and I'm planning to put it up for auction."
"An auction... you say?"
"Yes, that's right. So, I think the best way for Count Harrington is to win it at the auction."
"I probably won't be able to prepare enough money to win it at the auction... I see..."
Count Harrington sighed and left the place.
At that moment, a hidden follower of Sedrick whispered quietly.
"The wine from Harrington has been selling poorly lately."
"Why is that?"
"It seems the Crown Prince and his wife don't really like Harrington wine, and many young nobles prefer to drink imported wines from other countries."
"Is foreign wine really that good?"
"We fairies can't really say, but lately, wine-tasting events featuring various wines from different countries and regions have become popular among the nobles. However, even there, Harrington wine is often looked down upon."
"I see... that's unfortunate."
"His Majesty the King enjoys Harrington wine, so it's strange to think it's of such poor quality."
'I understand now. So that's why he's so desperate. Every lord has it tough.'
Sophia secretly decided to present a bottle of cider and Elma brandy to Count Harrington. Considering the possibility of dealing with Harrington's wine as a merchant guild, it wasn't a bad investment.
Then, as the atmosphere in the venue warmed up nicely, the musicians who had been playing in the hall began to move to a different spot. More and more people were arriving.
Once the band was ready, the Marquis spoke to the attendees again.
"Actually, my foolish son Robert has gotten engaged to Lady Rebecca, the daughter of Viscount Orson. As you can see, Robert is of a good age, so we plan to have a formal wedding early next year without a long engagement. Also, after the marriage, we will be welcoming the child of my youngest son as their adopted daughter. I humbly ask all of you to watch over these two and my grandchild as they grow."
The venue was filled with applause. Then Prince Andrew stepped forward.
"As the representative of His Majesty the King, I congratulate the two on their engagement. Furthermore, in accordance with the agreement made ten years ago, His Majesty has declared that Lady Rebecca, recognized by her husband, will be granted the vacant title of Viscount Astley. The ceremony to confer the title will take place in the royal capital after the formal marriage. Additionally, as a wedding gift, land adjacent to the territory previously given to Rebecca will be granted to her husband, the Viscount of Astley."
And then Prince Andrew handed the royal decree to Rebecca. This meant that his statement officially impressed upon the major noble families that this was a done deal.
Although Robert had heard from Rebecca that he would be granted a title, he was very surprised to learn that he would actually receive it. However, since he couldn't show his surprise at that moment, he knelt before Prince Andrew alongside Rebecca as she accepted the decree.
At the same time, both Robert and Rebecca recited the customary phrase for such occasions.
"Thank you deeply for the grace of His Majesty the King. Glory to the Kingdom of Avalon!"
Then, voices rose up from the audience all at once.
"""Glory to the Kingdom of Avalon!"""
It was truly a display of formality. The nobles of Avalon were so used to this exchange that almost no one missed the timing of the call-and-response. The only exceptions were the merchants who were not nobles.
'I wonder... it feels a bit like how the timing of the final toast at a banquet never gets messed up.'
A faint memory from the Sarasa era came to mind, and for some reason, it made her feel a bit sad.
And just as if they were waiting for the right moment, the orchestra began to play loudly with brass and percussion instruments. This was actually set up by Sara, thinking it would be fun to play a flashy piece, "March of the Swiss Army" from the William Tell Overture. She thought she might not be able to write orchestral parts, but Sara's musical skills were incredible.
'Hmm, this loud volume is going to wake me up from my daze.'
The orchestra was really excited since it was their first performance of the new song. Even Crown Prince Gerhart was getting into it, though he kept his cool because of his position. He only told a nearby servant, "Make sure to get the score for that song."
However, many nobles were impressed by the performance, and from then on, in the Avalon social scene, it became common to play the Swiss Army March after shouting, "Long live King Avalon!"
Actually, when Sara couldn't write down the score, she thought about using a fanfare from some racetrack instead. She even narrowed it down to "Which is better, Hanshin or Nakayama?" So when she found out it became a staple in the social scene, she truly thought, "I'm glad I didn't use a racetrack fanfare."
The performance itself ended in less than 5 minutes, and the orchestra started playing regular ballroom dance music. Of course, the first to dance were Robert and Rebecca.
'Mother and Father really dance well together. I wonder why they took ten years to get it right.'
It was because Robert was a coward and Rebecca was stubborn, but it seems they finally found their place. And Sara herself was set to become the Viscount Astley's daughter next year.
Suddenly, Sophia noticed more people were looking at her, so she whispered to Daniel.
"If I stay here any longer, I might get invited to dance. It's better to leave before it gets complicated."
"That's true. It's probably time for you to get some rest, milady."
Daniel tried to hide his surprise at her whisper by teasing her with his words.
"Hehe. Daniel, you really are something. But you're right. Tomorrow is going to be super busy. Let's head home."
"Understood."
And so Sophia left Grandchester Castle. Many noblemen tried to approach Sophia, but they backed off just from Daniel's intimidating glare.
"Hey Daniel, aren't you being a bit too intimidating?"
"No, I hardly have any magical power."
"Then stop giving off that killing intent. That guy from earlier was scared."
"If someone is that easily frightened, they don't deserve to ask Lady Sophia for a dance."
"Sigh... that's going too far."
The next morning, even more 'uninvited guests' than usual visited the Sophia Merchant Guild's main store, and the golems were dancing nicely around them. Among them was a young nobleman holding a bouquet, and Sophia found herself in a tough spot.
When I hear the Swiss military march, I remember a variety show from long ago.
Sara: See, that gives away your age!
Author: It's already obvious anyway!
Sara: Are you just admitting it now?
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