PRKE 110

 CHAPTR 110…………………………………………..
2023.12.19.

I took the bottle of alcohol, then placed it back into her arms.

“I’ll just accept your feelings.”

She widened her eyes.

“Is it not good enough?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that something this valuable should be used for your daughter’s wedding.”

“….”

“I’ll be fine with this.”

“With this…?”

The shop owner’s expression stiffened as he looked at what I was pointing at.

What I had chosen was a distilled liquor made from arak—

“But this is….”

—along with a slightly cloudier-looking spirit beside it.

“It’s not a very good-quality drink.”

“….”

“Arakki is something we’re proud of, good enough to sell anywhere, but that arak is… well…”

Jenny sniffed the alcohol in confusion.

“Is it not good? The smell is nice. Fresh and sweet.”

The shop owner looked troubled.

“The aroma is fine, but there was a mistake during production, so impurities got mixed in. We originally tried to make a top-tier product using the finest fruit, but it went wrong, so we just put it on sale cheaply.”

Kichef took a sip and nodded.

“Yes. The taste is muddy. Even if the aroma is good, it’s a low-grade liquor.”

Jenny, who tasted it afterward, stuck her tongue out.

“Pick something else.”

At the owner’s suggestion, I shook my head.

“I’ll take this.”

“Really?”

At the questioning gazes, I nodded.

One was sour, the other sweet—perfectly complementary. Good enough to satisfy the great chieftain’s palate.

If things go the way I think they will.

After finishing my satisfying shopping, I left the liquor market.

Passing a shop with almost no customers—practically dying on its feet—I noticed something displayed inside.

“Huh, that is….”

I hadn’t expected to see something like that here, so I was only mildly surprised.

After a few steps, I stopped, reconsidered, and went back inside.

An elderly man, dozing off, slowly opened his eyes at my presence.

“What can I get you?”

I pointed at the liquor that had caught my attention.

“That one, please.”

After returning to the palace, I placed the liquor I bought on a marble table.

I rested my hand on the cold bottle and thought quietly.

“Are you hesitating on what to do?”

Kichef, who had noticed me, approached and pointed at the Arakki I had bought from the second shop.

“In my opinion, just this one bottle is enough as a gift.”

He frowned as if he couldn’t understand.

“No matter how I think about it, the Arakki the shop owner cherished was the best. Why did you refuse it?”

“It was clearly made with a family occasion in mind. How could I take that?”

“Still, that was the only thing that seemed good enough for the great chieftain. You don’t seriously think he’ll be satisfied with ordinary liquor, do you?”

“Do you think so little of me?”

I chuckled.

“That’s not it. I’m confident I can satisfy the great chieftain.”

“Then what is it?”

As he asked, he casually reached for the low-quality arak.

I grabbed his wrist.

“Where do you think you’re taking that?”

He protested indignantly.

“We were going to drink it anyway! It’s low quality.”

“I bought it because I need it.”

“Tch…”

At his reaction, I clicked my tongue.

Jenny brought over the gift box we had purchased together.

“Miss, if it’s a gift, you’ll wrap it, right? Shall I wrap this one first?”

“No. Both of you, sit down.”

Kichef and Jenny sat across from me, puzzled.

I placed my palm on the low-grade arak bottle that Kichef had just tried to take, and closed my eyes.

A cool energy flowed out from my fingertips.

I opened my eyes and unsealed the bottle. Desert liquor has a wider mouth than kingdom bottles, so it needed to be ladled out.

I poured the liquor into a glass.

A clear, ringing sound pleasantly touched my ears.

I pushed the glass forward slightly.

“Try it.”

“…?”

“…?”

The two exchanged glances, tilting their heads.

“We already drank it earlier.”

“Just drink it.”

Kichef reluctantly took a sip—and his eyes widened as if they would pop out.

Jenny, who followed, reacted the same way.

“It’s… delicious. So delicious! It’s completely different from before!”

She said in amazement. Kichef drained the rest of his glass in one go, mouth hanging open.

“What did you do to this?”

A satisfied smile rose on my lips.

“Good?”

Jenny nodded vigorously.

“Extremely! It’s fragrant and sweet, I could keep drinking it.”

“If you drink too much, you’ll get drunk. No hangover though.”

I had removed the impurities, so it should be far easier on the body than other liquor.

Next to the amazed Jenny, Kichef, licking his lips, cautiously reached out.

I smacked the back of his hand as he tried to take the ladle.

“Hey.”

“One more glass, please.”

He bowed deeply, hands together. It was a level of politeness I had never seen from him before.

“I will serve you as my senior.”

“Sister, you mean.”

“Sister!”

With a generous heart, I allowed him another glass.

Unlike before, he drank it slowly, and happiness spread across his face.

I wish Giovanni were as simple as you.

I couldn’t help thinking that.

Kichef said emotionally:

“It wasn’t my imagination. This is the best alcohol I’ve ever had.”

“Really? Glad to hear it.”

“In that case, one more—”

Jenny, who had been scolding him, flinched.

“Miss, his eyes are gone crazy.”

“Sister! Just one more!”

Ignoring his cries, I tapped the bottle.

I was right. Alcohol can be purified too.

Just like I cured Kichef’s endemic illness, I could remove impurities from alcohol as well.

Back when I was in Liorza, I had done all sorts of things.

I even brewed fermented drinks to win favor with a former count who loved alcohol, and learned that the quality of liquor depended on how little turbidity it contained.

Distilled liquor made me a bit unsure, but it works. If I can even cure human illness, purifying alcohol is nothing.

The purified liquor had an exceptional taste.

“Sister!”

Kichef was still begging for more. I poured him a small amount of the purified Arakki.

He had been sipping it sparingly, but now, frustrated, he emptied the rest in one go—and his eyes glazed over.

“You’re amazing…”

He had lost both speech and sanity.

Jenny gave a simple diagnosis.

“He’s drunk already.”

She looked down at him with disdain, though she too had a glass in her hand.

Their reactions were enough.

“Good. Tomorrow, we’ll go meet the great chieftain.”

Unlike the single-ethnic Liorza, the Empire was a unified nation of many tribes.

Like nobles with territories, chieftains governed their tribes in their own lands.

Fortunately, the great chieftain—who had not yet returned to his tribe—was staying at the Pieche villa.

Kichef couldn’t accompany me because he had business with Giovanni from early morning, so I set out alone with only a coachman.

Ah, come to think of it, I never told Giovanni I was going to meet the great chieftain.

He was so busy lately that it was hard even to see his face.

Well, Kichef will probably pass it on.

I looked up.

The great chieftain’s Pieche villa was not flashy, but large and imposing.

Thanks to having sent someone ahead, there were no issues entering, and I was soon guided inside—then met him.

“Welcome to my home.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

After greeting him, I looked behind the great chieftain.

Someone was seated at one of the heavy tables in the reception room.

“There was another guest?”

The unexpected guest, Lord Roderaki Kun, turned his head. His gaze carried clear disdain.

He even let out a mocking laugh, as if he already understood my intentions.

A faint irritation rose in me.

What an arrogant bastard.

But separate from that emotion, the situation felt serious.

The current empire was led by an aging Khan. It was time to consider the next successor.

There were several princes, but in terms of power and skill, the candidates had narrowed to Roderaki Kun and the Fifth Prince, Giovanni.

Just as I was beginning to build my own faction, I expected Roderaki’s side to do the same.

But he’s showing up personally?

I was taken aback that the rival king himself had come.

“An unexpected guest.”

Roderaki spoke as if he were the host. I lowered my head politely.

Despite his handsome face, he still gave off an unpleasant feeling.

Step back for now.

“I came to greet the great chieftain, so I’ll return another time.”

As I turned to leave, Roderaki said flatly:

“Sit.”

“…pardon?”

“You came all this way. It’s better to drink together than to just leave.”

Then he looked at the great chieftain.

“Would that be alright?”

“I don’t mind, as long as neither of you feels uncomfortable.”

…And so I ended up sitting at the round table too.

This wasn’t in the plan.

On the table were cloudy liquor, roasted lamb, cheese, and various side dishes.

A drinking table with both the person I needed to persuade and the person I needed to be wary of.

“You said you came to greet him?”

I examined the great chieftain’s face. He didn’t seem bothered at all.

A guest arriving right when Roderaki Kun was present? The timing was suspicious.

Even the supposedly neutral great chieftain might be connected to Roderaki.

But his calm expression made it hard to judge.

I smiled faintly.

“Yes. I heard you enjoy alcohol, so I brought a gift.”

Building relationships is always the same.

The first step to making someone an ally is simple.

Getting close.

And gifts—then and now—are the easiest and most effective way to melt someone’s heart.

After smelling the aroma and taking a sip, the great chieftain’s expression hardened.

“…This is.”

His eyes turned to me.

His suddenly stiff gaze made me tense.

Don’t tell me…?

There’s no way he wouldn’t like it.

Then his mouth opened—and a shout burst out:

“Excellent!”