Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 54

54―――――

All I can give you is carbonation, carbonation, and more carbonation.

Sion spent some time beside Vanessa before subtly broaching the subject.

“Princess.

Actually, this morning I briefly visited the Heiness Merchant Guild regarding the Margrave of the Frontier’s trade request.”

“The Heiness Merchant Guild, you say?”

“Yes.”

Vanessa nodded.

“That’s where the fairy woman is the guild leader.

She was preparing due to Sefer’s threats but risked danger on the day of the incident to inform us, a loyal subject.

But why bring that up now?”

“When I visited today, she was quite remorseful for not reporting such a heinous act sooner, which led to the upheaval in the royal palace.”

“Tsk.

His Majesty must have already said that he wouldn’t hold her accountable for any crime or responsibility.”

“Still, for a merchant, losing trust once built is more painful than anything else.

She also apologized for the victory celebration party being ruined.”

At Sion’s words, Vanessa only let out a sigh, offering no specific answer.

The Heiness Merchant Guild’s involvement in this matter was clearly quite unpleasant for the royal family.

They had entrusted them with the repair of the fortress walls, but regardless of the threats and intimidation, they were involved in this heinous plot.

However, they couldn’t publicly reprimand them because the Heiness Merchant Guild leader had risked danger to inform them of the incident.

Although they were guilty, they had also made a significant contribution, so punishing them didn’t seem justified.

“His Majesty has already decided not to hold them accountable for anything regarding this matter.

If you meet her again in the future, tell her not to worry, Duke Sion.”

“I will.

Oh, and I heard that the Heiness Merchant Guild is offering goods they were planning to release slowly as gifts for this royal-hosted party that’s starting again today.”

“Gifts?”

Vanessa’s expression tightened slightly.

Her true feelings were showing, wondering if they were trying to curry favor with absurd actions, such as bribes or kickbacks.

‘Oh dear, this princess is so naive.

Who gives outright bribes these days?’

Sion quickly spoke before any harsh words could escape Vanessa’s mouth.

“They say it’s a beverage to be served at the party.

I suspected there might be a hidden intention, but what the guild leader offered was clearly a drink, nothing more and nothing less.”

“…If you’ve confirmed it yourself, I’m more inclined to believe it.”

“I’ve already sought and received permission from His Majesty the King.”

Before entering the party hall, Sion had visited Edgar IV.

They needed a way to refresh the drooping atmosphere of the party hall, but relying solely on alcohol didn’t seem appropriate, and more importantly, they needed to refocus everyone’s attention.

At Sion’s suggestion that they needed something any noble could easily enjoy, Edgar IV asked, ‘Is there such a thing?’

‘Yes, there is.

Of course, there is.’

A being whose mindset changes simply by pleasing their palate.

That’s what humans are.

Even in the face of hardship, if their tongue is pleased and their stomach is full, they find the courage to face another day.

The greatness and magic that food provides.

Sion knew that very well.

Sion glanced upwards and gestured to the head chamberlain.

As if understanding, he nodded and gave orders to the royal chamberlains and maids.

Soon, a wave of change swept through the hall as something other than the slightly alcoholic liquor was placed in the glasses and set on the trays.

‘And the one to cut the first tape [take the first sip] is, of course, Princess Vanessa.’

Prince Erader was temporarily under house arrest due to the incident with Sefer Kashgar.

In times like these, if the King doesn’t step forward, Vanessa has no choice but to be the representative of the royal family.

Sion quietly picked up a glass and handed it to Vanessa.

“Princess, you don’t particularly care for alcohol, do you?”

“…How did you know that?”

Ah.

That’s right.

The princess never told me that.

What a dumbass.

After thinking hard for a moment, Sion decided to guess.

“You haven’t touched a glass of alcohol once during this party.

It was just my prediction, but fortunately, it seems to be correct.

This isn’t alcohol, so you can rest assured.”

“…”

She thought he wasn’t paying any attention to her, but he was secretly observing her.

Vanessa’s heart fluttered slightly at the thought.

However, if she showed such embarrassment, her pride as a princess wouldn’t allow it.

“Y, your perception isn’t too bad.”

Vanessa made an effort to say that and picked up the glass.

Inside, with ice, was a transparent liquid with rising bubbles.

A drink she had never seen before, Vanessa seemed to study the contents for a moment before deciding to smell it.

Vanessa brought her nose close and took a sniff, then opened her mouth, “Hmm?”

“The scent isn’t bad.

This is…”

“They say it’s flavored with lemon and apple.”

Both were fruits that Vanessa liked.

Vanessa looked at Sion for a moment and then tilted her head.

“Did you perhaps recommend these two fruits?”

“Who knows?”

Sion gave an ambiguous answer.

Another noble might have pressured him for a direct answer, but the princess did not.

Instead, she smiled and drank the beverage she was holding with the most noble expression in the world.

“…?”

At that moment, Sion couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

The alcohol content in wines isn’t that strong, so you can just gulp it down.

But what’s inside that drink isn’t alcohol; it’s something else entirely.

If you gulp it down without caution, there will be a ruckus in your throat and nose.

“…Keuh!”

Vanessa trembled slightly, as if feeling a jolt.

Then, realizing that the attention of those around her was focused on her, she let out a sigh.

Thinking she had shown an embarrassing side, she hurriedly drank the rest.

‘Princess? If you regurgitate, you’re really going to be in trouble.’

One of the most terrible tortures in the world is pouring carbonation into the nose.

Sion knew very well how great that pain was, having experienced it a few times.

Fortunately, a real fountain show where carbonation was sprayed out of her nose did not occur.

Vanessa frowned slightly as before, trembled, and then smiled and handed the glass to a servant.

“Duke Sion.

What is this?

I was surprised at first, but it’s very… refreshing.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to recommend it to the other nobles first?”

“Ah, that’s right.

Everyone, try a glass.

The Heiness Merchant Guild leader has given us a very interesting drink.

It suits my taste, but I don’t know about you.”

Vanessa wasn’t one to create a pleasant atmosphere at parties.

Since the princess, who was smiling and recommending it, had quickly taken her place as the center of attention after Prince Erader was placed under house arrest, the nobles picked up the glasses offered by the servants with curiosity, smelled them, and began to drink the contents one by one.

‘Royal parties are bound to be luxurious.

In the novel, Kim Yu-hyun hates these parties, and one of the reasons is that the food that comes out is all stimulating, greasy, and rich.’

When they read that part, the readers all said, ‘The best thing to eat with greasy food is kimchi!’ but unfortunately, it was impossible to make kimchi in this world.

A world where sweet and greasy foods are preferred over spicy and salty foods in the first place.

That’s why Sion thought about other things.

‘Alcohol is a good choice, but it has clear preferences, and above all, Vanessa hates alcohol.

Then the best is cider [carbonated beverage].

Carbonation!

When you eat something greasy and go, ‘Ugh!’

Carbonation that gives you a refreshing feeling!’

The reaction of the nobles who drank the carbonated drink was much better than expected.

Even Marquis Joaquin and Estia, who were standing right next to him, and even Marquis Volko, muttered, ‘Oh, look at this?’

A drink that seems to be alcoholic like alcohol but has a sparkling, refreshing feeling.

It subtly keeps making you crave it, and you don’t even have to suffer from a hangover like alcohol.

“Oh, Princess.

It seems really good.”

“Kiya! Ugh!

What is this?

Hoo!”

“It feels refreshing.

Oh…”

In addition, Vanessa had already mentioned with her own mouth that it was ‘okay.’

In this situation, what noble would say, ‘Um, this isn’t good.’?

She was the princess who had quickly taken her place as the center of attention after Prince Erader was placed under house arrest, and they were in a situation where they had to realign themselves with her.

“…Impressive.

Did the Heiness Merchant Guild prepare even this?”

Marquis Joaquin stroked his chin and was thinking hard about something.

As a noble with merchant blood, he seemed to have immediately smelled a business opportunity.

‘Since everyone has eaten at least a little of the stimulating food prepared in the party hall, the refreshing feeling that carbonation gives is maximized at times like these.’

The fact that they had hardly ever drunk carbonated water in the first place also played a part.

Some had tried it, but it was only used as a digestive aid, not as a drink.

‘Not bad.

Once the first impression is properly established, it can’t help but shine.’

Sion couldn’t help but think of the song ‘Apple Pop Pop!’

But if you ask if this is the end, that’s definitely not the case.

In fact, the real game was just beginning.

“Duke Sion.

Does the Heiness side have no more of this drink to offer?”

“That’s good.

I can’t drink alcohol, so I only drink very weak fruit wine or water every time.”

“It’s amazing.

It felt like it hurt at first, but it’s a drink that gives such a refreshing feeling!”

The magic of carbonation with ice is powerful.

Sion had experienced such magic when he was in the army training camp.

Back in the days when it was getting hotter, rolling around on the ground at the individual combat training field.

What I desperately wanted wasn’t discharge, a room with air conditioning, or even a woman.

Just a glass of cool carbonation.

There was a time when I thought I could sell my soul if I could just take one sip of that.

In addition to that, the desire to forget the ominous events that had just happened with other new events, and the desire to look good to the princess, who was the center of rising power, overlapped, so the drink that Heiness provided was quickly being accepted as some kind of magic water.

‘And if you add this to it at the end, it’ll be perfect.’

No matter how wonderful, splendid, outstanding, or new something is, as time passes, it eventually loses its scarcity and becomes just ordinary.

So those with good heads used to use two methods.

“Unfortunately, the Heiness Merchant Guild says that they have only just finished developing it.

It hasn’t been distributed on the market, and they haven’t even stocked up on any inventory.

It seems that what they have given as a gift to this royal party is almost all they have, everyone.”

“Oh my…

Sigh…”

“Ugh, that’s a bit disappointing.”

“I feel like one glass isn’t enough.

Hmmm.”

Sion laughed inwardly as he watched the nobles, who seemed to be muttering because they were so sorry that they couldn’t have another drink.

A method of forcibly increasing scarcity by controlling the quantity; sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but in the current situation, it had no choice but to work.

“But you don’t have to be too disappointed.

The Heiness Merchant Guild leader says that they will be going into mass production soon.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes.

However…”

Sion deliberately trailed off, focusing the nobles’ attention.

“Since mass production is not yet possible, they plan to sell it in the form of taking custom orders from customers who want the product.

Not being released on the market.”

Why wasn’t there such a thing?

OOO Premium, XX Premium, or OO Limited Edition, etc.

These were names that would naturally arouse the desire to purchase for those who had them, even if ordinary people didn’t know.

‘They’re nobles.

Lumps of desire who want to show off their power even with the smallest things.

To some, it may just be a drink that ends when you drink it, but to them, it’s a way to show off their specialness to others.’

The essence is not carbonated drinks.

The vanity and desire to show off that nobles have.

Sion was planning to use that.

‘Even so, eventually, after time passes, it’ll just be a drink that everyone drinks at the party.

Other guilds will also be greedy and jump into the manufacturing business.

What do you do then?’

There’s nothing special.

Just release it on the market.

However, there is a word that must be attached.

‘This drink started at the royal party and was a drink that even nobles couldn’t drink carelessly!

That’s been released in front of you this time!

An opportunity to drink a drink that even nobles barely bought and drank!

Are you going to miss this opportunity!’

Instead of just calling the perception of the product a drink, instill it as ‘something that even nobles couldn’t eat carelessly.’

Then, naturally, it will be called the best drink that the high-ranking people were always looking for, not the water that was used as a digestive aid among them.

‘And after that, it’s a series of following items.

Starting with grapes or other fruits, adding milk, adding coffee, adding alcohol…

The variations are endless!’

All I can give you is carbonation, carbonation, and carbonation.

But you will try to project it onto what you want and take it.

Sion was just aiming for that.

―――――――Author’s Afterword―――――――

Sitting at my desk all day and typing, my body doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

When will this reflux esophagitis heal?

My chest hurts, my shoulders are stiff, and my stomach is stuffy.

Hey!

Go get me a cider!