nownovels Chapter 198 Cold Grapes
Chapter 198 Cold Grapes
Chapter 198 Cold Grapes
"Sanvandu wine should be stored in a cold cellar and secretly enjoyed on a bright winter's day."
"When the grapes that grow in the spring and summer of the New Kingdom undergo a long fermentation process, they slowly transform their rich, deep purple juice into fine wine."
"In the past, the followers of the Holy Church of Obak could not believe that such a fine wine could be given to mankind so casually. No, such delicacies would only cultivate the appetites of the followers, making them greedy for pleasure and fall into the abyss of depravity. Thus, the ascetics from the Old Kingdom used their usual strict methods to prohibit the making of wine."
"This move aroused strong dissatisfaction among the believers of the New Kingdom. Grapes and wine in glass cups, making wine from grapes is not only a means of obtaining a beverage, but also a way of life for the optimistic people of that warm coastal country. Yes, they are devout O'Bak believers, but they also want to drink, eat meat, bask in the sun, and make love under the blooming roses."
"When forced to choose between the two, the believers of the New Kingdom chose to expel the detestable conservative priests from Martina. That farce caused by the wine incident nearly sparked war between the brother and sister kingdoms, the Old and New. You see, the last time the Holy See declared a holy war against Martina…" But that happened a thousand years ago—before the Rose Saintess arrived in Martina to manifest, the people of this land were still ruled by the Wizard King, and they had no idea who that paladin named O'Bak was.
"The Pope at that time, the wise St. Paul IV, resolved the crisis through his actions. He personally went to the San Vandu Abbey and presided over a grand veneration in the name of Saint Vandu. At the climax of the ceremony, he raised a glass filled with San Vandu wine in front of everyone and then announced: Such wine should be offered to the gods—if the gods do not drink the wine in that glass, then the gods are returning the wine to their servants as a reward for their piety."
Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, St. Paul IV drank the wine in one gulp.
"After that, no priest ever proposed banning winemaking again—on the contrary, the Church of the New Kingdom legally and practically monopolized the production of wine in the New Kingdom, and made drinking wine an integral part of church worship. The grapes of Sanvandu were also endowed with a mysterious and sacred aura. Ordinary people were not qualified to enjoy them."
"An anonymous poet from a thousand lakes described the wine of Saint-Vancouver in these words:"
"When my lips touched the cool wine, I could almost feel the full vitality contained beneath the delicate skin of the grapes."
"Through those cold grapes, I am kissing the summer sun of Santo Vandu."
Seated on either side of the table were Geb, the Swordswoman, Dulin, and Chloe. Bishop Tissant sat at the head of the table.
After a sumptuous meal, the nuns served honey-soaked peaches and cherry jelly, along with pastries and cheese.
The goblin wizard was amazed by the abundance of produce in the new kingdom. In the dead of winter, they could actually eat so much! He thought back to the Broken Tooth tribe, when winter came and the mountains were blocked by heavy snow, the porridge served in the canteen became much thinner, and even the strongest goblins would go hungry.
"Thank you for your generous hospitality, Bishop Tissant. You have shown us the richness and elegance of the New Kingdom Church." Geb raised his glass to Tissant in a toast.
"You're too kind. I know that as a representative of the Salt and Iron Merchants' Guild, you've attended banquets far more lavish than this. I was just doing my best to ensure that our distinguished guests were not neglected," Tissanthem said with a smile.
The two business associates engaged in mutual flattery, keeping the atmosphere at the banquet lively and preventing any awkward silences. In reality, apart from the two of them speaking, the other guests barely uttered a word.
This was the first time Dulin had tasted San Vandu wine, and he was deeply attracted by its flavor. He held the glass, swirling it around and smelling it, studying it for a long time.
Meanwhile, Dove and Chloe sat awkwardly opposite each other. The two sisters had nothing to say to each other, neither quarreled nor were they very warm. It seemed that neither of them knew how to start a conversation with the other, so they maintained a subtle silence.
"By the way, Mr. Geb, I've heard about the heroic deeds of your companion, Dove. If you don't mind, as a witness who was there, could you tell me what happened during that spectacular manticore hunt?"
"Of course I don't mind! However, you seem very interested, but I've told that story countless times at gatherings, and my companions are probably tired of hearing it. Why don't we let them visit the San Vandu Abbey and experience the charm of this wine paradise—at the same time, I'll tell you the story in detail, making sure I don't miss a single wonderful detail."
Geb knew that the bishop was receiving them not because of his own or the Rose Knight's influence—it was entirely because he represented the Dwarven Salt and Iron Merchants' Guild.
Wine was the symbol and cash cow of the New Kingdom Church; the Geb Company alone could not possibly succeed in the wine trade. Before arriving at the San Vandu Abbey, Geb had persuaded Dulin to allow him to visit the place in her name.
If they could acquire the sales rights to San Vandu wine, Geb and the Salt and Iron Merchants would gain access to the most valuable export commodity in the entire New Kingdom. Even if San Vandu wine itself had a low production volume, with this flagship product and its established reputation, Geb's other cocktails could leverage its fame to open up the market—a win-win situation.
Tissant knew this perfectly well; his willingness to meet with Geb and entertain this unfamiliar halfling was certainly not just to say "no."
I need to convince this guy, Geb thought.
The preceding setup and mutual flattery were all tests, prelude to the main event—the climax was yet to come, when only Geb and Titian were present.
Geb gave Dulin a wink.
Dulin is looking at wine.
Geb gave Dulin another wink.
Dulin is smelling the wine.
Gebu again————
"Dulin!"
"The stone ancestor's beard!" The dwarf was startled from his reverie by Geb and nearly dropped his wine glass.
"Would you like to visit San Vandu's cellars—haven't you always wondered how they keep their wine from spoiling?"
"Uh—did I ever wonder?"
"————You can have that?" Gebu was speechless.
"Oh—ah, right, I'll go check the wine cellar." Dulin then realized what he meant and scratched his head sheepishly.
Seeing that Geb had begun clearing the area, Bishop Tissant said to Chloe, "Chloe, you haven't seen your sister in a long time, have you? I know you're embarrassed in front of strangers. Why don't you accompany Miss Dove for a walk in the garden and catch up?"
Gebu knew perfectly well that they were about to discuss serious matters.
Chloe and Dove exchanged a glance, then both girls looked away simultaneously. Seeing that Dove didn't respond, Geb used telepathy to speak to her privately, "I want to speak with the bishop alone. Could you do me a favor?"
Dove didn't respond to Geb, but still spoke to Chloe, "Chloe, would you like to go for a walk in the garden with me?"
The sisters exchanged a slightly awkward glance. Chloe didn't speak, but simply bowed to Tissant, then walked past her sister with her head down and left the room—Doffin followed her out of the banquet hall.
Tissanthem summoned a monk and led Dulin to visit the wine cellar. Only Geb and Tissanthem remained in the room, sitting opposite each other.
The two stared at each other for a long time, seemingly trying to guess what the other was thinking.
After a moment, Tissanthemum spoke first.
"Mr. Geb"
Geb replied calmly, "Bishop Tissant."
"I already guessed the purpose of your trip when I received Lady Stoneheart's letter. After all, the leader of a dwarven merchant guild would only contact the bishop of the Saint Vandu Monastery for one thing."
Wine. Geb silently uttered the word the bishop hadn't spoken.
"To show the utmost respect for your time, I want to say to you—"
Gebu's heart sank – it was all for nothing.
"I am very, very interested in your proposal."
Good grief, speak properly, you bastard! Gebu's mood had been on a rollercoaster, but he still had to keep a straight face.
"That would be wonderful; Mrs. Stoneheart would be very pleased."
"However, I must also tell you frankly that this is not so easy to do."
Bishop Tissant suddenly changed the subject, his face turning serious.
"What do you mean by that? In business, it's cash on delivery—there's nothing simpler in the world, isn't there?"
“If it were ordinary goods, that would be true,” Titian said meaningfully, “but wine, especially San Vandu wine, is not ordinary.”
"Only extraordinary things have extraordinary value," Gebu continued, picking up where Tissanthem was headed, urging him to keep going.
"Do you know what it means to sell Sanvandu wine to the Empire?"
Upon hearing the word "meaning," Gebu's head throbbed: Well, these brain-dead priests are going to come up with some kind of religious narrative again—sigh, dealing with charlatans is such a pain!
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