Chapter 31
Chapter 31
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: The Empire's New Blood
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The banquet hall of the Ruberius Imperial Palace was always brimming with the empire's finest delicacies.
But today, Emperor Siegmund von Ruberius's crimson eyes lingered neither on the golden-roasted goose nor the ruby-red finest wines.
His gaze was fixed on a simple white porcelain bowl at the center of the table, preserved with a chill from magic.
It was the very item Jonathan Valerius had sent to the palace just a day prior.
Utterly unlike the Penance Feast that had shaken the empire, it was a creamy ivory sauce.
"So, that young lord sent a message along with this?"
In response to the emperor's question, the imperial chamberlain standing at his side replied with utmost courtesy.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Lord Jonathan conveyed that the true value of this new sauce reveals itself not in the most lavish dishes, but when paired with the cheapest and humblest ingredients the empire's common folk encounter daily—potatoes, eggs, cucumbers, and the like."
At those words, Emperor Siegmund let out a feigned scoff, as if displeased.
"Heh, he wants me to taste potatoes, chicken, eggs? Aren't they far too humble for a royal table?"
In response to the emperor's jest, Princess Lorensia, seated across from him, smiled gracefully.
"Father, perhaps he's about to perform the miracle of turning even stones into gold. If it's something he made, even potatoes won't be ordinary potatoes."
Pleased by his daughter's confident reply, the emperor nodded to the head maid.
Moments later, the servants brought out dishes on silver platters—foods so humble they were almost comical.
Steaming boiled potatoes, perfectly halved hard-boiled eggs, and oil-free steamed chicken breast, plain and lean.
Unable to resist his curiosity, the emperor speared a piece of boiled potato with a silver fork and coated it generously in the ivory sauce.
"Let's see just how much boast this young man is making..."
And the moment it touched his tongue.
Time stopped for the emperor.
"...!"
His crimson eyes trembled violently at a sensation he'd never experienced before in his life.
It wasn't just flavor. This was a revolution in texture.
The starchy, throat-clogging heft of the potato was gone.
A cloud-soft, silk-smooth cream enveloped his tongue, elevating the potato's mild savoriness to realms dozens of levels higher.
No greasiness from oil—only profound, nutty depth, finished with the subtle freshness of lemon.
"Th-this... this is...!"
What escaped the emperor's lips was not mere admiration, but a gasp close to pure astonishment.
He was a gourmand who had devoted his life to tasting every delicacy the empire offered.
Yet the sensation on his tongue now lay beyond the boundaries of any flavor he knew.
Nutty. But a more primal, purer nuttiness than butter or cheese.
Smooth. But an overwhelming smoothness that wrapped and melted on the tongue without weight, transcending cream or soup.
Lorensia, satisfied by her father's reaction, slid her own boiled egg toward him.
"Father, try it with the egg too. Watching the crumbly yolk reborn will be a delight."
Regaining his wits at his daughter's words, the emperor this time lavished the ivory sauce over the yolk of the halved egg and brought it to his mouth.
Once more, his crimson eyes shook fiercely.
The powdery dryness of the yolk that stole all moisture from the mouth was nowhere to be found.
Instead, the yolk's rich flavor synergized explosively with the soft cream, melting on the tongue like perfectly made pudding.
Finally, the turn of the plainly steamed chicken breast.
Even anticipating the result, the emperor swallowed dryly and savored the last piece.
The lean, tough meat, devoid of any fat, transformed upon meeting the sauce into something as moist and tender as if cooked in the finest butter.
"Heh... heh heh heh..."
The emperor let out a hollow laugh.
This was alchemy. The miracle of turning stones to gold.
Magic that transformed the cheapest, most common, most unremarkable ingredients into dishes more ecstatic than any imperial feast.
"So this was the young man's true aim with chicken. Astonishing."
At the emperor's murmur, Lorensia spoke as if she'd been waiting.
"That's not all, Father. His letter included several simple recipes using this sauce. I informed the kitchens in advance..."
Before her words finished, the banquet hall doors opened again, and servants entered with new silver platters.
On the platters sat a humble yet neat potato salad of mashed potatoes and chopped vegetables tossed in the ivory sauce, and an egg salad made the same way.
"!"
The emperor alternated bites between the two dishes, swept into even deeper shock than before.
This ivory sauce acted like an orchestra conductor, harmonizing the disparate flavors of potato, vegetables, and egg into perfect symphony.
Turning chewiness to softness, blandness to abundance. True flavor alchemy that elevated every flaw to strength.
"Heh... indeed."
The emperor set down his empty bowl and leaned deeply back in his chair with a satisfied sigh.
His crimson eyes now held not curiosity, but pure awe for the young man who wrought this miracle.
"This is innovation."
Soon, with eyes full of conviction, he looked to his daughter and continued.
"If even the cheapest potatoes and eggs can yield such richness, it means every table in the empire—no, the empire's fate itself—could change. And since it's made with just lemon juice and oil, distribution will be easy!"
"That's precisely what he aimed for, Father."
Lorensia nodded quietly at his murmur.
As if all the pieces had finally fallen into place, the emperor burst into cheerful laughter.
"Ha ha hat! Now I see why that rascal wanted chickens instead of warhorses!"
The emperor slapped his knee in admiration.
"One warhorse can conquer a territory, but it won't feed its people. But this made from eggs? It can fill the bellies of the starving masses, win their hearts, and subjugate the entire empire!"
His crimson eyes brimmed with a joy beyond compare.
On the vast chessboard of the empire, a new knight's unforeseen move shook the board.
And the knight's next play held the power to reshape the board itself.
"Beyond mere sustenance, the power to win hearts. That is the foundation of true rule."
In his mind, a panorama unfolded of the empire's future brought by this ivory cream.
Frontline soldiers would despair no more over hard bread and bland stew. With just this cream, even the coarsest rations would become morale-boosting delicacies.
Logistics efficiency would maximize, soldiers' loyalty soar to the heavens.
Poor commoners would taste small abundance amid hunger.
If a single potato or egg could match the softness of the emperor's table, how could reverence for the imperial house not bloom in their hearts?
"Lorensia."
"Yes, Father."
"This is no mere food. It will be the empire's new blood."
The emperor rose from his seat.
No longer a feasting gourmand, the dignity of a sovereign piercing the empire's future enveloped him.
"Summon the imperial chamberlain."
At the emperor's command, the white-haired imperial chamberlain waiting outside entered silently and bowed.
The emperor issued an immediate order.
"Convey this command at once to the Office of Legislation and the Ministry of Finance."
His crimson eyes turned to the bowl of ivory sauce.
"Grant the Imperial Safe Mark to this thing called mayonnaise immediately, and issue an imperial decree ensuring the Argentis-Valerius Alliance Caravan prioritizes supplying all production to the palace!"
"Y-yes? But the palace inspectors haven't even verified the food production process yet—"
At the chamberlain's sensible objection, the emperor laughed all the more cheerfully.
"Verification? Chamberlain, don't you see it yet?"
Propping his chin, the emperor spoke lowly to the frozen chamberlain.
"Think a moment, and you'd know. That man Jonathan isn't one to ruin things over mere hygiene. Especially not on the stage he'll create."
The chamberlain could offer no further rebuttal to the emperor's words.
The emperor's trust had long surpassed common sense, bordering on fanatic faith.
Then, Lorensia, seated opposite, spoke quietly.
"Father's decision is correct, Chamberlain. This is a matter of speed."
As her crimson eyes met her father's, an unspoken accord passed between them.
"Others won't be the only ones to recognize the value of this miracle called mayonnaise. The old foxes of the Papal Court and the sages of the Magic Tower will soon verify the rumors themselves."
"Before they move, we must proclaim to all under heaven that this falls solely under imperial authority. That's the key."
The emperor smiled with utmost satisfaction at his daughter's sharp insight.
"That's my girl. You heard that, Chamberlain?"
Resuming the dignity of a monarch on his throne, the emperor issued his final command.
"First, supply this cream to all imperial military units to comfort the soldiers' labors. Then, through the palace's direct caravan, bestow this grace at fair prices upon all the empire's people."
"Proclaim to all under heaven that any who hoard this cream privately for profiteering shall be punished as traitors shaking the empire's foundations!"
It was a swift and overwhelming decision.
Elevating a mere sauce in one stroke to a national strategic asset and tool of governance.
The chamberlain bowed and withdrew.
With all orders given, the emperor sat again, gazing contentedly at the empty bowl.
His face held the pure joy of a child with a new toy.
"Heh, that young man plans to conquer the empire not with the sword, but the spoon. Truly exhilarating."
"That's why I call him my treasure, Father."
Lorensia replied proudly. The emperor gazed fondly at his daughter and drained the last of his wine.
"I can hardly wait to see what miracle that treasure works next. It's been ages since the empire felt this thrilling."
The emperor's decision from the heart of the empire.
That massive wave now surged once more toward the awakening tables of the empire.
But the storm wasn't brewing solely in the empire's heart.
"Oh ho, so Lord Jonathan personally served that dish to your sisters?"
"That ivory miracle whose name we don't even know... heh heh."