Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: The Thing That Makes the Emperor Shiver, the Tower Lord Gasp, and the Pope Collapse (2)
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"Sauce!! Give me the sauce!!"
The desperate cries of the clamoring crowd.
"Hey, why do you think the imperial family bought up all that sauce?"
"I heard they're planning to distribute it to the army. To boost morale or something."
"Damn, should I enlist? I don't want to inherit the family business anyway. They say that sauce is ridiculously delicious."
Rumors spreading among the murmuring people.
"But is it really that good?"
"I heard one of the imperial maids say His Majesty the Emperor forgot all about decorum and served himself directly."
"Come to think of it, even before the imperial family bought it all up, the people who tried it said it was incredibly tasty."
The rumors swelled and grew, like a small snowball rolling and turning into an avalanche.
...
Meanwhile, even in the most secluded place from the secular world, it was no exception.
"Oh, is this the infamous 'Red Temptation,' Cardinal?"
Deep anguish furrowed the brow of Pope Innocentius III.
In his office, beneath the sacred beams of light filtering through the stained glass, a small silver tray held a modest sample of the red sauce for tasting.
Beside it stood Cardinal Aquila, his expression devout yet filled with concern.
"Your Holiness... The source of the rumors is said to be a mere grocery store in the capital, but its flavor is so extraordinary that even the imperial family covets it. There are even suspicions of magical tampering or forbidden drugs. Could this be something profane?"
The cardinal's words held merit. Its impact was far too great to dismiss as mere food.
The pope silently gazed down at the crimson liquid.
It was vivid, slightly viscous in consistency, and the fragrant, dense aroma tickling his nostrils seemed to surpass that of ordinary fare.
"It's too soon to deem it the devil's temptation. However, that aroma... it certainly has the power to shake the soul."
The pope lifted a small silver spoon with a tiny amount of sauce. The cardinal swallowed dryly, watching his every move.
This was the first tasting by the Vicar of Christ, duty-bound to discern all good and evil in the world.
The pope closed his eyes and gently touched the sauce on the spoon to the tip of his tongue.
"...!"
A momentary silence.
A faint twitch crossed the pope's serene face.
His eyelids, usually half-closed in benevolence, quivered before snapping wide open. Within those eyes swirled a complex mix of bewilderment and awe.
"Y-Your Holiness! Are you alright? Could it be poison...!"
As the cardinal rushed forward with a cry, the pope raised a hand to stop him. His lips trembled faintly with admiration.
"Aquila... Cardinal..."
"Y-Yes, Your Holiness!"
"C-Can it be... this flavor...!"
The pope poured the remaining sauce into his mouth. His Adam's apple bobbed prominently. Then, with an expression of rapture, he murmured.
"This... is sin! A sin so dangerously alluring it could make one neglect their faith! Yet... no trace of black magic or profane sorcery lingers within! Nay, it feels like the pure, primal joy one might taste in the primordial paradise!"
He sprang to his feet. All traces of his usual solemnity were gone.
"This is no devilish scheme! It may be a new blessing from the Lord! This taste... yes, it could serve as a powerful tool to awaken joy in life for those whose faith has waned, drawing them back to the Almighty!"
Unable to contain his excitement, the pope seized the cardinal's hands.
"Immediately! Find the one who made this sauce at once! No, before that... we must secure as much of this 'Tears of Heaven' as possible in the name of the Papal Court! Though we clergy must guard against luxury and indulgence... we have a duty to sample such divine grace first and proclaim its safety to the world! Of course, securing ample samples for research is essential!"
"Y-Your Holiness! Please calm yourself! But the imperial family has already cornered the market!"
"The imperial family! Those secular...! Tch, very well! Then send a personal letter to the Emperor, politely requesting a portion for 'religious research'! And mobilize every intelligence network owned by the Papal Court to trace the source of this sauce!"
"I-Is that truly...?"
"One who creates something of this caliber must surely be favored specially by the Lord! Perhaps... they could become a new saint of our faith!"
The pope's eyes sparkled brighter than ever. Was it religious fervor, or pure gluttony?
The cardinal was bewildered but nodded unwittingly at the pope's conviction, tinged with a hint of madness.
Thus began the sweet storm named 'sauce' in the Papal Court.
...
Meanwhile, in a place even more distant from the secular world—in a realm brimming with scholarly ambition—it was much the same.
"Ho? So this is the condiment the imperial family commissioned for verification. It has quite the appealing aroma."
"Ah, Lord Tower Lord, you've arrived? There's no need for you to verify it personally—"
Tower Lord Archimedes von Valkenriter.
A man called the continent's greatest mage, with platinum hair and sharp blue eyes, his gentle demeanor belying his reputation.
In his hand was a small silver spoon bearing a single drop of vivid red sauce.
The Magic Tower researcher swallowed nervously, tense.
Rumors abounded that it had been highly praised by both the imperial family and the Papal Court—this liquid.
But the Tower had a duty to thoroughly rule out any magical hazards.
"Hm, bright red in color. Slight viscosity. And tomato pulp...? The taste...? Hmm?!"
The Tower Lord closed his eyes and lightly tasted the sauce on the spoon with the tip of his tongue.
"...!"
His brow twitched. He rarely showed emotion, so the researcher grew even more anxious.
Could it truly harbor some dangerous forbidden magic?
Archimedes slowly opened his eyes. His blue gaze held an unprecedented depth and mystery.
"Th-This can't be..."
Clear admiration laced his low voice.
"Lord Tower Lord, is there a problem...?"
"A problem? What problem! This... this is a miracle!"
Archimedes poured the remaining sauce into his mouth in one go. His eyes flashed open as he cried out.
"The harmony within is a realm even magic struggles to replicate! Elevating each ingredient's inherent flavor to its utmost while achieving such perfect balance! It's no mere condiment. This... this is the essence of alchemy!"
Unable to hide his excitement, he grabbed the researcher's shoulder.
"Bring the creator of this sauce here at once! No, I must go myself! One who makes something like this is no ordinary soul! They might... unlock new possibilities in magic!"
Stunned by the Tower Lord's sudden passion, the researcher quickly regained his composure and reported urgently.
"L-Lord Tower Lord! This sauce was distributed through the Argentis Count family's caravan. In the capital, it's in short supply due to the imperial family's bulk purchase! The original creator remains unidentified, but they're presumed to have deep ties to the Argentis family!"
"Argentis? That alchemist house! Of course! They just might be capable!"
Archimedes clapped his hands and shouted.
"Excellent! Send someone to the Argentis family immediately! No, I'll write a personal letter! Propose a joint study on this 'sauce'! And... procure as much as you can right away! Mobilize the Tower's entire research budget if needed!"
The researcher was speechless at the seemingly unhinged Tower Lord, but seeing the pure scholarly zeal and gluttonous gleam in his eyes, he could only nod quietly.
Because it was delicious.
...
*Meanwhile, in front of the large-scale alchemy facility in Argentis County.*
"Oho..."
A fairly large blade rotated inside the cauldron, processing ingredients in recipe order, heated by a flame magic tool.
The large batch of prepared sauce began automatically tilting the cauldron, flowing through pipes into glass bottles meant for potions, filling them sequentially.
As I watched the process for a while, a clear voice came from behind.
"Jonathan, here again?"
"Ah, Erika."
Turning my gaze, I saw hair like golden threads softly waving long. Sapphire-blue eyes.
Perfectly sculpted features, skin white as jade. A doll-like small face. Moderate height.
Slender shoulders leading down to generously proportioned bust and hips, contrasted by a slim waist.
My fiancée and childhood friend, Erika Argentis, smiled faintly and leaned against my shoulder.
"You're watching this without getting bored. What's so fun about it?"
"Hm, I like seeing processes click perfectly into place. I didn't expect such large-scale equipment to be idle, though."
"Potions lose potency dramatically if mass-refined or extracted; pharmacists must finely adjust based on the herbs and solvents' conditions."
"Oho..."
News to me. Potion production must cost a fortune in labor. No wonder they're so expensive.
"Truth be told, we invested in these facilities but had no real use until you so readily asked to borrow them."
"Well, good is good. For the second shipment, about five times the previous amount?"
"That work?"
"Sauce keeps long-term anyway, so no loss. Worst case, distribute to the territory folk."
"Pfft. Save some for me? Oh, right."
With those words, Erika stood on tiptoes, bringing her face to mine.
Then, a bit hesitantly, she whispered in my ear.
"No one's around here, right...?"
"Yeah."
"Then..."
"Then what?"
"Ugh, don't make me say it, it's embarrassing..."
"Pfft."
For some reason, blushing yet standing on tiptoes with eyes closed, she puckered her lips. So cute.
As I lowered my head to meet her, accounting for our height difference—
"Br-Breaking news! Young mas—er, Kandoria Lord Proxy! And miss!"
The secretary burst into the workshop just as our lips were about to touch. Damn timing.
"Wh-What's the matter?"
Despite her fluster, Erika composed herself and calmly addressed the secretary.
In response to her question, the secretary replied.
"Envoys from the Magic Tower, Papal Court, and imperial family are coming!!"