Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Chapter 50 - 새로운 유통 시스템
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter 50: New Distribution System
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Five derivative sauces that swept across the entire Empire.
Adding facilities for these sauces wasn't all that difficult.
However, if there was a problem—
“……”
“Um, this is a bit burdensome…”
My business partner and the granddaughter of the Tower Lord, Iris von Valkenriter, was still observing me from one corner of my office.
Not content with having come to Kandoria in person before, she was now practically living here like a regular guest.
Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, her impassive violet eyes turned toward me.
“Staring at me won't wear me down, Lord Jonathan. I'm currently verifying in real-time the standardized system you designed, now expanded to five derivative processes, along with the upcoming facility setups.”
She continued while scanning the newly drafted process blueprints.
“The processes themselves are modularly designed, so there are no major issues. It only added preprocessing steps like mirepoix or garlic paste, but the core sterilization, bottling, and certification processes can use the existing system as is. It's within acceptable efficiency ranges.”
“I'm glad to hear that.”
“No need. I never imagined someone who hasn't properly studied alchemy could possess process design skills like this. If anything, this is a valuable reference for installing new facilities at the Magic Tower, and I'm pleased.”
“Ahaha…”
I let out an awkward laugh at what didn't quite feel like praise and glanced at another stack of documents on my desk.
The next order list that had come through the Argentis Merchant Guild, and the trade goods list from the northern giants.
My eyes stopped on one item in the list.
“Frost crystals…”
A type of naturally occurring magic stone found only in the northern permafrost.
Thanks to trade with the north—and partially to the Empire's northern conquest attempts—we could now obtain some.
Infusing containers with chill using these would make preserving ingredients much easier.
Not just nobles, but even commoners with some spare coin often bought magic tools made from frost crystals.
At first glance, nothing seemed off about this.
But—
“...The quantity coming in and the size of these frost crystals seem off from the start, like the units are wrong or something?”
But the numbers written there were unmistakably clear.
An amount hundreds of times the total previously imported to all of Argentis and the entire Valerius territory—top-quality frost crystals—were now flooding into Kandoria.
'Are these guys mining an entire frost crystal vein from the Gray Mountains or something?'
I let out a hollow laugh. How great mayonnaise must be, seriously.
But then, a new possibility flashed through my mind like lightning.
All the sauces I'd developed and distributed so far.
Tomato sauce, mayonnaise, and the five derivatives—they all shared one major premise.
Room-temperature distribution.
Even with magic tools' help, this world's logistics were barely beyond medieval levels, so every sauce required thorough sterilization and acidity adjustment to maximize shelf life.
But what if I could stably supply this massive quantity of frost crystals?
'Fresh distribution... fresh food! Fresh sauces!'
Hundreds of new recipes I'd long shelved, too daring even to attempt, began surfacing in my mind.
Sauces made by grinding fresh herbs and cheese without heat pasteurization. Delicate fresh cream and butter-based sauces with extremely short shelf lives, consumable only locally. Even various dairy products requiring precise fermentation control.
'Cold chain!!'
If this were possible, the range of my cuisine could expand explosively once more.
“Heh…”
I burst out laughing.
This wasn't just adding a few new sauces—it was pioneering an entirely new market.
So far, my sauces had concentrated in the north and central regions. But what about the warm, humid southern kingdoms? Or the lands beyond the barren deserts that Kalendil of the Black Moon Caravan had mentioned?
Those places might abound in ingredients, but food spoiled at unimaginable speeds.
Even as my sauces shook the Empire now, that was still within imperial borders.
Expanding distribution meant only limited exports to the north, where spoilage was less of an issue.
But now?
This would offer huge advantages in spreading diverse flavors across the Empire and even to other countries.
No, it might be the key to opening new culinary horizons in cooking itself, ushering in a new era.
Reading the change in my expression, Iris looked up from her documents, still observing me.
“My lord, is something wrong?”
“Yes, a problem.”
“?”
I tapped the list where frost crystals were listed.
Soon, her gaze through her glasses fell on the document.
“Certainly a large quantity. But why is this a problem?”
To her question, I smiled faintly and replied.
“All our sauces so far have been premised on room-temperature distribution and preservation. Thorough heat sterilization, acidity control. Sometimes sacrificing flavor just to extend shelf life.”
I gazed out the office window, imagining the sun-scorched southern lands somewhere beyond.
“But with this quality of frost crystals supplied in this quantity stably, things change. Fresh distribution. In other words, a ‘cold chain’ becomes possible.”
I turned back to Iris and began pouring out the possibilities flooding my mind.
“Delicate herbs whose aromas all evaporate in heat pasteurization! Grinding them fresh with cheese, pine nuts, and olive oil into fragrant sauces! Real-deal hollandaise from fresh cream, butter, and egg yolks—too short-lived to even attempt before! Various dairy products needing precise fermentation control! All of it becomes possible!”
My voice had unconsciously heated up.
“The sauces have only reached the Empire and beyond the Gray Mountains so far. But what about the lands beyond the western barren deserts? The warm, humid southern kingdoms? The eastern regions beyond the dense rainforests? There, sauces would spoil before even arriving.”
I grabbed the documents and stood.
“But with frost crystals enabling chilled preservation? We can go beyond the Empire and distribute sauces worldwide.”
In contrast to my excitement, Iris remained utterly calm. She listened quietly, then adjusted her glasses.
“...I assess it positively, Lord Jonathan.”
Her violet eyes stared straight at me.
“‘Cold chain.’ An intriguing concept. No, it's a systemic approach to popularize a method already used in parts of the Empire for noble ingredient transport, by integrating it into your standardized system.”
She redefined my excited declaration with her usual cool, precise words.
“Your real aim isn't developing ‘fresh sauces.’ It's preempting a new standard: ‘fresh logistics.’”
“Uh…”
Well, is that how it is?
“Infusing chill magic into existing sauce containers—glass bottles—is basic magic engineering. Using frost crystals of this quality as catalysts, adding mana injection lines to mass production processes is simple.”
Her fingers twitched as if calculating complex formulas in the air.
“Insert a frost crystal catalyst chill infusion process between existing steps 9 (bottling) and 10 (Imperial Safe Mark application)... Including module swap time, 2 hours. Full line stabilization, 1 hour.”
She looked at me and concluded.
“It won't even take half a half-day. Precisely 3 hours will suffice. I'll order the process modification right now.”
“Right now?”
Iris stood immediately after, documents in hand, without a second's hesitation.
“W-Wait, Miss Iris! Even so, we should at least draw up blueprints first and notify the workers...”
“Time is money, my lord.”
She was already heading for the office door, her violet hair swaying coldly.
“Your idea is already verified. The Magic Tower's capabilities don't tolerate such inefficient wait times.”
“No, but this is too fast—”
“And it works out perfectly.”
Iris turned back, hand on the doorknob.
“Don't we need to verify the other materials from the giants too? The letter said top-grade magic materials like yeti fur pelts and wyvern scales arrived at the workshop warehouse. They'll make excellent for the cold chain's insulated transport cases.”
“Uh... right?”
“Then, while modifying the process, I'll verify those materials too. So you can use them right away. How about it?”
Truly overwhelming action—initiative, perhaps.
No, that's why even in a tower full of eccentrics, she's hailed as a prodigy.
“B-But I still have documents to review—”
“Then review them at your leisure. It might all be done by then, so no need to come to the workshop.”
This girl has bulldozer-level drive beyond mere action.
With that much enthusiasm, refusing would be hard. And if she's verifying, I'm grateful too.
“Uh... then, if you don't mind, I'll impose on you.”
To my words, Iris replied with a confident snort.
“No imposition. Prioritizing resource allocation is top priority. If anything, I'm looking forward to it.”
Well, good is good, I suppose.
I couldn't refuse those sparkling eyes.
Gone was the usual impassive, cold Magic Tower genius; she looked like a child thrilled by her first complex, fun puzzle.
Her violet eyes behind the glasses shone with anticipation.
'This girl is really enjoying this.'
I suppressed a leaking chuckle and nodded.
“Of course. If anything, I should be asking you. Northern rare materials require magical analysis by nature, and having the Magic Tower's top expert verify them personally is an honor for me.”
“...Thank you.”
Short, but laced with genuine gratitude unlike her usual businesslike tone.
Iris wasted no more time. With a light nod, she exited the office like the wind.
I let out a hollow laugh at the thudding door.
“Really, an efficient hurricane.”
I turned back to the document stack on my desk.
“Alright then... Hardware to the Magic Tower's genius, so I'll ponder the software.”
I pulled out a fresh parchment and took up my pen.
“Fresh pesto genovese packed with basil, pine nuts, and cheese. Hollandaise from butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice. And...”
Iris's steps were light as she left the workshop after swiftly completing the process changes.
The high-intensity work had drained her mana, but it granted even greater intellectual satisfaction.
As she turned to verify the materials from the north—
“Oh, Miss Iris?”
The voice belonged to none other than the lady with golden-thread-like hair and jewel-blue eyes: Erika Argentis.
Meanwhile, as a new technology was born in some imperial territory and waves of revolution brewed once more.
In lands untouched by the Empire's dazzling progress: the humid southern rainforests.
“Cough... cough...!”
Dry coughs echoed through the damp darkness.
On a crude bed of leather and moss, an elderly troll drew faint breaths.
With hands once capable of splitting rocks, he weakly grasped the hand of a young troll sitting beside him.
“Chief... please get up... okay?”
“Sniff, you need your appetite back. You haven't eaten anything...”