Chapter : 18

Actually, making sugar from sugar beets wasn't that difficult.

Wash the sugar beets well, chop them finely, and soak the pieces in warm water with lime for a long time to extract the sugar.

Then, boil the extracted sweet liquid until it thickens and crystallizes, and it's done!

If you harden this and grind it into a powder, that's sugar.

The only problem was.

'It's incredibly labor-intensive.'

Washing them is work, and cutting them is work.

And it had to be concentrated over a fire all day, so it was a very arduous task. In addition, the fire had to be kept burning for 24 hours, so a lot of firewood was also needed.

If it weren't for the Great Forest and the poorhouse, I wouldn't have been able to attempt it so easily.

“Now, now, wash them thoroughly so there are no impurities like dirt.”

I built a sugar factory building near the Seine River and started the work there.

First, washing the turnips.

I had people scrub the vast amount of turnips that Treasurer Palmer had prepared. If impurities like dirt came out during the extraction process, it would be a disaster.

Once the turnips were ready, the next step was sugar extraction.

The finely chopped turnips are put into a large container and the sugar is extracted with hot water.

The important thing here is lime.

If you sprinkle lime during the extraction process, the lime will pull all the remaining impurities and settle them at the bottom.

Then you just have to use the clear liquid. However, since there were no lime mines, I had a hard time making lime by grinding shells and such.

“Can you really make it with this? Well... it does taste sweet, but.”

Treasurer Palmer, who was watching from the side, asked.

In fact, when I first said I was going to make sugar from turnips, he didn't believe me.

But as things progressed to this point, Treasurer Palmer, who had been watching from the side, seemed to be half in doubt.

The water extracted from the turnips had a considerable sweetness.

“I told you it's true. Now all we have to do is simmer that water down.”

Saying that, I ordered people to boil the extracted sweet liquid until it became sticky.

However, since I didn't know how much to concentrate it, I ordered about ten of them to be boiled at the same time, just in case.

I planned to find the right concentration based on the results.

'Good.'

Now all the preparations were done.

The rest would be decided by time.

* * *

Sure enough, it wasn't long before I heard from the sugar factory.

The news that the first sugar was complete.

I took the eagerly anticipating vassals and headed there at once. I wanted to see the sugar as soon as possible.

But.

“Hmm... this is sugar, right?”

“Meeeh~. Why is this color so muddy, merrr~.”

“It's a little different from what I knew?”

The vassals all tilted their heads after seeing the result.

It was because the finished sugar was brown in color.

The sugar imported in [Pangea Universalise] was refined white sugar. So they didn't know that sugar was actually brown before it was refined.

“Ahem. It is sugar. Try some. It will be very sweet and delicious.”

I replied with a dry cough.

In fact, I knew that well, but refining the molasses required one more special process.

The refining process.

It had to be chemically treated or centrifuged to separate the crystals and molasses, but unfortunately, I didn't know how to do that much.

'I know the principle of a centrifuge, but I don't know how to build one.'

It would be nice if there were a high-level artisan or a Dwarf.

It's always a shame.

Anyway, at my words, the vassals, who were half in doubt, tasted the brown sugar powder and let out an exclamation of admiration.

“Oh?”

“Me, merrr!”

“It is incredibly sweet. Oh, my Lord.”

The appearance was different, but the ecstatic sweetness felt in the mouth.

This was indeed sugar.

Chamberlain Hamil, who was watching, said to me with a surprised expression.

“This is sugar, isn't it? My Lord?”

“Did you think I was lying?”

“Th, that's not it, but... ahem.”

“Never mind. I'm not trying to blame you.”

After saying that, I asked the manager standing in the back.

“What is the sugar production volume?”

“For now, we made about 60 sacks as a trial production. We've improved the process this time, so I think we can get about 80 sacks per warehouse of turnips, my Lord.”

“Oh? We currently have about 10 warehouses, so if we make it all, that means we can produce about 800 sacks?”

At this time, the price of sugar was about 3 shillings per pound.

One sack contained about 10 pounds, so 800 sacks meant 2,400 gold.

After deducting miscellaneous labor costs and various expenses, it meant that one sugar factory could generate a profit of about 2,000 gold.

As expected, it wasn't an enormous amount, but it wasn't bad either.

And it seemed Chamberlain Hamil had the same thought.

“It's not bad. Considering the price of turnips, it looks quite good.”

“Is that so? You think so too?”

“Yes, my Lord. The brown powder is a bit unfamiliar, but it's still sugar, isn't it? If we sell it at a slightly lower price, it will sell like hotcakes. However….”

“However?”

When I asked back, Chamberlain Hamil looked around and cautiously opened his mouth.

“I'm worried that outside forces might attack us, aiming for this sugar manufacturing method.”

'Hoh.'

He's a smart fellow in many ways, Chamberlain Hamil is. Unlike a knight.

If you hold onto something beyond your means, you are bound to suffer.

If I suddenly started selling sugar, the surrounding domains might covet it. That's how valuable sugar was.

'Although my domain has grown a bit, it's not yet strong enough to fend off the surrounding domains.'

It could become troublesome if several surrounding domains formed an alliance and attacked.

Or the King and the Grand Duke of Bourgogne could covet the sugar manufacturing method.

But I had already prepared a way to deal with Chamberlain Hamil's concerns.

“What's the big deal? It's fine.”

“What?”

“There's a way.”

Of course. There is a way.

It was a method I had used time and again in [Pangea Universalise] when I created such a high-priced specialty.

And that was.

“Meeeh~ It's incredibly sweet and delicious. Merrr. Mehehehet.”

To use the Holy See.

If it is consecrated in the name of God, no one would dare to covet it.

* * *

It might seem very strange from a modern person's perspective, but surprisingly, the churches in each domain, especially the monasteries, were also a major channel for producing various specialty goods.

Honey, wine, and beer were basic, and it was common for them to actively intervene in businesses of interest and hold various exclusive licenses.

This was even more so in [Pangea Universalise].

In fact, they were more actively involved in secular businesses than in real history.

“Meeeh~ What brings you to call me, merrr.”

“I called you because I have a favor to ask, Bishop Marco.”

“A favor? Merrr.”

“By any chance, what do you think of sugar?”

“Meeeh~. It is very sweet and has a heavenly taste. Merrr. This must be a food given by God. Merrr.”

Bishop Marco praised sugar, blinking his square eyes, a characteristic of the goat beastmen.

Seeing that, I grinned.

“Is that so? I'm so glad we agree. I thought so too. That sugar is truly a food given by God.”

“Merrr…?”

Bishop Marco tilted his head. He had mentioned a favor earlier, but now the conversation had suddenly shifted to sugar.

He tried to remember if he had missed anything in the conversation, but it didn't seem so.

“Ah. I was beating around the bush too much. The favor I have to ask is simple. I want to consecrate this sugar to God.”

“Meeeh…?”

“Bishop Marco, didn't you say it yourself with your own mouth? That this food seems to be made by God.

I think so too. That's why I want to return what God has made to God.

I would like to consecrate 30 percent of the monthly sugar production to your diocese. What do you think?”

[Meticulous Planner effect activated!]

[Bishop Marco will be even more drawn to your proposal.]

[The stratagem succeeds.]

At that moment.

“Meeeeeeeeee?!?!?!?!”

Bishop Marco, having grasped the situation, let out a scream of surprise.

He didn't know how it was made, but he was giving that precious sugar to him?

And 30 percent of it at that?

Then the income of Bishop Marco's diocese would surely increase enormously.

And if that happened, he, who managed it....

'Meeeh…! Moooney!! Gold is falling, merrr!'

He didn't know what the production volume was, but if he just skimmed a little off the top, his pockets would surely be full.

“How about it? Do you not like it? Did I ask for too much? Bishop Marco? I suppose you can't decide on the offerings to be consecrated to the diocese on your own.”

“Meeeh-! No!! It is very excellent, merrr!! This Bishop Marco is moved by the Lord's sincerity. I am moved to tears. Meeeh~.”

Bishop Marco hurriedly waved his hands.

The offerings consecrated to the diocese were goods guaranteed in the name of the Holy See.

Therefore, it was necessary to receive the sanction of the Holy See, but that was not important right now.

It was sugar!

When receiving sugar, are such procedures important?

It would be fine to receive it first and then request follow-up measures from the Holy See.

“Meeeh~. I will strive to have it consecrated to the diocese, merrr! So the Lord should not worry and just make the consecration. Merrr~.”

“Haha. That's a relief. Then I will trust only you, Bishop Marco.”

* * *

A short while after that.

The Holy See.

“Huh. It seems Bishop Marco is up to something strange again?”

“Why? What is it this time?”

“This time, he says he will produce and consecrate sugar... in his diocese?”

“Sugar production? Is that possible? Isn't that a commodity that comes through the Eastern Empire over there?”

At that, the official who brought up the topic shrugged.

“Well, from what he's saying, it seems possible. By the way, should we report this to Cardinal Adriano as well?”

“Hmm... well, isn't it up to the higher-ups to decide on matters related to consecration anyway? We were told to report anything related to the Bellua Margrave, so we have to.”

“That's right, isn't it?”

The official thought so and hurried to Cardinal Adriano.

“Your Eminence the Cardinal. I have come to report on a matter related to the Bellua Margrave.”

“Ah-! I was just wondering when you would come. I've been hearing a lot about the Bellua Margrave from the merchants I meet these days. Unlike our Holy See officials, that is. Hahaha.”

At those words, the official realized that he would have been in big trouble if he hadn't made this report.

“So, is it about the Bellua Margrave?”

“Ah, to be precise, it's not about the Bellua Margrave. It's because the bishop belonging to that place sent a rather peculiar matter.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Here it is.”

The official handed over the report.

Cardinal Adriano, who received it, read it silently for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Haha? This is quite interesting. So, he wants to consecrate that precious sugar from the Bellua Margrave's diocese?”

“Th, that's what he says.”

Cardinal Adriano realized that his choice was right.

This young lord of the Bellua Margraviate.

He was a very politically astute individual. To think he would use the Holy See for his own gain.

“Interesting.”

And since he was being used anyway, Cardinal Adriano was thinking of giving him a big one.

The movement of heretics was being seen in the southern part of the Elang Kingdom and the Hispenia Peninsula.

In order to punish them, a great lord with powerful strength was needed.

“Let's summon him to the Holy See. I would like to meet him in person once.”