Starting Today I'll Work As A City Lord

Lucas saw the reactions of Elisa and Ayesha and immediately understood—one liked alcohol, and the other didn't.

"If you don't like it, don't force yourself," Lucas said with a light smile, reaching over to take the glass from Ayesha's hand. He took a sip and then downed the rest of it.

"…" Ayesha stared at Lucas's actions in surprise, her purple eyes lingering on the rim of the glass where her lips had just touched.

A faint blush spread across the cow girl's face, and she lowered her head slightly, suddenly feeling shy, no longer the carefree, boisterous person she usually was.

Elisa's emerald-green eyes flashed with a strange expression. The nobleman in front of her gave off a completely different vibe, or rather, his aura felt much more peaceful and natural.

"So, what's your verdict?" Lucas set the glass down, his black eyes looking at Elisa as he asked, "How does it compare to the wheat beer outside?"

"It's... it's so much better! The wheat beer outside doesn't compare at all," Elisa replied earnestly, her emerald green eyes glancing at the ceramic wine bottle, her throat moving as she swallowed.

This was her first time drinking something that could rival monkey wine, and it was brewed by humans, not the monkeys in the mountains.

It was hard to even compare the two, given that monkey wine was made from various fruits, making them fundamentally different.

"What about you, Freya? What do you think?" Lucas turned to the wolf-eared girl.

"It's really good. It's better than the wine in the palace," Freya said seriously.

As for Nicole, there was no need to ask—she had already gotten drunk the last time, and that was the best answer.

"Then try this one," Lucas picked up another ceramic bottle and poured a glass for Elisa, Nicole, and Freya.

"Eh? It's light pink?" Elisa exclaimed, lifting the glass to her nose and sniffing. She could clearly smell the scent of bamboo, although it was very faint.

"Mm!"

After taking a sip, Elisa's emerald eyes widened. The fresh bamboo flavor, with a hint of sweetness, was smooth and the alcohol was much milder than the previous one. There was no sharp kick to it.

"It's delicious!"

She immediately emptied the glass, taking three quick gulps with an expression of pure satisfaction.

"Excuse me, how did the bamboo flavor come about?" Elisa asked, holding the glass curiously. "I've never tasted anything like this before."

"This is bamboo wine," Lucas explained briefly. "It's made by putting the alcohol inside a growing bamboo stalk, and after some time, it takes on the bamboo flavor."

This was the wine he'd previously injected into the bamboo tube. In fact, this bamboo wine wasn't very authentic, as the time was too short for it to fully develop the flavor.

"Eh? So that's how it works?" Elisa exclaimed in surprise, her gaze toward Lucas now filled with curiosity. Why hadn't anyone thought of such an imaginative idea before?

"Freya, how about you?" Lucas then asked the wolf-eared girl.

"I prefer this one."

Freya finished the entire glass, realizing that the alcohol she used to sneak from the Valtoria Beastkin King's palace was nothing compared to this. That wine now seemed unbearably awful by comparison.

"Young master, isn't the production of this wine quite low?" Nicole set down her glass, remembering that it was she who had arranged for the bamboo wine to be brought back.

"Next year, we'll scale up production. We'll designate a specific area of the bamboo forest as the wine bamboo grove." Lucas replied softly.

"Understood." Nicole pulled out her notebook and jotted it down. She's the one in charge of the brewing now.

As for distilled liquor, she wasn't comfortable leaving that to Annie. Once that fox-eared girl stole a sip, who knew if she'd end up drunk?

Lucas picked up a ceramic bottle of regular wheat beer, then poured one-third of the white wine into it. After shaking it a few times, he poured a glass for everyone.

"Let's try this one." Lucas said, offering the simplest cocktail.

"Hmm? The taste is different. It's milder, but has a bit of the bitterness from the wheat beer," Elisa quickly gave her evaluation.

Lucas nodded. As for Nicole and Freya, their opinions didn't matter as much now since there was someone more professional in front of him.

"So, what price do you think each of these three wines should be sold at?" Lucas asked, which was the main reason for today's tasting.

"For the first one, one silver coin per bottle; for the second, ten silver coins per bottle; and for the third, three hundred copper coins per bottle." Elisa quickly suggested the prices. These were based on a comparison with the monkey wine.

In this era, monkey wine was considered a sacred drink among the nobility. A pound of it would cost around ten silver coins, though it depended on the year; some older vintages were priced in gold coins.

"That works." Lucas nodded. This price was about 20% higher than what he had initially expected.

Currently, wheat beer costs around 20 copper coins per pound, with lower-quality varieties going for only 7 or 8 copper coins.

"Alright!" Nicole nodded.

"The stock of wine can be taken to the Drunken Night Restaurant to sell," Lucas instructed. This wine would also be a good money-making tool.

"Got it!" Nicole responded, casting a quick glance at the eagerly waiting Mina and Annie. She silently nodded to herself.

This small gesture made Annie and Mina stop pouting. Lucas, who noticed it, couldn't help but roll his eyes, already knowing that they would secretly drink tonight.

"By the way, what's the last bottle?" Elisa asked, noticing the one untouched ceramic bottle.

"This one is a high-proof liquor, twice as strong as the first one," Lucas explained, pouring a glass for Elisa. He had figured out that she was a fan of alcohol.

Before even drinking, Elisa caught a whiff of the rich fragrance from the wine, and her eyes lit up. The aroma was even more refined than the previous ones.

"Ah..."

She took a sip, and her delicate face scrunched up. Then, her cheeks flushed as the 40+ proof liquor hit her. This was the strongest alcohol she had ever drunk in her life.

"Smooth and gentle, rich but not overpowering, it's good wine. This one should be one gold coin per bottle," Elisa said, finishing the glass in one go.

"Yes, it's really good wine," She added, feeling a bit tipsy. She stared at Lucas, not saying anything, perhaps trying to organize her thoughts or maybe the alcohol was giving her courage.

"What's wrong? You're a little tipsy, don't drink anymore." Lucas said with a wry smile, hoping not to get her too drunk.

"Lord of the City, can I ask you a question?" Elisa couldn't hold back anymore and decided to ask the question that had been on her mind for a while.

"Go ahead," Lucas replied, his black eyes glinting. He thought maybe she was about to reveal something serious.

"Will you protect all races?" Elisa gripped her glass tightly, her voice urgent. "Will you protect them from being taken away?"

"Of course, as long as they live in my territory, whether human, beastkin, or elf, I will protect them," Lucas said firmly. There was no hesitation in his voice, as this had been his decision from the start.

"You... you're truly special," Elisa said, loosening her grip on the glass, her face flushed but now full of a warm smile.

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