Chapter 28: Baronet Victor

Several days had passed since Dennis sold the barrels of Sange oil in Cliff. On a certain day around that time, Baronet Victor arrived in a luxurious carriage from the Barras territory. For a Baronet, the carriage was disproportionately lavish.

There was no bridge over the Yusla River that flowed between the Barras territory and the Beneshof territory. So, the fact that he appeared here in a carriage meant that Victor had arranged a large ferry capable of carrying a carriage with its horses.

There were not many people coming and going between the Barras and the Beneshof territory. A small ferry should have been sufficient. The fact that a large ferry had been prepared in advance could be inferred from the necessity of it.

It appeared that Victor’s intentions revolved around seizing control of the Sange grove from the Briones family to produce Sange oil. This plot must have been in the works for quite some time.

Victor, with his round face, stepped down from the carriage. He stood in front of the mansion with a faint smile, looking down on Egmont with disdainful eyes.

Egmont ushered Victor into the reception room. Accompanied by two of his guards, Victor entered the room, where Dennis and Egmont awaited him.

“Lord Egmont, have you made up your mind yet?” Victor asked.

Egmont glared at Victor.

“I have already made my decision.”

“In that case, I have prepared the document. Sign it for me,” Victor said.

Victor took out the document granting him the rights to the Sange grove and handed it to Egmont. The latter, upon receiving it, gave Victor a cold stare and tore the document into pieces, causing it to crumble and fall to the ground.

“What are you doing?”

Victor exclaimed, raising his voice. One of the guards standing behind him reached for the hilt of his sword. Dennis glared at the two guards, his gaze filled with an intimidating force that caused them to freeze in their tracks.

“I have no intention of making such a deal,” Egmont declared.

“In that case, the interest rate will double,” Victor threatened.

“I refuse that as well,”

Victor’s anger flared as he stood up.

“What do you mean?”

“It should be obvious. I will repay the entire debt,”

Egmont placed a bag filled with gold coins on the table.

Victor examined the contents of the bag, slowly counting the number of gold coins.

“T-this is the full amount.”

“Then, return the loan letter.”

Viktor handed the loan letter to Egmont. The expression on his face turned grim.

“How did you manage to gather the money?” Victor inquired.

“We made oil from the Sange fruits and sold it at a high price. By the way, which land were you interested in leasing again?”

Egmont’s words caused Victor’s face to turn red. However, he restrained himself, holding back his anger.

With a lifted chin, Victor departed for the Barras territory.

“Dennis, perhaps you are too suited to become a lord,” Egmont remarked.

Dennis tilted his head in response to Egmont’s words. He had never considered himself fit to be a lord.

“By the way, when will Mother and the others return?” Dennis asked.

“I received a letter today. They will be back the day after tomorrow.”

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After returning to the Barras territory, Victor entered his workplace and glared at the bag filled with gold coins he just received.

“How could this happen?”

At that moment, Manuel, the squire who had been dispatched as a messenger to Beneshof, entered the room.

“How did it go my lord? Did the Beneshof people sign the document without knowing they were deceived?” Manuel asked.

Victor threw the bag of gold coins he was holding onto the floor. The sound of metal clashing echoed through the room as the coins spilled out onto the floor. Manuel was taken aback by Victor’s sudden action.

“W-What has happened?” Manuel asked.

“That Egmont fellow repaid the entire debt.”

“Impossible. How could they repay such a large debt given the financial situation in the Beneshof territory?” Manuel exclaimed.

“It was the Sange oil. They squeezed the fruits and turned them into oil, and turned the oil into gold coins.”

Manuel was taken aback. It had been last year when Victor acquired the knowledge of extracting Sange oil from the neighboring western nation, the Nuora Republic, by paying a hundred gold coins.

In the Zelman Kingdom, the Orbeneshof family was the only one who possessed that knowledge, which was now lost. Lord Barras was vaguely aware of it but lacked the detailed know-how and methods of mass production. That’s why he purchased the full method from the Nuora Republic.

However, they were unable to obtain the crucial Sange grove in the end.

“That Egmont bastard, how could he?”

Victor started contemplating how he could make the Beneshof territory pay for this.

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Two days after repaying the debt to Baronet Victor, Dennis’s mother Elise and his sisters returned to the mansion.

With the assistance of Elma who returned and other servants, Dennis began preparations for a celebration to honor the people who had helped in the production of Sange oil.

The first task he embarked on was improving the rye bread. Dennis indirectly knew the taste of the dishes Masaya had eaten in Japan. Compared to that, he was dissatisfied with the quality of Beneshof’s cuisine.

The primary culprit was the rye bread. Dennis knew the reason behind its unappetizing taste. It was because the flour contained sand, husks, and other dregs.

Assisted by Amelia, Finne, and Jasmine, Dennis managed to remove the impurities and produce refined rye flour. By sieving it through a fine mesh, they transformed it into clean and pure rye flour.

“Sir Dennis, we’re running low on rye flour. Is that alright?”

Jasmine inquired. The outer layer of the discarded wheat, known as bran, contained a significant amount of dietary fiber and minerals, making it beneficial for health.

However, the stone mill used in town couldn’t grind the bran finely enough, resulting in an unpleasant texture when turned into bread. Therefore, they decided to remove it.

Sometimes, bran was intentionally added to increase the volume. It was a clever trick used by the poor.

“It’s alright. I want to eat delicious bread,” Dennis replied.

He brought the sourdough he had prepared a few days ago. This sourdough was not the usual natural yeast; it was made by mixing equal amounts of rye flour and lukewarm water and allowing it to ferment naturally. The sourdough served as a substitute for yeast. It would be considered complete when it developed a fruity aroma.

Dennis kneaded the sourdough, rye flour, water, and salt to make the bread dough, which he then shaped into rounds and let it ferment. Once the primary fermentation was complete, he divided the dough into individual portions, degassed them, and shaped them into simple rolls.

After the secondary fermentation, Elma baked them in the bread oven. As the bread finished baking, Elise entered the kitchen.

“Oh, it smells delicious. Is Dennis the one making it? How unusual,” Elise remarked.

Dennis tried the freshly baked bread. It had a tangier flavor than the usual bread, but it was undeniably more delicious. Watching Dennis enjoy it with relish, Amelia decided to give it a try.

As soon as she took a bite, a smile formed on her face.

“So delicious,”

“Is it really?” Elise wondered.

Elise also picked up a piece of bread, tore it apart, and brought it to her mouth. Her eyes widened as she closely examined the roll.

“Why is it so delicious?”

Dennis had Finne, Jasmine, and Elma taste it as well. Finnejumped with joy, and Jasmine asked how it was made. It seemed that both of them were pleased.

In addition to the bread roll, they also made sugar-coated fried bread and cheese and pepper incorporated cheese pepper bread, which received favorable responses.

The fried bread became popular among children and women, while the cheese pepper bread was favored by men like Egmont.

On the day of the celebration, they grilled the fish sourced from the fishermen and served the villagers with vegetable soup and various types of bread. Of course, the men were treated to drinks as well. It was a small, festive-like celebration to express gratitude.

After enduring long and arduous days, the people laughed from the depths of their hearts. The men drank heartily, while women and children savored the delicious food.

Some among them were to be employed as servants by Egmont. There were still remaining seeds in the Sange grove. They would be tasked with the job of collecting the remaining seeds and extracting oil from them.

Once the seeds were no longer available, they would be responsible for maintaining the Sange grove. This involved cutting down unwanted undergrowth and clearing away obstructive trees.