Chapter 36

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

---

With Delio, Cecil's father, saying, "Please stay," Bertine and the other two gratefully decided to stay the night.

The grilled cobs were, of course, delicious, but Bertine couldn't stop thinking about the seeds sprinkled on the fish. So, during dinner, she helped in the kitchen and asked Delio.

"Mr. Delio, what kind of seeds are those white, round ones?"

"White and round... Ah, they're called Hiri. Around here, they're called Hiri or Hiri because they're spicy. They grow everywhere. The taste and aroma are good, right? Everyone plants them in their gardens for convenience. Come and take a look."

Saying that, Delio took Bertine to the garden.

Delio pointed to a tree at the edge of the garden. Looking at it, she saw a vine-like, delicate plant entwined around the tree, with many small, round green fruits growing in long clusters.

"Pick one and try it."

"Alright... Wow! It's spicy! But it has a refreshing flavor!"

"The green ones, when fully ripe, turn red. After soaking them in water and peeling them, the seeds are dried to become white Hiri."

"Are there other colors besides white?"

"There's black too. If you harvest the green ones before they're fully ripe and dry them with the skin on, they turn black."

"Do they have different flavors?"

"Yes, the black ones with the skin on have a stronger aroma. They're used to eliminate the gamey smell of meat and enhance the flavor. They go well with wild boar and deer meat. Whether to use white or black is a matter of preference, but I like to use plenty of white on fish."

Bertine felt this was an incredible discovery.

A seed that could dramatically enhance the taste of familiar meats and fish. If she could sell this, food enthusiasts would surely jump at it. No, even non-food enthusiasts would be interested.

"Mr. Delio, this will be appreciated by many people."

"This? Really? Are you planning to sell it?"

"Yes!"

Delio smiled wryly.

He probably thought, "Are you going to sell something like this?" It was like the time with the crimson cloth, where something so common that its value wasn't recognized. But Bertine's intuition was shouting, "This is delicious. It will be appreciated. It will sell!" She struggled to keep herself calm.

"Then, let me show you various ways to use Hiri. Tasting them would be good."

"Yes! I would be grateful if you could!"

Bertine followed Delio back to the kitchen and her heart raced when she saw the ample white and black Hiri in the empty bottles. The bottles had corks, and she wondered if it was to prevent the aroma from escaping or to protect against moisture.

Delio opened the bottle and casually placed some Hiri in Bertine's palm.

The aroma was indeed good. When she bit into the black Hiri, it was much more stimulating and aromatic than the white.

The reason the empire and Sanlouan people hadn't entered this region was probably because they thought there were no valuable products. But in fact, treasures like this had existed for a long time. She felt very fortunate to have discovered them.

That night, Dorothea helped Delio prepare a feast of fish and meat on the table. The dinner with Hiri sprinkled on it was delicious and made her appetite grow. Bertine thought, "This country is indeed a land of treasures."

---

The next day, Bertine and Dorothea were engrossed in the task of bottling local fish, starting with cobs.

They grilled the fish, shredded the flesh, crushed the white Hiri, sprinkled it, and packed it into bottles, lightly closing the lids. They then heated the bottles in a water bath, opened the lids to release the air with a hiss, and quickly sealed them tightly. The bottles and lids were hot, so they frequently cooled their hands in cold well water.

"Let's start with the grilled cobs for the lord and check if they remain fresh even after some time. The oil-cooked and white wine-cooked versions should be fine, as they are made the same way as the syrup-cooked ones. Tomorrow, let's introduce the bottling work to the people of Calisto."

The tribal chief, Delio, helped gather people from the neighborhood.

She thought anyone interested could come, regardless of age or gender, but the turnout wasn't good. She realized that the words "You can earn money" didn't resonate with people in a region where they could live without cash.

Only five people gathered.

Two elderly men who were too old to go to sea, one elderly woman, and two young women.

Bertine remembered her father's words, "When things don't go well, think of it as an interesting job that requires ingenuity," straightened her back, and smiled as she talked about bottling.

At first, the participants were skeptical, asking, "Can our daily side dishes be sold in the empire?" But when she explained, "In the deepest part, we earn money by selling fruit syrups and jams, and people are happy because they can buy medicine," they finally showed interest.

"You can buy books too."

The one who said this was a slender young woman. The women in this region were generally robust, so she had caught Bertine's attention from the start.

"I teach the official language to the children. I came to my husband's hometown after marrying in Ibuto, but there are no bookstores in this region. I can't get books for the children, and even if I ordered them from Ibuto, they are expensive and the shipping costs are high. But if I have money, I can buy books for the children."

"That's right. With this, you can buy what the children, who will support this country in the future, need. It's not just for children. If the flavors of this region can be sold widely, young people won't have to go to the city to earn money."

Saying that, she showed them the syrups from the deepest part that Diego had carried.

"Wow. These can be sold in the empire?"

"Yes. They are popular among the nobles. They are rare and delicious. In the empire, they sell for one small silver coin each."

"One small silver coin? You must be joking!"

"It's true. They can't grow in the cold empire, so they sell for a high price. When the novelty wears off, the price might drop a bit, but—"

The people of Calisto picked up the bottles, confirmed that the contents were indeed the fruits they ate daily, and were surprised again.

"So, you're planning to bottle seafood here in Calisto?"

"Yes. However, I haven't eaten scallops or thorny fish yet. I would like to learn how to make them."

"What? You haven't eaten them? Then let's all make and eat them together."

(Now? Do they have the ingredients?) Thinking this, she followed the five to a participant's house. The woman said, "I caught some yesterday," invited everyone in, and quickly made scallop oil-cooked in the kitchen while chatting with them.

The scallops, cut into large pieces with a knife, had a perfect texture when cooked in oil. The oil, made from the fruit of a tree that bears fruit year-round, had no strong flavor. She sprinkled finely chopped onions, garlic, plenty of white Hiri, chopped herbs, and coarse salt made by boiling seawater.

"Mmm!"

The hot oil-cooked scallops were so delicious that she couldn't help but widen her eyes.

Bertine, still with a surprised look, glanced at Dorothea, who was savoring the scallops with her eyes closed. Diego, with the hot oil-cooked scallops in his mouth, hurriedly threw distilled liquor into his mouth and looked happy.

The liquor, made from tubers that grow in shallow parts of the forest, was offered by the woman of the house as soon as Diego sat down, saying, "You look like you enjoy alcohol."

"I'm working," Diego said, but when she replied, "It's fine today," he relaxed and said, "Then just one glass."

"How is it? Delicious, right?"

"Absolutely delicious!"

"But scallops can't be harvested in large quantities. They take a long time to grow. However, there are many small, similar-tasting clams."

"Let's go with that! Let's use the small clams instead of scallops."

The participants casually agreed with the enthusiastic Bertine.

"If you use small clams, you can harvest as many as you want."

"I have plenty of Hiri in a large bottle. They are well-dried, so you can take them as they are. We have plenty of them."

Bertine closed her eyes and thanked God for her good fortune.

Hiri would definitely sell. She would start by getting it used at Luca's hotel. The wealthy nobles who buy fruit syrups for one small silver coin would surely be interested.

"Miss, please focus. And your face!"

Dorothea waved her hand in front of Bertine's face, pulling her back to reality from her daydream.