Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 128 Basil
“Mrs. Winnie, you flatter me. It’s just a sauce I made in my spare time using mustard seeds, and it doesn’t have a formal name yet. However,” he changed the subject, looking at Mrs. Winnie with sincerity, “I wonder if your tavern would be interested in purchasing some? I think it would certainly enhance your roasted lamb chops, and even other meat dishes.”

Upon hearing the word "procurement," Lady Winnie paused slightly, seemingly surprised that the young baron's heir would propose a deal so directly.

But she was, after all, a businesswoman who ran a tavern, and she quickly realized what was happening. Her professional smile remained unchanged, but her eyes revealed a shrewdness that befitted a businessman.

She didn't immediately refuse, but smiled and nodded: "Oh? Interesting. If the taste and quality can remain consistent, my tavern can indeed consider introducing some to give our guests a change of pace. However, we'll have to discuss the price and supply method carefully."

A flash of inspiration seemed to strike Kruze's mind, and a clear business blueprint instantly unfolded—why not create a unique industry for Lion's Tooth Territory? That industry would be the seasonings industry!

In his eyes, the cooking methods of this world were too monotonous and boring, mostly relying on the original flavor of the ingredients, at most supplemented with salt and vinegar, and the so-called spices were only a few such as dandelion, nettle leaves and basil, resulting in a lack of flavor complexity.

But he has already discovered mustard seeds and rosemary, spices with great potential, in the wild! And if the system rewards him with other spice plants in the future…

The thought that spices were worth as much as gold in medieval Europe filled Kruse with an irrepressible excitement.

The spice and seasoning business is undoubtedly one of the most profitable industries in the world!
He even envisioned transforming Lion Tooth Territory into a renowned "food capital" in the future, while exporting various magical seasonings to the entire kingdom—what immense wealth and influence that would bring!

Thinking of this, he immediately put down the half-eaten lamb chop in his hand, a shrewd smile appearing on his face. He took out a small earthenware jar of mustard from his bag, gently placed it on the table, and said to Mrs. Winnie:

“Madam, as you have tasted it, the flavor of this sauce is unique. This jar,” he gestured with his hand to the small earthenware jar that could hold about three or four ounces of sauce, “is priced at ten silver coins.”

"Pfft—cough cough!" Reyes, who was drinking, choked on the price and coughed. His glass trembled slightly. He was clearly shocked by his eldest son's almost robbery-like pricing.

Ten silver coins!

This is almost enough to cover the basic expenses of a knight's family of four for a month!
How can a jar of sauce be sold at this price?

Rezael stared wide-eyed in astonishment, looking at the jar of sauce and then at his composed older brother, as if trying to confirm whether he was joking.

Only the naive Elena, focused solely on the delicious food before her, continued to nibble on her lamb chops dipped in mustard sauce, completely oblivious to the business negotiations that had just begun.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Winnie raised her slender eyebrows slightly, her professional smile remaining unchanged, but her eyes conveyed the implication that "young man, isn't this price a bit outrageous?"

She didn't immediately refute, but instead extended her well-maintained fingers and gently tapped the table. Her tone remained gentle, yet carried the caution characteristic of a businesswoman:

"Ten silver coins a jar? Lord Kruze, this price... is probably not something an ordinary customer can easily accept. You know, the finest ale in my tavern costs only about this much per barrel." She paused, her gaze sharpening as she looked at Kruze. "Besides, the cost of your sauce is probably far more than that, isn't it? We need to talk, for example... a long-term supply discount, or a more reasonable price."

Kruse remained calm in the face of criticism.

He had anticipated this reaction and had already prepared his explanation. A tug-of-war over price, supply, and future cooperation officially began at the breakfast table, which was filled with the aroma of food.

He was full of confidence in the value of the jar of "golden sauce" in his hand.

Faced with Mrs. Winnie's questioning of the price, Kruse remained calm, having anticipated that she would raise the issue from a cost perspective.

He maintained his composed smile and delivered a prepared, weighty statement:

"Lady Winnie, you may not know this, but one of the core spices used in my sauce, the plant itself, can strictly be classified as a potion. You should understand what the word 'potion' means on this continent, right?"

The moment the word "potion" was uttered, Lady Winnie's expression indeed became more serious.

In the general perception in mainland China, anything associated with "potions" is invariably linked to "expensive," "scarce," and "powerful," because they are important resources for knights and mages to cultivate, and are therefore extremely valuable.

She instinctively turned her questioning gaze to Reyes, after all, Reyes was a Gold Knight and was most sensitive to magical fluctuations.

Reyes cooperated, picking up the small earthenware jar again, examining it closely, and then shaking his head definitively, saying, "There is indeed no magical fluctuation in it; it's just ordinary sauce."

Kruze almost couldn't help but mentally retort, "Father, whose side are you on anyway?"

But he quickly understood his father's deeper meaning—Reyes didn't want him to use the gimmick of "potions," which could easily lead to misunderstandings, to swindle and deceive.

After all, if a potion is claimed to be a magical potion for cultivation but no magical power can be detected, it is easily considered fraud, which could cause unnecessary trouble or even anger certain serious forces.

Kruse understood immediately and followed his father's words, offering his prepared, more rigorous, and more cunning explanation:
“Father is right, it does not have any magical fluctuations right now.” He changed the subject, “because this special potion plant is very peculiar. They do contain a small amount of magic while they are growing, but once they are picked, the magic in them will dissipate rapidly in a very short time, making them impossible to use for regular cultivation or potion making. It can be said that they are ‘useless’ in the field of potions.”

He paused, watching Mrs. Winnie's increasingly captivated expression, and continued, "However, I discovered that it is precisely this dissipating magic, like some kind of catalyst, that gives this plant a unique, intensely spicy aroma!"

His meaning was clear: it did indeed originate from a magic potion, but not a magic potion in the traditional sense that could aid cultivation. Instead, it was a "one-time use" exotic plant that transformed magic into a special flavor.

Such "useless" potion plants are not unprecedented in the kingdom, but most of them have not been found to have any practical use.

　PS: You may not have heard of basil, but that's its academic name. In China, it's called "nine-layered pagoda," and in Guangdong, it's called "golden incomparable."

　　
　
(End of this chapter)