<h4>Chapter 481 – Plum Wine and Sericulture</h4>
The plum tree has grown to the point that it is already fruiting.
Seeing that, I thought of plum winemaking.
I have never made plum wine before.
I have never done it in my previous world too.
Fortunately, I know how to make it.
I saw it on TV.
I’ve seen it many times.
Though it was quite a long time ago, I think it would be fine.
-0-
First, harvest plums that are already blue.
The spiderlings helped me with that.
Thanks.
Next, wash plum carefully one by one.
I had a hard time because I did it alone.
After that, soak them in water for several hours to remove resin.
That was hard too.
I drain the water and dry them in shade.
As expected, this is really hard to do alone so I asked for some beastgirls to help me.
We took the dried plum and prepared urns where we’ll put them.
The urns are as big as I can carry and it was disinfected by boiling water earlier.
The next thing to do is to put in the plums and rock sugar alternately in the urnyer byyer but we don’t have rock sugar so I substitute it with honey.
And pour in some alcohol….
The alcohol that should be poured is called white liquor but what is this white liquor?
I don’t know.
For the time being, I think any alcohol would be fine…..though I know that it shouldn’t be wine.
I select a distilled alcohol with rtively high alcohol content and pour it into the urn.
After that, cover it, and done.
No, it is only done for now since there are still things that need to be done in the future.
We still need to extract the alcoholter.
And we can only start doing that after at least six months.
I would even prefer a year.
I’m looking forward to the day I’ll drink it.
-0-
All in all, we prepared 12 urns of plum wine.
We don’t have enough honey so 8 of them are using sugar instead.
I’m a little anxious but it’ll be fine.
We put them in the basement of my mansion.
Work,plete.
Ah, I forgot an important thing.
「These are alcohol. Sorry to disappoint you but they are not sweets.」
That’s what I said to the fairy queen who has been following me.
「But you used a lot of honey and sugar?」
I’m sorry.
And dwarves.
I know you want to know the taste but no taste test for now.
If I allow you to taste it, I can already see them disappearing in less than half a year.
This alcohol takes time to make.
I’ll call you once they are ready so give up.
-0-
Thinking about how it will receive good reviews from the dwarves, I thought of increasing the number of plum trees.
…..
But it uses a lot of honey and sugar so I guess I should leave it as it is?
I can increase the number of plum trees but let’s think about how much of it will be used in plum wine.
Let’s use the remaining plums in making dried plums.
I’ve never made dried plums before but it should be simr to salted plum.
It shouldn’t be too difficult.
Yeah, let’s do that.
-0-
Let’s put the plum tree matter aside for now.
It is already time for spring harvest.
It will be a good harvest again.
I’m thankful.
Themias havee to help us harvest.
When harvesting is over, they’ll help the dwarves in making alcohol.
Thank you as usual.
-0-
Before summer.
Sericulture started in Vige Two.
The reason it only started now is because we prioritized stable food production in their own vige first.
In addition, there’s a powerfulpetitor for it like the web of Zabuton’s group. We don’t even know if there will be a demand for silkworms.
It is also necessary to prepare silkworm huts and tools like spindle wheels.
Those made the minotaurs of Vige Two reluctant to start sericulture since they don’t even know if they can recover the cost of starting it.
However, it happenedst winter.
Gordon, the representative of Vige Two, suggested that they would like to start sericulture.
At that time, he took out 200 reward medals from Vige Two.
He wants to use those medals to build facilities and tools for sericulture.
As for me, I have no problem if Vige Two wants to start sericulture.
I even support them.
Because of that, I told Gordon that those reward medals are unnecessary but Gordon insists on me taking them in case that they’ll fail.
If I provide the facilities and tools for free and the minotaurs’ sericulture fails, they feel like they can’t show their faces to me anymore.
Even if I forgive them as the vige chief, they will be known by other viges as someone who caused trouble.
Although they are not confident with the sess of the sericulture industry, there are people who depended on sericulture for a living before so they are even willing to repeatedly fail until they make good threads.
The minotaurs were depending on sericulture before but that doesn’t mean that they can sessfully do it now too.
However, if they use reward medals to start sericulture, even if they fail, the only ones who’ll beughed at will be the foolish minotaurs and not Vige Two.
Because of that, they can only start sericulture if I receive the reward medals.
I’m a little troubled but I decided to receive their reward medals.
Comparing what they are doing to a business, I indeed feel the same. I would rather start a business using my own funds rather than using other people’s funds.
Also, if I did not ept this, the discussion about sericulture will not progress.
As for me, I wee business proposals from Vige Two and it is not limited to sericulture.
If the sericulture in Vige Two became sessful, other viges might start something new too.
Then, each vige will develop more.
That’s a good thing.
I took the reward medals that Gordon handed over but I’ll return them as a reward when the sericulture became sessful.
In short, I’m just keeping it for them.
I officially received it but it’s not like I want to.
-0-
When we decided to carry out the sericulture business in Vige Two, I ordered silkworms and tools from Michael-san’s Goroun Company.
I thought he could easily buy them from those who are doing sericulture too but I was wrong.
If they sell silkworm to other sericulturists, they’ll be worried if their own threads will be sold so they rather not sell them.
Because of that, Michael-san hired adventurers to catch them in the forest.
Adventurers, you have it hard.
However, does this mean that there are silkworms in the wild?
I thought they were totally domesticated by people?
-0-
Sericulture tools are not so special.
They are readily avable.
The problem is the spindle tool that turns silkworm cocoons into thread.
It is not avable on market. It seems like you can only get one if you order it from a craftsman.
I consulted Michael-san if silkworm cocoons can be sold.
He said that I can leave turning them into threads to apany in Shashaato City that specializes in doing that.
When I told that to Gordon, he did not immediately refuse but thought a little first.
As a result, no tool was required and no spindle tool is necessary.
When I was thinking why, I saw a spiderling riding on Gordon’s shoulder but why is it even on Gordon’s shoulder?
It says that it will take care of turning the cocoons into threads and the threads into cloth.
Ah, you mean the spiderlings of Vige Two?
Great.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Though it still hasn’t started yet.
As for me, I’ll apologize to Michael-san for the trouble.
-0-
The facility was built by the high elves after consulting the residents of Vige Two.
The silkworm hut where silkworms will be raised is simple but it is big since the minotaurs are the ones who’ll use it.
There’s only one silkworm hut for now.
Once the sericulture business gets on track, it will be easy to make new ones.
-0-
I nted trees whose leaves are silkworm food using the AFT.
I nted them at the beginning of the spring.
-0-
After the silkworm hut was built, silkwormrvae were brought from the Goroun Company. Thus, sericulture started in Vige Two.
What surprised me was the size of the silkwormrvae that were brought in.
The silkwormrva I know is around…..7 to 8 cm.
Well, there are some silkwormrvae that are around that size but there are alsorvae that are around 20 to 30 cm.
It looks like apletely different silkworm species.
Are these giantrvae safe to keep?
It’s okay.
You’ve already taken care of them before.
Okay.
The facility is…..it’s also big so I guess there’s no problem even if somervae are big.
….thinking about it, are there silkwormrvae that are bigger than these?
There is also a one-meter ss.
Really.
I feel like I want to see one but I also feel like I don’t want to see one.
For now, do your best to raise the number of silkworms.
The 200 ordinary size silkworms, the goal is to increase their number to tens of thousands.
The 20 big silkworms, the goal is to increase their number to thousands.
Do your best to reach those goals.
To feed the silkworms, you can use the leaves of the trees I raised but they are still young so you can’t pick too many leaves.
They said that they’ll collect leaves from the trees of the forest.
It seems like they have nned it for a long time so there won’t be any feeding problem.
Got it. However, if you’re going to the forest, don’t forget to have the kuros escort you.
And make sure no one will get injured.
-0-
And spiderlings, you don’t have to cultivate friendship with the silkworms….their lifespan is….
Eh?
The smallrva can live up to ten years?
Thergerva can live up to a hundred years?
Moreover, if they feel danger while making a cocoon, they’ll leave the cocoon and run away?
….
Are they really silkworms?
Are you sure they’re not some kind of other creatures?
No, well, since they lived in the wild, they have that kind of instinct.
Okay.
Yeah, you are silkworms.
I’m sorry for doubting you.
-0-
Ah, Gordon, let me ask you something.
Are theservae not dangerous?
Do they attack?
As long as you feed them, there won’t be any problem.
Okay.
…..
Make sure they always have food avable.
-0-
I pray for the sess of Vige Two’s sericulture.
If you need help, don’t hesitate to tell me.
-0-
As a side story, when counting them, one should use “tou” and not “hiki”.
TN: Tou is a counter for big animals while hiki is used for small animals
I guess it’s because the history of silkworms in this world is different.
They even exist in the wild.