The opening of the Gallery Auction House alone sent shockwaves throughout the Theusser Empire, but that was nothing compared to the current situation.
A new commodity had arrived, and its impact was on an entirely different level.
One item, posted at the auction, was now on everyone's lips.
'Cola'
Everyone was going crazy over some black liquid. Why?
Someone had voiced this skepticism, only to be immediately rebutted.
"Cola is a drink of the gods."
It was sweeter and fizzier than beer. And after drinking it, the aftertaste was incredibly clean.
Why would anyone not drink this?
No one could argue. Not a single person who had tried it, anyway. The only ones who could were the pitiful souls who hadn't.
💬 From the Galleries
"What? You've never had Cola? Are you in your right mind?"
They looked at them with pity and offered sympathy. If someone boasted in high society that they'd never tried Cola, they'd become the laughingstock. Any noble who prided themselves on following trends had to drink this "black liquid."
And so, Cola began to permeate society.
In the northern part of the Theusser Empire lay the territory of the Oront Marquis.
Oront, the lord of the land, furrowed his brow.
"Cola. Cola. That's all anyone talks about."
What on earth was this thing that had people so worked up?
Even at social gatherings, everyone said the same thing. He was getting sick of it. He'd heard countless times that he had to follow the trend and try Cola. What exactly was this "Cola"?
"Did you get it?!"
"Yes, my lord. This is it. They call it Cola."
He had spent a small fortune to satisfy his curiosity. What was this thing that cost a whole gold per bottle? The auction house was selling it for a silver. But after some investigation, he found he had to pay a gold.
It didn't make sense, but Oront picked up the Cola anyway. It felt cool. The coolness spreading through his palm wasn't half bad.
"Hmm..."
At the end of the day, it was just a beverage. Drinks were for kids and commoners. That meant it was low-quality and second-rate. No matter how well-made, a drink is a drink. It was bound to be pathetic compared to the wine and beer crafted by masters.
Oront opened the Cola.
Pssh-Clink!
A strange sound from a peculiar structure. Thanks to the stories he'd heard beforehand, he opened it without being flustered. When the cap came off completely, he saw the black liquid inside. It bubbled like beer... nothing special.
'Just black liquid. It's a beverage, after all!'
Gulp. Gulp.
Oront downed the Cola in one go. And then...
"Kkkkkh..."
He let out an involuntary exclamation. The sweetness and carbonation flowing through his entire body. The ratio was so intense it made him think a god had created it. Though the experience was short, it was electrifying enough to be etched into his mind. Oront realized the true value of this Cola.
"Have you ever tasted anything like this...?"
"Yes, I've had a bottle."
"Cola. How much do you think one of these is worth?"
Sir Lowell, the knight serving Oront, thought for a moment and gave his answer.
"I believe nobles with money would drink it even if it cost five gold a bottle. If we make it a staple of noble culture, it could go for an even higher price."
"It has that kind of value. And you said it was sold at the auction for...?"
"...One silver."
One silver!
Oront sighed internally.
Do they not know the value of money? Do they not know the value of the product? This could make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. These fools have no idea. Such an item shouldn't be in the hands of the ignorant.
Oront openly revealed his greed.
"Sir Lowell. Gather the alchemists and mages."
"...Should I head to the Black Magic Tower?"
"Gather them from the White, Black, Red, and Blue Towers. All of them."
"Yes, understood."
He didn't care how much it cost! If he could just produce Cola, he'd easily make his money back! Oront laughed.
If I just analyze this black liquid and replicate it, I'm set. Even if I fail to make an exact copy, if I can make something similar, I'll be sitting on a pile of money.
He summoned the mages and alchemists. A few days later, Oront couldn't believe his ears.
"...Impossible?"
"Yes. It's impossible."
"You should know I didn't pay you to hear that!"
He roared, but the mages and alchemists didn't even flinch.
"We don't intend to take all the payment. We'll only take our 20% commission. In return, please consider this matter never happened."
Never happened.
Officially, they had never researched Cola. That meant no loss of face. But looking at the reality, it was a miserable situation. They were giving up on Cola, and would not try again in the future.
"...Is it truly that impossible?"
"Yes. We are certain."
"How... how can that be?"
The best mages on the continent gathered at the Magic Tower. And yet, they couldn't analyze a single black liquid and were giving up? Oront couldn't understand it. Seeing his reaction, the mages let out a deep sigh. They knew he wouldn't get it.
"We tried to analyze this black liquid... this Cola, by any means necessary. However, neither magic nor alchemy could do it."
Impossible.
It was a word you rarely heard from mages. Magic was supposed to show omnipotent possibilities. Dragon magic was said to reach the heavens. Even a verbal spell could kill a man...! But they shook their heads.
"There is one thing we've discovered through magic and alchemy."
"...And what is that?"
"We cannot replicate the additives inside... and this beverage called Cola is beyond our understanding."
A mage held out a cup. He cast a spell, and the cup filled with water. Perfectly clean and transparent water.
What was he doing? Despite Oront's confusion, the mage pulled something from his pocket.
"Is that salt?"
"Yes. Salt."
What for? He sprinkled a tiny amount of salt into the water. Then he held it out for Oront to see.
"What does this look like to you?"
"...I have eyes. It's water. Water with salt in it. Are you trying to mock me?"
"No, not at all. I just wanted to tell you. This water has a similar ratio to Cola."
"...?"
Oront squinted, not understanding for a moment. So, the salt in this water is the same as the additives in Cola?
"You're telling me that tiny amount creates that flavor?! Impossible...!"
"Yes. That's why we concluded it's impossible."
"Without even knowing how it's made?"
"Yes. We couldn't decipher it."
Oront had spent his money to gain a single result: helplessness. Utter helplessness. After the mages and alchemists left, Sir Lowell quietly approached.
"There is still a way."
"What way could there possibly be...?!"
"Do we need to replicate the Cola?"
"You mean make an imitation?"
They had already concluded that was nearly impossible. For a moment, Oront felt furious at Lowell's nonsense, but he graciously held it in.
"No, that's not what I mean."
"Then?"
Simply Capture the Seller
"We just need to capture the one selling the Cola."
"...!"
"We just need to capture the Head Admin of the Gallery."
"We don't know where he lives."
"That's fine."
A silver tongue is great, but silence is golden. It's hard to keep silent because once a person's mouth is open, they're bound to make a mistake eventually. All you have to do is wait.
"The Head Admin will leak information eventually."
"You mean we just wait?"
"Yes."
"Hmm..."
After a moment of thought, Oront made his decision.
"Gather everyone who can access the Gallery. Give them the task of monitoring the Gallery's posts."
He would have the Head Admin under 24/7 surveillance.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"My Demon King, what is all this...?"
"This is Cola."
"I know that, but... where did you get so much of it?"
He was curious about the source of this massive quantity. It looked like over a thousand bottles. Weren't people limited to one Cola per person? How did he get so much? The thought crossed his mind, but he didn't dwell on it.
"Kern."
"Yes, my Demon King."
"Don't be too curious. If you're that curious, your lifespan will shorten."
Kern felt a chill and swallowed hard.
"...Yes, I will keep that in mind."
"Now, distribute this Cola to the demons under your command. I will continue to work on acquiring more Cola."
"...!"
Kern's eyes widened.
He didn't know where the Cola came from or how it was acquired. But did that matter? The Cola that everyone found so difficult to obtain was now in his hands. He could only worship and praise his Demon King. Kern took the Cola, and Arcella sat on her throne, thoroughly reading the Gallery.
"Head Admin... you're more impressive than I thought."
Anyone else would have been swayed by such a large sum of money, but he remained consistent. Maybe it's because he was already rich and wasn't swayed. But even so, it's a different matter to resist an opportunity to make even more money. Money makes people greedy and ultimately devours them. It's not easy to control money perfectly. And the Head Admin was doing just that.
"Even if he has a lot of money, the value of Cola is high... To sell it for just one silver with the intention of giving it to everyone is not something just anyone can do."
Arcella thought deeply. If it were her, would she have done the same? She wouldn't have been able to make such a quick decision.
"He is a person who has reached a realm beyond the understanding of ordinary people."
That's why he can do things that defy expectations without a second thought and remains unshaken. At the same time, he has a great personality, a sense of humor, and is highly capable.
"...I wish he were a demon."
His identity is still unknown. Human? Demon? Or another race? The Head Admin reveals nothing about his information. According to rumors circulating in the Gallery, he might even be a female student at the academy.
"I want to find him."
I'm even more curious now. My curiosity has been piqued. This was the first time she had been so curious about someone. Arcella smiled softly, imagining the Head Admin's appearance.
"I'd like to meet him."
If she took a liking to him... what would she do? Arcella gave a bewitching smile.
While Arcella was distributing Cola to her demons...
In the Elven kingdom of Elan, Queen Eris summoned the elves.
She intended to have the elves, who were deeply knowledgeable about magic, research the Cola.
"This is an item called Cola."
"...We know, Your Majesty. You've summoned us because of the Cola."
"I've become curious about how this Cola affects our bodies."
The elves are a race deeply engrossed in magic and research. Hearing Eris's words, the elven scholars immediately began to voice their own theories.
"It's probably not good for you. It's a beverage, after all."
"But we can't be certain it has a negative effect."
"Do you know the composition of the Cola? It's made of substances not found on our continent."
"But do you also know that those substances are present in minute quantities?"
"There are poisons in the world that can kill with a tiny amount."
"Then has anyone died from drinking Cola?"
A fierce debate ensued. Eris left them to it and quietly stepped back. By creating this work, they would research it on their own.
'It would be great if they could find the recipe for Cola.'
Cola was delicious. It was so tasty she wanted to drink a can every single day. A year has 365 days. Elves live for about 1,000 years. Eris was 180 years old this year, still considered a young elf. If she had 800 years of life left, she would need 300,000 bottles of Cola.
'I can't possibly ask the Head Admin for 300,000 bottles.'
She thought that, but while watering her plants, her thoughts changed. What if they became close enough for her to ask for 300,000 bottles? Eris seriously considered the Head Admin.
'I'm also reaching a marriageable age...'
She hadn't found a partner for marriage yet. But someone who could influence the entire continent wouldn't be a bad match. Even though she had aggressively appointed him as the Sub Admin, he had treated her well since.
He was a proactive person. It was well-known that such people were a good match for the typically passive elves.
'It wouldn't be so bad to meet him and then decide...'
Her thoughts were all over the place today, so Eris paid even more attention to her plants.
While Eris was communicating with her plants...
Hero Kaira Roux was quietly storing her Cola in her subspace.
"A hero... is happy!"
She was a hero as happy as the Cola she possessed.