Angel's Kiss

In the blink of an eye, the date had reached September 22. Eight days had passed since Raven had plunged headfirst into the workshop.

During that time, Raven had not even returned to Eagle Fortress. Whenever he occasionally rested, he merely made do in the workshop office.

It was not that he did not want to go back, nor that he was addicted to being an artisan. The real problem was alcohol.

To produce alcohol, he needed to distill wine.

This required keeping the heat source between 80 and 100°C. Otherwise, he could only distill some solid impurities from the wine, and would be completely unable to increase the alcohol concentration.

That was where the problem lay.

The alchemical equipment Raven had purchased could not control the heat at all. After all, gas stoves did not exist in this era.

At first, Raven's solution was to collect only the first half of the distillate.

Alcohol had a much lower boiling point than water, so this could greatly increase the alcohol content of the distilled solution.

However, this method soon reached a bottleneck. Once the alcohol concentration reached around 50 percent, no matter how he distilled it, he could not reduce the water content any further.

And that concentration was still far below Raven's requirements.

Bolo was the one who came up with a crude method: when the liquid was heated until it was about to boil, immediately remove the fire, then move the heat source back after a while.

To verify the reliability of this method, and for the sake of secrecy, Raven had no choice but to take turns with Bolo guarding the still.

In the morning light, Bolo stood in the workshop with bloodshot eyes. For the final time, he pulled the furnace away from the flask. "My lord... It's done!"

Raven nodded. He took a sip of water, walked to the worktable, and removed the flask together with Bolo. The rich smell of alcohol instantly lifted his spirits. "This might work!"

Raven took out a graduated beaker and poured in 200 milliliters of the freshly distilled liquid. Then he picked up a red-hot coal with tongs and gently shook it over the liquid.

Sparks flew in all directions.

With a boom, bright yellow flames suddenly ignited, and black scorch marks immediately spread across the beaker's walls.

When the flames went out, the beaker had turned completely black.

Raven stepped forward, covered his hand with thick cloth, and picked up the beaker, pouring the liquid into a clean one.

As the dark-brown liquid flowed into it, cold sweat had already trickled down Bolo's face.

When the last drop fell into the beaker, a satisfied smile curled at the corner of Raven's mouth.

It worked!

There was only a little under 20 milliliters of water left in the beaker. Of course, some of it had evaporated while the flames were burning, but even allowing for that, the fact that it had burned so intensely meant its concentration was at least 75 percent.

"It wasn't for nothing that I soaked in here for so many days." Raven let out a long breath and patted Bolo on the shoulder. "You'll receive a five-Gold Coin reward. I keep my word! If you have any similar ideas in the future, I'll pay you as long as they're useful."

Bolo excitedly pressed a hand to his chest. "Thank you for your generosity, my lord!"

Raven smiled without replying. Instead, he took the small glass bottle containing essential oil from the bottom shelf.

Eight days had passed, and the essential oil inside had filled nearly half the bottle—about ten milliliters. It had taken on a luxurious golden hue.

Raven placed a funnel over it, carefully scooped in a little of the distilled alcohol, and, once it was nearly full, tightly sealed the bottle and gently shook it.

"Bolo, bottle the alcohol. Remember to label it," Raven instructed. "From now on, seal it immediately after distilling."

Alcohol at this concentration would evaporate quickly if left exposed for even a little while.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by Denise's voice. "Raven, are you in there?"

"Wait a moment." Raven gestured for Bolo to continue, then walked to the entrance and opened the door.

The sight before her startled Denise.

Raven was wearing a filthy white coat. His originally smooth, glossy hair had become greasy and disheveled. Although his eyes were clear, unmistakable fatigue lingered between his brows.

Did this still look anything like a baron?

When she remembered that Raven had holed himself up in the workshop for eight straight days, Denise's anger flared. She was just about to scold him when she saw Bolo working inside.

He hurriedly put down what he was holding and bowed. "Lady Denise!"

The anger vanished from Denise's face. In a cold tone, she said, "Continue with your work. Raven, come out. I have something to discuss with you."

After stepping outside, Raven took a deep breath of fresh air in the morning light. "Sorry. I really couldn't spare the time these past few days."

Hearing this, half of Denise's anger immediately dissipated. Seeing his exhausted face, she could not bring herself to scold him at all. "Raven, you're a baron, not an artisan. No matter how busy things are here, you should still show your face at Eagle Fortress."

"I know. It won't happen again." Raven rolled his neck. "Still, Eagle Territory seems to be running quite well now. It looks like nothing happened even though I was gone for a few days."

"That's what you think." Denise shot him a sidelong glance. "With you gone, many matters have piled up. Although they haven't caused any actual losses yet, but..."

She could not continue. She looked at Raven helplessly. "Can you listen to me seriously? Do you have to wait until irreparable losses occur before you're willing to repent?"

"Of course not." Raven smiled. "I just discovered that you look beautiful even without makeup."

Denise's face flushed instantly. Her chest heaved as she frowned. "Raven, I'm not joking with you."

"Neither am I." Raven opened his palm and held out the bottle filled with the mixture of essential oil and alcohol. "With this, you'll definitely become the most alluring woman in all of Monen City."

Denise looked puzzled. "Is this also meant to improve Angel's Tear?"

Raven did not answer. Instead, he said gently, "Hold out your right hand."

Denise hesitantly raised her wrist, but Raven did not touch her as she had expected. He uncorked the bottle, turned it upside down, dabbed a little of the liquid onto his fingertip, and rubbed it onto her wrist.

A cool sensation spread across her skin. Denise froze. "What is this...?"

Raven raised his own wrist to the tip of his nose and raised his brows.

Denise copied him, bringing her wrist closer and taking a light sniff. Her eyes immediately lit up, as though stars were glittering within them.

The rich fragrance of roses filled her nose. It was intense without being pungent, making Denise feel as though she were standing in a field of roses.

"Under sealed conditions, it will almost never spoil." Raven leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I stayed here for eight days to make this. I've named it 'Angel's Kiss'!"

"Angel's Kiss..." Denise murmured in an almost lyrical tone. "It's like a kiss left behind by an angel in a dream—traceless, yet allowing one to savor it clearly. What a wonderful name."

"How much did it cost?"

Raven gave a speechless laugh. Her first reaction had been to ask about the price. Denise truly was a qualified merchant. "Two thousand six hundred roses. They're all in this one bottle."

"Hiss..." Even Denise was stunned by the number. "Excluding labor, that's already 2.6 Gold Coins. Give it to me, Raven. It will definitely sell for an astronomical price."

"Sure. I also happen to want to hold a 'product launch' under your name."

"Product... launch?" Denise repeated the unfamiliar term. "What does that mean?"

Raven explained, "We gather the wealthy merchants and nobles of Nord Province in Shining Gold Town, then promote our products to them in person."

"Oh, so it's a banquet held purely for commercial purposes." Denise understood and summarized Raven's words, then raised a new question. "But with a luxury product whose production can't be increased, we won't be able to sell it on a large scale."

"Mhm, so promoting it isn't my only goal." Raven said, "The true star is Angel's Tear with its packaging changed. Angel's Kiss is merely one of the supporting acts."

"One of them?" Denise sharply caught the information in his words. "Then what's the other?"

"What have you been using to wash your face these past two days?" Raven asked.

Denise suddenly understood. "Oh, you mean that scented soap you had someone deliver?"

Raven nodded. "That's right. I've named it 'Angel's Embrace.'"

"The cost?"

"The leftovers from Angel's Tear and Angel's Kiss."

"The production volume?"

"At 200 grams per bar, we can produce more than 3,000 bars each month."

Gold coins gleamed in Denise's eyes. "Leave the rest to me. A scented soap like Angel's Embrace should sell for at least two Silver Coins per bar. We should use some attractive molds."

"Mhm, no problem. I'll leave all of this to you." Raven smiled.

"Whether it's Angel's Tear, Angel's Kiss, or Angel's Embrace, I can hand the sales rights over to you completely," Raven said.

Denise was delighted, but she did not lose her head. With a hint of wariness, she asked, "And the conditions?"

Raven raised his brows with a smile. "The condition is that Fedro Commerce will be fully incorporated into Eagle Territory's system. Its profits will go into Eagle Territory's treasury, while you'll have the authority to use, without my approval, no more than 20 percent of the treasury's holdings in Gold Coins each year."

Raven needed a deeper community of shared interests.

As Eagle Territory developed, more and more matters would inevitably arise. It was impossible for Raven to handle everything personally.

A person's energy was always limited. He needed Denise to help shoulder the pressure of commercial affairs.

As a member of the Griffith Family, Denise's prosperity and ruin were tied to his own. She had sufficient motivation to manage all of this properly.

Raven was also confident that with Old Gordon maintaining the balance, and with himself not completely letting go, Denise could not cause any trouble.

Denise had thought of this as well. After weighing the pros and cons, she said, "I can agree, but from now on, I must officially serve as the Griffith Family's financial officer. Every income and expenditure must have my approval."

"No problem. However, the final decision will still rest with me," Raven said.

Denise extended her hand. "Then, shall we wish each other a pleasant cooperation?"

Raven politely took her smooth fingertips. "A pleasant cooperation."

"Then I'll return to the castle first, Lord Baron." Denise withdrew her hand without leaving a trace. "I hope my appointment letter can be issued as soon as possible."

Watching her retreating figure, Raven shook his head and chuckled before turning back toward the workshop.

That very noon, Raven returned to Eagle Fortress. His first action was to issue an order recruiting workers, requiring them to be deft and clever, preferably with culinary experience.

After all, in this world, the people closest to chemists, aside from alchemists, were cooks.

After a deep sleep, Raven woke refreshed and began an extremely regular routine.

Every morning after breakfast, he held the regular meeting and handled all affairs; in the morning, he practiced magic in Eagle Fortress's inner courtyard until lunch; after lunch, he inspected the military camp and workshop, then practiced horsemanship and swordsmanship until dusk; after dinner, he locked himself in the study, studying Elven language for two hours, then reading books brought back from Laxus for another two hours; every night, he meditated before sleep.

At first, practicing magic still felt somewhat novel, but after a few days, it became tedious.

A mage could not cast spells merely by possessing magic power and elemental affinity. Spells, gestures, and the routes through which magic power circulated were all indispensable.

Only when all three were perfectly coordinated could a spell be completed. Otherwise, all one could see was someone waving their arms and muttering nonsense in place, with nothing happening at all.

Raven had often been dancing like that recently. He looked as though he was practicing some ridiculous routine.

At first, Raven could not necessarily succeed even once in dozens of attempts. After several days, his success rate gradually stabilized at thirty percent. To improve further, he could only rely on painstaking practice.

On the other hand, the books he had expected to put him to sleep—There Is Nothing Beyond God, Path of the Mage, and The Self-Cultivation of a Knight—had captivated him.

Aside from some industry gossip, they also described in detail the different cultivation methods of each profession.

Divine Spellcasters had to pray devoutly to the Lord of Light. It was said that once they reached the seventh tier or above, they could even see the Lord of Light's figure while praying.

Mages used meditation as their primary method of increasing their magic power. They could also consume magic crystals to raise the efficiency of meditation relatively quickly. Generally speaking, this could increase a mage's rate of magic-power growth by around 17 percent before the third tier.

Knights and warriors were the most unusual of all. Aside from tempering their bodies daily, they also needed external resources. They had to consume minerals or plants containing transcendent energy that matched their own attributes and absorb the energy within them to advance in tier.

The books also emphasized one point: Demon Cores could not be used as materials. Any knight or warrior who relied on Demon Cores for cultivation would eventually go mad. This condition was known as "beastification."

At this point, Raven could not help thinking of Eric. He had served at Eagle Fortress for more than ten years. His accumulated wages should have amounted to at least 800 or 1,000 Gold Coins, yet he was still only at the first tier. Raven had no idea where all that money had gone.

Reading was half entertainment and half a way to broaden one's knowledge. It was an excellent leisure activity.

But if he had to name the thing Raven liked most, it was still meditation.

After leaving the study and returning to the bedroom, Patti withdrew with a somewhat downcast expression. Raven began that day's meditation.

He stripped naked, sat cross-legged on the bed, and brought his hands together in front of his lower abdomen, letting them hang naturally as he gently closed his eyes.

Following the description on the scroll, Raven consciously adjusted his breathing. His rhythm became slower and lighter until even the rise and fall of his chest was barely perceptible.

At first, there was only darkness before his eyes. Then everything became brilliant. Raven felt as though he had entered an endless starry sky, with multicolored stars filling his vision.

Brown represented earth, blue represented water, red represented fire, cyan represented wind, white represented light, and black represented darkness. Besides these, there were also many wondrous points of light formed by mixtures of these colors.

Here, Raven had no physical form. He was merely a mass of silver mist.

He used his will to move toward a star. Soon, the star turned into a ball of light. The instant it touched Raven, it was sucked into the silver mist.

The ball of light slowly shrank and eventually vanished without a trace, while Raven's magic power quietly increased by a sliver.

Magic power itself had no attribute. However, when mages meditated, they usually absorbed only the elemental light clusters to which they had higher affinity. This was more efficient and could slightly strengthen their affinity for the corresponding element.

Raven was different. He had affinity for Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. His absorption speed was nearly the same for every type of light cluster, so he did not need to be overly selective. As a result, his efficiency was also much higher than that of ordinary mages.

Although he had no comparison, after a rough calculation and a simple experiment, Raven confirmed that his rate of magic-power growth was about 1.6 times that of a mage at the same tier.

When the sound of chickens crowing came from outside the window, Raven ended this meditation session as well, feeling his magic power increase by several more points.

The feeling of reaping what he sowed was precisely why Raven liked meditation.

Moreover, it could take the place of sleep.

With Patti's assistance, he got dressed and had breakfast with everyone. Before the meeting could even begin, Moxigan strode in.

"Reporting to you, Lord Baron, the assigned residents have arrived in Shining Gold Town. We're short on manpower and hope to mobilize the recruits to maintain order."

Old Gordon shot him a slightly displeased glance. "They're only 600 residents. Do you even need to trouble Lord Baron with this?"

"No, it's not a matter of numbers..." Moxigan swallowed. "...I can't explain it clearly. Mr. Gordon, you'll understand once you see it for yourself."

"The Fox Family has gone too far!"