"Come, let's rest for a while and have a drink." Romon personally took out a bottle of wine. Under the sunlight, the glass bottle shone with a vivid, rose-like red.
"Thank you, my lord. Is this newly produced wine from our territory?" Nick asked.
"Ah, that's right. This is it. How does it taste?" Romon asked.
"...Not bad. It seems unable to compare with the wine from Lucis Manor."
"The wine from Siss Manor is first-rate and has a history of five hundred years. Of course ours cannot compare; there is nothing regrettable about that." Romon raised a brow. "What level do you think it has reached?"
"If the branding keeps up, it would be more than sufficient for ordinary banquets among counts," Nick said cautiously after some thought.
"Then that will do. We'll use it ourselves first, starting with the New Year banquet. In any case, we do not produce much yet, and high-quality wine cannot be made in a day."
Sunlight streamed in through the glass windows, dyeing everything inside with warm hues.
The two sat on the sofa, which was covered in thick cashmere. They savored the wine beside the fireplace set into the wall, with split logs piled nearby. The fire burned brightly within, baking the house until it was warm and cozy.
Biogas could heat water and cook food, but it could not replace a fireplace. Still, Romon was not a perfectionist.
After resting for a while, they had some pastries. Once they had finished, they resumed work.
"The loan is sixty thousand gold coins. The local branch of the Pilgrimage Trading Guild is said to be willing to lend the entire amount, at an annual interest rate of ten percent, without compound interest, for a term of five years. Then there is the Sennangen