Chapter 125
Xie Juanhan: "I brewed it with Telingewei."
The Dwarf craftsman, speaking passionately, was caught off guard by this rebuttal and choked for a moment. "In short, different wines have different potential. Most wines don't need very good barrels at all, because even the best barrels can only hold so much Magic Power, and won't improve their quality much!"
Xie Juanhan asked, "How much does this kind of wine barrel cost?"
Without a second thought, the Dwarf craftsman blurted out, "At least five gold coins!"
After saying that, he glanced at Xie Juanhan's expression and tried to persuade him, "This is a wine barrel that can improve the quality of the wine. If you think it's too expensive, you can discuss it with Lord Dragon."
The Dwarf craftsman reluctantly finished the sentence in a low, quick voice, then turned his gaze to the wooden planks beside him. "This Goddess Wood is also of very high quality; it would be a waste not to use it for magic barrels."
"No, I didn't think it was expensive." Xie Juanhan smiled. "I just wanted to ask, is this the secret to the Dwarf' ability to brew level three magical wine?"
The Dwarf craftsman froze, suddenly realizing he had exposed something.
The other Dwarf craftsmen were also stunned.
The Dwarf exchanged glances, then quickly looked away, silently gazing at the sky and the ground.
==========Author's Note:=========
See you tonight!
Thanks to the Ancient Spirit little girl for the two landmines, and thanks to Qianshan Ding and Want a Cat for the landmines.
Chapter 125 [VIP]
In early autumn, the vegetation in the Magic Forest began to wither and turn yellow.
The little Dwarf, wearing pointed hats and khaki clothes, burrowed into the withered grass, almost being swallowed up by it.
Xie Juanhan winked at Telingewei, signaling: Shall we go clear the way?
Telingewei remained unmoved, holding Xie Juanhan's hand without moving, and returned his gaze: They can do it.
Xie Juanhan had no choice but to turn back, give a soft whistle to call to Moli and the others, and point to them, signaling them to clear the way.
Upon receiving the signal, Nibote immediately pushed Habu and the others aside with his rear end and ran up quickly, meowing!
The other furry creatures glared angrily at its lackey's behavior. "Awooo!"
The Dwarf were completely unaware of the commotion behind them. They were focused and professional as they ran through the forest, solemnly selecting the most suitable Goddess Wood for making wine barrels.
Xie Juanhan and his team didn't have enough planks, so they needed to select new Goddess Wood to make wine barrels.
The Dwarf's craftsmanship magic can bypass the aging process of wood.
Now, cut down a new Goddess Wood, and it will be ready to use immediately.
The best of the Goddess Wood in the forest will be kept as mother trees, while the worst ones are not good enough to make wine barrels.
The Dwarf would choose those Goddess Wood of excellent quality and of moderate age.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons for planting trees. Cutting down trees now and replanting them immediately, along with applying some fertilizer, will not have a significant impact on the forest.
Soon, the Dwarf found a suitable Goddess Wood.
They volunteered to do the logging.
Xie Juanhan and Telingewei then took on the role of logistics support.
When the enormous Goddess Wood is felled, the trunk and roots are not needed; only the best section from the center of the tree is used.
The newly felled Goddess Wood is large enough that its core is hollowed out, a magic circle is carved into it, and after catalysis, it can be used.
These barrels are better sealed and have a richer flavor than barrels made of planks. They also allow for a smoother flow of Magic Power when used to inscribe magic circles.
The Dwarf craftsmen received gold coins for making the barrels, but did not receive any additional gold coins for searching for and felling the Goddess Wood.
For Dwarf demand gold coins for everything, this is a bizarre decision, as if they'd eaten poisonous mushrooms.
After confirming several times that they really wouldn't accept gold coins, Xie Juanhan said amidst their reluctant gazes, "Then I'll treat you to drinks."
The Dwarf's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
Xie Juanhan: "I'll go get the wine jars right now."
Xie Juanhan went to the backyard and brought out a jar of freshly brewed Star Berry wine.
The Dwarf preferred stronger liquor, Xie Juanhan didn't use the Star Berry wine fermented with Tammi Golden Wine, but instead used fruit wine fermented with ordinary yeast.
The Dwarf, after taking their first sip of this refreshingly strong-tasting wine, immediately fell in love with it.
Xie Juanhan watched them drinking with relish and didn't disturb them. Instead, he poured wine for the furry creatures who were waiting obediently to the side.
Level 2 magic wine contains abundant and easily absorbed Magic Power, which is especially beneficial to Companion Beast like Harper.
Xie Juanhan always poured a glass for them every time he poured wine.
Although Moli and Nibote were not as high-level as the Dragon Companion Beast and had a relatively poorer absorption of magic wine, they were exceptionally large in size.
Nibote, now Griffin, is almost as tall as a pony.
As Demon Wolf, Moli stood up, his head reaching Xie Juanhan's waist.
They drink a cup of magic wine and absorb it quickly.
Xie Juanhan poured a glass of wine for each of the creatures present.
After pouring, he and Telingewei put the wine jar back in the shady spot behind the kitchen, intending to reseal it.
Once the bottle has been opened, they will gently reseal it with a local type of beeswax.
After sealing it, Telingewei released a little Dragon Flame, melting the beeswax and sealing every gap.
Xie Juanhan released a little more cold air to keep the wine at a low temperature.
After doing this, no matter how many times the wine jar is opened, the quality of the wine will not change at all.
The two dragons went to the back of the kitchen.
The Dwarf sipped their wine, watching the furry creatures beside them, and suddenly called out to them furtively.
"Harper." Several Dwarf steadily carried their wine glasses and scurried over on their short legs.
"Don't drink yet," the Dwarf stopped the furry creatures, leaning closer to them and whispering, "We need to discuss something."
Harper and the others watched the group of Dwarf warily.
Haxi, in particular, has already extended his claws.
If anything goes wrong, it will immediately swat the Dwarf with its claws.
The leader of the Dwarf stretched out his short arms and made a downward pressing motion. "Relax, let's talk business."
Harper: "Chirp?"
The Dwarf looked down at their wine. "Can you drink wine every day? How about selling us some?"
Harper tilted her head, not quite understanding. "Chirp?"
The Dwarf lowered his voice. "For example, if you each have a cup of wine, and you sell us half a cup, that's half a gold coin—no, one gold coin—that way, you'll each have one gold coin."
The Dwarf took out shiny gold coins, held them in their short hands, and offered them to the furry creatures.
The leader of the Dwarf tempted, "If you drink a little less, you can exchange it for a gold coin."
The furry creatures looked at the Dwarf, then at the glittering gold coins in their hands, and clearly showed their interest.
Nibote hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed the cup toward the Dwarf with his large paws.
"Hey!" Xie Juanhan had just turned back, threw the remaining beeswax in his hand, hitting the leading Dwarf squarely on the forehead. "Is this something a human being would do?"
The little Dwarf shrank back and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xie Juanhan: "You'd even lie about Nibote's wine?"
The Dwarf shouted in unison, "Buy it!"
Xie Juanhan: "You don't mind the wine they left over?"
The Dwarf didn't understand why they cared. "Huh?"
Xie Juanhan swept them away with his leg. "Go, go, go! Don't buy wine from those furry guys. And you, Nibote, if you resell, I won't pour you any wine next time."
Xie Juanhan: "Really, even humanity can't withstand the test, and you're trying to test our animalistic instincts?"
The little Dwarf said dejectedly, "We'll only sell a little bit."
Xie Juanhan: "Level two magic wine doesn't cost two gold coins a glass. Don't take advantage of Harper and the others' inability to count."
Harper chirped softly in defense, reminding them that they did know a thing or two.
Xie Juanhan ignored the furry creatures and only said to the Dwarf, "You are not allowed to use gold coins to lure the dragon's Companion Beast, or we will not cooperate with you next time."
Xie Juanhan said, "I was just about to praise you for helping with the logging without accepting any gold coins, showing great professionalism, and then you tried to trick Harper and the others out of their wine. Can't you maintain your virtuous character for a little longer?"
"No, I'm buying." The Dwarf persisted. "If two gold coins a cup isn't enough, how many gold coins would you want? Name your price."
"Not for sale."
"Twenty gold coins?"
The Dwarf had barely finished calling out the price when they immediately patted their chests in alarm, muttering to themselves, "Twenty gold coins won't do! Too expensive! No way!"
Xie Juanhan turned to look at Telingewei, and seeing that he didn't explicitly object, he offered. "One level-two Demonic Core per cup."
"One—wait, how many?!" The Dwarf jumped up instantly. "Lord Silver Dragon, are you starting to rob us too?!"
Xie Juanhan: "I didn't force anyone to buy or sell."
After being offered this price, Xie Juanhan actually thought it was feasible.
A level 2 Demonic Core, after being smelted by Telingewei, absorbed by the Magic Wand Tree, and transformed into magma, is then given to the Goblin to brew. The resulting fertilizer should be enough for a small patch of Star Berry.
After these Demonic Core are made into fertilizer, the Star Berry they nourish should yield one or two baskets, enough to brew about one to one and a half jars of wine.
It would be a good deal for them to exchange it for a glass of Star Berry Wine.
As for the price difference --
As a dragon, Telingewei would certainly charge a hefty fee for refining Demonic Core for other creatures.
The Magic Wand Tree will definitely charge a fee for transforming Demonic Core into Magic Power- rich magma.
There's also the step of having the Goblin brew fertilizer.
They actually paid the Star Berry as a processing fee; the kitchen waste was just a free gift.