Well, sufficed to say, that dinner was quite the success.

  The guests were suitably impressed and awed by the display, understanding that House Cordis now was a rising power in this region that could very well end up being a new capital hub for the western provinces of the empire. Having the support from the Third Legion and a well-established merchant would reinforce such position further, propelling them to potential great heights. As was only appropriate of honorable, distant children of dear Cordelia.

  I couldn't be happier with how that went and gone. And now, with everybody resting for the night, I get to play around a bit with the toys Petula's escort had brought back!

  While Kuch had figured out a way to mass-produce sugar without need for [Brew], what sort of crafter was I if I didn't at least have a little bit of fun myself? So they had brought some more beets over to me to have a crack at, to see how far I could really push them if there weren't any sorts of limits. Though I did have to curtail my expectations a bit, as the harvest itself was less than ideal.

  Ripe Beets (Item Quality: 20) (Infuse Level: 171)

  Ugh, what a good roll wasted on substandard raw ingredients. Oh well. First, I did have to dice them into chunks, then I added them to the cauldron before using [Brew] on them. The beets instantly dissolved completely in the water, magic allowing me to cheat a bit with a full total conversion without any wastage. I suppose that was actually one downside, if you could call it, that I wouldn't have that byproduct that could be used for animal feed.

  Now to boil and reduce it to as low as it could go. The flavor should change and morph with the magic inside, becoming not the concentrated beet juice but syrup that I wanted. When it started to really darken and turn into that brown shade of caramelization, I knew then I had molasses and could take it off the heat. Time to then refine it with a straining.

  The mix was poured through a cloth acting as a filter into a glass, making sure to remove as much impurities as possible, including the possibly burnt pieces. I did it twice over before I was satisfied with the outcome, then poured it out to onto a ceramic tray to dry and evaporate over the fire. By the time the sun rose, they had dried to a suitably degree where I could pry the dried chunks off and apply a hammer to them to smash them into that delectable powder I could never taste.

  A true curse upon me, for when I had teeth immune to cavities, I lacked the taste to enjoy it. [Palate] could only do so much.

  Brown Sugar (Item Quality: 58) (Infuse Level: 207)

  Quite sweet, though with a faint earthy aftertaste. Probably from the fact that these beets weren't exactly the best, having not yet been likely crossbred for optimization. If anything, my rolls probably helped disguise that fact better than most. I supposed that even if they were pretty low rollers, having people with [Infuse] involved in the creation could at least bolster it somewhat. Probably could do the same as bread was handled, with 'artisan' sugar or whatever label they wanted to slap on.

  Alderash's mention of imperial sugar cones made me curious. It sounded like the empire's southern regions had some other way of processing sugar? I mean, since they were using sugarcane, it probably was far easier and required less steps than what I had to do to just make beets sweets. Which meant they could probably dedicate their efforts into making it probably decorative. Who knows, perhaps they've even figured out a way how to turn it into white sugar? If so, I'd like to take a trip and learn how, I hadn't even heard of such method before.

  Brown versus white sugar, hm. The only difference in FLOW had been the relative quality measurements, otherwise I think the game allowed them to be used mostly the same way. White sugar was what the cooking merchants had always sold though, so maybe the process wasn't difficult? Or the developers just liked white sugar for some reason. I suppose I'll figure out in time if there was any greater difference- for now, the fact I had sugar was a massive boon that let me really expand my culinary options!

  Sure, I couldn't eat or taste any of it, but you know who would? My guests! Sugar also kept for a long while, regardless of temperature, so no reason to not make that ahead of time. I set it aside and reviewed what other things had been brought my way in this first little import.

  Salt, yet another wonderful ingredient for cooking. Before everything had gone down, the Duke of Fuzier had sold their amassed stockpile of it on the cheap, and most of that had ended up in House Cordis' inventory as they realized just how useful the preservative spice was. They shared some with me now and I was delighted to see if was of quite acceptable quality, at least for the region.

  Rock Salt (Item Quality: 85) (Infuse Level: 211)

  Not bad, not bad at all. There's a nice little bag of it and if I should run out, my neighbors seemed to indicate they were willing to share. But there was also the ocean further south, so maybe I could get sea salt being produced instead? Ah, that'll probably be a plan very far off in the future. For now though, that savoriness would be appreciated in the dining table, its other unique properties also handy in the kitchen.

  Then came the big thing that was brought along- a set of badly damaged plate armor and pretty chipped sword that apparently Kuch had rightful claim to, since they were the one who slew Eifer at the end of the day. Had it been some retainer or soldier of House Cordis instead, they would have been handsomely rewarded in exchange for yielding it to allow the noble family to claim another precious suit of full plate. But well, Kuch was an adventurer.

  And they had rolled 'need' on it because it was actually somewhat quality iron which I was out of. I did promise though that if I could reforge it into something good, I'll send it back to be used by them. I mean, it's not like Kuch's dragonbone plate is going to be outdone by this, even if it were steel. But there was also a problem that made me less inclined to use it personally.

  When I tried to use [Infuse] on it, my magic was repelled and I grumbled. Dammit, whatever craftsman made this had already rolled to improve it themselves. Yet this thing was probably just a few decimals about one hundred or so? I guess it was about as good as the duke's own plate, maybe even slightly better by a couple digits. Nothing so significant though.

  Right, forget about just repairing up- this thing had to be smelted all the way back down to ingots, hopefully purging it of the magic. I might even have to do it a couple times to be sure of it. Only then could I properly work it to my own standards then.

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  Thankfully, it seemed that the snowfall had fallen off considerably this far into winter now, so there hadn't been much cleanup necessary to clear the streets. The allure of the exciting merchant market too was irresistible for the youths as well, so lessons were forgone for the day in agreement between both students and teachers. That was how Mordred found herself with a day off, yet not tucked snugly in her cozy, warm castle room, but still instead out here on main street, shivering despite having the most layers of anybody on the scene.

  "Remind me to buy wool if it's at a good price," Kuch mused aloud to her and their other companion. "You could do with a parka at this rate. Hard to imagine that you're actually more mobile than your mother in the middle of winter."

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  "The fact I'm even awake and moving is more than most, I'm told," she sourly told. "I don't know, maybe it's because I'm younger? Whatever, I don't care enough."

  "You're awfully quick to give up on things you can't wrap your head around," Petula muttered as she reviewed a piece of paper in her hands. "Guess you don't have to work hard for most things."

  The adventurer let out a low growl, fidgeting for her lance. "You wanna run that by me one more time?"

  "Enough, you two," Kuch tiredly told, feeling exhausted already despite not ever needing rest as a doll. "Petula, are you sure you want to go shopping with us and not your family? They seem to be clamoring for more the really extravagant wares over there with Alderash and Gionre."

  "Tempting as it is, I have my duty," she proudly declared, flourishing the parchment to reveal it to be a list. "I asked Master Noel before leaving about providing me with a list of whatever they needed or wanted, and they provided. Now I can help procure necessary goods for the workshop!"

  "Oh, yeah, I remembered giving you that list," the oathbreaker idly remarked.

  A moment paused before the vampire lady closed her eyes and ripped the list she had diligently jotted down in half. "Right," she sighed. "I'd forgotten. Again."

  "I think the vast majority of people do, despite it being pretty clear in my opinion."

  "Don't know about that, stupid puppet," Mordred muttered. "Each of...you feels so distinct for some reason. More than just equipment or styles, more just your...attitude, I guess."

  Kuch didn't really know how to answer that, but they thankfully didn't have to when Hans' voice cut through the gathering throng. "Alright! The merchants are about to open up their wares for everybody to buy from, but looks like we're going to have to set some rules before it becomes nasty!" the captain of the guard broke. "We're going to only allow a number of people to browse at one time, and each stall has a purchase limit! If you hit it, move onto the next stall or leave to rejoin the line if you want to have another go later. No haggling today to keep things moving, but the merchants will be around for a few days too if you want. So don't fret about limited supplies, just follow these rules and enjoy your shopping! Thank you for your attention."

  "Limited purchase per stall," Kuch muttered with a sigh. A slight annoyance, but well, they want to play by the rules. Alderash had offered House Cordis the option of ignoring such restrictions, but their sense of honor demanded they accept these same limits suffered by their people. It took a surprising bit to convince them to at least permit themselves have higher limits in light of their greater purpose. "Better than scalpers I suppose."

  "Scalpers?"

  "Don't worry about it. Look, they're opening up."

  The marketplace was soon abuzz with the distinct sounds of business, the buzz of questions and answers about items followed by the distinct exchange of coins of all sorts. Copper, silver, and gold exchanged hands in return of goods, the vast majority of shoppers purchasing for their household both necessary supplies and the occasional luxury treat. Many exclaimed and praised House Cordis for arranging such cheap and affordable prices, causing more than a few guards have to give a firm reminders of purchasing limits to push them along and not hog up a single stall for too long.

  Notably, they were quiet in the presence of Kuch, Mordred, and Petula as they browsed the first one they came across. "Oh, good day fair ladies!" the kit merchant exclaimed, their ears twitching happily. "Here to purchase some arms and armor for yourselves? Each of you look quite well-armed, but it could be better!"

  They caught themselves a moment later when their eyes caught up to their mouth and they openly stared at the powerful gear that the two adventurers were using. It was quite something to see them freeze with all limbs rigid, like a cat in highlights. "I-I mean! If you happen to have a friend maybe, then my wares could make for excellent gifts for them!" they weakly added. "The vampire especially could do with a fine blade or two!"

  "I could, going around with an iron sword just feels wrong now," Petula mused and cast an eye over the offerings, frowning. "Do you have any rapiers though?"

  "Oh, I do have some fine noble fencing equipment!" They showed it off and unfortunately, they were more like foils than the sturdy variant that she had been using. "Not to your liking?"

  "It's good for sport, but not good for battle. Sorry, I'll pass."

  "You can use it for battle?" they muttered under their breath while the three continued on. Kuch guessed that since the paradigm of warfare seemed to lean strongly towards heavy armor mattering most of all, what with plate being so valued and magic not commonplace enough to counter, then the freedom of weapon choice that had once been in FLOW shattered. That alongside the disappearance of firearm and crystal technology probably severely limited styles passed through the ages.

  Another shame to place at the feet of the Ten Divines, for allowing it to have gotten this bad in the doll's dour opinion.

  The next stall was one of foodstuff, run by a dwarf. The contents were enough to have Mordred perk up and look hungrily at the offerings before her. Her nose wrinkled when she passed over a white wheel, so she waved a hand to ward off the smell. "Eek, that's quite the scent."

  "It's cheese!" the dwarf proudly declared, patting the offering. "A delicacy for brave tables!"

  "Oh, I've heard of it," Petula remarked, leaning in. "It's supposed to taste quite good- ugh!" Her own hands smacked against her nose when she caught a waft and she recoiled back like the adventurer. "That smells off!"

  "Eh, well, it wasn't quite good enough to apparently make it to the regional noble's table where I bought it. But I'm assured it should still be good and keep quite well if properly stored."

  Kuch glanced at the light snowfall about and pursed their lips beneath their helmet, thinking of the moisture in the air that might've seeped in.. "Tell me, do you know if they used [Ferment] on milk for that?"

  "Wait, what? So it could rot?"

  "Never mind. We'll pass on that." Hm. Perhaps a reason to bring milk to the workshop next time? It at least could be preserved into cheese. Oho, maybe a cheese basement would be a fine addition one day. "What else do you have?"

  "Well, I've got some fruit jams here too, picked them up from some passing villages."

  Those sounded much more promising and combined with the sugar Noel had made overnight, there were definitely a lot of possibilities. So those were bought up, alongside some sausages that finally earned Mordred's attention and approval, then they continued on.

  The next stall was now about of a collection of mined materials, which meant many blacksmiths were already swarming it for their iron ores. Kuch meanwhile directed their attention to their unusual acquisitions and froze at the sight of a dark rock the shade of clay. The merchant human noticed and came over, clearing their throat. "Ah yes, I was told that was a good luck rock found in a clay deposit one day-"

  "It is, and I'm taking any of that you have," the doll instantly said. "Bring it all out. I'm buying it off your hands." There was no hesitation, for with kaolin clay, Puppet Atelier would grow once more.

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