The World I Was Supporting Was Real - Chapter 104



104. I can’t be a good husband if I’m always leaning on my wife, can I?

* * *

Arriving at the Igwogwodun Cathedral, Reina, tense as a wire, swallowed dryly, watching Erin chug a cola.

*Gulp, gulp.*

How much time had passed?

“……Ahh!”

Erin, looking completely satisfied, grinned widely.

“Mmm! This is delicious!”

Watching Erin, a smile plastered on her face as she fiddled with the cola bottle, Reina finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“T-thank goodness…! I was worried because it was a bit different from the real thing…”

“Although it’s a little different from real cola, it’s an implementation of the will of the God within the bounds of conserving God’s pure facts as much as possible, so I think Igwogwodun-nim will understand.”

“And, reproducing it to this extent in such a restricted situation wouldn’t have been an easy task… Even if you were chosen by God, it would have been impossible without a genius mage like you, Reina-nim.”

“Oh, you don’t have to say *that* much… Hehe.”

Reina didn’t dislike being praised all that much.

When a stranger or someone irrelevant would compliment her, suspicion would bloom, like, ‘What do they even know, suddenly saying this?’ – but praise from someone she had met more than once, or someone she had built some kind of bond with, or even a fellow mage praising her talent, was more pleasing than incredible.

“You really did a great job, Reina-nim.”

Reina, fiddling with the back of her head, spoke with an air of embarrassment.

“Well, it’s not like I did absolutely everything from start to finish.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s just… he appeared in my dream! It was Yigwogwon-nim!”

“……Huh?”

If Reina had just a little more perceptiveness.

She would have noticed that Erin’s reply was slightly, just very slightly—minutely different from usual—

But alas, she wasn’t exactly a person of such quick wit—

“He told me. To spread cola far and wide. That it was my role… Yigwogwon-nim also said that I could use a few more plain facts to replicate the taste. Although, he was so big I couldn’t see his face…”

Erin, was silent for a moment—

Then, she spoke with a saintly, characteristically benevolent smile.

“Is that so. As it happens, I too have just received a new teaching from Yigwogwon-nim.”

“New words…?”

“Yes. It may perhaps be in line with what you have heard, Reina-ssi.”

Erin cleared her throat carefully—

“Reina-ssi. Under the assumption we mobilize all of the Wood Attribute magic tower’s capabilities, how much of this cola can you make?”

“Huh? Well… I don’t know exactly, but I think I could make quite a large amount… Are you perhaps considering mass production?”

“That’s right.”

Erin nodded and then gently rubbed her belly again—

“The gods have spoken…!”

* * *

[ Yigwogwon: Let’s mass produce this and sell it at the church for money ]

[ Yigwogwon: Of course, we’ll give the Wood Attribute magic tower their cut ]

[Give me some money: Are you saying you’re selling it? ]

[ Lee Guo Guo Dian : Yeah ]

[Lee Guo-guodun: Right now, Empress Irene is fully supporting it, ]

[Lee Guo-guodun: But I can’t just rely on my wife forever and still be a good husband, right? ]

[ Lee Guo-guodun: The amount of taxes has also decreased, and even if we’ve cut back on luxuries, seeing people still starving makes me think the areas the church can cover have a limit, ]

[ Lee Guo-guodun: Right now, there aren’t any issues with the relief efforts, but over time, the nobles might easily change their minds, you know? ]

[Give me some money: As you say, it’s not a bad idea]

[Give me the money: You were the one who created cola in the first place, so it’s only right that you’re the one who puts a price on it. ]

[ Lee Guo Guo Dun : And ]

[Lee Guo-guodun: I’ve been busy taking care of others these past few days and haven’t been able to look after Erin properly, ]

[Lee Guo Guo Dun: That’s been bothering me… so I want to grant Erin’s wish]

[ Lee Guo-guodun: And Erin most wants the religion to spread more widely across the continent, right? ]

[ Please give me some money : So you’re saying…? ]

[ Lee Guo-guodun: Just like Reina, it seems that no matter how many miracles happen, unless it comes from the heart, it’s difficult for people to suddenly believe in God, ]

[ Lee Guo-guodun: I don’t want to force them with a sword, so I’m thinking of providing a reward concept, ]

[ Lee Guo-guodun: I’m going to offer cola to believers at a discounted price compared to non-believers. ]

[Give me some money: Proselytizing through the drink of the gods, then. ]

[ Lee Guo-guodun: I guarantee that once someone drinks this, they can never go back to not having had it ]

[ Lee Guo-guodun: They’ll be desperate to buy it, even if it’s just a little cheaper, right? ]

[ Lee Gwodeon: The church makes money, and the number of believers in the Gwodeon religion explodes. ]

[I_GuguDone: This is my play]

[ GiveMeMoney : I don’t think it’ll be that difficult ]

[ GiveMeMoney : It doesn’t seem like it requires a miracle or anything… ]

[ GiveMeMoney : I think we can steer things in the direction you want without additional funding ]

[ I_GuguDone : Ah ]

[I_GuguDone: So, about that]

[ I_GuguDone : I guess I’ll need some cash to make enough cola, right? ]

[ GiveMeMoney : Well, yes, but we already have enough funds for now so there’s no need to worry ]

[ I_GuguDone : ( Support (Subscription balance recharge) / 300,000 won / Boom ) ]

[ GiveMeMoney : ??? ]

[ I_GuguDone : I added more to the balance, so use it all up lol ]

[ I_GuguDone : Let me know if you’re short ]

[ I_GuguDone : I got a lot of dough, yeah ]

* * *

“From now on, we will be selling cola at the church…!!”

* * *

The next day.

As soon as the day broke, Reina and her colleagues at the magic tower devoted themselves for a while to drawing large amounts of water and turning it into ‘lightning-infused water’.

Reina, who could handle large amounts of mana and a tiny amount of simple facts, Yunos, who could cast lightning magic, and Luca, who could use an aura sword—

It was something that could be done in 3 seconds if the three of them were together, but the problem was the water itself.

Truth be told, securing clean water wasn’t all that difficult in itself.

Since Erin had, from the get-go, declared that she would “sell cola,” she was naturally free to use all the wells within the territory.

Of course, even without permission, the Tower Lord’s authority meant there wouldn’t be any real issues drawing water from a source within Iggu Gwon Royal City.

The problem was transporting that water to the wood-attribute magic tower, nestled deep within the forest.

The rough terrain, the gnarled branches blocking the path—the characteristic hazards of the forest—made using a cart impossible, and there was no demon with overwhelming strength to call on for help like during the tower’s remodeling. So, it was down to manual labor.

Someone who didn’t know better might say, “Why not just use magic?” —

But moving heavy objects with magic, due to the limitations of the spell’s mechanics, consumes far more man than people realize. And furthermore, water doesn’t even maintain a fixed shape.

Unless you were a mage as skilled as Yunos, who could manipulate mana incredibly freely—

“Ugh, Uaaah! It’s spilling!”

—you’d end up like *that*, and be forced to pant and lug the water yourself.

There was a reason why construction sites didn’t use magic and instead relied on construction workers.

In this situation, Luca stood out the most.

While the mages struggled, summoning magic and their meager strength to somehow carry the water jugs, Luca easily navigated the narrow, bumpy forest path and carried her load.

She’d make two or three trips for every one trip the others managed, and even then, she didn’t appear particularly strained.

The physical strength and power she’d steadily trained since becoming a paladin were finally shining through.

“Good work, everyone!”

“L-let’s rest a little, okay…?”

And after all that water hauling…

They finally began the full-scale cola production.

Inside the jars brimming with lightning-infused water, they poured the appropriate amount of Crumble Syrup.

The dungeon was littered with them, but since the demonkin weren’t particularly fond of crumbel berries, thankfully, the task of procuring a large quantity wasn’t too difficult.

The cola’s flavor itself could be perfectly replicated using plain facts – but, in truth, no one could deny that one of cola’s charms was its deep brown hue.

After the process, a giant vat was filled to the brim with cola.

This was where the mages, excluding those involved in the actual creation, came in.

It was ironic, sure, here they were at a mage tower, supposedly to research magic, yet they were filling small glass bottles with cola –

But hey, who’d refuse when they were handing out that much budget?

“Hey, Isaac. Wouldn’t it be easier to just make this near the cathedral? Since it’s supposed to be sold there, it’d save on transport costs, and we could probably ask the priests for help too… ”

“I thought so too, and suggested it to the Tower Lord, but apparently, the mana’s too scarce there.”

“Scarce?”

“The Grand Cathedral’s in the heart of the capital, and with so many artificial structures built up, the mana in the air is bound to be lacking.”

“No, but, is it really *that* lacking?”

“Using regular magic is doable, sure, but controlling that unknown power, ‘plain fact,’ needed to make lightning-infused water, it apparently requires a level of mana we can’t even imagine. Places like the Cathedral in the city can’t provide those conditions, it seems.”

“… Well, the fact that the mage tower’s in the forest is also because of mana.”

The prevailing theory in current magical academia was that more mana could be detected in places where nature remained untouched.

That’s why the mage tower wasn’t located in the capital city itself but rather a bit outside the walls.

And not just the wood-aligned tower, the fire-aligned tower, which was closest to the capital, was also located on a fairly distant hill, all for the same reason.

“And if we involve the priests there, our share of the profits would definitely shrink.”

“…Are you saying our wages might drop too?”

“Probably?”

“Alright! Let’s get to work!”

It was pretty grueling labor—

but since it paid so well, the mages weren’t exactly complaining.

Whether you were buying up various materials, or even just doing your own independent research, more money was always better.

Of course, it was also needed for maintaining a comfortable life, even if you weren’t doing any magic research.

And so, those who took the finished cola were the priests sent from the cathedral.

At the very front was the blonde princess knight, Linea, who, along with Luca, formed one of the pillars of the holy knights.

“Thank you for your hard work. Here is the payment.”

Linea presented a box overflowing with money.

He wondered how she was going to take all that through the complicated roads, when—

“▼▲◎○●■◆▲◎◀ (∩｀-´)⊃”

“Yes. Please take it to the cathedral just like this.”

It seemed the transport issue was somewhat resolved, thanks to the hordes of demons the priests had brought with them.

And so, the large amount of cola produced at the wood-attribute magic tower finally arrived at the Igoguedon Cathedral—

“You’ve all worked hard, everyone. You’re free to rest today.”

“Yes!”

Standing next to Erin, who was welcoming the priests, was—the woman at the very peak of the demons, the Demon Lord-chan.

“You too have worked hard. You are free to roam the capital city until 8 PM tonight, so spend your time freely, and then return to the cathedral on time. Do you understand?”

“●◎▲◀ ☆ঌ(*´꒳`*)໒☆”

Erin watched the demons depart, in high spirits, then turned her head and bowed to the Demon Lord.

“Thank you, Demon Lord-sama. Thank you for so readily agreeing to our sudden request…”

“No. If it’s for Iggogodeon-nim’s sake, then of course I, as a demon, should be the first to jump into action. After all, we were even able to come out here thanks to the god you all believe in.”

“Human duty is the same. Because of that, we will never forget the help you’ve given.”

And so, the saintess and the holy knights, the mages, the priests, and the demons, with one heart and one mind, worked tirelessly for several days—

Finally, they were able to prepare a generous amount of cola, enough to sell.

A gift from the gods created by the united hearts of everyone!

Now, only one thing remained.

It was to present this to everyone.

* * *

“Alright everyone. Today, we’ll start with a simple tasting session. Cecilia, do we have enough stock?”

“Yes, we have plenty.”

Erin turned her head and looked at the group of holy knights.

The two, except for Luca who was out on a mission, were firmly holding their places.

“Line-nim, Ophelia-nim. Are you ready?”

“”Yes!””

“Iggogodon!!”

*Hop!*

As if excited from drinking the cola, the rabbit plush above Ophelia’s head jumped, holding an empty cola bottle with its paws—

“Then let’s begin!”

—At that moment.

“Just a moment, Saintess-nim.”

Reina, having come all the way to the cathedral on the first day of sales to gauge the reaction, carefully called Erin over.

“What is it?”

“Well, this… it’s very similar to cola, but strictly speaking, it’s not cola, is it? You, as the Saint, would know that, right?”

“That’s certainly a valid point.”

This drink was similar to cola, yes—a near-cola, at best.

From noble mtl dot com

They’d done their best, but it was true that it paled in comparison to the real ‘cola’ bestowed by the gods.

If the day ever came when the gods did start to grant them the real ‘cola’… it was undeniable there could be some confusion.

“With that in mind, I was thinking of a name…”

Reina whispered carefully to Erin.

And then—

“…!”

“W-what do you think…?”

“It’s a wonderful name… but are you sure? Even if it’s a simple fact, this drink is the result of your hard work, Reina, and everyone at the wood-attribute magic tower, not mine…”

“We wouldn’t have even been able to make it if not for him, and considering we’re selling it at the cathedral, I think this name is the most fitting.”

“Reina…!”

Erin grabbed both of Reina’s hands, and Reina’s cheeks flushed a bright red.

“S-Saint…!?”

“Thank you…! Your warm heart, Reina, the Lord Igweogweodon will surely notice it…!”

Erin shook hands with Reina for a long moment.

Then, she called out loudly to everyone there.

“Alright everyone! We’re starting the taste test now! If people ask what this drink is called, you tell them this. ――Luca-Cola!”

“Luca-Cola…!”

Luca-Cola.

Even though he wasn’t part of the Wood Element Magic Tower and couldn’t get paid, everyone was awestruck by the name, a tribute from Tower Master Reina to the paladin Luca, who had dedicated himself to creating the cola.

“Luca-Cola… It’s a truly wonderful name, Saintess!”

“For Paladin Luca and Saintess Erin!”

And so, the official taste test began—

The priests, without a second thought, grabbed handfuls of Luca-Cola and headed to their designated spots in groups.

“Hmm, Luca-Cola… It’s a really great name. It feels like Luca’s sincerity is finally being recognized, makes me feel good. Shall we go too, Rabbit Duke?”

“It’s not it is not…”

“Rabbit Duke…?”

“The cola is pebsigodone….”

“?”

—Except for the Rabbit Duke, who had inexplicably become quite dejected, everyone seemed satisfied with the name.

* * *