Chapter 79.1

Since we now have the means to get the coffee beans, I’ll start moving in earnest to turn it into a source of income.

The first thing we need would be a coffee grinder. The millstone I used before seemed to be a good substitute so I’ll have Sharlet-san-san make some for me. I can just use my magic to make something similar but the people who will be working on-site won’t so I’ll just have one be made.

「Sharlet-san. I have a request」

He stopped chiseling a stone then looked at me.

「What? I’ll just say this but I can’t cut those stones as cleanly as you do」

「No, that’s not why I’m here. I want you to make a stone mortar, 2 of them」

As I said that, I used my hands to demonstrate the size. I need something that’s about 30 centimeters.

「It’s not going to be a problem but it will take a bit of time」

「It’s alright. I’ll leave it to you」

Now we’ll be able to grind the coffee. The only things left that need to be taken care of are the extraction method and milk. I’ll try to recall the things I could use in this world as an alternative.

We don’t have any filters so I was thinking of using a cloth or cotton as a substitute when brewing but I’m not really sure if it’s hygienic to use it as is so I decided to go to Pietro our blacksmith.

He was in the middle of hammering a glowing red hot iron so I waited for the moment he took a breather to call out to him.

「Pietro-san, I have a request」

Pietro-san took a drink of water before replying to me.

「What is it this time? Did your shovel or crowbar get damaged?」

Are they all talking about me behind my back? Why do you already know what weapons I use?

「No, that’s not it. I want you to make something like those cups we use to scoop up water but smaller」

After saying that, I took out a piece of paper and started drawing the approximate shape.

「I don’t know what you’re going to use it for but I’ll make it just like how you described. What about the material?」

「In the meantime, just use copper」

「Gotcha」

「I’ll leave it to you」

That’s right, I’m thinking of making Turkish coffee. You put the ground beans and water inside the container then heat it. Once it boils and the foam is about to overflow, remove the container from the heat, discard the froth then pour it into a cup. After that, you wait for a while for the beans to sink then you slowly drink it.

At least I think it goes like that. I’m not sure though. By doing that, the beans would stick at the bottom of the cup so it would solve both the hygiene and filter problem since we won’t have to use a filter in the first place.

The milk problem has already been resolved too, to some extent. I’m thinking of using soy milk. It seems like it’ll be a good alternative based on those coffee or tea-flavored soy milk in packets I’ve drank a few times before. So the problem with the milk’s solved as long as soy milk can be made.

Apart from that, we also have magnesium chloride from concentrated saltwater that’s the byproduct of the salt-making process so maybe we’ll be able to make tofu.

In my previous life, there was also something called Edamame Tofu. Since edamame is just immature soybeans, it might be possible to make it using the beans that I found. With that in mind, I’ve decided to try it out.

As for how to make soy milk, I think you wash the beans then soak them in plenty of water a day before but I wonder what the next part of the process is? Do you boil them? Mash them? Or perhaps you just process them as is?

At any rate, soy milk and soy pulp are produced after the beans get squeezed. If the soy pulp products become popular on the island, we can also sell them at the store but if not, we’ll just use them as food for the livestock. If we use them to make soy pulp doughnuts, wouldn’t it be a popular snack in the store? We could also sell tofu if we also get a lot of soy milk. I wonder if we’ll be able to start operating with this?

In the meantime, once we get the materials sorted, I’ll gather the couples who were already together before they became slaves and send them to the town so that they can be trained.

◇

I was grinding coffee beans with my personal grindstone at home when I heard a knock on the door.

「It’s done」

As he said that, Pietro-san presented to me something that looked pretty much the same as the one I drew.

I took the finished product then I tried putting water in it to make sure there were no leaks.

「What are you going to use it for?」

「We might be able to make money with this. It’s a tool used to brew the new tea we have. Well, it might not suit your tastes but why not give it a try?」

「……sure」

I had him sit on a chair while I made the coffee.

I put in the coffee beans that I just grounded, as well as some sugar into the pot. As for water, I used hot water made with magic instead in order to save time. After that, I created fire from my fingertip to heat it. Once it boiled, I discarded the foam then poured the coffee into a cup. I repeated that process twice.

「Here you go」

I put the cup in front of him as I said that.

Pietro-san checked the smell first before slowly taking a sip.

Then, he started swirling it in his mouth before swallowing.

「It sure is bitter. Smells great though. I prefer it a bit sweeter」

「Is that so? Why don’t you try adding sugar to it?」

「Alright」

As he said that, he added 3 cubes of sugar, stirred it, then waited for the grounded coffee beans to sink before drinking it. It seems like he’s a sweet-tooth. 1

「It’s easier to drink like this」

「There’s something called soy milk that’s made by grinding beans and squeezing out the juice. It might be easier to drink if you add that」

「Do you not have any?」

「It needs to be prepared a day before so I don’t have any right now. To be honest, it would be better to use cow’s milk but there aren’t any cows on the island. And besides, it’s not exactly something safe to drink unless it’s fresh so I don’t have any」

「I see」

He took another sip of coffee after saying that.

「It’s not a problem if you end up drinking the beans as well but it’s not exactly a pleasant thing to swallow so it would be best if you don’t finish all of it. Just leave a bit behind」

「Sure」

After saying that, he put down the cup then suddenly asked me if I was the Demon Lord.

「Eh?」

「It’s no use hiding it」

「I’m not exactly trying to hide it since it’ll eventually get found out anyway」

「I see. I’ve been here for a few days but you’re a pretty nice guy compared to what the rumors about the Demon Lord that have been circling around before say. Everyone here says the same thing too. When I first heard about it, I thought of going home but I guess it’s not that bad here」

「Sorry for not telling you. I mean, I’d get killed if I call myself that in town after all」

「That’s true. Thanks for the drink. I think it’s good but it’s hard to drink without sugar. I’m going back to work」

He left after saying that.

I don’t plan on hiding my identity but I can’t just go around town calling myself a Demon Lord as expected. Well, things ended up working out for me since I left an unexpectedly favorable impression on the islanders. At any rate, I still need to deal with the millstone and soy milk. Should I also try looking around for a place where we’ll manufacture the product?

「Sharlet-san, how are things going?」

「Huh? Is this about that thing you asked me to make? It’s still not done you know?」

「No, I was just wondering when it will be done. I still have other preparations to make so it would be great if you’d inform me a day before it’s completed」

「Is that so? I’ll need about two more days I guess. It’s unexpectedly hard to get the grinding part right」

As he said that, he showed me his work so far. It does seem like something hard to get right. It’ll end up being useless if done wrong after all. They need to be close, but not close enough that they’ll touch and since it’s stone, it’s difficult to fix once you make a mistake. Stone lasts a long time but is heavy and hard to work with, yet its advantage over something like wood is that it doesn’t rot.

「Is that all?」

「Yes. Let me know if there’s anything you need. I’ll do my best to help you out with it」

「That reminds me…… I’ve already marked it out so could you cut the stone that I got from the quarry? I’m asking you since I’ve never seen anyone be able to cut a stone that cleanly before after all. I’ll be able to do more if the cut is that neat」

「I understand. Is that all?」

「Yeah, that’s it. As for the millstone, sorry but it will take at least two days」

「Understood. Please just make sure you don’t get injured making it」

「Yeah」

Hmmー two days huh? Well, I should stock up on soybeans while waiting I guess.