Breakfast was a relaxed affair.
What Loviki had worried about didn't happen. On the contrary, because they had both confessed their thoughts, the relationship between them grew even closer.
“After we finish breakfast, why don't you two try some of the fruit wine newly brewed in the workshop?” Chen Mian suddenly suggested.
“I don't know how to drink. I'll get drunk,” Flora said with some worry.
“You still have to drink a little. How about I dilute it with some fruit juice for you?” Chen Mian set down his empty bowl and smiled. “This batch was brewed strictly according to the workshop's process and even has Crimson Heart powder added to it. It should be helpful for your cultivation.”
He then added, “Didn't you say you wanted to get stronger, Flora? This is the first step.”
Flora looked at him with her lively eyes, a gentle smile on her face as she nodded. “Okay!”
“Then take your time eating. Wait for me a moment.” Chen Mian stood up and walked toward the door.
“Flora, do you think the wine produced by the workshop is really useful to us? I'm already Diamond Rank. Theoretically, items that enhance mana don't have much of an effect on me anymore,” Loviki asked curiously, looking toward the door.
“Yes, it will definitely be useful. Otherwise, Chen Mian wouldn't force me to drink it,” Flora replied with a smile and a nod. “Besides, many things here don't conform to common sense anyway.”
“True. Before coming to the apartment, I wouldn't have believed that a place like the Continent of Cecia could have soil that makes crops grow so quickly and even transforms them into magical crops,” Loviki agreed deeply.
...
When Chen Mian pushed open the door to the Brewing Workshop, he smelled a rich aroma of fruit wine.
He stepped inside and opened the door to the Wine Storage.
Row upon row of oak barrels were neatly arranged in the Wine Storage. At the very back stood twelve special oak barrels covered in golden patterns, glowing faintly in the dim space.
He walked to the very end and gently tapped one of the golden barrels. The sound it made was somewhat muffled; the fruit wine inside had finished aging.
The moment he lifted the lid, an incredibly rich aroma of wine wafted over, quickly spreading throughout the entire workshop. Even the escaping wine vapor carried a gentle trace of mana.
The red liquid, glowing with a faint golden light, rippled slightly inside the oak barrel.
The moment he opened the barrel, a system notification suddenly popped up.
【Crimson Heart-Enhanced Wine (Special)】
【Effect: Grants continuous mana for 12 hours after drinking. Permanently increases mana cultivation aptitude by 1% to 10%. The effect is best upon first consumption. The increase depends on individual aptitude and the quality of the wine. This item can increase mana cultivation aptitude by a maximum of 50%.】
【Description: A special recipe product from the Brewing Workshop. The addition of Crimson Heart powder has enhanced the wine's quality. Quality can improve over storage time. Current Quality: Mid-tier.】
Chen Mian looked at the information on the system panel in surprise.
The effects of this fruit wine were almost absurd—permanently improving magic cultivation aptitude while continuously restoring mana.
If something like this were to get out, it could easily trigger conflicts across the Continent of Cecia. However, he wasn't worried about anyone coming to steal it.
Right now, this wine seemed useful to everyone except him and Louise. He wondered if other brewable items would have different effects. It was worth experimenting more, especially since he had collected quite a few items like the Crimson Heart.
Having understood the wine's effects, Chen Mian bought a random container from his storage space, drew some fruit wine, then replaced the lid and left the workshop.
Perhaps the workshop's products, much like the system, could help Louise and the others break through the limitations of this world in the future.
Instead of returning straight to the apartment, Chen Mian walked toward the grapevines in the orchard. The place was already filled with busy demi-human girls.
“Good morning, Mr. Chen Mian,” Tina greeted him, pausing her work to wave with a smile.
“Good morning, Tina.”
“Mr. Chen Mian, would you like some grapes? These were all just picked.” Tina warmly offered the fruit basket in her hands to him.
Chen Mian smiled and took two bunches of grapes. “This is enough. You can pick and eat them whenever you want. The Mana Orchard produces a huge yield of grapes, more than we can eat.”
“Okay! Thank you, Mr. Chen Mian!”
The demi-humans had indeed made things much easier for him. Chen Mian barely had to worry about the orchard anymore. The workshop, the farm, and the clothing production line were all operating smoothly.
If not for the lack of manpower, he might have considered using Arthur's deed of territory to expand production. However, given the current situation, there was no need.
When Chen Mian returned to the apartment, Flora and Loviki were chatting on the sofa. Velyan had also woken up and was humming a tune while eating porridge at the dining table, her golden tail swaying back and forth.
On the other hand, Louise, who usually woke up very early, seemed to still be in bed.
Hearing the noise, the three of them looked up toward the door at the same time.
“Human! I heard you went to get the fruit wine?” Velyan was the first to ask, her eyes full of anticipation.
“Yes. Do you want to try some, Velyan?” Chen Mian asked, holding up the wine jar.
“Yes!”
Chen Mian found three cups and poured the fruit wine into each. A rich, almost tangible fruity aroma slowly diffused into the air.
He didn't pour too much into Flora's cup. Instead, he went into the kitchen, deseeded some grapes, juiced them with a blender, and poured the juice in to dilute it.
“It smells so good...” Flora leaned in to take a sniff, her lively eyes lighting up slightly. “This scent is much richer than the fruit wine we drank on the rooftop last time, and there's a very gentle fluctuation of mana in it.”
“Yes. This batch of wine can improve your magic cultivation aptitude,” Chen Mian said to Flora with a smile.
“Really?”
“Really?” Flora's eyes widened slightly as she looked down at the wine, which emitted a faint golden luster. “Can drinking wine really improve one's magic cultivation aptitude?”
“Yes.” Chen Mian sat down beside her. “But the degree of improvement varies from person to person. The first time you drink it yields the best results.”
Loviki had already picked up her cup and taken a sniff. She looked up at Chen Mian. “The mana density of this wine... is much higher than what we drank on the rooftop last time.”
“Last time's was barely even a semi-finished product. Plus, we added the Crimson Heart this time.”
“The Crimson Heart?” Loviki turned her head toward the dining table. “Velyan, was that gem you gave Chen Mian really that powerful?”
Velyan was happily eating her porridge. Hearing this, she looked up, her golden eyes blinking. “I don't know. I found it in some ruins and just kept it because I thought it looked pretty. Dragon records do mention elders using it to steep wine, but the effects were only so-so. Try drinking it, Loviki. It might not be as amazing as Chen Mian says.”
Loviki took a small sip. The moment the wine entered her mouth, a rich, fruity aroma burst across her palate. After a brief silence, she looked at Chen Mian. “...If this wine ever got out, the entire Continent of Cecia would go crazy trying to fight for it.”
“That's why it won't get out,” Chen Mian said calmly. “Only the people in the apartment will drink it. The demi-humans will get the fruit wine aged in ordinary barrels. Its effect is weaker, but it'll be enough for them.”
“Is it really that good, Loviki?” Velyan set down her empty bowl and walked over curiously.
“It's not just delicious. I can feel the wine slowly turning into mana and flowing through my body like warm water... And I have this feeling that my mana affinity has improved slightly.”
Loviki took another small sip, closed her eyes to feel it for a moment, and then opened them, speaking earnestly, “Yes, that's exactly how it feels. It's as if my body is actively welcoming the external mana, making the circulation and absorption of mana much smoother.”
Rate on N.U.
