Another Business Venture

My knuckles rapped against the wooden door as I took a deep breath, still feeling slightly nervous despite this being the third time that I was coming to this house; I was still worried that one small slip might cause everything that I had been building up to come crumbling down, and it was a rather crippling fear...

And it was one that I needed to slowly work at since I had caught a glimpse at just how strong the Duchess was when she came to question me that first time, the potency of her mana enough to make my heart palpitate in fear even now.

Not only was her personal strength high, she also had good relations with the Queen, who was intimately tied to a Goddess; I was NOT going to try and test my luck to see if Reincantra or Demetra really cared about me enough to protect me from another Goddess.

I might do a few things that seem... odd in the pursuit of quenching my lust, but I wasn't stupid enough to invite the wrath of a Goddess just because it might potentially be deflected by my patron Goddesses.

Besides, I have no idea if they actually view me that favorably, or if I truly matter to them in any significant way; sure, I had that answered prayer back in the winter, and I had forged an item that was blessed by Reincantra, but did that mean they were willing to do anything more for me?

I doubt it, so I wasn't going to risk it.

The door opened a few moments later, taking me out of my thoughts and bringing me back to reality as I stared upon the slightly tired, yet beautiful visage of the Duchess, who was smiling softly at me as she asked "So you decided to come for the third day as well? Quite dutiful and diligent, Astra!"

A nice red silk robe was draped over her body, and a thin white cashmere was resting over her shoulders, keeping her warm and covered whilst barely concealing her succulent curves.

It was an impossible task to cover such a 'gift'; something I was all too familiar with since even my most conservative clothing was still rather appealing to the masses.

"I did, Duchess. Just a half day, and because I had some exciting news to share. News I think you'll like to hear?"

She raised a brow at that, before stepping back and gesturing for me to enter, her sky blue eyes holding a glimmer of curiosity as she watched me closely.

"Well then, I suppose we should chat first before ending the 'day' with some work. Come; I had a pot of tea on, and I made some biscuits this morning."

The Duchess led me back into the office, gesturing towards one of the seats before making her way over to the kitchen, grabbing the tea and biscuits and returning a moment later, laying them onto the low table before taking a seat herself.

"So... what is this news? Ah, if I had to take a guess... the wine."

Leaning into her chair, she sipped on her tea as she observed my reaction, a smile tugging at her lips as I nodded, the curiosity in her eyes growing.

"It is indeed, Duchess. I managed to make two batches of wine in a rather short amount of time; having someone with Nature Magic is convenient, and we learned quite a bit these last few days. These are the two batches; one white, one red. They quantity isn't a lot just yet, but I was primarily seeing if it was possible, and if it was good. I know the first part is true, and while I think the second part is as well, I would prefer the opinion of someone else first; I like them, and I think they'll be good for drinking and cooking, but..."

Looking at the two vials in front of her, the Duchess nodded before reaching forwards and grabbing them, her eyes narrowing for a moment before she chuckled, saying "I understand. This white wine, it was made entirely through magical means, no? That's one of the upsides of a Nature Mage; they can produce unique wines far quicker than anyone else. As for the red, it looks dark enough, and there's nothing floating inside of it... moves well enough..."

She uncorked the red first, taking a sniff of the deep red liquid and nodding again, bringing the vial to her lips and taking a sip.

The red wine had been made by my System, and while it wasn't out of this world impressive, it was a decent drink and quick to make; was on the drier side, but the wine was a bit fruity and went down smooth, though it burned quite a bit compared to the white.

"Mm... Strong, flavorful, smooth. Not the most impressive taste, and it is a bit dry, but it's a solid wine. Versatile too, since it's just flavorful enough to imbue something with a nice flavor, but not so overpowering that it can't be used to cook most things. Should be a nice cheap wine to sell. Ah, and don't worry; cheap wine is still two, three silvers a bottle on average."

I nodded, before I gestured to the white, which I was immensely more curious about; the Duchess sensed that and smirked, corking the red and uncorking the white, bringing it to her lips and sniffing it briefly, taking it in before taking a sip.

Almost instantly she nodded, staring at the liquid closely before swirling it around as she appreciated the flavor.

"Not too strong, smooth and sweet. Wouldn't advise cooking with it, but it's a really good flavor. The sweetness isn't overpowering, and the refreshing aftertaste makes you want another sip. Still, the potency is what holds it back. While it is a nice casual wine for keeping everyone sober, that's not going to sell as well, but still... Probably around seven silvers a bottle, maybe ten if you try to embellish the flavor profile and embellish the way magic was involved."

Corking the vial, the Duchess placed the two vials on the table and nodded, looking up at me with a smile as she said "All in all, not too bad for the first two batches. Though, I want to see consistency between the next few batches as well, and I would like to see a third wine to give some options to the consumer. Preferably something stronger. Maybe... Maybe a fruity red that has a bit more of a punch? A 'classic' wine. One that everyone knows, isn't special but... everyone wants it. Still, they were pretty good, Astra. Truly."

I let out a relieved sigh as I sat back, my eyes lingering on the vials for a moment before I looked back to the Duchess, who was lounging on her chair and staring at me closely, her blue eyes unreadable.