I was a man who ran a tavern in Village Five.
My name wasn't important.
I didn't have time for introductions anyway.
I was in a serious bind.
The culprit was the Village Five Festival held not too long ago. At the event, a mysterious, incredibly delicious sake had been distributed. It was exquisite—so good that it made every brew I’d ever tasted feel like ditch water by comparison.
Worse yet, it had been served at a bargain price.
At the time, I hadn't thought much of it. I’d been too busy getting drunk on the stuff myself. I only truly sobered up once the festival was over.
For anyone who had tasted that sake, the only thing left for them to drink now was "ditch water."
"I mean, this stuff is perfectly fine! You were satisfied with it just a few days ago!"
My shout echoed fruitlessly through my empty tavern.
...This was no good. At this rate, I was finished.
The real problem was that I couldn't even lie to myself. I had to be honest: I wanted to drink that sake again, too.
I reached out to every merchant association in Village Five, from the giants to the tiny firms. None of them carried it. Apparently, the associations themselves were scouring the lands for a supplier.
The only lead I found was the Goroun Company. While their Village Five Branch didn't stock it, word was it was available at their Shashato City Head Office. However, they were currently sold out, and the date for the next shipment was unknown.
Give up?
Never. I couldn't just let it go. I needed that sake.
But what could I do? If I went to the Goroun Company Head Office and asked for their supplier... well, there wasn't a chance in hell they'd tell me. There was zero benefit for a merchant to reveal their sources to a customer. In fact, it was a massive risk.
Dammit, what was I supposed to do? Prostrate myself in dogeza? Sell the shop and apply for a job at the Goroun Company?
Ugh. I was at my wit's end.
While I was agonizing over my options, Lady Yoko, the Acting Village Head of Village Five, issued an official decree. It stated that they would be wholesaling the sake from the festival in small quantities and at a low price.
Oh, Lady Yoko was a goddess! She truly understood the needs of her people!
The sale was held at the mountain ground at the summit of Village Five, and the place was absolutely swarming with people.
Wait, why were there so many? I knew other shopkeepers would be interested, but I didn't think there were this many taverns in the city.
...Ah, I see. It wasn't just business owners; the general public was there, too.
The announcement had restricted the amount one person could buy, but it hadn't restricted who could buy it. Had Lady Yoko made a mistake?
No, that wasn't it.
"Wholesalers to the west! Retailers to the center! Everyone else, please gather on the east side!"
I see. She had intended to include the public from the start. Since wholesalers, retailers, and commoners all needed different quantities, she was handling them separately to keep things fair.
While part of me wished they wouldn't sell to the public at all, I couldn't complain when the wholesalers were involved. Since I was a retailer, I headed for the center.
Once we were gathered, the staff gave us a briefing on the proper storage and handling of the sake. It was standard procedure for high-end alcohol, nothing too difficult to manage.
We were free to sell it however we liked, though they recommended using it as prizes for events or special promotions rather than general sale. I wondered why at first, but the reason became clear immediately.
The supply was tiny.
The barrels stacked behind the staff were likely the sake in question, but once divided among all the retailers present, there wouldn't even be one barrel per shop. With so little stock, it would vanish in an instant if we sold it by the glass.
Then there was the price. It was three hundred times higher than it had been during the festival.
Naturally, the crowd erupted.
"I thought you said you were wholesaling this for cheap!"
"The notice said 'low price'!"
The other retailers were screaming in outrage. I was about to join them, but I clamped my mouth shut the moment Lady Yoko appeared.
"You lot," she began. "The fact that you are here means you tasted it at the festival. Is this price truly high for such a brew? Personally, I think it is a steal."
When she put it like that, I didn't know what to say. It was a top-tier vintage. Even at three hundred times the festival price, it was objectively cheap.
"The price during the festival was only possible because of the Village Head's personal generosity. He went to great lengths to provide this current stock as well. If anyone has a complaint, they are free to leave."
Not a single person moved.
I managed to secure my share. It was a massive expense, but just having the sake in my possession brought me a sense of peace. As suggested, I would use it as a prize for special events.
However, that didn't solve my primary problem as a tavern owner: I still didn't have any regular alcohol worth selling. My current stock was unpopular. If the festival sake was a ten, my current stuff didn't even rank as a one. I needed something—anything—that was at least a three.
Lady Yoko had anticipated that problem as well.
"While it does not match the quality of the festival sake, I have also prepared a stock of alcohol with a decent enough flavor. We will allow tastings. Anyone interested should speak with the staff."
"Decent enough," she said.
I tried it. It was... well, it was decent. But compared to the swill I’d been serving until now, it was incredibly delicious. I decided right then and there to relegate my old stock to the kitchen for cooking.
Meanwhile, on the east side, a brutal lottery had begun. The staff had realized it was impossible to sell to every single citizen who had gathered. Only those who drew a winning lot were allowed to drink a single small cup right then and there. It was free, and the air was thick with cheers and wails of despair.
On the west side, a fierce auction was underway among the wholesalers. They were bidding on whole barrels, and the prices were astronomical.
Man, the Goroun Company was a powerhouse. It was like watching someone beat their opponents senseless with bags of silver coins. With prices that high, no regular retailer could afford to stock it. They were probably planning to export it.
Oh, look at that. A few wholesalers had teamed up to place a massive bid and win a lot. Clever. But at that price, I couldn't buy it for my shop. Are they going to be okay?
Ah, they were planning to drink it themselves. They looked absolutely blissful, so I guess it wasn't an issue.
On the other hand...
I was a man who ran a restaurant in Village Five.
My name wasn't important.
I was in a bind that made my name the last thing on my mind.
The cause was obvious: the Village Five Festival.
The food served there had been far too delicious.