Chapter 25: Messer’s Surprise (II)

Apart from specially held banquets, it was customary in this world to drink wine during dinner; at other times, it was usually served to celebrate some good event. Of course, some people preferred to drink it regularly, but they wouldn’t casually offer it to guests outside the dining table unless they deliberately invited them to taste it.

After filling two glasses—one with red wine and one with white wine—Donald smiled mysteriously. Without giving further explanation, he said, “Master, just taste one glass and you’ll understand!”

Messer took the glass handed to him by Donald with curiosity. It contained a stunning red wine that resembled rubies. When he sniffed it gently, a sweet, fragrant aroma filled his nose. Unable to resist, he took a small sip, and the old mage was immediately captivated by its taste.

As he was still indulging in the wine’s flavor, a gentle warmth spread through his body. The physical and mental energy he had expended during the alchemy process was slowly recovering.

“This is…”
Although the recovery was slow, it was ten times faster than normal rest. Even an ordinary person could easily notice this, let alone a mage who was highly sensitive to changes in mental energy.

“Is this really wine or an alchemical potion? Little Donald, tell me quickly!”
The old mage eagerly grabbed Donald’s shoulders and pressed for an answer.

Donald laughed and said, “Teacher, don’t get so excited. This special wine was invented by me based on a formula for a recovery potion. It has the taste of top-quality wine and some of the effects of a recovery potion, with no side effects at all. I thought it would be perfect for mages to drink during rest, so I brought it here for you to try!”

With his rich experience, Messer quickly regained his composure, though his expression still showed great excitement.

“Sorry! I got too excited! Little Donald, you don’t realize—if this invention can be mass-produced, it could be one of the most valuable mage inventions in a hundred years. Although its effects aren’t strong, it’s durable and gentle, with almost no side effects. If mages could drink this magically restorative wine regularly, it would not only improve their mood and physical condition but also greatly reduce their rest time, accelerating their spell research and advancement!”

Donald’s original plan was to keep the benefits within his own circle—good things should first be provided to the mages at his guild who had taken care of him. Otherwise, if the mages obtained them from other merchants and learned the source, they would surely resent him. It was better to go directly and pitch them; if the mages weren’t interested, that was that! Of course, this scenario was unlikely. But with the Divine Book, this extraordinary artifact, and never lacking in ordinary auxiliary items, Donald had underestimated the appeal of this drink, which could restore physical and mental energy! Even his teacher, Maelthor, the top mage in the North County, seemed so excited! Hearing his teacher’s words, Donald said hesitantly, “Mass production is difficult. We can only make small quantities for now, but supplying it to the guild’s mages shouldn’t be a problem!” Upon hearing this, Maelthor immediately exclaimed, “Really?” “Of course. I’ve brought fifty bottles of this special wine today, and I can supply this amount almost every month from now on!” After getting Donald’s confirmation, Maelthor wanted to gather the guild’s mages right away to share the good news. But Donald stopped him. “Teacher, don’t rush to inform everyone. You still haven’t tasted the other glass!” “Another glass? Right. This red wine can relieve fatigue. Then this white wine you brought must have other effects, right?” Seeing Donald smile without saying anything, Maelthor simply tried it himself, taking a gulp of the white wine. “It feels amazing. My mental energy is recovering faster, and it seems a bit purer too. Could this white wine be specifically effective for mental energy?” Although the effects of purification potions were impressive, they were still diluted. For a mage like Maelthor, whose mental energy had already reached a high level, he could sense these changes and prove that the wine’s effects were extraordinary. Donald nodded and said, “Exactly. This white wine has a different formula from red wine. It has mild purifying and mental energy-restoring effects, and it also offers slight resistance to negative mental conditions, such as curse spells, allowing ordinary people to avoid certain illnesses!”

This time, Messehl wasn’t excited anymore. Instead, he studied Donald carefully, staring at him so intently that it made Donald feel uneasy, before exclaiming, “Little Donald, you truly are a blessing to the mages of North County! First, you successfully awakened your talent as a summoner, and now you bring us such a surprise. It seems your potential for growth is even greater than I imagined. Who knows? You might well become the first Level 9 Archmage in North County someday!”
Even though Donald had a thick skin like a wall, he still blushed under the old mage’s praise.
This wasn’t something he had developed on his own—it was just a blended drink created using the miraculous powers of the Book of Truth. In his past life, it would definitely have been labeled as counterfeit. After all, even those large wineries didn’t dare openly admit how much they blended into their products!
“Teacher, you’re too kind. With all the help you and the other mages in the guild have given me, this small repayment is only right. Besides, my wine isn’t free—it’s meant to earn money for the mages!”
“If you weren’t here to make money from us, maybe some mages would ask you to make money for them!”
Hearing Donald’s playful joke, Messehl couldn’t help but laugh with childlike enthusiasm.
“Enough! Let’s not keep everyone waiting. Such a wonderful thing should be shared by all. If it can be provided to all the mages in North County, within a decade, it will surely greatly enhance the strength of our mages!”
“But if you sell this wine directly, it might cause trouble. Those greedy merchants and nobles will likely swarm around it like bloodthirsty vampires. Since the production isn’t high, it’s better to sell it directly to the mages in the guild. Even if the number of mages doubles, they can still drink it all! Even if outsiders find out, they won’t dare mess with all the mages in North County!”
“Thank you, teacher, for reminding me. I got a little carried away!”
Donald had originally feared that selling the potion directly would cause trouble, which is why he came up with these two types of wine as an alternative. He hadn’t considered thoroughly the impact of these top-quality wines on the outside world. Hearing the old mage’s words, he finally realized the potential risks. Thankfully, the teacher had resolved this issue right away.
Master Messehl, who stepped out first, comforted him kindly, “Don’t blame yourself. It’s good for a young person to have enthusiasm and drive. By the time you reach my age, it will be hard to be impulsive even if you wanted to! Come, it’s time for us to announce this good news to everyone!”

Donald smiled upon hearing this. In his past life, he was already close to thirty years old, yet his straightforward nature remained unchanged. After merging with the soul of this life, his youthful innocence and fanciful ideas became even more pronounced. If it weren’t for the survival threats when he first arrived in this world, forcing him to mature quickly, he wouldn’t have made the series of plans he did to secure his future.

At Messel’s invitation, Donald organized an impromptu wine tasting event. The introduction of two top-quality wines caused a sensation among the mages at the club. Faced with the enthusiastic mages, Donald didn’t sell the wines at the fifty gold sols he had initially planned. Instead, he sold all fifty bottles at forty gold sols each to the mages.

If they had been merchants or nobles, he would have undoubtedly demanded a higher price. But these mages were kind and principled people—at least those he got along well with. They were worth cultivating relationships with.