Cold and soft ice cream.
I looked at the ice cream in my hand. It was green.
They said it had seaweed in it, but it tasted like ordinary milk ice cream. Or… maybe there was a slight hint of seaweed?
The child who was supposed to cry when eating it was nowhere to be seen; Lewin had forgotten his earlier gloom and was smiling brightly, completely absorbed in the ice cream.
The only serious one here was me.
“Dorian.”
“Yes?”
Dorian, who had reluctantly lowered Lewin because of the ice cream, asked me. His gaze was still fixed on Lewin.
Judging by the handkerchief in his hand, he seemed worried that the melting ice cream might drip.
“How is there an ice cream stall here?”
It was a question, but because he didn’t raise his tone, it sounded very calm. Only then did Dorian turn his gaze to me.
“Well… it’s a small marquisate, so maybe that’s why they have an ice cream stall…?”
Dorian asked cautiously.
Since the marquis put effort into the welfare of his subjects, it made sense that there could be an ice cream stall.
Ice cream wasn’t exactly rare even in the capital.
But that wasn’t what I wanted to ask. I posed a more detailed question.
“How can they sell ice cream outdoors in this summer heat?”
“Ah… it must be a magical tool. As you can see, the ice cream container is wrapped in Algoi stone and covered with a signboard.”
Indeed, a signboard painted with the sea and seagulls surrounded the stall. I looked at the signboard, tightly sealed to the ground, and asked,
“Is it a freezing magical tool?”
“No. It’s simpler than that. It’s a magical tool that maintains the temperature of objects.”
“That can’t be moved either, I guess.”
“Even though it’s simpler than a freezing tool, it still uses a lot of Algoi stone. As you know, it’s impossible to improve it, so moving it is difficult.”
At the academy and the mage tower, they always tried to improve magical tools, but no one had succeeded in explaining the formulas and modifying them.
So, for certain functions, a minimum amount of Algoi stone is required. The more stone used, the less portable it is.
Freezing magical tools required a lot of Algoi stone.
“If I made a freight train and surrounded one carriage entirely with stone to maintain temperature… but a train made of stone? I’ve never even heard of that.”
Even knowing it was impossible, I kept thinking about the freight train. To clear my mind, I bit into the ice cream.
As it melted in my mouth, Dorian spoke.
“If it could be moved, the range of distributable items would certainly expand.”
I nodded. But since it was impossible, we had to find another way. I watched Lewin carefully licking his ice cream to prevent it from melting.
I felt like I was focusing on a problem I already knew and missing something more important…
The sense of déjà vu grew stronger as we walked through the market. It felt like I had missed something I shouldn’t.
Thanks to that, I didn’t properly examine the items, and the heat left me drained. Summer, indeed.
Moreover, the marquisate was in the south, near the sea, making the sun even harsher.
“I want something cold to drink.”
I said, holding an ice cream and an iced drink, watching people pass by. Looking down, I noticed Lewin’s flushed cheeks and hair sticking to his sweaty forehead.
Dorian, the only one who looked fine, spoke.
“There’s a café not far from here. I’ll take you there.”
Eventually, we went to a café in the middle of the busy street to escape the harsh sunlight.
“There’s a café even in a place like this.”
“As I said, it’s a marquisate.”
Dorian said elegantly while scanning the menu. He rang the bell to call a server and quickly picked the items.
“One coffee, one rosehip tea, and one mango juice. With ice.”
The server bowed at Dorian’s request. I stayed silent, listening to the order, and realized the source of my déjà vu.
Why are ice and ice cream so common here?
“Is there an extra charge for ice?”
“No? There isn’t.”
Dorian answered with a puzzled look. Indeed, something was off.
“Why is it so cheap?”
Being able to access ice and ice cream in summer wasn’t strange. They had freezing magical tools, after all.
But using these magical tools during production shouldn’t allow for such low prices. Ice cream alone required two tools: one for freezing and one for maintaining temperature.
I looked around the café for a temperature-maintaining magical tool. Despite its size, there was nothing visible.
Could there be another ice storage facility for the subjects, aside from the special storage used by the marquis?
I whispered softly.
“Dorian, is there a separate ice storage available for the subjects?”
“So you were curious.”
Dorian smiled, his soft eyes gleaming like garnets.
“Even though the marquisate is by the sea, the ground is cold. There are particularly cold regions. This, along with the sea, allows the subjects to endure summer heat.”
According to Dorian, there were seven main ice storage facilities across the marquisate.
One was underground at the marquis’ residence, another near the bustling street, and the rest were spread throughout the territory.
“Ice cream uses a temperature-maintaining magical tool because it melts easily, but ice can be broken up, so they bring large chunks and use them as needed.”
Just as Dorian finished explaining, the server brought the drinks. I looked at the ice floating in the glass.
It would be better to have insulation, though.
Preserving and dry goods are the priority, but long-term, finding insulation is the goal. I thought this as I brought the cup to my lips.
The smooth glass sticking to my fingers felt cool.
While drinking tea, the server asked if we needed anything else. Dorian and I noticed Lewin staring at snacks on other tables, so we asked for a menu.
Shortly after, the server brought simple snacks: financiers and canelés.
Dorian used a dessert knife to cut the canelé and fed each piece to Lewin while asking me,
“How’s the tea?”
“Not bad.”
I answered vaguely. It was indeed a well-brewed tea, but my taste had grown overly refined lately.
So compared to the skill of the maids at the ducal and marquis residences, the tea was just average.
“The maids at Duke Brecht’s residence are very skilled.”
Dorian praised them as if he weren’t a member of the Brecht family himself. I glanced at him and said,
“You know it looks unrefined when you praise them yourself, right?”
“All members of the ducal family are acceptable. It would be improper in front of others, but in front of family, it’s a source of pride.”
He said this with a smile. The smile reminded me of Lewin nibbling the canelé.
Well, they were brothers.
Would I be included in his definition of family? The thought made me uneasy, so I changed the subject.
“By the way, aren’t you going to ask why I suggested this outing?”
I lowered my voice slightly when I said “outing.” Dorian matched my tone, speaking softly as well.
“I was about to ask. Once we leave here, we need to set our next destination. Could you tell me what kind of place you’re looking for?”
“Where should we go?”
Lewin, equally whispering, asked in surprise.
My child was clever and perceptive!
I laughed, ruffled Lewin’s hair, and spoke brightly, still keeping my voice low.
“I want somewhere spacious, with sunlight and a gentle breeze.”
Dorian fell silent, appearing thoughtful, his gaze lowered. He held a coffee cup brighter than his hair.
Ah, he even had thick eyelashes despite being male. A little later, he spoke.
“Honestly, the first place that comes to mind…”
The first place? I swallowed.
“…is the courtyard of the marquis’ residence.”
But Dorian continued, and my hope faded.
“That’s true, though.”
I nodded. The marquis’ residence was on a cliff, with the opposite slope too steep to create a garden, leaving only short grass. But that wasn’t the answer I wanted.
I stared at him silently, and Dorian cleared his throat.
“There’s one more place I know. But it’s a plot intended for residence, so we can’t use it for long.”
“How many years?”
“Estimated at fifteen years…”
Algoi stone runs out in ten years, right? Fifteen years is tight, but enough.
Once the Algoi stone reserves run low, society will be in chaos. The remaining magical tools’ prices will skyrocket, causing massive inflation.
Supplies will be scarce, and all kinds of substitutes will come and go.
Thanks to this five-year window, the marquisate can adapt faster than other territories to a world without magic.
When seafood supply slows, our dried seafood will fill the gap.
“That’s enough.”
I said so, taking a sip of tea.
