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Volume 5 Chapter 12: The Drug “Shoji”

The feast was extremely lively. The table was laden with delicacies, primarily wild boar and deer meat, all of this complemented with ale purchased from Erin. It had been a while since the last feast, and everyone knew this could be the last one before the war, so they were trying to enjoy it more than usual.

Elves and fire foxes were all laughing together.

Seeing such a scene warmed my heart. It reassured me that what I was doing wasn’t wrong.

「Everyone, I’m bringing out today’s special menu. Those who still have room in their stomachs, please take your plates and come get it. It’s a dish made with cannabis harvested in Bell Erucy!」

I stood in front of a table at the edge of the plaza where the feast was unfolding, holding a giant wooden box.

All the elves and fire foxes turned their attention to me.

After confirming their gaze, I flipped the wooden box over, and the cannabis tofu I had made slid out smoothly from inside the box.

The moment it was placed on the large plate, the greenish-white cubic mass trembled. For added entertainment, I slapped it with the flat side of the knife, making the cannabis tofu tremble even more. As it was made with potato starch instead of nigari, it didn’t crumble like regular tofu. Its harder texture, similar to sesame tofu, allowed it to maintain its form even with a rougher manipulation.

Everyone watched the jiggling cannabis tofu with interest.

「This dish is made with cannabis grown by everyone in Bell Erucy. Let’s eat it with gratitude towards the kobolds of Johann’s tribe who accompany us today, as well as those from Bell Erucy who couldn’t be here.」

As I said that, cheers arose from the elves and fire foxes, and the kobolds scratched their cheeks looking embarrassed. As soon as I finished speaking, the elves and fire foxes stood up and formed a line. Everyone wanted to try the new dish.

「Cyril-niisama! Yukino is first.」

「Ah, Yukino, that’s unfair. Or rather, you’re too fast.」

「As expected of a silver fire fox. But Kuro got second place, so I don’t mind. Sorry, Kemin.」

「I was beaten by Kurone again……」

At the front, as expected, were the trio of young foxes: The silver-haired Yukino, the yellow-haired Kemin, and the black-haired Kurone. Yukino was wagging her tail with a smug look on her face.

She acted mature when she was with me or Kuu, but when the three girls were together, she let her guard down and acted more childlike.

「Girls, there are two types of sauce for the cannabis tofu. Let me know which you prefer, sweet or salty.」

Beside the wooden box were two different pots containing the special sauces I had prepared.

「Yukino prefers salty.」

「Cyril-niisama, Kuro wants the sweet one.」

「I’d like the sweet one too, please.」

「Alright, understood.」

I began cutting the cannabis tofu. If done normally, it would stick to the knife and lose its shape, so I took the knife and made quick and sharp slices.

The three girls watched with shining eyes.

Then, on Yukino’s plate, I poured a sauce made from fish sauce purchased in Erin – a seasoning similar to soy sauce made from fish, diluted with broth. For the other two, I poured a mixture of maple syrup, water and lemon juice, and finally, sprinkled chopped cannabis leaves on top.

Both sauces complemented the cannabis tofu’s sweet and rich essence, their robust flavors enhancing without overshadowing the tofu’s distinct taste.

「Mmm~ Delicious. Cyril-niisama. The rich taste goes perfectly with the fish sauce. It might become Yukino’s favorite. Teach Yukino how to make it next time.」

「Kuro also likes this. It’s fun how it sticks in the mouth.」

「The texture is interesting, but the flavor is wonderful, very rich, and the sweetness of the maple syrup followed by the sweetness of this white stuff spreads out.」

All three seemed pleased.

The people lined up behind them looked expectant after seeing the three’s reactions.

Let’s keep this up and introduce the deliciousness of cannabis to many more.

「Come on, everyone, eat up. We’ll have plenty of cannabis available from now on. Remember this flavor and share your experience with those who haven’t had the chance to try it yet.」

After that, I continued cutting the cannabis tofu until none remained.

I was relieved that the cannabis tofu was so well-received. Besides cannabis tofu, there were also cannabis butter, cannabis cookies, and various other dishes. Maybe next time, I would gather the housewives for a cannabis cuisine study session.

◇

The success of the cannabis tofu alleviated some of the food worries in regard to the upcoming siege. After all, a large amount of cannabis seeds was expected to arrive from Bell Erucy soon. Furthermore, cannabis seeds could be preserved for over a year and provided vitamins that were difficult to obtain from ordinary preserved food, making them an excellent supply for a siege. Having good food would contribute to morale too.

Before the feast ended, I mentioned that I had work to do and returned to the workshop alone. Lucy and Yukino offered to help, but I declined.

The work I would be doing was a dark one. I couldn’t involve them in this.

I’d sternly told them not to come near the workshop today, no matter what.

「Well, let’s see how this turns out.」

In the workshop were the unused female cannabis plants: the ones containing narcotic components and not suitable for consumption. There were also ephedra and Hikageshibire mushrooms which I had harvested last fall and dried, and solidified alcohol extracted from liquor.

「Designer drugs. To my knowledge, these fit the criteria perfectly. They can be mass-produced cheaply, provide euphoria, and cause severe addiction.」

I swallowed nervously.

Marijuana had a notorious image, but it wasn’t very effective on its own. Its intoxicating effect was milder than alcohol, and its adverse effects on the body were minor compared to alcohol and tobacco.

The effects of marijuana were mild intoxication and heightened sensitivity and perception. Especially when eating, make you perceive the flavors and texture more accurately. When eating fruits, for example, one could experience an irresistible texture and melting sweetness. It enhanced the enjoyment of paintings and music, and sex became indescribably pleasurable.

Yet, the threshold to become addicted to marijuana was high. You needed to ingest the equivalent of an alcoholic who drank a full bottle of sake a day. Generally, it was a beneficial drug.

「But, depending on how it’s used, it can become a heinous weapon.」

The real power of marijuana shows when combined with other drugs. The intoxicated state it induced lowered the body’s resistance and heightened all senses, increasing the absorption rate of the drug’s components, and thereby enhancing the effects of any combined drug.

Fortunately, there were species similar to ephedra and Hikageshibire mushrooms growing in the mountains.

Simply put, ephedra was a central nervous system stimulant: similar to amphetamine. Hikageshibire mushrooms had hallucinogenic effects; they were similar to magic mushrooms, both had high addictive potential.

Each could be destructive on its own. However, they were difficult to cultivate by human hands and challenging to secure in large quantities. However, mixed with marijuana, even a small amount can produce more than the usual drug effect. With this, a large amount of drugs can be prepared.

「If I were to name this drug, what would it be? A drug made for cleaning up the empire. Maybe call it Shoji?」

I organized in my mind the composition of the drug. A base of powdered tetrahydrocannabinol, the narcotic component of marijuana, methamphetamine extracted from ephedra, psilocybin from Hikageshibire mushrooms, and a small amount of powdered alcohol. The resulting pill would offer overwhelming pleasure that makes one forget their humanity, instantly blowing away reason and making one extremely high, even causing hallucinations- a terrible drug indeed.

Injections would be more immediate and effective, but if I wanted to distribute it widely, pills were the only choice.

I used magic to process the ingredients, extracted the narcotic components, and mixed them. Two hours later, about 1 kg of white powder was ready in front of me.

「I’d like to experiment, but how should I go about it? I don’t have any prisoners.」

I would have liked to conduct various experiments on prisoners, but all had been released now. And I can’t use this on the people of Erucy.

Should I use it on myself?

「No way.」

I was a living bomb myself. I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if I lost reason, and got high. I might accidentally destroy the world.

There was no other choice. I would try it on the spies who had infiltrated Bell Erucy, the very ones I intentionally allowed to roam free.

「What rotten luck, after Johann took the trouble to come to Erucy, so I wouldn’t have to waste time…」

Probably, if I set my mind to it, I could make them addicted in a day. No matter how well-trained a spy they might be, once addicted, they would gladly betray their cause. Yes, that was a good idea. Killing two birds with one stone.

With these thoughts in mind, I continued to process the powder into pills.