Chapter 91 The Bottle That Can’t Be Opened

The metallic bottle had an exquisite shape, akin to those used for high-end spirits. It was rather distinctive. The hue was golden-yellow, resembling that of a gold coin but with a slight brownish tinge. Intricate engravings adorned its surface, encapsulating various patterns. Among them were abstract depictions of the sun, a great tree, a bow and arrow, a certain type of harp, as well as a bear and an eagle in flight. Overall, this metal bottle seemed like a precious artwork that nobles would adore collecting.

Ding-dong-dong.

He tapped on the metal bottle with his finger, producing an unusual sound. It didn't resemble the typical sound of metal; it was somewhat akin to plastic. Nevertheless, it was evident that this brownish-yellow bottle was indeed made of metal, as it possessed the tactile sensation of one.

"Teacher Gort, what metal do you think this is?" Liszt jiggled the bottle.

It appeared to be empty, as no sounds emerged from within.

Gort shrugged. "Gold, silver, copper, iron—this doesn't resemble any metal I've come across before. Please forgive my ignorance; I'm unable to identify it."

"It doesn't have a bottleneck?"

"It seems to be a single, seamless piece. I examined where the bottleneck should be, and there's no joint or opening. I can't even twist it open."

Lister tried turning the bottle himself and found it truly unyielding; there was no cap, and the neck seemed to be a single, solid piece. "Guess what's inside?"

"A fine wine?"

"Beautiful dreams don't always come true, Master Gort. I don't think there's any liquid in there."

Gort laughed heartily. "Ahaha, one can always fantasize until it's opened."

Lister passed the bottle to Carter, instructing him to store it safely in his study. "Keep it for now. I'll figure out how to open it when I have time."

"Certainly, sir."

After Carter left, Lister gestured for Gort to take a seat.

He asked, "How did the trading with the merchants go?"

"All went smoothly. Ever since you started developing Flower Town and provided many paid job opportunities, the townsfolk have gradually had extra money to spend. They've been purchasing small items from the merchants' stalls. The merchants have almost sold half their goods, and even threw a few copper coins into the comedy show."

The comedy show was usually funded by the merchants themselves and performed for free to attract customers.

Only when the audience is amused would they toss coins onto the stage as a reward for the clowns' efforts. Flower Town was poor, and its residents were so sparing that they wouldn't even part with a single copper coin for fear of laughing too hard. It was unexpected that someone actually did tip the clown performers.

"Who were the ones who threw the coins?"

"I only saw one person throw a coin, your kitchen maid, Irene Four-Fingers."

Irene Four-Fingers?

Lister didn't have much interaction with this kitchen maid and barely saw her once a day—kitchen maids held low status and were forbidden from going upstairs, appearing in the first-floor hall, or wandering around in front of nobles. He only had a general understanding of Irene from Butler Carter, that she was a straightforward and cheerful young girl.

"Heh, young people are always so generous," he commented.

Gort wanted to say that Lister was also young, only sixteen, and younger than the girl. But he held his tongue. There was a maturity and composure about Lister that only middle-aged people possessed, making his slightly immature face easy to overlook when he interacted with others.

"Perhaps it's the innate talent that comes with noble blood," Gort often thought.

At first, he followed Lister to Flower Town just to freeload as an advisor. At his age, he no longer harbored any hopes of reviving his family's glory. To his surprise, Lister changed Flower Town, and along with it, Gort's apathetic attitude towards life.

Frya's pregnancy was merely the catalyst, Gort knew all too well.

Ultimately, it was Liszt's will that determined the actions of those around him. Otherwise, there was no need to place so much importance on an illegitimate child. Which noble didn't have a few illegitimate offspring? For the sake of family harmony, many of these noble bastards were reduced to living as serfs their entire lives.

"Teacher Gort," Liszt prompted when he noticed Gort's distraction.

Gort immediately sat up straight. "Speak."

"As an official, you must supervise every transaction in the merchant caravans to ensure that no merchants exploit the common folk. At the same time, prevent the patrol guards and clerks from taking anything from the caravans without permission."

"Rest assured, I emphasize this every day."

"Publicity work must be done well. Advertise that Flower Town welcomes outsiders to settle down with the most favorable tax policies. Also, inform the merchants about Flower Town's future development plans, showing them the layouts for the commercial district, workshop area, and residential zones, so they can envision the bright future of Flower Town."

"As you wish!"

...

After seeing Gort off, Liszt didn't immediately take his afternoon nap. Instead, he went to his study to play with the metal bottle on his desk. This message in a bottle had piqued his interest.

Focusing his mind, he summoned the Smoke Mission.

"Upon task completion, reward: A Drifting Bottle at Sea."

"Task: The unopenable bottle and incomprehensible script do not signify an insurmountable problem. The blind old tanner in the leather workshop, feeling his health deteriorate, might be willing to part with a book in exchange for a son. Task reward: An unknown book."

As anticipated, the metal bottle found by the fisherman turned out to be the reward from the Smoke Mission.

The task of trading for three gold coins with the merchant caravan had been accomplished earlier than expected.

However, upon seeing the new mission, a look of mixed amusement and frustration appeared on Liszt's face. "An unopenable bottle – does that mean I can't open the drifting bottle? And unreadable text – could it imply there's a note inside written in a foreign language? But what on earth does it mean to give an old tanner a son?"

If the other party's wife were young and charming.

List wouldn't mind gifting them a son and a hat.

But during the previous census, he had carefully reviewed the profiles of the town's artisans. He had an impression of this old cobbler; he was a widower with no relatives. Ten years ago, he had come to Flower Town by begging and settled down here, resuming his craft as a cobbler.

How could such a person receive a son from him?

"Sending a son... Perhaps I'm thinking too far off. Let's investigate the old cobbler first." He rang his bell, summoning Carter.

"Sir."

"Mr. Carter, send a message to Teacher Gort, asking him to investigate the old tanner in town. Request for detailed information. If he encounters any difficulties, offer assistance if possible."

Carter replied, "Sir, perhaps you should ask Jesse. He's quite familiar with the old tanner."

"Jesse?"

Jesse Tawmey used to be an assistant footman in the castle but had since been promoted to a full-fledged footman, mainly responsible for running errands outside the castle.

Moments later, Jesse, who was playing in the town, was summoned back.

"Sir, what can I do for you?" Even as a footman, Jesse still felt a bit uneasy in front of Liszt, unsure where to place his hands.

Liszt went straight to the point. "You're familiar with the old tanner? Tell me about this man."

"You mean Uncle Phil? I got to know Uncle Phil when I went to his tannery to repair my leather shoes. He's blind, so it's inconvenient for him to work. Besides, his health has been deteriorating, so I visit him often and help out with tasks."

"I've heard that the old tanner wishes for a son?"