Reincarnated with the Country System

Chapter 52 Cultural exchange (2)

25—10—1560 WC

★★★

Most nobles of the Britannia Kingdom began to oppose printed books. They feared a world where knowledge became freely available, threatening their exclusive grasp on power and creating a society where commoners might surpass them intellectually.

As tensions escalated, Queen Maria raised her hand to silence the room. "Everyone, calm down. Diplomat Joseph has brought more goods from his homeland. Let us hear him out."

Duchess Milana supported her. "I agree with the Queen. Let's see what else he has to offer."

All the Nobles calmed down.

Joseph, visibly relieved, dabbed sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. "Thank you, Queen Maria and Duchess Milana, for your cooperation!" Bowing slightly, he added,"If you consider printed books a threat to your rule, then I'm removing this from here product. We have more products."

{Ah! I thought I had gotten into big trouble. I should have shown them the goods more carefully}

With a silent nod, Joseph motioned to his men, who brought forward another cart covered by a large black curtain.

"My apologies for earlier," Joseph said with a sheepish smile. "Please, allow me to introduce something else from my homeland."

A noble said in an annoying voice, "I hope you don't show us anything like that printed book again."

Joseph laughed nervously, "Hmm. Don't worry, I won't show you anything like that again. I want to introduce you to some of the food from our country this time."

He pulled off the curtain, revealing neatly stacked cans

Joseph explained the canned food to the people in front of him, " This is a canned sardine it contains a kind of small oily fish. This food can last up to five years, but I suggest should you eat this sardine in just three years, as the taste and quality of these food changes after five years, but they are still edible. "

A noble raised his hand and asked Joseph a question, " How is that possible? How is that food being processed? I am quite curious to know how you do it to preserve this food for that long. You know that we process our food to have a longer shelf life by smoking for meat and drying for fish; all of this is done with the help of salt. So how can this food be preserved for five years? "

Joseph started to explain, " Well this preservation technique also uses salt. "

All the nobles started whispering; the same noble asked Joseph, " Then if it uses salt, we can surely also be able to preserve it longer, but we have already seen it: smoked meat can only last for two to four months during winter, and only a month in the hot summer days. So I'm sure it is not only salt that, you use to preserve this sardine. "

Joseph answered the man again, "You are correct with your deduction; it is true that salt is not the only thing we use to preserve this food; its container is one of the most important factors in preserving this food. If you look closely at the can, you will notice that there are no holes and leaks where air can get inside the container, because of this bacteria, microbes and other microscopic organisms that cause food to spoil do not get inside the can, making it able to be edible for long periods of time."Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Joseph took out a knife to open a can and began to demonstrate the method. He gave each of them a spoon and a can. "Please try this."

His eyes waited for their reaction.

The nobles had curious faces as they saw the can get opened; some nobles were even having mixed decisions about whether they would eat it or not.

The nobles then start to scoop from the can using their spoons, one noble even sniffed the sardine.

Joseph spoke, "Well, I guess you might have a sweet tooth, sir, as I am one too; my favourite is actually milk chocolates. "

Another cart was brought to them. There were many bottles in this cart.

"You may be thirsty now. So I am serving you the popular drinks of our country."

Joseph took out two bottles from the cart. "These drinks are Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Please try them. You can take whichever bottle you want."

"Coca-Cola? Pepsi?" said one of the noblemen, surprised, "These names are strange."

Curiosity piqued, the nobles began to approach the cart, examining the strange bottles lined neatly inside.

A nobleman picked up a Coca-Cola bottle and turned it over in his hands. "Its color is... unusual. Dark as ink, yet oddly appealing," he remarked, holding it up to the light

Beside him, another nobleman, leaning over, examined the bottle. "Yes, interesting colour. But I like blue. That's more pleasant," he said, holding up the Pepsi bottle.

A murmur spread among the group as they inspected the bottles, their designs unfamiliar and intriguing.

"These drinks... are a bit strange," said one, bringing the bottle to his nose and sniffing. "There's a strange smell... like a bit of... Wine?"

Another noble, carefully holding a bottle, said, "Yes, it looks like Wine."

The others also began to smell the bottles.

"Wine?" Joseph said with a smile, "No, no, these are sodas. You should try them, you'll be surprised! Try it once, your heart will be filled with life!"

Nobles started drinking Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Some took a hesitant sip, while others were more adventurous, gulping down the unfamiliar beverage.

The reaction was varied. Some wrinkled their noses, finding the taste strange. Others, however, surprised themselves by enjoying the sweetness.

One noble, a woman with piercing blue eyes, exclaimed, "This... this is unlike anything I've ever tasted! It's sweet, and... and somehow invigorating!"

Another, a tall man with a distinguished beard, nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it's not unpleasant. I must admit."

Joseph observed the nobles with a gleam in his eye. "Ah, I see you've discovered the magic of Coke and Pepsi. It's a taste you won't soon forget."

"Diplomatic Joseph, I agree with you. This drink is the best," Duke Farl said, taking a sip.

"This Coca-Cola is great. I've never drunk anything like it before." declared one noble,"The taste is exquisite, a delightful balance of sweetness. This is the best."

Another, a flamboyant woman adorned with jewels, disagreed, "Nonsense! Pepsi has a more refreshing quality, a hint of citrus that awakens the senses. It's the perfect drink for a hot day."

Most of the people in the room started arguing. Some argued for Coke's boldness, others for Pepsi's subtle sweetness. A few even found themselves in difficult situation, unable to choose between the two.