He begins market research. Ambushed by thugs in a narrow alley, Ralph instantly subdues them with a silent Fireball spell. He thrusts his dagger bearing the ducal crest into their faces and offers them their lives on the condition that they become future customers of his bar. Ralph surveys the bustling stalls, mentally cataloging ingredients that can replicate Earth's izakaya menu: chopped fish and root vegetables for oden, fried chicken, and mashed potatoes for salad. His attention is ultimately captured by two starving orphan girls selling green peas that perfectly evoke the edamame from his past life. Following them to the orphanage, he finds the building crumbling and cold. The head nun, Sister Evelyn, is gaunt and anxious. Ralph gives her three gold coins as a down payment for the peas. Her extreme terror at receiving the money immediately signals to Ralph that the territory's generous funds for the orphanage are being embezzled. He silently orders his head maid, Anna, to conduct a covert investigation.
Ralph decides to make the orphanage the core of his supply chain. He brings the children to the mansion's kitchen for a trial run. The room becomes a battlefield of wheat flour as the children knead dough and prepare the filling. Ralph teaches them to make gyoza, using orc meat and exotic spices. He develops the dipping sauce using fish sauce and alchemy to replicate the taste of shoyu from his past life. The children's honest delight when they taste the browned gyoza confirms the recipe as a resounding success. Ralph then confronts Evelyn with the evidence of her embezzlement. Instead of having her hanged, he forces her into servitude for the izakaya project, using her guilt and fear to secure her loyalty. He offers the orphanage a path to redemption. The children will be paid wages for their labor, and every coin will go towards repairing the orphanage and improving their living conditions. For the first time, a spark of hope appears in Evelyn's eyes.
With the food perfected, Ralph turns to the beverages. Disgusted by the world's crude farmer's ale, which has an incomplete fermentation and strong sourness, he contracts a local farmer for a stable supply and travels to the Royal Capital to meet his old friend, the alchemical pharmacy specialist Alfred. Together they experiment tirelessly, combining ale, high-quality white wine, and aromatic herbs. Using alchemical knowledge and Ralph's memory of Earth's craft beers, they successfully create a revolutionary line of flavored beers—citrus ales, spiced ales, and floral ales entirely new to this different world. Alfred declares the drink the pinnacle of alchemy, surprised by the harmonious blend.
Ralph returns to the orphanage carrying the new beverages. The children cheer as they taste a sweet, non-alcoholic version of the floral ale he specially prepared. He hands a cup of the spiced ale to Evelyn. She sips it cautiously. The complex aroma and smooth taste wash away her tension. Her expression, previously a mask of fear and guilt, finally breaks into a genuine smile of pure enjoyment. The embezzlement case is closed through Evelyn's servitude, the gyoza is ready, the flavored beers are perfected, and the orphanage children are ready to work for proper wages. The orphans wave goodbye, calling him the "wicked lord," a title he accepts with a laugh. The Izakaya Lord's Manor is set to open its doors, born from the boredom of a reincarnated duke and the labor of a reformed community.
| Date | Group | Release |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c21 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c20 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c19 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c18 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c17 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c16 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c15 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c14 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c13 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c12 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c11 |
| 2026-05-29 | lightnovelasia | c10 |