Unlocked alongside the barrels came an entire brewing system, opening up possibilities Levi hadn't even considered.
By filling barrels with different combinations of ingredients, he could produce a stunning variety of alcoholic beverages. Wheat transformed into rich malt beer, and adding honey created golden mead that sparkled like liquid sunlight. Water mixed with apples yielded crisp cider, while plums produced wine with deep, complex flavors.
The options seemed endless: carrot wine, corn wine, grape wine, rum, vodka, and countless other spirits. Each ingredient brought its own character to the final product, creating unique flavor profiles that would make even the Dorwinion merchants take notice.
The brewing process itself had been simplified to an almost magical degree. Add water, incorporate the chosen ingredients, seal the barrel, then wait patiently for time to work its alchemy. No complicated procedures or mysterious techniques are required.
Finally, the mountains of grain stockpiled throughout his territory had found their true purpose.
That morning, under the curious stares of his residents, Levi materialized an impressive pile of building materials and began constructing something entirely new. In a previously empty section of the settlement, he raised a massive warehouse from the ground up. But the real work happened below, where he carved out an extensive multi-level underground wine cellar that would have made dwarven brewmasters weep with envy.
The warehouse above would store raw materials and ingredients, while the subterranean levels would handle the actual brewing and aging of finished products. Levi didn't go overboard with the excavation, stopping when he'd created enough space to comfortably house several thousand barrels.
For many days afterward, Levi practically lived in his new brewing facility, emerging only for meals and sleep. When he finally stepped back into daylight, several hundred barrels were already fermenting in carefully organized sections below.
Each wine type occupied its own designated area, clearly marked with signs to prevent any unfortunate mixing of batches. As time passed, the alcohol content in these vessels would gradually increase until reaching each variety's natural brewing limit.
Opening them prematurely would halt the process entirely, leaving the brewer with weaker spirits than intended.
Most intriguingly, the brewing system seemed to bypass certain traditional limitations. Vodka, which normally required complex distillation to achieve high proof, could reach fifty-five percent alcohol through direct brewing alone. One sip of that would leave even the hardiest dwarf seeing stars.
When Levi finally emerged from the wine cellar for good, dawn was breaking over Roadside Fort. No sooner had he stepped outside than Vide hurried over with obvious excitement.
"Sir, everyone asked me to inquire about something they've been wondering about for weeks."
"Go ahead."
"Could we perhaps take some grain to try brewing wine ourselves? Among our people are several who learned brewing skills back when they lived more comfortable lives. They've wanted to ask about this for quite a while, but since they'd never seen you drink, nor had they noticed any wine in the territory before, they worried you might disapprove of alcohol entirely."
Vide's manner had grown notably more relaxed over the months. Initially, he'd approached every conversation with Levi like a man walking on thin ice, terrified of saying the wrong thing or showing insufficient respect. But gradually, he'd discovered that his lord bore no resemblance to the pompous nobles he'd encountered in his youth.
No airs, no complicated etiquette, no explosive temper triggered by imagined slights. Just a surprisingly down-to-earth ruler who seemed more interested in getting things done than being constantly bowed to.
"Let them pursue their brewing," Levi replied without hesitation. "You know what I'm going to say next."
"I do, sir." Vide's weathered face crinkled into a smile. "Take as much as needed, but don't waste anything."
He hurried back to deliver this authorization to the eager brewers, who had been waiting with barely contained excitement.
Grain had always been precious beyond measure in their former lives. Having enough to eat was already a blessing, so who would dare divert it to other purposes? But here, abundance was the norm. As long as waste was avoided, experimentation was encouraged.
Several old craftsmen leaped to their feet when Vide delivered the news, already rolling up their sleeves and discussing techniques they hadn't used in years. But once they began the actual work, reality presented new obstacles.
They lacked many specialized tools and materials that proper brewing required. Basic containers and equipment could be fashioned from readily available supplies, but certain processes demanded specific components that couldn't be improvised.
These men possessed genuine brewing expertise, enough to qualify as professional brewers under normal circumstances. The problem was their current reputation levels hadn't reached Practitioner status yet, preventing them from officially taking up the profession and accessing advanced techniques.
Without those professional benefits, they faced small but persistent hurdles, missing key ingredients that would make the difference between mediocre alcohol and truly fine spirits.
But the residents of Roadside Fort were nothing if not resourceful.
The recent visit from Dorwinion merchants had sparked an interesting idea. If traveling traders could come here to sell their goods, why couldn't Roadside Fort establish its own trading company to venture out and acquire whatever they needed?
Discussions began immediately among interested parties. With the lord's permission, they could form a small mercantile group to visit other cities, trading their abundant high-quality goods for specialized materials and tools unavailable locally.
Several residents had lived in major settlements before arriving here, giving them valuable knowledge of current market prices and trading practices.
When this proposal reached Levi, he approved it without hesitation.
Through democratic selection, eight residents formed Roadside Fort's first official trading company, tasked with representing the entire community in external commerce. Before their departure, numerous neighbors approached them with specific requests for items to bring back.
Though Levi had established no formal rules governing such arrangements, the residents spontaneously agreed among themselves: the trading company would acquire exactly what everyone needed, nothing more and nothing less. No one would profit at their neighbors' expense.
Soon, under the watchful eyes of the entire settlement, the newly formed merchant group departed with a cart loaded with their finest goods. Among the eight members were four former hunters who possessed both wilderness skills and the ability to handle trouble if it arose.
Not that trouble was likely. Simply mentioning their lord's name would probably send any potential threats fleeing in the opposite direction.
The roads between Bree, Weathertop, and Roadside Fort had become remarkably safe in recent years. Where once orcs and bandits might have lurked, now only peaceful travelers and legitimate merchants dared to venture.
Even the local wildlife seemed to understand the new order. Wargs that once roamed freely now kept their distance, often standing frustrated at invisible boundaries while their prey escaped to safety. Word of Levi's activities had spread far beyond human settlements, creating a zone of influence that extended for miles in every direction.
As for bandits and ruffians, they had simply vanished from the area entirely. Some had fled to distant regions, others had grudgingly taken up honest work, and a few had even returned to farming, occupations they'd previously scorned as beneath them.
Fear was a powerful motivator. These criminals had heard the stories: a legendary hero of justice who wouldn't tolerate evil of any kind, who had personally intervened in matters as small as property disputes between hobbits. If such a man would cross a kingdom to address minor wrongs, what might he do to those whose crimes were far more serious?
The mere possibility was enough to keep former criminals awake at night, wondering if each sunrise might bring a black-armored figure to their door.
The trading expedition proceeded without incident, reaching Bree in just a few days. Unfortunately, they discovered that the Dorwinion merchants had preceded them, saturating the local market with similar goods. Most of what they'd brought found few buyers, forcing them to continue westward to the Shire.
Their luck improved dramatically in hobbit lands. The Shire contained numerous towns and villages, far too many for even the most ambitious traveling merchants to visit completely. More importantly, hobbits showed extraordinary enthusiasm for fresh winter produce, especially the fruits and vegetables that made up the bulk of their cargo.
Every hobbit was a natural hoarder, their homes filled with preserved foods and stored supplies. But no amount of preserved goods could compare to truly fresh ingredients appearing in the depths of winter, when such things should be impossible to find.
This was why Bilbo had chosen to visit the market when first entertaining Levi, rather than relying on his extensive pantry stores.
The hobbits' enthusiasm proved infectious and profitable. Before the trading company had even finished visiting their first Shire village, eager customers had purchased their entire stock. With pockets now heavy with silver coins and successful barter arrangements, the merchants began acquiring everything their neighbors back home had requested.
They departed the Shire with a cart just as full as when they'd arrived, but now loaded with exotic spices, specialized brewing equipment, fine cloth, and numerous other items unavailable in their isolated territory.
The first experimental trading mission had exceeded all expectations, proving that Roadside Fort's prosperity could extend far beyond its walls through careful commerce and strategic relationships.