Chapter 483: Distraction
Michael didn’t want the kids to meddle with the inspection, so he had to get them off of his automobile. And the only way to do that was to bribe them.
And of course, children were very picky. They weren’t entertained just by any normal item. So, he had to get something exotic—something they hadn’t seen before.
He had just had the perfect item in mind.
Thankfully, the process was pretty easy.
First, he reached down into his own shadow. His arm suddenly appeared right in their kitchen in the Nation of Reborn, surprising some of the chefs that were working inside it.
He took out a small wooden cup and dunked it onto the orange juice concoction that the chefs were preparing. He would have chosen another kind of drink, but this was the only one that the chefs prepared for today.
Then, following ChatJK4’s instructions, he filled it with other ingredients like sugar and some other syrups.
And after that, there was just one final thing he needed to do. He used his Supreme Skill to gather all of the Carbon Dioxide into the air and transfer them over to the drink itself.
And by applying the right amount of pressure, those Carbon Dioxide gases began to turn into a liquid that slowly dissolved into the orange drink.
Suddenly, bubbles began forming on the bottom of the cup, which then floated up to the top and popped continuously once they made contact with the air, creating that famous and iconic sound that he was so familiar with back in his previous world.
Voila! He had made a fizzy drink, or what others liked to call a soda!
He took out this rudimentary version of an orange soda pop and revealed it to the kids.
....sip....sip....
"Ahhh, that’s good," he muttered, with the sound of the carbonated drink fizzling near his mouth.
Immediately, as if they were a shark sensing blood in the water, the four kids turned their heads towards Michael with red in their eyes.
"What’s that?" the eldest boy asked Michael.
And as if not expecting their question, he shrugged. "Oh, this? It’s just a small little drink that I made up."
The kids looked at this exotic drink and couldn’t help but gulp.
"Can we take a sip?" the girl asked him.
Michael looked at them, then back to his cup. He then moved it closer to them, as if he was about to let them take a sip.
And at the very last moment, he took it back from them.
"Ah, I don’t think it’s such a good idea," he told them. "This drink is not like anything you’ve ever drank before. There’s these bubbles that make your mouth all tingly. I don’t think you guys can handle it," he said sternly, but secretly moving it closer to them to let them have a better look.
Mind you, these kids were children of royals. They were very spoiled and were given everything they could ever want in life. If they wanted something, then the butler would move heaven and earth to get it.
And now, this was the first time that they wanted something they couldn’t have. And this...made them want it even more.
"But I guess I can let you have a sip," he told them.
He gave the orange soda to the eldest boy who was about four years younger than Michael.
The boy took the cup and sipped the soda.
He flinched, eyes widening, as he experienced the CO2 dissolving in his tongue, letting him experience the fizzy sensation of the soda.
But after the initial shock, he realized that he didn’t hate the fizzy sensation. In fact, he loved it!
He felt curious for more so he took another sip.
"AHHHH!" the boy said, wiping his mouth. "THIS IS SO WEIRD AND AMAZING! WHAT IS THIS?"
"That’s called a soda," Michael answered.
The other children eyed the soda in the cup, wanting to try it for themselves.
And so, they began sharing the small cup of soda, taking their own sips and getting hooked on the tingling sensation in their mouths. They giggled and laughed as they experienced this new sensation.
It wasn’t long before the cup turned empty.
The boy looked at Michael and gave him the cup. "We want more!" he demanded.
Michael inwardly smiled, knowing that the sharks took the bait—hook, line, and sinker.
"Hmmm...maybe. But you see, I’m having a bit of trouble with this automobile inspection. I won’t be able to get another cup until after it’s done. Can you guys wait back in the castle and let us finish this inspection?"
Immediately, the four royal children stood up straight and saluted at Michael.
"Yes, boss!" they shouted.
And just like soldiers, they began marching back towards the mansion shouting: We want soda! We want soda!
Meanwhile, their parents watched all of this unfold from the sidelines.
As they saw their kids march back to the castle without another word, their jaws dropped on the floor. Their unruly children showed discipline and control unlike anything they had ever seen before.
"My kids have never followed someone’s commands before. Not even the Duchess herself," Prince Harry said in disbelief.
"You tamed the monsters. You tamed the beasts," exclaimed Princess Elizabeth. "Michael, you must tell me what you did to get them to become so obedient."
"It’s just a drink that I made. I’ll give you guys a sample later. Just make sure not to give it to them too often," he said to them.
"Are you going to sell that soda too? If so, then I’ll be your first customer," said the Prince, with a bit of desperation in his voice.
"Me too, me too!"
Michael nodded, easing their worries. "I’ll probably sell them once we get settled down in our spot."
Immediately, the prince and the princess called the butlers over and notified them to start buying Michael’s soda once they were available.
The butlers walked over to Michael and asked him to sell them twenty barrels worth of soda. They didn’t even ask how much they were worth. And Michael had a feeling that even if he priced them like they were gold, they wouldn’t care and still purchase it.
Hmm...maybe I should start a soda pop business, he pondered.
All sorts of ideas popped into his head, but he had to set them aside for now. His focus shifted back onto the automobile. After all, he wouldn’t be able to start his soda business if he couldn’t get approval to have his trucks transport materials into Metropolis.
"Ahem...how about the automobile?" he asked them.
The Prince smacked his own head. "I’m sorry. I was so focused on my children and the soda that I almost completely forgot. I shall begin with the inspection immediately."
Just like before, his hands shined a light that scanned the entire automobile. This time, it was completed.
The light dissipated in Prince Harry’s hands. He nodded in satisfaction, as magic itself determined that the automobile was safe and had no hurtful mechanisms hidden inside.
"It is safe," Prince Harry declared.
"Now is it my turn?" Princess Elizabeth asked. "I would like to see the capabilities of the automobile myself."
Michael agreed and gave her instructions on how to drive it.
"So this the brake, that’s the acceleration, and I control it with this wheel. Got it," she said as she got on the driving seat.
Michael was about to tell her to be careful, when the automobile suddenly rode off into the distance, leaving Prince Harry shocked at its immense speed.