Using Them for Business?
“Head chef, do we still have curry powder left?”
“There’s just a little left.”
“Then make curry without any ingredients, just the sauce. And could you prepare some orc meat too?”
Even though the hot spring eggs had been a bit underwhelming, the moment the chef realized I was going to try a new dish, he suddenly perked up and instructed his staff to make the curry without any solid ingredients.
I had the chef mince the orc meat and onions. We don’t have a machine for grinding orc meat, after all.
I added milk to bread crumbs, then mixed in the minced orc meat and onions, followed by beaten eggs. I kneaded it, shaped it, and had them cook it.
Once the hamburg steaks were done, we poured curry over them and topped them with a hot spring egg.
It looked delicious.
Cutting into the hamburger with a knife along with the hot spring egg let the yolk spill over the patty. I scooped some yolk with my fork and took a bite.
Yes, this was it—the creamy, runny yolk made it taste even better.
The chef ate it carefully, savoring the flavor.
“I see. So rather than eating it on its own, it’s meant to mellow out the taste of the dish?”
“Exactly. We don’t have much curry powder, so try experimenting with other dishes instead. I think it would go well with salad or pasta too.”
“Would it be possible to make this with the hot springs in the manor?”
“No, you can’t. It has to be done at the hot springs in the hot spring town. The texture of the egg changes with the water temperature. I want to make this one of the local specialty dishes there. If you ask Maria, she’ll make some and bring them back for you, so just prepare the eggs and this bamboo basket.”
I handed the remaining hot spring eggs to the chef and left the kitchen.
When I tried to return to my room, Georges stopped me and said that my father wanted to see me, leading me to the study.
“Hardt, why did you go straight to the kitchen instead of reporting to me, Father, or Gerald? Do you have any idea how serious it is that a white dragon has become your familiar?”
“It’s no different from before, is it? It’s not like I asked for a familiar contract—it just happened.”
“Even if you did nothing, people will take notice—not just in this country, but from other nations too. There’s a dragon scale auction coming up, and people from abroad will attend. If word about you spreads, high-ranking nobles—or even royalty—might come.”
“Then wouldn’t it be fine to report it after the auction? I’m not going to the royal capital this winter anyway. Lucas also declared he’s not going to the castle, so it’s too much of a hassle. I’ll spend my time relaxing here.”
“It’s scarier to leave you to your own devices. You’re coming to the capital.”
“Grandfather and Grandmother are here, and I’m not going into the Sea of Trees, so there won’t be any problems. So no, I don’t want to go.”
While Father and I were locked in a “going” vs. “not going” battle, Grandfather stepped in and said he’d take me along when he went to inspect the hot spring town, which made Father finally relent.
Father made me promise that if anything happened, I would consult with Grandfather or Grandmother before acting.
It’s a matter for the future, so why bring it up now? I only half listened.
Grandfather changed the subject. “Why do you want to name the streets in the hot spring town after Kamui and the others?”
“Well, we have ten familiars in the family. Don’t you think it would feel like stepping into another country? We could decorate the streets with pictures or metalworks of the familiars, maybe even put them on address plates. They could even be mascots—we could sell cookies shaped like them.”
“Wait, Hardt. You’re full of ideas, but we can’t keep up. Explain one thing at a time.”
I remembered the arch-shaped signs at the entrances to shopping streets from my previous life and sketched one on straw paper, writing ‘○○ Shopping Street’ on it.
“I see. So you mean putting up signs at the entrances to the roads leading to the square—like ‘Kamui Street’—with a picture or a metalwork depiction of Kamui.”
“What about the ring road? Since it crosses eight streets, signs would be tricky.”
“For the ring road, we could just change the color of the pavement. And for addresses, I think we should standardize them with metal plates shaped like the familiars.”
“Address plates?”
“They’re signs with the block number. If an inn could say ‘○○ Street, Number ○,’ it would be easier to guide guests.”
Since the hot spring town is being built as a tourist destination, we need clear landmarks for visitors. If the buildings are going to be cute, the street names should be too.
“I’m pretty sure Atre and the others are already telling everyone, so it’s basically decided.”
“True, Ripka’s reaction was something. He was flying around in excitement…”
.
“Alright, I understand the road part. Now, you said something about mascots and cookies?”
“A mascot is the symbol of a town—like Westland’s coat of arms.”
I suggested making cookies shaped like Atre and the others, plush toys, ribbons, and embroidered handkerchiefs to sell as souvenirs.
“Hardt, are you planning to use Ripka and the others for business too?”
“They wouldn’t be appearing in person. Since people already know our familiars from seeing us with them in the domain capital, these would be keepsakes for visitors to remember their trip to the hot spring town. I think it works well if we name streets after them.”
If we want the town to succeed as a tourist spot, we need repeat visitors.
If there’s good food and plenty of souvenirs alongside the hot springs, people will tell their families and friends, and it’ll make them want to come again.
For example, they might come for a day trip like today, but next time, they might decide to stay overnight.
That’s why we need dishes and attractions that can only be enjoyed in the hot spring town.
What do you think about this chapter?
