It’s Village Revitalization Time
It looked like I’d arrived at the exhibit area for the works from Lux Village.
It had such distinctive pieces that I recognized it right away.
There were simple necklaces and earrings made using a single Rainbow Fish scale, and wooden coasters decorated with flowers and plants crafted from the same scales.
These coasters were so well-made they could easily serve as decorative ornaments.
Maybe I should suggest making versions that can be stood upright for display.
As I moved on, I found a collection of glass art.
When I got closer, I realized they were glass figurines of Atre and the others.
This must be from Carlos’s workshop.
The price was surprisingly low—just one copper coin per figure.
Rather than one-of-a-kind pieces, they seemed to be made by pouring glass into molds.
If they made a display case to hold all eight figures together, that’d be interesting.
However, Luan and Lucia, and Kamui and Levin were each made as parent-and-child pairs—two figures joined on a single glass base, sold as one piece for one copper and six iron coins. So, it’s a bit cheaper than buying two separately.
I’d been considering cookies and plush toys featuring Atre and the others for the new district, but I hadn’t thought of glass figures.
It makes me really happy that they made these even though I never told anyone about my ideas.
I was completely absorbed in looking at them when Georges came over and asked if I’d like lunch.
Oh, is it that late already? Time flies fast.
We moved to another room for the confectionery tasting.
In the two salon rooms near the grand hall, pre-wrapped souvenir sets were displayed on the tables, and Georges took out samples from unsealed bags to serve me one at a time.
“The seals on these were opened earlier—we’ve already tested them for poison,” he said.
“It’s fine, I’m sure.”
“Just to be safe,” he replied seriously.
Most of the sweets used the local specialty fruits—dried and mixed into cookies or pound cakes.
Among them was something resembling a cereal bar—dried fruits and nuts bound together with honey or sugar.
When I asked Georges if this kind of bar existed before, he said no.
I commented that knights, adventurers, and merchants would probably love them, and he told me that nearly everyone who tasted one said the same thing.
So that one’s bound to be a regular product.
Among the sweets I tried, there were two that I especially liked—it’s going to be hard deciding which to vote for.
In the afternoon, while continuing through the handicraft exhibits, one bamboo craft piece caught my eye.
It was a 20-centimeter-tall flower vase made from very thin bamboo strips, just one or two millimeters wide.
A colored glass bottle was fitted in the center, and instead of the usual woven pattern, it was shaped like a tea whisk.
It was beautiful, but as a souvenir, maybe not so practical.
It’s delicate and a bit bulky, so it’d really only suit those who have a Magic Bag.
Wait a second—could this person make tea whisks too?
If so, my matcha lattes could turn out even creamier. I’ll have to keep an eye on this artisan.
Then there was a fabric bag—on the outside, a patchwork of colorful fabric scraps, with a plain canvas-like lining inside.
At first I thought it was patchwork, but there were no seams between the scraps.
How did they make that? It’s fascinating.
If it can be mass-produced, it’d probably be popular as pouches or small accessories too. There were so many potential souvenir items—it was fun just looking at them all.
“Hardt, are you finished judging the crafts and souvenirs?” Brother Gerald asked as I was heading back to my room.
He must’ve just returned from the street market himself.
“There were lots of interesting pieces—it was fun. Some might not suit as souvenirs, but I found a few I’d like to sell.”
“I agree. Everything was carefully made, but when displayed side by side, the really good ones stood out right away.”
The popular-vote awards for souvenirs—both food and crafts—and for the restaurant section’s dishes would be decided by votes from our family, our household staff, the trading company, both guild staffs, Princess Rinaluna’s group, and Atre and the others.
For the food and craft categories in the souvenir division, the shop that takes first place will receive a ten-gold-coin prize—an idea I added to the proposal.
There were a lot of changes along the way, but since this was our first attempt, I hope the participants will forgive us.
On the second night, our family and Raziel gathered to choose which items would be officially adopted in the new district’s souvenir lineup.
“If we can make it through tomorrow, things will finally settle down,” Father said with relief as he sipped his tea. “The crowds were surprising, but it’s been a satisfying event.”
“Father, I’d like to speak with these people tomorrow,” I said, handing him a sheet of paper.
“This is quite the list. Whether they’re selected or not, what exactly do you plan to do?”
“I want to invite them for collaborations.”
“””Huh?”””
“......”
“Again with your schemes.”
“This sounds fun.”
“What am I going to do with this child.”
A variety of reactions all at once.
Some of the street stall foods seemed awkward to eat on the go, so I wanted to suggest serving them as set meals at the dining hall instead.
Raziel asked, “And what about the shops selling things like fruit compotes and jams, which don’t really fit the dining hall?”
“I want to pair them with the shop selling the thick, omelet-style baked egg dish.”
It was the one that resembled a quiche, using a tart-like crust.
“You mean you think that same crust would suit dessert-style dishes as well?”
“Exactly. If it works out, instead of street stalls, we could open an actual shop.”
“And who would manage this dining hall?”
“How about a ‘Local Cuisine Café’ right next to the specialty goods store?”
If any of the participants wanted to work there, great. If not, we could ask to license their recipes instead.
“Father, this is about village revitalization! The shops I’ve listed all use their village’s specialty ingredients.”
“Haha! Alfrecht, looks like you lost this one.”
Grandfather chuckled as Father let out a deep sigh and slumped his shoulders.
But this really is important—it’ll bring life to the new district.
What do you think about this chapter?
