Canned Food Factory Tour
“It's quite noisy, are you all right with that?”
With my approval, we began our tour of the canned food factory.
It seemed the factory was actually a large warehouse.
Inside, stacks of rolled aluminum sheets were piled high.
There were two magic tools—each about 1.5 meters tall—and between the tanks and a tunnel-like machine, cans were being made. The finished product coming out of the tunnel were round cans about five centimeters tall and ten centimeters in diameter.
“They’re a little small for soup.”
“They’re concentrated for two people. You just add water and heat it up.”
“Sounds like something that would sell well to traveling merchants and adventurers.”
“Yes, we also supply the Knights’ Order.”
“Really?”
When I turned to Meyer behind me, he added, “They keep for a long time, and all you need to do is add water, so they’re quite convenient.”
“So I’ve probably eaten these too, huh?”
“I’ve served them to you a few times in the Great Forest.”
Apparently, I’d been enjoying these canned goods myself.
“Do the ranch owners around here also run canning factories?”
“No, not all of them. The magic tools are expensive, but more and more are introducing them since it provides a stable income.”
“Are there other kinds of canned goods?”
“There’s also potato potage soup.”
“What about corn?”
“Corn?”
“If you boil corn, mash it, and mix it with soup, it’d probably taste really good.”
“Ah, like a potato potage version but with corn instead.”
“I’ll boil some corn right away, so please wait a moment,” the ranch owner said, hurrying back to his house.
Turning to Meyer and the others, I asked, “So there wasn’t a corn soup—or potage—before this?”
“Young Master Reinhardt, have you ever had corn soup at the mansion?”
Now that he mentioned it… I hadn’t.
“Hardt, didn’t you say new dishes were impossible?” Lucas cut in.
“I just said I can’t cook.”
“Then what was that idea just now?”
“A whim?”
“At this rate, I’ll keep missing out on new dishes unless I’m with you.”
“Yeah, same here—if I’m not with you, I’ll miss out.”
“Atre, Lucas… weren’t you saying you wanted to come along because you didn’t want to be apart from me?”
Both Atre and Lucas averted their eyes.
Come on, even if it’s a lie, just say it’s because you want to stay with me.
Seeing how down I was, they quickly tried to make up for it.
“I was joking.”
“Sorry for teasing you.”
Even then, I guess they panicked a little seeing me still sulking.
“It’s just… being with you is always fun, Hardt.”
“That’s right. I want to be with you, after all.”
“So it’s not because of food? You’re not going to say it’s about new dishes again?”
“Well… that’s a little hard to promise.”
Lucas, you really can’t hide it, huh—it is about the food.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,”
The ranch owner came back, and Lucas looked visibly relieved to have escaped further questioning. But I, being kindhearted, pretended not to notice.
Looking into the pot, I saw that the corn soup was already complete.
“I mixed it with chicken bone broth and milk, then adjusted the taste with salt and pepper.”
He poured the corn soup into cups and handed them to us.
One sip—and it was unmistakably corn soup.
He also prepared separate dishes and cups for Atre and Lucas, filling them with the soup.
“This soup’s delicious. I like it better than the potato potage.”
“Mm, it’s smooth and easy to drink.”
When I asked if he still had some boiled corn left, he said he did, so I asked him to try adding it into the pot of soup.
He brought out the corn kernels, stirred them into the soup, and served us again.
“The little popping texture from the kernels adds a nice accent. This version’s great too.”
“Yeah, I can’t decide which one I like better.”
“Young Master Reinhardt, thank you. We’ve just gained a new soup variety.”
I was surprised myself how easily it came together.
Still, it’s a good thing to have more soup options.
Since this year’s corn harvest was small, they couldn’t can it yet, but he said he’d expand the fields next year and give it a try.
I got permission to make corn soup at the mansion and said I’d contact them later regarding the patent application before we returned home.
The next day, Atre and Lucas went to the head chef, saying how delicious the new soup was and asking him to make it again. The panicked chef came running to me, practically in tears.
No, no—I didn’t ignore him. It just happened by chance while we were out.
All right, fine. Let’s head to the kitchen.
I explained it was basically the potato potage version made with corn, and had him make it.
That evening, corn soup appeared at dinner—and I got scolded by my parents for not reporting it first.
I just didn’t have the time to—honestly.
When I explained it was something we came up with at the canning factory, they sighed deeply.
Still, finding something new wherever I go… that’s not such a bad thing, right?
What do you think about this chapter?
