Craving for Rice
It was my third day in Burst territory.
Yesterday I’d taught them how to cook rice, made plum wine, and helped capture some adventurers from the capital—so tired that I didn’t wake up until… well, until Pearl shook me awake thirty minutes before breakfast.
“Thanks, Pearl.”
(I thought about letting you sleep in, but hey, this isn’t the Lampail estate.)
Over morning tea after breakfast, Belle’s father asked to discuss local production and consumption, so we headed to his office.
“First, here’s a list of Burst’s crops… Do you think anything could be done with them?”
“Hmm, this time of year you’ve got tomatoes, eggplants, and plums. For plums, you can make plum wine. For tomatoes, how about processing them into tomato sauce or ketchup?”
“““Tomato sauce and ketchup?”””
“Yes. Tomato sauce can go on dishes like the chicken steak we had the other day, and ketchup… here, try this. Put some on a Lampail Dog.”
“… Hm? This sausage is coated in batter?”
“Yes. Sweet batter fried around it, with ketchup—a thicker, more reduced tomato sauce. The sweet and sour go together perfectly. How is it?”
“Delicious! But does ketchup have other uses?”
“Of course. For example… omurice. Or honey pork chops with ketchup. Or nuggets with fried onions.”
“S-so many…!”
“Joan’s storage really is amazing…”
“Father, Brother, it’s Joan we’re talking about!”
“… Belle?”
Unable to decide about food alone, Belle’s father called in Belle’s mother and the head chef, Athos.
Everyone except Belle and me sampled the ketchup dishes I took out of storage.
“““Delicious!!”””
“So tasty~”
“Joan, could you teach us how to make this ketchup?”
“Of course! But in return, once it’s established, please let Lampail territory buy some too.”
“Certainly. But what should we give you in exchange for the recipe?”
“Huh? Nothing, really.”
“No, no, that wouldn’t be right.”
“Then… rice! Please sell me rice at a good price!!”
“Th-that’s all?”
“Hans, it’s not ‘just.’ Rice! Until now I’ve only eaten imported grain from the east, but Burst-grown rice tastes far better!!”
“O-oh…”
“And it’s not just me—I know others who’ll definitely buy it. So please, start full-scale rice farming next year! I’m begging you!”
“But will the people agree to grow rice just for you, your family, and Joan’s acquaintances to buy…?”
“Then may I do a presentation for the people?”
““““Presentation?””””
“Show them how delicious rice is.”
“Joan, how?”
“By making rice balls and giving them out free.”
“““““Free!?”””””
“Yes! If they’ve never eaten it, they need to taste it first. Nobody buys food they don’t know. So you give it free, and that spreads the word.”
“I see… that’s clever. Then anyone would try it.”
“True, but even if the people say it’s tasty, will farmers really start growing it…?”
Hans had a point.
“Then let’s have the rice farmers themselves taste it. If they still won’t expand production…”
“““““And if they don’t?”””””
“… I’ll use a contact. I don’t like to, but.”
“You have someone with that kind of influence?”
“Yeah. I think that person would happily offer performance bonuses to rice farmers if it meant more rice.”
“““““Bonuses!?”””””
“Yes. If that happens, rice will spread everywhere, so I’d rather not rely on it. But if I give that person Burst rice, they’ll definitely buy it every year—and once they share it, word will spread for sure. Their craving for rice is unbelievable.”
““““Craving for rice…””””
“Joan… that contact… could it be…”
“Uh, my father’s childhood friend’s wife?”
“Don’t tell me…”
“Yep. Probably who you’re thinking of.”
“Ahh. Then it’ll spread without fail…”
“Belle, you know this person? Who is it?”
“Um, Brother… best you don’t know.”
“Why not!?”
“Belle, why can’t you say?”
“I can tell Father and Mother, but…”
“What about me!?”
“Brother, stop yelling. No one likes pushy men. Father, lend me your ear… whisper, whisper.”
“What!?”
“Mother too… whisper, whisper.”
“Eh!?”
“M-Miss J-Joan… c-c-c-could this be true?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
“Then we must persuade the farmers.”
“Yes. If my contact eats it and likes it, it’ll sell instantly. No doubt about it!”
“Jess, summon the rice farmers immediately.”
“At once.”
The steward hurried out.
“Athos, do we still have any of yesterday’s cooked rice?”
“No, it was all eaten.”
“Then cook more, quickly!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Athos dashed out too.
“Father, who could make you this shaken? Who’s Marquis Lampail's childhood friend’s wife?”
“Ahh, come to think of it, the Marquis and that person were classmates…”
“Yes. And because of the familiars and my skills, I often went to that household… well, even now sometimes?”
“That household, Joan? Ahaha.”
“Well, it *is* a household, isn’t it?”
“Come on, who is it!? Stop ignoring me!”
“Brother… if you knew, you’d make a fuss.”
“I’m not a child! I won’t make a fuss.”
“Really? If you do, you’ll owe me cake at a capital café.”
“Fine, deal. Joan’s share too.”
“Ahaha. My contact is… the Queen.”
“Oh, the Queen? Hm? … Th-the QUEEN!?”
“Yes, cake confirmed!”
“No, no, no way…!”
“Young Master Hans… I’m dead serious. That person loves rice as much as I do. If she tastes Burst rice, she’ll give it her seal of approval without question. That’s why I want to save her as the last resort. You understand?”
Hearing that, Hans nodded so hard it looked like his head might fall off.
What do you think about this chapter?
