Negotiation
Ed, Mira, and I were waiting in the dining room when my father and the steward arrived to guide them in.
“Oh, so this is the Soba?”
“Yes. The crepe-like ones are galettes. The spaghetti-like ones are called soba. Please dip them in the soup as you eat. Add Namidasabi to taste. The side dish is shrimp and candied sweet potato fritters.”
The fritters were basically tempura. Personally, I liked chicken tempura or soft-boiled eggs, but this time, we had shrimp and candied sweet potatoes from storage. Of course, I included the sweet potato to show off that it was from the Lampail Domain.
I explained how to eat it, and then it was time to dig in!
“““So good!”””
““Delicious.”””
“““Tasty.””””
Everyone voiced their impressions, and I finally relaxed a little.
The Ed brothers even went for seconds of both soba and galette.
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After eating, we returned to the reception room.
“Wow, I didn’t know there were so many ways to eat Soba.”
“Yes, truly… Miss Joan, would it be possible for you to teach us how to prepare it?”
“Umm…”
Marquis Eden seemed surprised by all the different ways to eat it, and Count Reluta wanted the recipes. I couldn’t answer on my own, so I looked at my father, who simply nodded silently. In other words, he was letting me handle the negotiation. Well, then the answer was clear.
“Yes. I can teach you how to make use of Soba, including recipes. In return, there is something I would like to request.”
“You mean a reward for using Soba. We’ll pay whatever you ask.”
“No, money isn’t necessary. Instead, could you export Soba regularly to the Lampail Domain? And also allow Soba to be cultivated there.”
“I see. You’d rather have regular imports of Soba than immediate gold.”
“Yes. For me, a good future relationship with Marquis Eden and the Eden Domain is far more valuable than the money earned from knowledge.”
“Hahaha! Joan, you’re good at negotiation. Very well, we’ll agree to regular exports. I’ll think a little more about the amount.”
“Thank you, Marquis Eden. Then I will bring the formal contract later. In the meantime, may I present the other items as well?”
“Jo… Joan?”
My father seemed flustered, but right now, it was my turn.
“Sure. What is it?”
“First, this.”
I took out the items I had prepared from storage and handed them to Marquis Eden.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a pillow. Normally, pillows contain cotton, but this one contains Soba hulls. The Soba you ate earlier had the hulls removed and was ground into flour using a stone mill. Considering that method, a lot of Soba hulls become industrial waste. So my proposal is a way to make use of Soba hulls.”
“I see. Up until now, since it was only used for porridge, the hulls weren’t that abundant. But if it’s turned into flour, then the hulls would accumulate.”
“Yes. This pillow is one example of their use.”
“However… isn’t a pillow a rather weak negotiation point? You just put them in a bag, right?”
“Yes. But if we just put them in a bag like that, bugs will appear.”
Clatter “““““““Eh!!?””””””
When I said bugs would appear, Marquis Eden let go of the pillow, and everyone else stared at it in shock.
“Everyone, don’t worry. This has been properly processed. What I want to negotiate is the processing method. And there are other uses as well, which I’d like to use as additional negotiation points.”
“But I don’t see the value of a pillow made from Soba hulls. If I can’t understand it, there’s no point in negotiating, right?”
“Soba hulls are breathable, so heat doesn’t get trapped. At the same time, they absorb moisture, allowing sweat to dissipate while sleeping. Using a Soba hull pillow during hot summer months provides a cool, comfortable sleep. It’s also recommended for people who sweat easily. And since the height can be easily adjusted, it can alleviate headaches or shoulder stiffness caused by pillows that are the wrong height.”
“Indeed, avoiding restless summer sleep is appealing.”
“Yes, and easy height adjustment means it would suit almost anyone.”
Seeing Marquis Eden and Count Reluta start to consider it, I sipped my tea.
My father, sitting next to me, whispered quietly.
“Joan… what will you do about rewards if they accept these uses? Don’t ask for too much.”
“It’s fine, Father. I’ve thought it through and even got approval from the sales department.”
“The sales department… Maggie… Then it should be fine?”
“Heh ,heh, heh.”
“Joan, could you explain the other uses of Soba hulls? That will help us decide.”
“Thank you, Marquis Eden. I’ll skip the full details here, but the other uses include the pillow I mentioned earlier and as soil improvement material.”
“Soil improvement…”
“Yes. Soba can grow in poor soil, but Soba grown with soil improvement is of higher quality.”
“Indeed… if this can be done with Soba hulls, it also reduces industrial waste.”
“Exactly. So my negotiation points are the processing method for Soba hull pillows and making fertilizer for soil improvement from Soba hulls.”
My mother told me to negotiate seriously, so I had to give it my all!!
What do you think about this chapter?
