After all, no matter what I say…
I was kicked out of the office, so I headed straight to the kitchen.
The apprentices were in the middle of gulping down their staff meal after finishing cleaning up from breakfast. One of the apprentices, who noticed me peeking in from the entrance, hurriedly ran over, while another went to fetch the Head Chef.
It’s not like I needed to speak with the Head Chef...
Well, I might as well tell him beforehand about the request from Otousama to increase chocolate production.
"Cristea-sama, is there something you need? It feels a little early to be preparing lunch, but... gasp! Could it be a new recipe idea!?"
No way.
The apprentices in the back were making "ugh" faces while looking at me.
It’s probably because the short time between now and the lunch prep is their break time, and the thought of having it interrupted isn’t pleasant. Understandable.
However, showing that attitude in front of your employer’s family isn’t great. I get how they feel, so I won’t say anything.
"It’s not that. I was called to the office because of what you had reported to Otousama yesterday."
"Oh, I see. I thought I had given a thorough report, but was there something lacking?"
The Head Chef tilted his head in confusion at my words.
"No, that’s not it. It’s just that it was decided not to serve it at the banquet."
"Well, that makes sense. Even in small amounts, if someone with low magic power consumes it when their internal magic is stable, they would quickly become overheated."
Indeed. If we served *that* at the banquet after everyone had finished eating and their magic power was restored, it would likely cause a serious problem.
"However, even though it won’t be served at the banquet, Otousama said we need to report it to His Majesty. He asked if we could make more for testing, and I told him you knew the recipe. Was that alright?"
"Oh, if that's the case, no problem. I already wrote down the recipe yesterday, and as long as we have the ingredients, we can start right away."
As soon as the Head Chef said that, the light in the eyes of the eavesdropping apprentices behind him visibly dimmed... I’m not imagining this, am I?
Sorry, apprentices.
I’ll make sure to tell Otousama how hard it is to make *that* and suggest giving everyone a bonus, so please forgive me.
I need to ask Galvano Ojisama to create a magic tool for making chocolate as soon as possible!
With that thought, I started a meeting with the Head Chef to write down the specifications for the chocolate-making magic tool.
Since I have no artistic talent—or rather, I’m completely hopeless in that area—the Head Chef kindly drew up the blueprint. It was easy to understand, and he added useful features from a cook’s perspective.
Well, the more features we add, the more complex the mechanism and the magic circles that need to be inscribed will become, but... We have Owen-san, the eccentric magic tool enthusiast, in our fief, so I trust that he and Galvano Ojisama will manage to put it together nicely.
The remaining issues are things like materials, budget, and compensation, but we have plenty of funds thanks to recipe royalties. As for materials, we can ask Tirie-san, the Guild Master of the Adventurers' Guild, through Otousama, and they’ll gather what we need.
Connections to powerful people really come in handy. Hehe.
As for the magic stones we’ll need for power and medium, we apparently have plenty that Kurogane and Mashiro hunted during their exercise, so we should be fine if we can get some from them.
Yep, everything’s going smoothly.
With the completed specifications in hand, I headed to my room with a light step.
For lunch, I requested a hotpot.
First, I enjoyed a tomato-based broth, then added harissa to change the flavor midway through.
After savoring the spiciness, I threw in some rice and topped it with cheese to make a risotto for the final course.
Hmm, it was a bit much for lunch, but everyone seemed satisfied, so that’s good.
During lunch, I told Otousama about requesting Galvano Ojisama to make the chocolate-making magic tool, but Otousama told me to wait until His Majesty decided whether mass production would be necessary after the report, and to hand over the specifications.
I had hoped to get permission so I could teleport back to the fief and make the request right away, but no luck.
With no other choice, I handed Otousama the specifications and the bag full of quality magic stones I received from Kurogane and Mashiro. However, Otousama scolded me for handing over too much, saying it was excessive even when accounting for materials and compensation.
But I don’t know the market value!
When Otousama asked about the source of the magic stones, I honestly told him that they were gifts from Kurogane and Mashiro, and while he understood, he also warned them not to spoil me by casually giving me such rare stones.
The two of them, however, firmly refused, saying, "It is our joy to fulfill our Lord’s wishes, no matter what her parents say." They’re as steadfast as ever... As I absentmindedly watched them, Otousama’s attention turned to me next.
"As you can see, the Sacred Beasts are lenient with you. Therefore, you must discipline yourself strictly. As a contractor of Sacred Beasts, you must act appropriately. If there’s anything you don’t understand, don’t gloss over it or interpret it in a way that suits you. Ask us."
"Yes, sir..."
Otousama had already anticipated what I might do and warned me in advance. He knows me so well...
The surplus magic stones would not go back to me but would instead be bought by the palace.
After a fair assessment, the money would become my allowance.
After all is said and done, Otousama is soft on me too.
What do you think about this chapter?
