Chapter 98: Our Genius Chef
When Yukina-san went to greet the guests, they turned out to be familiar faces: Hiroki and his group.
“Hehe, the dorm mother told me Yuri-chan was here. Is it okay if we come in?”
Yukina-san glanced over at us, and when Yuri and I both nodded, she invited them in.
Then, I told Hiroki, who I was most concerned about, that war was likely to break out soon.
“…Seriously? That’s fast! Rui, go buy us some time!”
“Yeah. Of course, I’ll go. Lestall is my hometown, after all.”
“There you go again, casually heading into dangerous places… You’re such an idiot!”
Hiroki laughed, saying, “No, I was just kidding… but man, you’re amazing,” while Naomi, worried, started to get angry.
Ah, Yuri and I shared the feeling that things were somehow back to normal.
“So… how far has the hero Akito progressed?”
“Stop teasing me! But well, I’ve made quite a bit of progress, you know?”
“Stop it, stop it.
Rui’s progressing like crazy, so there’s no point trying to drag him down.”
Hiroki cut Akito off as he was about to speak confidently and answered bluntly, “Thirty-three.”
“Are you guys sure about that…? Ami and Naomi will have it tough, even if you two are fine.”
I’d learned the hard way from facing Yuri. Even if your physical abilities improve, if your combat skills don’t keep pace, you’ll continue to be at a significant disadvantage.
“What! Are you looking down on me? I’m perfectly capable of fulfilling my minimum role!”
“Ahaha, well, even that’s getting pretty tough lately, though…”
Hearing Ami’s words, the image of Yuri, slashed and bleeding, flashed through my mind. A wave of anxiety washed over me, and I started lecturing the two of them.
If you want to get stronger quickly, at least split your party. It’ll be too late once someone dies.
I tried my best to persuade them, but they both seemed taken aback.
Looking around, I saw everyone staring at me in shock.
“Rui… I won’t lose again,” Yuri said, her face pained, and I realized I had gotten too worked up.
“Sorry. When I remembered that time Yuri was bleeding from all over, I just couldn’t stop myself…”
Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.
“Ahaha, I must be getting old. My tear ducts have gotten loose,” I tried to joke, but it seemed to make them even more uncomfortable.
Just as I was regretting my outburst, Ami said something completely out of the blue.
“Huh? But she looks totally fine… Could it be that this Yuri-chan is an illusion!?”
“No way! She barely survived thanks to an Elixir!”
Ugh, now she’s got the wrong idea because I overreacted.
“Besides, I can’t even create illusions!
Well, even if her heart had stopped, an Elixir might have brought her back.”
“Ugh. Can that thing really bring you back even if your heart stops?”
“Well, it’s possible, but there’s a time limit, and it also depends on the extent of the body’s injuries.”
Everyone looked intrigued by my last comment.
So, I carefully explained how to perform CPR and cardiac massage, along with the other conditions.
Based on experience, if the Elixir could still work and it was within about ten minutes of death, resuscitation was possible.
“If you rub their breasts and kiss them… you’re not trying to trick us, are you!?”
Hey! I never said anything like that!
Naomi, what were you listening to…?
And stop clutching your chest. I’m not going to do anything!
“A kiss, huh… Have Rui and Yuri-chan kissed yet?”
“Y-Yeah. Yuri initiated it.”
“R-Rui!!!”
Yuri got angry, telling me not to say it because it was embarrassing, even though I just answered honestly.
Thanks to our usual banter, the atmosphere mostly returned to normal, but only Hiroki still looked serious.
“Sorry about that. I got weirdly emotional.”
“No, it’s not that. It’s an obvious thing, but…
It just hit me that war really does kill people indiscriminately.”
Hearing that someone close to him had been on the brink of death must have made it real for him, he said, pressing his head as if enduring a headache.
“Alright! Let’s seriously split the party. I already knew Ami was struggling.”
“That’s true… We might be barely managing now, but looking ahead, it’ll become impossible either way. Now might be the best time.”
“Right… As a regular Hunter, I’m strong enough. I don’t need more than this to achieve my dream.”
Just as the three of them were about to agree, Ami, looking genuinely angry for once, interjected, “Huh? I’m going with you, though!”
“No, you yourself said it was pretty tough.”
“That’s why I’m trying my best!
I’m about to learn Healing Magic soon, so I can take on Mom’s role too!”
It seemed Akito was teaching her Healing Magic.
No, since she said she was “about to learn” it, maybe Sayuri-san had been teaching her too?
I watched their argument, mulling this over.
“I do think we can manage stably for a little while longer, but…”
In the end, Hiroki, giving in to Ami’s persistence, looked at me.
“Hmm… If you’re planning to rush things like this, you should at least use this.”
Saying that, I took out the Ape-hide Coat.
It was something I had made for Yuri, but I’d already given her something with even more perfect defenses. Though she hasn’t used it, saying she doesn’t want to get it dirty.
This was a lesser prototype, but having it would make a huge difference. I tossed it to Ami.
“Wow, it’s cute! Are you really giving it to me!?”
“Yeah. It’s a prototype from when I had equipment made for Yuri, so I guarantee its performance.”
Of course, since it was custom-made for Yuri, cuteness was also a priority.
So, a drawback is that there are quite a few places that need to be protected by a barrier Magic Tool when guarding against fire magic, but in an emergency, it will naturally draw out Magical Power to protect, so it should activate automatically.
Even if it’s a last resort, she’ll probably get away with just burns.
“If Rui-kun made it for Yuri-chan, it must be super reliable,” Ami said, putting it on and twirling around.
Once that was settled, all eyes turned to Naomi.
What are you going to do? That was the unspoken question.
“If you haven’t decided on your future yet, how about opening a restaurant in Belfast?”
“Huh? Why Belfast?!”
“It’s safe because the public order is good, and if anything happens, my name can offer you some protection.
If you’re up for it, Naomi, I can even build you a shop.”
“Eh…” Naomi looked surprised.
“You’ll give me a shop?”
“Well, I’d be an investor, technically.
If it fails, I’ll cover all the costs, but if it succeeds and makes a profit, you can just pay me back the expenses little by little. I’m sure you’ll succeed, Naomi.”
“What do you say?” I looked at her.
“O-Of course I’ll do it!
But wait… what should I do! I don’t know, but what should I do!”
Naomi grabbed my hand tightly, shaking it back and forth in a fluster.
I’d never seen her look so relaxed.
But then again, it was natural, considering her lifelong dream was on the verge of coming true.
“Alright! Well then, since we’re at it, how about we make it a department store and build a big shop?”
“Oh my, what is a department store? What kind of thing is it?”
I explained it to Riana-san, who showed interest.
It’s a huge store that sells a wide variety of goods.
“Naomi-san will be running a restaurant, right…?”
“Yeah. People who come shopping are more likely to become customers, right?
If you’re going to open a shop, securing a place where people gather is a huge advantage, so I was thinking we could create something like that.”
“I see. It’s like a marketplace. That sounds interesting. When it’s ready, please do invite me.”
Riana-san, now intrigued, joined the conversation, and things progressed.
We talked excitedly about what we wanted to include—a restaurant, ingredients, medicine, Magic Tools, clothes—and someone suggested asking Akito’s family to be employees. Since it was still in the planning stages, the conversation was lively, but it was getting late, so we decided to call it a day and reconvene tomorrow.
And so, the next day.
The three of us—me, Yuri, and Naomi—gathered.
“Alright, let’s go secure a shop.
We only have a few days, so we’ll push through as much as we can. Got it?”
“Huh? It’s my shop, so take more time!”
“No, it’s impossible during wartime.
Well, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to arrange things so it can proceed even when I’m not around.”
That’s right, in Belfast, there are people who would listen to my requests.
Well, I intend to pay for it myself, and I could hire merchants even if it’s not my own country, but the level of trust is completely different.
As I was thinking about that, Naomi started clinging to me, scared of going to the Castle, which made Yuri start to pout.
To finish this quickly, we needed to act immediately.
I had to sort things out right away and get back in her good graces, so I submitted a request for a temporary leave from school, and the three of us headed to Belfast Castle.
Calming a nervous Naomi, we went inside, and I had Count Connor, who is stationed at the Castle as the administrator of Magic Tool production, come to meet us.
“Count Stahl, I apologize for summoning you.
I have a bit of a personal request and was hoping I could consult with you.”
“Oh my, I would actually prefer it if you called me Connor.”
Since Naomi-san was also present, I tried addressing him in a way that wouldn’t seem odd even if she used it, but it appeared to be unpopular with Count Connor.
However, he did say, “If it’s a consultation, then by all means,” so I explained my concept of wanting to open a large-scale store.
“Hahaha, isn’t this my field of expertise? Of course, leave it to me. More than anything, it’s an interesting idea!”
It seemed he took a liking to it.
That’s right, in his fifteen years during the Razbel era, he had made his business a great success.
It was to the extent that even the war funds were established thanks to him.
Having heard such stories, I didn’t hesitate to approach him.
If someone like him likes it, then it seems well worth doing.
Even in this world, it’s quite common for stores to open close to each other to attract customers.
However, there’s nothing like a department store.
There’s a reason for this: retail stores that would have their customers poached dislike it. If they suffer damage like a decrease in customers, they unite through their horizontal connections, and if it becomes a major issue, even the large merchant associations, the big players, will get involved.
It’s said they protect themselves by valuing such connections.
In that case, if it’s a business model that draws retail stores inside, it would be a different story.
Yes, I just need to have the stores in this town open branches within it, as tenants.
If that’s the case, it would be viable as long as they can recover enough funds to pay staff salaries and rent the tenant space.
Of course, since the money comes to me, I can be very flexible. I can just lend out the space for free for about two months as a trial period and let them confirm their profits.
Well, even if that doesn’t work out, it’s a sufficient period for people to get to know Naomi-san’s cooking.
“I will prepare one hundred Large Gold Coins for investment. I don’t intend to seek profit.
For now, if we can just recover a small amount for maintenance costs and to set aside for emergencies, that would be enough.”
“One hundred Large Gold Coins, you say…? Are you planning to build such a large building?”
I nodded in response to his question, saying I wanted to create a setup where most of the nearby stores that wished to join could fit.
“I see. In that case, it would be better not to accept businesses from outside.”
“Yes. First, let the residents here benefit. If there’s surplus capacity, then it’s fine.”
I explained the intended form by creating a model with Maso.
We finalized the details, agreeing that while a simple exterior and interior are fine, I want it to be beautiful and eye-catching.
“This space here is quite large; do you have any plans for it?”
The place he pointed to was the planned location for Naomi-san’s restaurant. Prime real estate near the entrance on the first floor.
“It’s an eatery I’ll entrust to her. She’s a genius Chef, a former Party member who became the catalyst for doing this.”
I intended to convey it accurately, as I’d be troubled by any strange misunderstandings, but he showed a knowing “Aha!” expression.
“That’s not it! Naomi-san, make some food for Count Connor! There’s a kitchen downstairs!”
“Eh! I-I don’t mind, but, in the Castle!?”
I practically pushed Naomi-san into the kitchen and asked the surrounding Chefs to support her.
There’s a reason for such a forceful exchange. Yuri-chan is quite upset.
“I’m just supporting her dream as a friend, okay?” I offered an excuse in the hallway.
“I know! That’s why I’m keeping quiet, isn’t it!”
“Oh, right. I’m glad my fiancée is so understanding. I want you to become my bride soon.”
“B-Bride, you say!? Me, Rui’s… bride. Eheh, eheh.”
Yuri’s grumpy face instantly softened, and she exuded a fluffy, lighthearted aura.
Holding hands with her like that, I returned to the room, and while I was finalizing the details with Count Connor, the food Naomi-san made arrived.
“Is this… bread?”
“Y-Yes. It has minced orc meat inside.”
Naomi-san replied, albeit nervously.
“Ah, I get it, it’s like a meat bun,” I thought, and when I bit into it, something crunched crisply, and juices gushed out like a soup dumpling.
What is this? It’s too good. It made a pleasant crisp sound, but is it something like a sausage casing?
I wolfed it down and finished it in an instant.
Looking around, I saw Count Connor, his eyes wide after one bite, and Yuri earnestly munching away.
For the time being, I kept watching until Yuri finished eating, and the moment she took her last bite, I shifted my gaze back to Count Connor.
“See? It’ll be a success, right?”
“Y-Yes. Even if you only served this, it would surely prosper.”
So I reiterated that this is the main attraction and continued the discussion.
However, as expected, he said it couldn’t be done immediately, so for now, we decided to start on a small scale by renovating an existing building.
He said that if it’s that, preparations could be done in about a month.
We agreed that if it goes well, in the meantime, we should purchase a prime piece of land and begin construction.
Count Connor said he would prepare everything up to that point.
It seems he can also handle the groundwork with the surrounding stores without any problems. How reliable.
“Therefore, Your Highness, please use your time for measures against the Empire. From this point on, my power will likely not be enough.”
“Thank you,” I said, bowing my head and deciding to leave it to him.
After that, Naomi-san asked me if she could train in the Castle’s kitchen until the restaurant opened.
It seems she was impressed by the support from the Chef assigned to her.
She said that the dish from earlier also turned out even better than she had envisioned.
“Please! It was the first time I’d met someone other than myself who approaches cooking with such seriousness!”
Responding to her excited plea, I went with her to the kitchen to make the request.
They also seemed impressed by Naomi-san’s attitude, and with my introduction, they welcomed her. It was decided she would live and work at the Castle as part of the servant staff.
When I asked what she would do about the Hunter school, she gave a very Naomi-san-like answer that it didn’t matter compared to this. However, just in case, when I returned to Oldam to report, I took the opportunity to ask her teacher if she could get an extended leave.
“As she is now, even if she only shows her face once every few months, she’ll retain enough evaluation points needed for graduation. The evaluations can be transferred, so you can just enroll her in a school in Belfast.”
I heard that there would be no problem even if she was left as is for at least three months, so I decided this could be dealt with later and chose to return to Leben once.
While we’re at it, I decided to do some reconnaissance on the Empire, enjoying a sky journey with just Yuri.
Now, I wonder what happened to Leben. Maybe the Lord’s mansion was attacked or something, I mused, flying around in the sky with Yuri, sharing a dry laugh.