4 days since opening .
10:15
chiririn
They’re here!
A visitor immediately after opening today! Okay, bring it on, bring it on!(ノって来たノって来た)“Welcome!”
The guest, a slightly plump man lightly nods at Mitsuha’s greeting and roams the store at a quick pace . Probably around his thirties . Even though he’s not that old yet, he’s already showing a little belly . Is he wealthy or a glutton who dislike exercising… .
Probably he has roughly grasped that the products are arrangement by genre in the store, it seems the man started looking for the kitchen appliances corner . Although he seems concerned about the scale remover, after taking it in his hand and getting a good look, he return it to it’s original position .
Next, he takes a cleaver and seem a little surprised, but frowned when he sees the price tag .
No, that’s a pretty good buy . The purchase price was 58,000 yen . 2 gold and 5 small gold coins will barely break even with any profit considering the exchange rate .
It’s something to show that “This shop handles luxury goods too . It’s technological strength is high”, a product that I wouldn’t care if it sells or makes a profit . It’s a something a craftsman forges one by one with their hands . I only watched it on TV but it was awesome, I was impressed .
Eh, are you going to buy that?What, the man shifts to confirm the next item with the kitchen knife in his hand . Surprise!
You have a eye for good things . No, I’m a little glad . There is no profit though .
After a while, the male guest comes to the accounting table with some goods .
“I’m sorry, but can I ask you some questions?”
Huh, not checking out yet?
“Yes, don’t hesitate to ask anything . And please use the shopping basket if you don’t mind”
The man makes a, was there such a thing, face and put the items in his hands into the basket .
“So, I want to ask,” that “scale remover” thing, why are you selling something like that?”
Eh, is there a problem with that?
“Eh, it’s just a handy item . Because it’s convenient for removing scales, I thought it could sell to someone like a wife who’s good at fish dishes…”
The man says with an amazed face .
“Hey, how far away do you think here is from the sea? There wouldn’t be any fish that isn’t already smoked and dried, or salted, and needs scaling?”
Ga~n I made a mistake! !
Is that’s why those girls had that reaction…
“And, I want you to teach me how to use these”
What is taken out of the basket are the items he had in his hands earlier . Ah, the purchase wasn’t final yet, too bad . Focusing on cooking related items? This person’s probably a cook .
“Yes, this is a peeler, it’s used for peeling . Here, with this . Even amateurs that just started can peel beautifully at a speed that won’t lose to a veteran, it’s a cowardly tool to kill veteran cooking”
The man is paralyzed .
“This is an hourglass . Once it’s turn over the sand falls down, it always becomes empty at the same time . Boiling time can be precisely measured so it is handy . 3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, we have various kinds .
This is a can opener . This is a tool for opening “canned food” that can preserve food to be eaten at any time for several years”
Well, nowadays the ones that don’t need can openers are common . But quite a bit of the cheap items sold at discount stores still use can openers, following the order of civilization’s progress the ones that use can openers came first, right .
As Mitsuya explains one after another, the man’s face gradually gets redder . And… .
“Tell me . Why is this so expensive?”
Don, the kitchen knife was put on the table .
“Ah, this isn’t made by casting iron into molds like the ones used for children playing house”
“Wha……”
Man grows angry from Mitsuha’s provocative words .
“This, with the carefully selected best material, steel, it’s a gem that men who been kitchen knife blacksmiths for decades, no, that demons took over several days to create . It is a piece of art made as a practical item, one of the supreme products . Something a demon, yes, a ‘demon of steel’ created!”
“Ha, demon of steel……”
Gulp, the man swallows his saliva .
“Take a good look . Forged repeatedly over and over, folds joined by pounding up hard steel and soft steel, the miracle technique that balanced razor-edged sharpness with hard to break ruggedness!“(固い鋼と柔らかい鋼を叩き上げての圧着接合)
The man’s hand holding the knife shakes .
“To be honest, my profit is zero even if I sell it . But it is our merchant’s mission to hand over the supreme masterpiece from the craftsmen to the chefs . The craftsmen cannot live if it’s too cheap . The chefs cannot buy it if it’s too expensive . At times like that, isn’t it okay if we pick up the tab a little once in awhile? Hey, don’t you think so?”
“I, I’ll buy it!”
The man shouted loudly with tears spilling down his face .
Yes, thank you for your patronage!
After a while, the finally calmed down guest starts the next conversation . (次の話を切り出した)
“By the way ojou-san, I’d like to talk to the shopkeeper, is that possible?”
“Ah, that’s fine, go ahead without reservation”
“Then, can you call him?”
“Eh? No, Like I say go ahead ”
“Ah, ahh, no matter how young, this shop’s sales clerk is ojou-san alone so she is pretty much the shopkeeper, huh . Rather, I would like to see the owner and manager of this store, not a employee .
Ah~, normally, you would think that .
“No, this store is my personal belongings . I bought it, renovated it, and procure the products . That is, I’m the shopkeeper owner .
It somewhat feels like chef-owner .
Ah, he’s frozen .
… He gradually melted .
“Then, I’ll ask . Is it possible to get raw fish in this store?”
Ah~, that’s the main topic… . Is it from the three of them yesterday?
“Where’d you hear that?”
“I heard from Anke”
“Who is that?”
“The three girls who visited here yesterday”
Ah I knew it .
They properly advertised, thanks!
“Ahh, those three . Because they were my first customer, I treated them to quite a bit . It’s a big deficit, ahaha… ”
“Is that right . They were happy that they had good deals and were able to eat something delicious”
Mhm, that’s right, that’s right! Advertise even more!(そうであろう！ もっと宣伝に努めるが良い！)
And, I didn’t forget implicitly cautioned that it is was a special service in the end and it’s usually more expensive, I’m a capable woman .
“…So why fish? From the previous conversation, there doesn’t seem to be much of a habit of eating fish dishes in this town”
And the man started talking about the situation in bits and pieces .
The man’s name is Marcel . He is a 36-year-old chef who cooks at viscount Liner’s residence, the same as yesterday’s three girls . Although as a cook he is still young in age, he was skilled and confident .
Until a while ago, he served as the second under the elderly head chef, but the other day the chef suddenly retired because of bad health and moved to the rural town where his wife and grandchildren lived for recuperating .
He was at a considerable age so it can’t be helped . In the remaining kitchen of the Liner residence, Marcel, who was the second was promoted to chef, and while young he was doing well .
But, there is a big problem approaching .
The Liner family’s daughter, Adelaide’s adulthood .
Becoming fifteen years old, a noble daughter is considered an adult and will debut in high society . Their debut is, of course, at their birthday / adulthood celebration party held in their own home .
This debutante is something very important that will influence the girl’s later position in high society and future . Each noble family spare no money and puts their vigour into the dress and cuisine . As in, as far as the nearby commoners are concerned, is a amount of money around all their wealth and property vanishing in one night . (そのあたりの庶民にとってのひと財産、ふた財産が一夜で吹き飛ぶくらいの金額で。)
(tn note: debutante: an upper-class young woman making her first appearance in fashionable society . )
If the former head chef was in good health there wouldn’t be a problem . Since his youth he has been walking around large noble kitchens everywhere, a veteran chef who has experienced numerous parties .
But, that veteran chef suddenly departed .
Marcel’s arm is by no means bad . He might be top class among cooks of the same age . However, at the same time, his experience at big parties is scarce .
In the few small parties at the Liner residence he only need to cook individual dishes according to the instructions of the former chef . He didn’t have much opportunity to learn about overall menu structure, timing to sent out dishes, and how to respond flexibly .
The head chef was going to convey them to Marcel this time at Adelate’s showcase party, but he faced a sudden illness and the schedule went haywire .
In the Liner family, because before the debutante they had never thrown a big party on their children’s birthday, the only large party at this level held at home was the current head’s and his wife’s wedding ceremony . And the Liner viscount family is emerging aristocrat starting from the previous generation, it’s easy for the other nobles make fun of them . For their daughter sake as well, failure and incompetence that would become a source of backbiting / slander, or ridicule is absolutely not permitted .
“ . . And, I have no confidence . There is the pride of not losing to any nearby cooks . But that’s, when compared to the superior veteran chefs who worked for a long time at a large noble residence and the cooks of the royal palace, like maybe mine is slightly better than amateur cuisine? Like maybe due to my cooking I’m going to be bring shame on the master and his daughter? I’m afraid of that . Even though it’s pathetic”
As if his body had become tiny, Marcel make himself smaller .
“So you thought of surprising the guests with food they couldn’t eat in this town”
“Yeah, that’s right”
Hmm, is just selling the fish and ending it okay? It seems profitable, and will help people, there’s no topping this, however…
But, what I wonder, is this itching feeling in my chest…… .
Ah .
I understand . This is that .
It’s “fun” . It’s a sign of something fun .
Don’t let it go, that’s my policy .
“Please wait a moment”
While saying so, Mitsuha hangs on the door’s outward side a sign saying “Taking a special request so the shop will be closed for a while”, locks the door, and closes the curtain . It’s good I had this wooden tag made .
Closing a little early . It’s been less than an hour since she opened the shop though .
Mitsuha returned to the accounting table’s seat, then took out a wooden tag from under the table and showed it to Marcel .
“Actually, I started something like this …”
There, it was written .
[From love consultation to to territory management . We can consult about anything . Fees are negotiable]
