kscans

Chapter 30 - Chapter 8: Part One - The First Day of Business at the Shoken Festival

Eight shadows stretched across the courtyard, illuminated by the slanting sunlight. They weren't monuments to the great mushroom faction victory, but the umbrellas of our food court. For the record, in my past life, I was firmly on Team Bamboo Shoot.

In a space that had been empty just three days ago, our food court was now complete. Looking at the school building, five tastefully decorated doors surrounded it. It was a little funny how the crests of each company were desperately trying to hide the fact that these rooms were formerly warehouses.

"We somehow made it in time."

The help we received from the members' companies was a huge part of getting this set up. As expected from what you might call mid-tier companies. The quality and preparation of the equipment were quite impressive. The sky-blue umbrellas, meant to differentiate us from the gazebos, the white tablecloths, and the gray floor coverings were all brand new.

This was a luxury made possible only by the six companies pooling their funds.

With this level of elegance, it might be more appropriate to call it the terrace of a high-end restaurant rather than a food court.

I went over to where the cooking assistants were gathered. At the center of the eight tables, a space was prepared to assemble the small dishes brought by each company into our one-plate lunch.

"This is the example. Make sure you follow it closely."

As Plural drew a thin stick coated in a pale yellow sauce across the plate, a pattern appeared, encircling the food.

The one-plate lunch I had devised was now completely transformed. The distinct colors and shapes of each dish stood out even more, yet their flavors were in harmony. For instance, the Plural Company's mousse, which was originally round, had been cut in two and arranged alternately. This was apparently to avoid clashing with the shape of the soup bowl.

Furthermore, the pattern made with the yuzu sauce elevated the dish's beauty by one, or even two, levels.

It almost feels like this is out of my hands now. In fact, when it comes to the actual practical work, they are far more reliable than I am. It's a stark reminder that I've been so engrossed in applying modern knowledge that I've put off honing my fundamental skills.

It's a bit pathetic, but as the manager of the food court, I appreciate being able to focus on the overall direction and ensuring our security.

"Jacob and Remi said they'll be here this afternoon."

"Is that so? Heh heh heh."

I chuckled, picturing the two of them.

"For a strategist, you have a mean streak, senpai. Do you have any idea how much trouble Remi and I went through to get them to agree to that outfit?"

"You're one to talk, Mia. You hid from Remi that she was part of the plan until after Jacob was already on board. The look on her face when she realized she'd been betrayed was priceless."

"Dividing and conquering is a basic tactic."

"That it is. Especially when the enemy is formidable."

I looked at the school building and the gazebos standing on either side of the courtyard. The large companies had used the wide spaces in the school building to create luxurious, spacious areas. In the gazebos, it seemed the nobles would be holding tea parties, with merchants attending to them to make sales.

Seeing the magnificent structures flanking us on both sides made our hard-won holding company castle look like a simple field encampment. After all, whatever was inside, the ground around us was still just dirt. Our only saving grace was the good weather.

Just a moment ago, I saw the Calest siblings through a window of the school building, pointing at the courtyard and laughing. That's how it should be. Things won't work unless they let their guard down.

"Morning, Vinder. Here, Mia, this is what you asked for."

"Thank you, this helps."

"Why do you need to know about accessory trends?"

"That's a trade secret."

"I wasn't asking you, Vinder."

"I'll tell you later."

"Oh come on, Mia, you too?"

"Senpai pretends to be a strategist, but he's terrible at keeping secrets, so I have to keep him in line."

What a harsh thing to say.

"Here they come."

"Looks like it."

Dalgan came to stand beside me. The gates opened, and a lavishly decorated carriage entered.

I felt myself flinch slightly under the weight of my responsibility. It's pathetic, especially since I've already lived to adulthood once, even if it was in a past life.

"Get fired up. We're gonna make this a roaring success and show Calest what we're made of."

He slapped me hard on the back. It's a good thing the team is so motivated. In fact, it was Dalgan who took the lead in setting up the food court.

"Honestly, I think the first day will be tough. You'd better not get discouraged either."

"Of course not."

I took another blow to the back. A critical hit. Well, the fact that we can have this kind of exchange is a big step forward.

The lavishly dressed guests who disembarked from the carriage were swallowed up by the temple-like school building. A few exceptions headed toward the gazebos. To them, the cluster of umbrellas in the courtyard probably looked like nothing more than a place to store luggage.

Consequently, there wasn't a single customer in our food court. To be precise, not a single legitimate customer.

"We're doing everything as planned, but still no one..."

"Only ten people so far. That's about right."

Belmini looked at me with a worried expression. Every time someone came to greet Alfina, one of our members would casually walk by, carrying a one-plate lunch. The ones eating were members, too. We were acting as our own shills. From the looks of it, we were drawing some interest, but we still had no orders.

Speaking of Alfina, she was sitting under a canopy brought from the Grand Duchess Bertold's estate, flanked by Claudia and Luiza. Just as planned, she was in a spot with a perfect view of all the shop doors.

I had also asked Alfina to never, under any circumstances, recommend the food court. This was partly because she doesn't have the personality for such subtle maneuvering, but also because it would be counterproductive for our target customers today. All she needed to do was draw a crowd.

People had just started coming to greet Alfina. It was sooner than I expected, and there were more of them, too. It was likely due to the influence of Hilda or someone similar, wanting to show off the Saintess in her pitiable state. Even so, it meant we were off to a decent start.

In marketing, they say early adopters, customers who have an eye for anything new, make up about 2.5 percent of the market. We need a certain number of people to even get started. It's not yet time to panic, statistically speaking, though I can't be sure if we're okay until the data starts coming in.

"Senpai."

Mia tugged on my sleeve. A middle-aged noble with a small mustache emerged from Alfina's receiving tent, his daughter with him. Mia's gaze was fixed on the necklace the daughter was wearing. In a society where floral designs were the mainstream, hers was an unusual bird motif.

Just as before, a one-plate lunch for a member was carried out. The daughter stopped in her tracks. Plural, who was supervising the service, was called over and asked what it was. And then...

"There's our first one."

Urged on by his daughter, the reluctant father headed to a table.

"I thought so before, but this plate is so beautiful it feels a shame to eat it."

"Indeed. A truly splendid presentation."

Hearing the father and daughter's voices, Plural grinned.

"And Father. The aroma is wonderful."

"Ah, I was hesitant at first, but it's interesting once you get used to it. Yes, this isn't bad at all."

Roston remained silent, but his fists were clenched tightly.

The response was excellent. The members who had been listening in let out audible sighs of relief. Rilka and Belmini even had their hands clasped together in prayer.

◇◇

The sun reached its zenith. The food court, where the umbrellas now cast perfect circles of shade, was starting to look respectable. The problem, however, was the category of customer. Of course, I wasn't talking about their titles or anything, nor were we at a stage to worry about the average spending per customer.

"How is it, Mia?"

"So far, it's going just as you hypothesized, senpai."

The tables were filling up, bit by bit. Compared to the morning when the place was deserted, a bit of brightness had returned to the members' faces. The customers were mainly nobles who had come to greet Alfina. However, it seemed some guests were now coming specifically for the food court, perhaps after they had finished looking at the school building and the gazebos.

Just as planned, most of the customers were women, with the men looking like they had been dragged along reluctantly. And yet, once they were seated, both seemed satisfied.

Oh, a male customer just ordered the roast beef by itself.

"Mmm, mmm. This is even more delicious than the one I had the other day."

Unrelated, but behind me, Fulsy was smacking his lips, holding what looked like a makeshift parabolic antenna. The mathematics teacher with him was now nodding with a serious expression.

The defining characteristic of the customers gathered here, regardless of age or gender, was a love for new things. It's true that nobles value tradition, and they can't afford to do anything rash when they carry the weight of their family's name. But for that very reason, they have a hunger for novelty. And for them, this is a festival. Even if they try something and it's a failure, it just becomes a funny story.

For us, though, it wouldn't end as a funny story.

"I thought you were insane, trying to do business out of huts and warehouses, but you're not doing too badly."

"Hee hee, that's right. You're putting up an unexpectedly good fight."

"Well, well, if it isn't my seniors. ...Haha, I'm learning a lot from you."

Looking down at the two occupied tables under our umbrellas, the Calest siblings were in high spirits. They'd come at a good time, so I was in a good mood too. I put on my most troubled expression to greet them.

"How about it? Would you care to try a plate?"

I said this while blocking their view of the dishes being carried to the tables. Of course, I was praying they would refuse.

"That's a shame, but we'll have to pass. We're very busy, you see."

"Haha, you'll have to try a little harder than this. We're having a hard enough time serving all our own customers."

For once, my prayers were answered. With this, any action they might try to take will be delayed. It looks like I'll only have to be on guard on the third day.

"We're off to a great start, Mia."

"Yes."

I said, looking at the numbers on the memo Mia handed me.

I entered the canopy, caught between Claudia's and Luiza's contrasting gazes, and sat down across from Alfina. Things seemed to have settled down here.

"I was so sure you would be selling French toast, Ricardo-kun."

"The Vinder Company is strictly behind the scenes this time."

I have no intention of bringing that out. Part of it is not wanting to stand out, but it's also a precious piece of knowledge from another world that I can reproduce here. I've already used a small trump card with the yuzu in this venture. I have to be strict about managing my inventory of ammunition, that is, my information.

"That French toast you mentioned... No, never mind."

"Shall I make some for you sometime, Clau? It's very delicious."

"Wh-Your Highness, cooking? What would you do if you burned yourself?"

Claudia glared at me. She probably thinks her precious master will be sullied by a commoner's food.

"In any case, please be careful. With the matter of the Empire, we must be vigilant."

"That's right, Alfina-sama. Especially after what happened last night."

The Empire. So there really is something going on. It's not normal for Claudia to be more wary of something than I am.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the first day's business hours. Alright, time to go check out the enemy's den.