kscans

Chapter 33 - Chapter 9: First Half – Reaping What You Sow, and an Unexpected Windfall

On the final day, I went to check my tent first thing in the morning, only to be let down by how unchanged it was from the night before. The scratch on the honey jar, the one Alfina made on the first day of her field trip, was at the same angle, and the piece of lint I had tucked into the lid hadn't moved.

"No signs of sabotage, huh. Hmm, I was so sure they’d try something last night."

Gara gara, gashaan!

"What are you doing. W, wait..."

Just as I stepped out of the tent, the sound of something collapsing and Plural’s strained voice reached me from the direction of the school building.

"What’s wrong, Plural?"

"What is this. The shipment’s a total mess."

I rushed over to the school building. The members of our group were gathered in front of Plural’s door. There, I saw three crushed boxes.

"I had just received today’s fruit delivery. Right after, some supplier I’ve never seen before bumped into me."

Plural spoke with frustration. In his arms, he clutched the only remaining box. His elbow was scraped. He must have protected that one box.

"Sorry. I lost him," Jacob said.

It was the time of day when every stall was having its ingredients delivered. All sorts of suppliers were coming and going throughout the academy grounds. It was possible it was an accident. But if it were, they wouldn't have run off. This was sabotage.

"Why Plural...?"

"Among the mid-tier companies, we’re the ones who directly compete with Calest. I was on guard, but I let it slip."

"Ah!"

I remembered the information I heard from Rilka, about Hilda being fond of Calest’s sweets. If they couldn't make a direct move on Kenwell, who was in second place, then the most effective target for sabotage was...

It was a conclusion I should have reached easily. It was my mistake for assuming I was the target.

A sweet aroma and fruit juice seeped into the ground from the crushed boxes.

"So only one box is left. Getting more fruit now is..." Dalgan said bitterly. Perishable goods like these had a very limited supply.

"At this rate, the one-plate lunch is..." Belmini said while helping to clear away the boxes.

We wouldn't be able to make the dessert that was meant to be the grand finale. The damage to the entire Holdings was serious. Damn it. I’m so sick of my own carelessness. And I'm supposed to be in charge of security.

I struck my brow with a clenched fist. Dalgan and Rilka’s faces fell.

"Hmph. What’s with the long faces?"

Plural shook the one remaining box he held. Come to think of it, why did he focus on protecting just one box? With a defiant smile, Plural opened it. Inside, it was packed with small, red berries.

"I made sure to fulfill my duty to the Holdings."

"Hah, that’s not like you, damn it," Jacob grumbled.

"Plural-senpai..."

Damn, what is this feeling.

"Senpai. I know this might not be your usual style, but I have a proposal. Rilka, Roston-senpai, I’d like you to listen, too."

I called out to Plural and the others gathered around him.

"Young master. The only thing we can do with the crushed fruit is turn it into a sauce."

I took Rilka and Roston with me into Plural’s kitchen. A bear of a man dressed as a chef was stirring a pot.

"If we pair the mousse with a mixed fruit sauce, we can at least make a product to serve... Though it lacks the color our shop is known for," Plural said, already thinking of a recovery plan for his own stall. I had to do my part, too.

"So, what’s this proposal of yours...?"

"Yes, I have a special recipe."

I received eggs and milk from Rilka and bread from Roston, then presented them.

"This is..."

"To think such simple ingredients could produce such a powerful flavor."

Plural and his head chef were speechless, their mouths still full of the golden baguette. Incidentally, even though this was their first time making it, it was more delicious than when I made it. As expected of professionals. The subtle differences in ingredient amounts and baking time must have made all the difference.

"However, it does lack a certain sense of luxury..."

"Then how about pouring this on top?"

"Well now, that’s a high-class item you’ve brought out."

I presented a jar bearing our company’s mark. The head chef dipped the tip of a wooden spatula into the jar and tasted it.

"For honey, it has a very clean aroma. It’s easy to use in confectioneries. I see, this is wonderful."

"...It’s not our usual style, but for something to eat after the delicate one-plate lunch, this powerful sweetness and richness could work," Plural said with a nod. All right, our secret weapon for the final day was complete. We wouldn’t let them get their way.

"Amazing! Look, the nobles are forming a line. That’s unheard of," Rilka said, looking at the customers waiting in the covered walkway.

The food court, which had been expanded to double its seating capacity, was completely full. It was drawing in people from the school buildings on either side and the eastern gazebo. There were even customers sitting at the lab tables we’d simply covered with tablecloths. The sunlight was strong, but unlike in Japan, the low humidity was a saving grace.

"That guy from Calest was looking pretty pale," Jacob commented.

"At this rate, I’m looking forward to the rankings. But, are you sure about this? Giving away such a valuable recipe..." Plural said.

"It’s my duty as the one responsible for managing the Holdings, Plural-senpai."

"And that honey, at that price, you’re practically giving it away for free."

"That’s our proper price. After all, it is our Copper honey."

"Is that true. The prized aroma of honey can be difficult to work with depending on the type of sweet. But your honey doesn’t have that strong character. Would it be possible for us to procure it in the future?"

"Our plans for increased production will start after this, so it should probably be fine. I’ll speak to my father about it. But for now..."

"Ah, this rush. Haha, it’s like we’re the center of the festival, isn’t it?"

Plural and I shared a grin before heading off in separate directions.

On the final day, business hours ended an hour early. The members of our group were propped up against the parasols for support. Towards the end, Mia and I were also drafted to serve customers, but our exhaustion was nothing compared to theirs.

And besides, our work wasn't done yet.

After hearing the experiment results from Fulsy, I headed to the Kenwell tent. By cross-referencing the coin counts from Vinder, which had the lowest, Rilka's shop, which was in the middle of the Holdings participants, and Kenwell, which had been in second place until yesterday, I could determine the accuracy of the experiment.

"I saw what you did at the end. Making nobles line up like that is almost unthinkable," Jean said.

"We were saved thanks to the seats and tables you were able to arrange for us," I replied, thanking Jean and Maria.

"We’re charging you a leasing fee for them, you know. ...So, about this experiment of yours. Mind telling me its purpose?" Jean asked, lowering his voice.

"It’s insurance. I was hoping we wouldn't have to use it. Until this morning, that is," I said, trying to remain calm.

Not only did Calest's sabotage fail, but they ended up stirring a hornet's nest. With rumors of a one-plate lunch and an unprecedented new dessert spreading, it seemed our courtyard had drawn away a good number of their customers. If they were to admit defeat gracefully, all would be well. But if not...

After returning from Kenwell’s, I met up with the other members and headed for the student council room. Everyone was buzzing in front of the posted ranking board.

"Among the independents, we’re pretty much all at the top," Dalgan said.

"This is a result of our skills. It’s nothing to make a fuss about," Plural replied.

Incidentally, Vinder was in the bottom third or so. We only got this far thanks to the recipe fee that Plural insisted on providing and the dividends from the food court. The glares from the Silver members who ranked below our Copper company are terrifying. You don't need to worry, I'll make sure your honor is preserved. You can trust in my desire for self-preservation.

"My company, Belmini’s, and Roston’s all did much better than last year. Vinder, if you hadn't insisted that the profits from the one-plate lunch be split only among the shops that provided the food, you would have ranked much higher," Rilka said.

"It's fine. I don't care about rankings."

Tonight, Luitza would probably report the value of the stock system to the Grand Duchess. For Vinder, the most important objective was all but achieved. The experience of gathering and managing different companies was also invaluable for the future establishment of a trading firm.

"You... Oh, fine. More importantly, what do you think about that?"

The fraud I had been most wary of didn't happen. At least, not to us.

"With that much momentum, Kenwell should have definitely overtaken Calest," Rilka insisted.

Revenue is calculated after deducting the location fee. Calest, having overbid for their spot, should have been struggling in that regard. What's more, the twins told me that by the afternoon of the final day, Calest's large tent had a noticeable number of empty seats, all thanks to our food court.

And yet, at the very top of the list, Calest remained, unchanged from yesterday. I went over to Jean and Maria.

"By our calculations, we should have surpassed them by twenty percent," Jean said.

"Is it decided?" I asked.

"It seems so. The rankings are the student council’s job. The one in charge is..."

Followed by three noble students, Leonardo, the Prime Minister's second son, entered the student council room. Then, the participants were called inside. I exchanged a look with Jean and entered.

Time for the final battle. If I fail to collect the payment for that ruined fruit, I'll have failed as the head of the Holdings.