kscans

Chapter 91 - Chapter 7: Second Half - Angel Disqualified

"That... that may be. But I was targeting the nobility from the very beginning."

I reflexively tried to reject Plural’s words.

"Do you really think your target audience would eat this plain... no, this unsettling confection? You strained the bean jam, I hear. I can appreciate its wonderful texture, but that comes with a downside. With the previous version, you could at least tell by looking that it was made from boiled beans. ...Well, as a confectioner, I find it intriguing. But that's not the point."

Plural spoke as if to placate me. I looked at the black mass on the plate. To me, its appearance was so nostalgic it could bring me to tears. It had an austere kind of beauty.

But how would it look to someone with this kingdom's aesthetic sensibilities? Plural had been so particular about the whiteness of his mousse. The vegetable aspic in our one-plate lunch was vibrant and colorful.

This is just too far removed from the local sense of beauty. Confections are already luxury goods, and this was meant to be an ultra-luxury item costing many times more. Yet it looks like something bizarre. I never even considered that by eliminating the shape of the beans, I would only increase its strange, unsettling nature. Because to me, this was completely normal.

And even if someone did try it, the flavor is just as subdued.

Or perhaps it might appeal to someone’s specific tastes, like it did with Sherry. No, even Sherry was only able to appreciate the collaboration of the bean's flavor and sweetness because she's a vegetable specialist.

"The nobles who could afford this would be middle-rank and above. Among them, only a very small number whose tastes it suits would be your customers. What's more, it's not something they could easily boast about to others."

People say Japanese sweets are popular in the West, but modern Westerners are far more accustomed to confections than the nobles of this world. For a palate tired of cream and butter, the gentle sweetness of Japanese sweets feels fresh and new. That's why some people are able to overcome the cultural gap.

Besides, even among Japanese people, cakes and chocolate are more popular with the younger generation.

"..." The world of Japan I was so nostalgically aiming for is a completely different environment from this world, Crownheite, where the number of people who buy sweets is so small to begin with. The sheer number of people with experience in tasting confections is on a completely different level.

"The ingredient composition is also a problem. Most of it is made from anko using what you call yellow sugar, which is four times more expensive than the traditional kind."

From an economic standpoint, mass-produced wheat flour is relatively cheap. I've heard that the cost of flour-based foods can be kept low precisely because they can be bulked up with it. The only thing in yokan besides bean paste is water. It should be cheap because it's bulked up with water, but the gelatin that solidifies the water is more expensive than flour. There's no way to lower the cost of this confection, which uses a generous amount of ultra-expensive bean paste solidified with rare gelatin. In reality, Japanese sweets are more satisfying in smaller portions than Western ones, but at a glance, it probably looks small and unsatisfying.

"And to add one more thing."

Plural looked at the cup in front of him.

"This confection does not go well with black tea. You can't serve this at a tea party."

"...!"

It's not that I hadn't noticed. As a general rule, Japanese sweets and black tea don't pair well. But I was so ecstatic about how the yokan turned out that I dismissed it as a minor detail. I thought it was a trivial problem in the face of such deliciousness. I was stunned at myself for having ignored every single critical cultural gap.

All my work up to this point flashed through my mind. It was as if I had dragged everything in a direction where no market existed.

"Th-then, what's going to happen to Natalie's bean jam, to her shop?" Vinaldira asked, supporting a pale Natalie.

Plural looked at Natalie. His eyes were still those of a calm merchant. Natalie’s shoulders flinched.

"At the very least, there should be no problem with your business. That yellow sugar is truly wonderful. I heard from Vinder that you are the most knowledgeable about its production method."

Plural said to Natalie with a serious expression.

"...Ah, y-yes."

"I would very much like you to provide Plural with that know-how. Of course, we will pay you for it."

"B-but, from what you said earlier, the sugar is the most expensive part..."

"Of course, it can only be used in ultra-luxury goods, and we'll have to be selective about where we use it. Still, unlike the anko, it just has to replace conventional sugar. It also keeps well. And I hear there's a good chance of increasing the yield with a few more tweaks. We use a large quantity, you see. That alone should lower the cost somewhat. With our recent reputation, our clientele is expanding further into the upper echelons. No, you've really created the perfect thing for us."

"Um, but this sugar was originally Vinder-san's..."

"Ah, we've already discussed the general arrangement. The specific form of business operations..."

Plural began talking about the sugar with Natalie. It was something I had mentioned to him beforehand. I'd treated it as a mere afterthought to the bean jam.

It's obvious when you think about it. That sugar has far more commercial value than the bean jam. Even if the bean jam had succeeded exactly as I'd hoped, the market for the sugar would be incomparably larger.

"U-um, but, I wanted to create a shop that sells anko..."

"That's right. Natalie made that for her bean jam..."

Natalie, now being treated as the developer of the sugar instead of the bean jam, looked at me with a bewildered expression. I, who had distorted the bean jam she created from scratch with knowledge from a past life, had no answer for her.

"Your shop was originally a stall, not even meeting the standards for a Copper Member company, correct? I promise you this will provide a sufficient income. It's a shame I can't poach you from Vinder, though."

"Oh, is that so. B-but that's not what I meant..."

Even so, Vinaldira’s expression was one of clear relief. It was only natural for her to prioritize her friend's livelihood. Natalie looked down. It was a dream for her, but it wasn't a hobby, so her reaction was understandable.

But I had treated it just like a hobby. The discussion between Plural and the developer went in one ear and out the other.

What kind of angel investor am I? Plural's very first words had been spot on. For me, the venture's backer, to be so focused on the product alongside the developer was nothing short of negligence.

When it comes to a new venture, an investor’s role isn't just to provide funding for a new product. It's to guide development so the product fits the market, or even creates one. They're supposed to handle the marketing strategy, so to speak. And isn't it their job to ensure the product is economically viable?

I of all people should have understood the thinness of the customer base from our experience with the honey. Why was I guiding us toward a place where no demand exists?

I should have just given her the idea for the bean jam's development and spent my time figuring out how to sell it.

"Vinder, I'm sorry. I should have voiced my opinion more clearly."

Rilka, who had been silent, said to me. Yes, that was my mistake, too.

In that moment, she was in the minority, but in the real world, her opinion was the majority. I was getting carried away with feedback from a ridiculously biased sample group. I'd forgotten the very, very basics of statistical thinking.

And I had initially recognized her as a valuable dissenting voice.

"Vinder."

"...Huh? Ah, yes, Plural-senpai. Wh-what is it?"

"Were you not listening? As you proposed before, I want to build a workshop to produce yellow sugar from black sugar. You said the winter was a suitable time for the work, didn't you? I want to move on this as quickly as possible. We can decide the investment ratios with the stocks you devised. Ah, Belmini has a stake in this too, I suppose. In any case, we'll make Natalie-san the technical director there..."

Come to think of it, we did discuss something like that. As an afterthought to the bean jam. Ha, what a windfall.

I guess if you think about it, wasanbon is a "Japanese flavor" in its own right. So in the end, this is still a victory for the knowledge from my past life.

Amazing, this modern knowledge. A world apart from my own wisdom, isn't it.

I remembered how I had smugly demonstrated my logical thinking just before coming here. I averted my eyes from Alfina, who was looking at me with a worried expression.