Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Increasing Hurdles

When I informed them that we were going to the duke’s estate, Farne smiled.

“Those are reassuring words, thank you. Your determination is more reliable than ever.”

I’ve made up my mind.

All that’s left is to head to the estate of Duke Lenaril.

I want to be as prepared as possible.

“The problem is how to get to Duke Lenaril’s estate. If I remember correctly, we have to cross two or three mountains.”

“You’re heading to your father’s estate, where Duke Lenaril will send for you. It will be an unusual means of transport, so it’s impossible for you to come directly to this village.”

Duke Lenaril’s summons, an unusual means.

Upon hearing these two things, one thing comes to mind.

I never thought I’d experience the world’s most expensive form of transportation in my lifetime. Well, it’s not surprising. If we were to use a carriage, it would take half a month one way.

But with that, we should arrive in two days.

“Understood. The next step is the departure date. I want to prepare as much as possible. To make sweets that Duke Lenaril has never tasted, using ingredients she doesn’t know would be the quickest way.”

Presumably, the kudzu and pinaru I have on hand will fulfill that role adequately.

But besides that, I want to prepare everything imaginable.

“However… there’s a four dukes’ regular dinner in ten days, and they’re coming to pick you up the day after tomorrow at noon.”

Their expression tightened slightly.

If they’re coming to pick us up at Count Fernande ‘s estate in three days at noon, we’ll have to leave by tomorrow at noon.

What a ridiculously tight schedule.

And to top it off, if we arrive at Duke Lenaril’s estate four days from now, we’ll only have six days for preparation.

In six days, we have to devise the best sweets recipes using what we bring from here and what’s available in Duke Lenaril’s estate, and then prepare them.

This schedule is insane.

But there’s no time to lament.

And there’s one more unpleasant feeling I have. Or rather, it feels like I’m saying something frightening.

“Duke Lenaril said that the rose cookies were just a fraction of my abilities and that I could prepare something even more amazing, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Is she really only talking about sweets?”

That’s what I’m really concerned about.

I remember Farne’s words, “It seems like she wants to make the best dinner for the four dukes and show off your skills to the fullest.”

Is it just about sweets being the best, or is she demanding the best “course” from appetizers to main dishes, all of which no one has ever tasted before?

“Haha, haha, there’s no way, right? Even for you, Kurt, it’s tough enough with just the sweets, let alone creating the best course that no one has ever tasted in just six days.”

Farne wears a dry smile.

Perhaps she also thinks it’s possible.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t use the expression “the best dinner” but instead “the best sweets.”

“I’ll confirm it with her just in case, but I’ll prepare for the worst-case scenario. We don’t have time until tomorrow’s departure. We’ll prepare to the limit. I’m sorry, there’s not even time to talk slowly.”

We’ll need to mobilize all the various weapons we’ve created in my village to handle this crisis.

I hope this is just needless worry.

From now on, every minute, every second is a battle.

“I understand, Kurt. I’ll do my best to help, too. In case we need to prepare for the worst and go beyond just sweets to a full-course meal, please write down what you need. As soon as we arrive in Fernande, I’ll gather everything using every means possible before our pickup arrives. Perhaps the port town of Eclava has more variety in goods than the ducal estate.”

That’s reassuring.

I’ve seen the market before, so I have a rough idea of what I want.

“I’ll rely on Farne’s help. I appreciate it.”

“No, it’s originally Fernande’s fault. It’s only natural for me to cooperate fully, and besides, I’m going to be your wife!”

“Thank you. Um, I have one request. There’s a particular ingredient I really need. There’s no way I could afford it with Arnoldt’s wallet. Can I borrow Fernande’s influence?”

It’s one of the most familiar ingredients to me as a pastry chef. I was overjoyed when I saw it in Eclava.

“Of course! Don’t worry about the money!”

That’s reassuring.

With those strong words behind me, I left Farne’s mansion.

◇

It’s so sudden that I haven’t even decided on a recipe.

I’ll gather everything I need to be able to respond to any situation, collecting things that are not available in the ducal estate.

Walnut oil… A special oil squeezed from nutrient-rich walnuts. Using this allows me to create desserts that are robust yet not overwhelming.

Honey… A clear honey made from the nectar of raspberry flowers. It’s the taste of this region and the beginning of my journey as a pastry chef.

Kudzu starch… Kudzu harvested from the Spirit Village. Kudzu starch is not available anywhere else in this world. Undoubtedly, it will have an unknown flavor.

Pinaru and Papuru… These are also specialties of the Spirit Village. The quality is excellent. Some of the Pinaru will be preserved in honey, which brings out a different charm compared to eating it raw.

These are the ingredients for making desserts.

And now, I’ll prepare ingredients for cooking.

In the warehouse behind the house, there hangs deer meat.

It’s being aged.

But what I’ll use isn’t what’s being aged. It’s hidden deep in the back of the warehouse.

“Alright, found it.”

A hard, oval-shaped, tea-brown object.

When tapped lightly against the wall, it made a firm sound.

Both in appearance and sound, it’s like bonito flakes.

This is what’s called deer flakes. It’s a recent addition to real-world French cuisine.

Originally, it contains umami components like bonito flakes, but it was avoided due to its fishy smell.

So, chefs experimented with various ingredients to extract umami components, and what was chosen was deer flakes made from deer meat.

Using this, you can make incredible broth.

“Now, I hope I won’t have to use this.”

Muttering to myself like that, I left the warehouse.

There’s still a lot of preparation to be done.

I efficiently gathered the ingredients that would serve as my weapons.