Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 75

Chapter 75: To the Arnoldt Territory

Finally, the day to depart from Duke Lenaril’s territory arrived.

Yesterday, I bought rare ingredients at the market. However, since it was my own wallet, I had to reluctantly give up on many ingredients due to budget constraints. I’ve decided to come back for them once I’ve made a fortune.

And I thoroughly studied the Lenaril family’s secret recipes.

Though I couldn’t sleep at all, it was quite educational. There were several interesting cooking methods, especially for seafood dishes.

As for the sweets, there were many useful references. I’m particularly interested in trying out the unique sweets made with local liquor.

To balance out the receiving, I made a surprise batch of rose cookies and left them with the Lenaril household staff. They are scheduled to be delivered to Duke Lenaril after I depart. I’m sure he’ll be pleased.

With Tina and Chloe, I arrived at the landing point for the dragon carriage on the outskirts to prepare for departure.

“Kurt-sama, we can finally go home.”

Tina said.

“Yeah, it feels strange, like it went by in a flash but also like we’ve been here forever.”

I replied.

There were indeed many experiences here.

Having the opportunity to showcase my skills with the finest ingredients was particularly significant.

I might never get the chance to touch chocolate again if things go wrong.

It’s just too expensive, and Arnoldt’s finances couldn’t handle it.

“Kurt, when we get back, it’s time to prepare for the shop. You’re going to make all sorts of sweets, right? I’m looking forward to tasting them.”

Chloe said, smiling.

“It’ll be tough, but I’m excited. With the Lenaril family’s endorsement, I think we’ll have a lot of customers.”

I said, smiling. My skills are about to shine. The future of making many people happy with sweets is just around the corner.

Just as the dragon carriage arrived.

At my request, it’s not the type with a balloon using wind magic stones but rather a type where the dragon firmly grabs onto the ceiling with its hind legs and takes off.

It looks dangerous at first glance, but it’s protected by the dragon’s wind blessing, ensuring a safe and comfortable journey in the air.

Dragons are strong, capable of carrying the weight of two horse-drawn carriages.

A magnificent white dragon. It’s beautiful. I’m overwhelmed with emotion at the thought of it being mine.

“That’s a big dragon. It must need a lot of food. …I’m worried if it can be raised on our territory.”

Tina said.

“Don’t worry, Tina. Mythical creatures like dragons don’t need food. They live off mana. So, they don’t excrete waste, and they don’t cost money.”

I explained.

“That’s fantastic! It’s perfect for the Arnoldt territory!”

Tina’s eyes sparkled.

While talking like this with Tina, a man emerged from the dragon carriage.

“Arnoldt, the next Viscount, preparations are complete. We can take off anytime.”

A man said.

He’s the dragon’s handler.

The third son of a baron who fell from nobility to commoner status.

He serves me and mainly takes care of the dragon.

“Got it, let’s go right away.”

I said, taking Tina and Chloe’s hands and running.

We boarded the dragon carriage. The Lenaril household staff loaded our luggage and belongings.

It seems Count Fernande and Farne still have work to do and can’t return yet, so it’s just us returning.

“We’re good anytime, depart whenever you’re ready.”

I told the handler.

“I understand… Here we go.”

The handler said.

The dragon flapped its wings.

Since the dragon flies with magic, there’s no wind, and it feels like gravity has disappeared as we gently ascend into the sky.

Looking out the window, I saw Duke Lenaril outside waving his hand.

Despite being busy, she came all the way here to see us off. I waved back.

And so, the journey in the sky began. I enjoyed watching the passing scenery through the window.

After a while, Chloe and Tina, who had grown bored and looked away from the window, noticed something and exclaimed.

“Hey, Kurt, what’s this?”

“There are many unfamiliar packages loaded onto the dragon carriage.”

I replied.

Looking over, I noticed several hemp bags securely tied down in the corner of the carriage.

There was a letter placed prominently on top, so I opened it.

“Arnoldt, the next Viscount, this is a congratulatory gift for the opening of your shop. Use it wisely.”

The brief note read. Below that was a list of the contents of the bags.

Incredibly valuable items in this world, such as rare sugar, fine distilled spirits usable as ingredients for confectionery, and top-quality flour, as well as precious spices, were all plentifully stocked.

This was incredibly helpful.

“Thank you, Duke Lenaril.”

Despite planning a surprise with the rose cookies, we ended up being surprised instead.

I’ll make sure to use these wisely.

However, I couldn’t just use them directly in the shop. If I used them initially, I could attract a huge number of customers, but once the ingredients ran out, sourcing materials of the same quality would be prohibitively expensive for ordinary citizens. That’s not what I want. On the other hand, if I switch to lower-quality ingredients halfway through, the taste would suffer, leading to a bad reputation.

Fortunately, all of the ingredients can be stored for a long time. I decided to use them for serving pastries to nobles and for making small batches of ultra-high-end sweets.

Count Fernande, has received several inquiries about visiting pastry chefs. These ingredients would be a strong asset for such work.

“Kurt, what do you think of Duke Lenaril?”

Tina asked, sounding a bit anxious.

“He’s someone I can respect. He’s the first person my age who I think is more impressive than me. We share the same goals, and I want to support him.”

I replied.

If the nobles have their way, war will break out, and there won’t be time to make sweets. I want to avoid that as much as possible. And besides, I also want to be of help to her.

“I see… Um, what if Duke Lenaril asks you to stay by her side forever?”

Tina asked, sounding even more worried.

“She already asked that. She offered me a much richer estate near Lenaril’s territory in exchange for assisting her. She even promised me a position worthy of it.”

I explained.

“What did you say, Kurt!?”

“You’ll know my answer just by seeing me here, riding towards Arnoldt in this dragon carriage. I declined. I love Arnoldt. It’s the land Tina and I built together. I can’t just abandon it.”

I declared.

Yes, it’s the crystallization of our dreams, built together from the depths.

No matter how wonderful a territory is offered later, there’s no way I’d be swayed.

“I’m glad, Kurt.”

Tina said, leaning against me.

I gently stroked her head.

“You two are always so close.”

I remarked.

Chloe said with a somewhat bored expression.

“Tina and I are partners, after all.”

I caught Chloe off guard by tossing a caramel into her pouting mouth.

She looked surprised for a moment, then relaxed her cheeks.

It seemed Tina’s occasional gestures were effective on Chloe too.

The Lenaril territory was gradually getting further away.

At that moment, the driver spoke up.

“Arnoldt, I actually have a letter from a gentleman. He handed it to me and quickly left before I could even confirm his name. Should I dispose of it?”

“No, I’ll take it. Let me see.”

“Yes, sir.”

I received the letter from the driver. It was on extremely high-quality paper, indicating the sender’s high status.

“Kurt-sama, what’s wrong? You look scared.”

Tina asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

I replied.

The sender of the letter was one of the four dukes who had taken quite an interest in me. It was from Duke Heltring, though he didn’t explicitly state his name, the writing hinted at our encounter on a moonlit night.

The contents urged me to take up the spear, warning that otherwise, I would lose everything. It emphasized that sweets could not protect anything. If I didn’t want to regret it, I was to come to him.

…Sweets couldn’t protect anything.

Indeed, that might be a harsh truth. Against marauders, sweets held no meaning.

However, I believe I can bring happiness to people through sweets. It’s something this country needs more than violence.

The wording about regret bothers me.

They might be planning something, but whatever they try, I’ll overcome it.

“You don’t look like it’s nothing. Kurt-sama, you look really scared.”

Tina insisted.

“It really is nothing.”

I reassured her.

Receiving this letter wouldn’t change what I intended to do.

But I can’t let Tina worry too much. Let’s change the subject.

“Anyway, Tina, remember how I promised to create a unique sweet just for you? Well, I got an idea while looking at the recipes in Duke Lenaril’s mansion. It won’t be ready until spring because we’ll need specific ingredients, but when spring comes, I’ll make the best sweet ever, so look forward to it.”

I said.

Tina’s eyes widened in surprise, then she nodded with a beaming smile.

Her smile made me forget about the fear I showed upon receiving the letter.

“Yes! I’m looking forward to it.”

Tina exclaimed.

Her smile was always the cutest thing.

I need to make sweets that will make her smile even brighter.

The dragon carriage flew straight toward the Arnoldt territory, as if liberated from all constraints.

For now, I’ll focus on building the shop in front of me.

If I can establish a market where Arnoldt territory’s ingredients sell at high prices in large quantities, Arnoldt will become prosperous in no time.