Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: The Return of the Lenaril Duke’s Territory

With the finest ingredients obtained at the market, I was able to clearly determine the direction for the confections I would create.

An overwhelmingly luxurious treat that emits the best aroma.

The black jewels procured with Farne’s help were so expensive even before my reincarnation that they could only be used for the highest-tier courses.

In this world, they can be bought at a reasonable price. That fact brings me immense joy. The quality is also top-notch. They are large and fragrant. With this much quantity, I should be able to conduct prototypes as well.

However, there was one issue.

“Has the flavor of the cacao started to decline?”

The flavor of the cacao I procured last time has begun to show signs of fading.

Using it now would be fine, but by the time I serve it in the royal capital, it will likely have worsened.

I am careful with storage, but with the facilities in this world, deterioration is inevitable over time.

Using the dwindling cacao for a gift to Duke Lenaril is my pride as a pâtissier. I want to use it all up while it is still delicious.

Above all… I can’t proudly present sweets made from diminished cacao as the best confections.

I want to procure new cacao, but this time it’s a direct request from the royal family. I need to purchase it out of my own pocket, but given Arnoldt’s financial situation, I would have to go into debt to buy it.

Moreover, even if I had the money, it’s uncertain whether I could even obtain it.

I did search the market as a precaution, and I asked Farne to check Fernande’s information network, but it’s not available in the market.

Since it’s not produced on this continent, I can’t expect to find it anywhere other than the port city of Eclava.

“Can I make a confection that utilizes the black jewels without relying on cacao?”

If I don’t use something robust like chocolate, the black jewels will be overshadowed.

Time is running out. I must somehow procure new cacao. I could either give up and use the cacao that has lost its flavor or come up with recipes that don’t require cacao.

I must choose from those three options.

…It’s an option to fundamentally give up on the black jewels, but the moment I encountered this ingredient, I felt a strong desire to create sweets with it.

I can’t lie about that feeling.

I won’t reach a conclusion just yet.

I’ll decide on a direction by the time we arrive in the Lenaril Duke’s territory. I will think through all the options with all my might.

◇

Finally, I set off from Eclava. The Lenaril Duke’s dragon carriage had come to greet us.

The remaining time before our departure was spent making white sugar from the brown sugar I purchased in Eclava.

White sugar is something you can never have too much of.

Additionally, I procured some fine alcohol. There are many wonderful beverages aside from wine. This time, I bought rum. It would be wasted if I couldn’t get chocolate, but it’s essential for my ideal recipe.

“Kurt-sama, I never expected you to go to the Lenaril Duke’s place so soon again.”

“I’m a bit surprised myself. If I had known, I would have delayed the shop’s opening.”

It was truly a close call.

What if Helmot, who I hired as an instructor, wasn’t someone I could entrust the shop to? What if she hadn’t been willing to take on the manager role?

What if my apprentice, Mil, hadn’t developed enough to take charge of the overall confectionery-making?

If any one of those had been lacking, the shop I opened in Eclava, Arnoldt, would have quickly lost its credibility.

Credibility is hard to build but can be lost in an instant.

“People in high positions can be quite selfish. Personally, I don’t want Kurt to become too important. I want you to stay just as you are.”

Chloe, the elf, said with an exasperated tone.

Honestly, this girl…

The dragon carriage also holds Fernande and Farne.

There’s no way I could nod in agreement to something like that.

However, I do agree with her in my heart.

I don’t want to become someone important.

I did have a desire to become a proper noble. If I became a baron, then my territory in Arnoldt would truly belong to me, and I would be less susceptible to interference.

But I don’t want anything more than that.

Once you rise above the rank of baron, the territory becomes even larger. Responsibilities and obligations increase significantly. You can only focus on your own territory as a baron.

You’d have to frequently visit the royal family and the dukes, be dragged to various parties hosted by different nobles, and get caught up in boring power struggles and displays of vanity.

I’d rather avoid all that.

I don’t want to become a distinguished noble or gain power. I just want to make sweets and bring smiles to many people.

I want to make the people close to me happy. That’s all.

To be frank, I think having just enough power to protect the current territory of Arnoldt is more than sufficient; anything beyond that feels like a nuisance.

“No matter how important I become, I won’t change. I don’t want Tina or Chloe to dislike me.”

Since I can’t spill my true feelings in front of Fernande, I convey my thoughts modestly.

“You’ll be fine, Kurt-sama. You’re kind, so you won’t change even if you become important.”

“Right? I can’t even imagine a selfish Kurt. When it comes to things other than making sweets, you’re always so considerate of others.”

Tina and Chloe smiled at me.

If I truly am a kind person, it’s surely thanks to them.

“Honestly, Kurt-sama, it’s unfair that you’re just flirting with Tina and Chloe all the time. I believe in you too, you know!”

Farne puffed her cheeks.

I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“Well, I wish you’d have a little more ambition. Power is a good thing, the more you have.”

Fernande the Baron chimed in.

I responded with a polite smile. This time, I couldn’t agree with his words. Although I am a noble, at heart, I am still a pastry chef.

◇

We arrived at the outskirts of the Lenaril Duke’s territory. We switched from the dragon carriage to a horse-drawn carriage for the rest of the journey.

The Duke’s residence has a vast garden, and while it’s not impossible to land the dragon carriage directly, it seems that entering the airspace above that town is forbidden to prevent aerial attacks, being the Duke’s stronghold.

It takes time to sway in the carriage toward her mansion, but it’s not a bad feeling.

The scenery of this town is beautiful enough to warrant it. Truly, it is an artistic city.

Finally, we reached the Lenaril Duke’s mansion.

There are more guards than the last time I visited. Surely, the previous assassination attempt has left a mark.

We were guided by the mansion’s servants and parted ways with Fernande and the others.

From today onward, I will be staying at this mansion for a while.

While thoroughly being drilled on how to behave as a noble, I’ll meet with the Duke’s subordinate nobles one after another. In parallel, I will develop the sweets I’ll create in the royal capital.

It’s going to be pretty tough, but I should manage to get through it.

“Kurt-sama, are you a bit tired?”

“Just a little. I might have pushed myself too hard. I’ve been pulling all-nighters.”

I had pushed myself to the limit to be able to leave the Arnoldt territory.

I had been frantically making stocks of the weekly sweets to be served at my shop in Eclava.

After arriving in Eclava, I made sweets to gift to Duke Lenaril and scoured the market for ingredients.

I hadn’t had much sleep in the past few days.

“If this keeps up, you will collapse, Kurt-sama. You need to relax a bit more.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s just one more week. I can manage a couple of weeks of sleepless nights. This is only the second time in my life I’ve been this busy. The last time was tougher, so I should be okay this time.”

By the way, the busiest time of my life was back in my previous life.

I had saved up money, returned to my country, and was about to open my own shop. The month leading up to the opening was excruciatingly busy, but it was also an incredibly passionate and fun time.

However, dying the day before opening was one of my lingering regrets.

“Kurt-sama, you can be quite stubborn at times like this. Please rest a little. I think you can afford to relax until your meeting with Duke Lenaril.”

Tina sat on the bed, patted it, and then extended her silver, fluffy fox tail.

“Kurt-sama, did you know that a girl’s fox tail has healing powers?”

She was likely suggesting I use her proud fox tail as a pillow.

Indeed, it felt like sleeping on that fluffy tail would melt away my fatigue.

“Alright, I’ll take you up on that offer. Please wake me if the servants come to call.”

“Yes!”

Tina laughed.

I lay down on the bed, resting my head on Tina’s fluffy tail.

It smelled of sunshine and Tina’s sweet fragrance.

Ah, this is nice.

It’s incredibly fluffy and soft.

I felt my fatigue melting away.

In reality, it wasn’t just that I had been pulling all-nighters for the past few days; I hadn’t been able to sleep well even during the little time I had. It was due to extreme tension. But now, I felt at peace.

I drifted off to sleep, wrapped in Tina’s warmth.

When I wake up, I’ll work harder than ever before…