Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 97

Chapter 97: The Party and What Cannot Be Compromised

Having obtained cacao, I hurriedly borrowed a kitchen and began the process of turning it into chocolate.

In three hours, I would be attending a party to show my face to the influential nobles, but there was no time to relax and take a break.

Making chocolate from cacao takes at least two weeks, including drying and aging periods.

It involves hard labor, such as kneading for thirty hours, as part of the process.

Of course, there wasn’t really any time to do it properly.

However, I could use magic to speed up the process.

My [Heal] possesses healing power. I can even promote self-healing abilities.

In other words, it’s possible to activate the movement of yeast and bacteria to encourage fermentation, significantly speeding up the aging process.

It’s difficult to control, and promoting aging without sacrificing taste requires trial and error, which I hadn’t done in the previous attempt.

But this time, unlike before, I had enough cacao to allow for mistakes. I intended to use magic to complete the chocolate in a short time.

Right now, I was extracting seeds called cacao beans from the cacao pods and aging the roasted ones in the oven.

I was experimenting with magical aging promotion, but I had ruined cacao beans three times in a row.

And now, for the fourth attempt…

“I finally got the hang of it.”

A light of magical power rose. In my hands was cacao that had finished aging in thirty minutes, a process that would normally take a week.

Doing this finally produced a chocolate-like aroma. This scent would not come out without aging.

I extracted the seeds from raw cacao, roasted them, and removed the shells and embryos. In a traditional setting, they would be wrapped in banana leaves. This time, I used a substitute, wrapping them in Lalatta leaves to ferment with the power of yeast and bacteria for aging.

It’s a good result. With this, I can make chocolate worthy of being presented to the royal family.

Chocolate is a fermented food. Surprisingly, few people recognize this fact.

No matter how much cacao one obtains, the reason why Duke Lenaril’s chef cannot make delicious confections using cacao is largely due to ignorance of this process. Without aging, cacao will have neither flavor nor aroma worth mentioning.

Even on Earth, it took hundreds of years and countless trials and errors to establish the complex processes of roasting the beans, removing the shells and embryos, and wrapping them in banana leaves for over a week of fermentation. In this world, it will be a long time before anyone comes up with such methods.

Making chocolate is a form of art.

“Kurt, it’s tough to work so hard on making the ingredients instead of the sweets themselves.”

I called Chloe to the kitchen, and she exclaimed in disbelief.

“It’s common. Sometimes you have to start by making the tools needed to create the tools for making the ingredients.”

I replied.

“Wow, that sounds overwhelming.”

Chloe made a face of distaste.

What seems ordinary to me is surprising to her.

In the pursuit of making the best confections, compromise is not allowed. If necessary, that’s the extent I’m willing to go.

“Chloe, I’m counting on you for this.”

“I just need to get the water out of this, right?”

After aging, the cacao seeds usually need to be sun-dried for about three days to remove moisture.

The goal is to reach a moisture content of around six percent.

If there’s too much moisture, it will spoil, and if there’s too little, the flavor of the cacao will be lost.

Using her water-manipulating magic, the elf made the moisture escape from the cacao.

I had asked Chloe to use her power slowly.

I carefully observed the state of the cacao.

“Chloe, that’s enough.”

“Got it.”

Chloe’s magic came to an end.

I put the aged and dried cacao seeds in my mouth.

“As expected of you, Chloe. This is well done.”

“Elf magic is top-notch!”

She gave me a thumbs-up.

With this, the drying process that should have taken three days was finished.

A week of aging and three days of sun-drying. In total, ten days of work was completed in just a little over two hours. Magic is truly convenient.

I placed the treated cacao seeds into a pot and began crushing them with a stick to turn them into powder.

When crushing the cacao seeds, which contain plenty of oil, cacao butter is released and solidifies, so I carefully removed that while continuing to grind them into powder. The fineness of the powder affects the quality of the chocolate, so I had to be attentive. If I applied heat, the flavor would dissipate, so I needed to ensure no heat was generated while grinding; it wasn’t just about brute force.

At times like this, I was glad to have magical power.

Making chocolate in an age without machines requires tremendous strength. It is said that even a strongman would give up when faced with the task of grinding. By enhancing my physical abilities with magic, I increased my strength and gained endurance.

Alright, I have produced good-quality cacao mass and cacao butter.

“Kurt-sama, it’s almost time for the party. Please start changing.”

“Understood. I’ll wrap things up soon.”

Tina had come to call for me.

Wow, is it already that time?

I should finish my work here.

The next step involves adding sugar and a small amount of fresh cream, followed by the kneading process, but that will have to wait until after the party, as it will require all-night work.

This process is called refining conching, where I gradually add small amounts of cacao butter while stirring in a double boiler, smoothing out the cacao particles.

This step makes a significant difference in the flavor and smoothness of the chocolate. In high-end shops, chocolate-making can take over seventy hours; it is the core of the process.

Here too, I’ll use magic to streamline things. Since I can’t leave it to machines, I can’t afford to spend seventy hours doing it by hand. A little magical shortcut is in order.

Still, there’s a limit to how much I can cheat with magic, so it will likely take until morning.

“Chocolate is delicious, but the amount of effort it takes is a problem.”

Even with my magical shortcuts, it remains a labor-intensive task.

Eventually, I want to teach others how to make it for mass production, but that will be difficult.

It’s not just hard work; each step requires skill. Determining the right time for aging, proper drying, and even the attentiveness required during grinding—all of it matters. The subsequent refining conching and tempering will require years of training.

A little negligence or an error in force can affect the final outcome, which is the fear of chocolate-making.

Even if I were to teach someone, it would take at least five years of training before they could produce chocolate worthy of being sold at Arnoldt’s shop.

For now, I should try teaching my right-hand man in pastry-making, Mil.

…In that case, I won’t be able to use magic, so chocolate-making will take over two weeks, but that will be a valuable learning experience in itself.

◇

After changing, I headed to the party.

What I was wearing was a new outfit I had just received from Baron Fernande.

The clothes I had prepared previously were tailored for a baronet, emphasizing the fact that, as the next head of a mere baronetcy, I shouldn’t stand out compared to the true nobles who held higher ranks than a baron.

But today is different.

As I am to become a baron, I need to wear clothes suitable for a true noble, ones that allow me to hold my head high as the main character.

When Tina and Chloe saw me in this outfit, they squealed, saying I looked like a prince.

In fact, I felt my posture straighten naturally, and a sense of nobility emerged within me. It’s a nice outfit.

Upon arriving at the party venue, I was summoned to the side of Duke Lenaril, who ordered me to stay close to her throughout the event.

When she saw me, she opened her mouth to speak.

“You look great. With your well-groomed appearance, you can pull off such an extravagant outfit.”

“It’s an honor to receive such praise. You, too, look as beautiful as ever, Duke Lenaril.”

Duke Lenaril chuckled wryly.

“Enough of that flattery. I’m tired of hearing it.”

“It’s not flattery. I mean it from the bottom of my heart.”

“You’re quite the charmer. As a reward, I’ll give you some advice. You are the center of attention among all the nobles here. Don’t forget that today.”

Hearing that, I glanced around.

The place where Duke Lenaril stood was elevated, giving her a view of the entire party venue.

There were about three hundred people in total at the party, with around a hundred nobles among them.

The thought that all of them were focused on me was starting to become amusing.

As a pastry chef, I don’t get nervous under the spotlight. On the contrary, it excites me.

“Yes, I want them to know who I am.”

“How unexpected; you’re surprisingly composed. It’s rare to find someone so calm in such a setting. It’s no wonder Duke Fernande favors you. That man wouldn’t be so fixated on someone just because they’re good at making sweets.”

“You’re overestimating me.”

“When you say that, it makes me feel like you’re implying I have no discernment. You must choose your moments for humility wisely.”

Duke Lenaril offered her advice in a teasing tone.

She was certainly right.

I gave a slight bow and decided to be more mindful.

“Arnoldt, the next Baron. I always have a question in these situations: What kind of noble do you want to be?”

That question struck at the core of my being.

Therefore, I didn’t want to give a lie just to be liked or to cover things up in this setting.

“I want to create a rich and happy territory where everyone can enjoy delicious sweets. And I wish to be a lord strong enough to protect such a happy place and its people.”

It had been my dream since childhood. On the day I was chosen as the next lord, I vowed to treat the townspeople to sweets and promised to do so.

That desire is my foundation. It’s something I must never change.

And beyond that, I need nothing more.

“That’s lovely. It’s very much like you. You truly love sweets and lack ambition. That’s why you can create wonderful confections. But to make that dream a reality, you need to stay focused.”

“Of course.”

Duke Lenaril nodded in satisfaction.

She began the greetings to kick off the party, declaring that the main event today was my ascension to baron, marking the start of the celebration.

One by one, nobles of higher rank came to greet Duke Lenaril, who introduced me in the process.

They were all high-ranking nobles, each capable of obliterating Arnoldt’s territory if they wished. I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.

Thanks to Duke Lenaril being by my side, everyone I encountered had a friendly demeanor, which was a relief.

…Still, beneath the surface, I could see jealousy, mockery, or perhaps a desire to exploit me, but at least they weren’t overtly hostile, which I appreciated.

My experience as a pastry chef in a high-end restaurant had ingrained in me the habit of observing customers to craft what they desired, making me unconsciously prone to human observation—a bad habit of mine. Often, ignorance can be bliss.

Right now, I was greeting Count Cucala, a gentleman showing signs of age with his plump frame and graying hair.

His demeanor was elegantly noble, but my instincts told me he harbored quite a dark side.

He opened his mouth with a cheerful smile.

“Now, Arnoldt, you’ve officially joined the ranks of true nobility.”

“Yes, I will strive even harder.”

“You’re young yet so reassuring. I have a wedding for my daughter coming up. Would you be able to make the cake for the ceremony? I will prepare a suitable reward. An Arnoldt wedding cake—my daughter will be delighted.”

In general, dukes, earls, marquesses, and barons are considered high-ranking nobles, while counts, viscounts, and barons are deemed low-ranking nobles. The ranks of baronets and imperial knights are called lesser nobility.

There’s a vast chasm between high and low-ranking nobles. In other words, I couldn’t refuse his request.

“Of course, it would be my pleasure.”

“Thank you, I look forward to it. I will send you a letter later with the date and location.”

In truth, I wanted to decline.

This count didn’t genuinely want to enjoy delicious sweets, and the claim about his daughter’s delight was a lie.

He simply wanted to add prestige to the wedding by serving a cake from Arnoldt, who had pleased the Four Great Dukes. That was all.

When speaking face-to-face, such motivations become clear.

If she truly wanted to enjoy a delicious cake, I would gladly make one for her. However, I had never liked those who used cakes for their own vanity. In the past, there were customers who bought cakes from high-end shops as a status symbol without even caring about the taste, and they were cut from the same cloth.

…Time to pull myself together and keep going.

There were still many nobles left to greet. I could only hope that people like him wouldn’t appear again.

After a flurry of greetings and casual conversations, the line of nobles paying their respects to Duke Lenaril finally thinned out.

“Arnoldt, the next baronet. You don’t have to worry about my reputation, and it was perfectly fine to decline that crass offer, you know? I’ll protect you from anyone who dares say something inappropriate in a place like this.”

Duke Lenaril said, offering her gentle words.

She was likely referring to the earlier count.

It seemed she had seen through my discomfort.

“Indeed, it was unpleasant, but this gathering is to celebrate Arnoldt becoming a baron. When a celebration is proposed, it’s hard to refuse… Furthermore, I’ll create confections that will awaken anyone’s senses, regardless of their intentions. I will make cakes so delicious that any ulterior motives will fade away. My cakes won’t just serve as mere decorations.”

Truly delicious food has the power to move people.

Even if their motives are just for show, I would aim to impress everyone who tasted my creations and send the best blessings their way.

If I could do that, the cake I offered would become a true cake of celebration.

“Hehe, how interesting. Should I ask you to make my wedding cake as well?”

She teased.

“Do you already have someone in mind?”

As a Duke, her marriage would carry significant implications.

I had heard that Duke Lenaril was seventeen. She came from a distinguished family and, more importantly, was incredibly beautiful. It was clear that the nation viewed her as a key strategic asset.

“I don’t, actually. Are you considering putting your name forward?”

“Unfortunately, I already have a fiancée.”

As my reputation grew, I had received numerous marriage proposals not just at this event but also elsewhere, all serving as a form of scouting.

However, thanks to Farne, I had been able to decline these offers gently, without offending anyone.

Whenever I mentioned that the daughter of Count Fernande was already engaged, the suitors would readily give up.

“I see. So, you’re already taken, huh? That man has always had a keen eye. He recognized your talent before anyone else did… The music has changed. Would you care to dance a piece with me? This is my favorite song.”

She said.

“Of course, I’d be delighted.”

Taking her outstretched hand, we moved to the center of the venue.

As all eyes turned toward us, we began to dance.

Duke Lenaril’s expression was truly joyful, and for the first time, she looked like a sweet girl her age.