Suddenly, Marquis Fernand saw through Father’s lies.
“What would you possibly be saying?”
“My eyes aren’t blind, you know?” His tone is confident.
“That village, in Jorg’s village, I’m merely helping as his assistant.”
“I’m tired of hearing that lie. It’s obvious for anyone who has eyes. The eyes of villagers there follow your figure; none of them are looking at Jorg. Also, your replies to my questions are on point, with the passionate character from the sweat shed by oneself. I will say this one more time, my eyes aren’t blind. Just by looking, it’s apparent whose village it is.”
I lift both my hands in surrender. “I lost. Indeed, I built that village. It finally took shape after three years of blood and sweat.”
If Father found out about this, I would get a severe scolding. However, it couldn’t be helped. It’s Jorg’s fault for not being able to give decent replies.
“I’m glad I clarified this matter. Could it be that Baron Arnold usually snatches your merits to secure Jorg’s candidacy by design?”
My heart thumps unpleasantly. That emotion is anger. Anger from snatching my dream.
“As amazing as ever, Marquis Fernand. Nothing escapes you to that extent.”
The marquis chuckles as I speak.
“I see. As I expected of you as well; can’t you read his hidden true feelings?”
“His hidden true feelings?”
Is this about what could my father possibly feel as he trampled upon my feelings?
“I feel bad for Baron Arnold, but let me tell you a secret. Baron Arnold isn’t a man of that small caliber. His thoughts lie elsewhere. Therefore, I did not rebuke his false reports before.”
“How’s that possible…?”
It was just that when I heard my ownership of my village got absurdly confiscated and passed on to Jorg, I didn’t think beyond that, or even imagined what could possibly be the reason.
“Do you like this village? Even if you can’t become the feudal lord, do you think you could continue living on as the head of this village?”
“It is as you said.”
I wanted to make my dream come true while spending time in this village. That’s because of the attachment I felt towards this village that I built with Tina, the bond that I have with people living here, conquering the world by Western confectionery with Japanese taste made by utilizing the knowledge I honey and fruits from my Yamanashi family’s orchard, the ultimate sweets from the best ingredients I could make with my own hands. That strong aspiration is the reason why I like growing various things while imagining the perfected form of the sweets.
“That’s precisely why. Because you’re clinging to this village, your father took this away from you using the most plausible excuse.”
“Why would he make that kind of cruel move!?”
If it’s for the sake of profit, I could understand. But to think that he would take away the village only to aggravate me. How could I possibly forgive that?
“I actually receive a request from Baron Arnold. It’s a plead to employ you after the selection ceremony is over.”
“Wha-!?”
This is the first time I heard something like that.
“Baron Arnold said something like he really wanted to let you succeed the Arnold family, but you don’t have the essential point: a talent in spear. However, it’s too regretful to let you settle down as a small village head in the fief of Arnold barony. He spoke so heatedly about how your talent would help myself attain greatness.”
“For that to be the reason he takes away the village I’m attached to…”
Father has always been thinking with good intention. According to his thoughts, by taking away the village, once the marquis extends the invitation, there’s no way I’d refuse that. On the other hand, as long as I continue to stay in this village, I would definitely disagree to that offer.
“I certainly regard you really highly. I noticed your countless knowledge and intelligence from your manuscript works. I also understand your practical ability by looking at this village. And then, I could grasp how popular you are from the way the villagers look at you. I truly wish to employ you. Just leave it to me to find you an important position.”
Everything is connected now. I dare to say that my father’s moves are all done for my sake, thinking how Marquis Fernand would see through the lies spoken in today’s inspection. The inspection itself actually serves as the my job interview for the marquis. Otherwise, he wouldn’t let me be alone with Marquis Fernand, because there’s a great danger of exposing all of his lies.
To let the marquis see my abilities, he rises Jorg’s arrogance. Most likely, if I go to the marquis’ place, my future would be a rose-colored life… But even so.
“Marquis Fernand. Please allow me to refuse this talk.”
“Hou, may I hear the reason?”
“I have no intention to give up on the feudal lord’s seat.”
“Hm, you say that resolutely. However, even if you become the feudal lord, I believe that your future will be brighter if you come to my base rather than staying in this remote area.”
“I understand that perfecly. Even so, I have a dream. That dream can’t be fulfilled unless I am here.”
“One that has more value than my offer?”
“Yes. It’s my lifelong dream. If you don’t mind, I will escort you to see my dream.”
Then, I take the marquis and Falnor along to see the raspberry flower field that Tina and I created.
“This is such a well done flower garden.”
“Was this garden created by Kurt-sama?”
White raspberry flowers are blooming everywhere in the field. The loveliness of such natural blooms shows the glittering lives that moves the heart of the two people who are used to see various gorgeous flowers.
“Yes, I made this garden together with a girl named Tina. There are wooden boxes on the corner where bees coming in and out. They are man-made bee hives, a device to extract honey without crushing the nest.”
“Hou, in other words, no matter how many times the bees accumulate honey, this allows you to harvest that honey?”
“Yes, right now 10 boxes are my limit to care after, but since we have a great harvest this year, I can add more people next year, working with around 50 boxes. From each beehive, I can take up to 40 liters of honey per year, making it a ludicrous industry.”
In this era, honey is extremely valuable. There are many villages whose livelihood are beekeeping, yet because they have to crush the nest to squeeze out the honey every time, their performances are poor. Moreover, that method takes up a great time. In conclusion, the price is really high. But on my side, we can produce them cheaply in great quantity.
“So this is your dream, to operate upstart large-scale honey production?”
“That is incorrect. Keeping the bees is merely the way to achieve it.”
Then I open the basket that Tina handed over to me, taking the cookies made from honey, and hand over those cookies to Falnor and the marquis. I’m really grateful that Tina packed up the cookies as well. That girl really is my goddess of fortune.
“My dream is to be the world’s best pastry chef. Since I couldn’t go anywhere without the ingredients, I made the honey. Because selling processed products will bring more profit than selling them raw, I want to sell the cookies I just gave to you as this village’s special product. I’ll buy fruit tree seedlings with that money and build orchards. Furthermore, I’ll add the types and quantities of the sweets, then use them as my capital funds to start trading to procure rare ingredients, and eventually I’ll use those with my own village’s raw products to create the ultimate pastry. …That is my dream.”
A far and distant dream. But I don’t believe it’s impossible. I’m properly looking at the path.
“How to call it, a tale of dream. For the sake of that kind of thing, you cast away a future that will certainly bring you a rose-colored life. The tale of your dream, is a sweet dream larger than the sweets themselves.”
“Please decide if I can fulfill that dream or not after you take a bite of that cookie. It’s a cookie made from plenty of honey harvested from here. That cookie is my resolution, the first step towards that dream.”
“This tiny piece of cookie… A mere plain looking thin piece contains your everything. Interesting, let’s try it.”
Marquis Fernand and Falnor both take a bite. I hear the small pleasant sound of chewing from them. Both of them are used to eating luxurious gaudy-looking sweets. If I could make them understand, I would finally see the feasibility of my dream.
“This is… To have a taste like this, in this small village. Compared to this, all of the sweets that I’ve tasted are no different than lumps of sugar.”
“This pleasant sweetness, dreamy chewiness, with no cloying, it disappears all of a sudden. Aaah! Why is there only one piece!?”
Exactly because of its simplicity that it could show the amazingness of honey as the raw material, as well as the superb aftertaste due to the meticulous attention without any compromise when baking that one piece of cookie.
“Huff… I lost. I could already see the path of your dream with this cookie. Even if you don’t come to my place, you could do it. But if you’re like this, this village will still be taken away from you, you know?”
“It is all right. I will win. I’ll show you that I’ll become the feudal lord.”
“Hou, so confident. Did anything happen?”
“I wouldn’t have asked for chicken as my reward earlier, otherwise. There’ll be no meaning if I get expelled from this village.”
“That is true.”
Listening to my response, Marquis Fernand shows a wry smile. I believe that I’ll win the selection ceremony. Truthfully, in today’s inspection, I finally thought of a way to gain more abilities in a short time; a secret plan to finish learning ability with my S-rank aptitude that should’ve taken 2 months in one week, no, in one day.
“But what a pity. I can’t help but to think of how I’ve missed to gain a skillful subordinate… Besides, if I had known that you could make sweets so wonderful, how could I possibly let you go?”
As I heard those words, Marquis Fernand, Falnor, and I all laughed out loud together.
“If you like it so much, I’ll pack more cookies along with the earlier document. I’m grateful that you let me know about my father’s thoughts. Well, even so, my father’s worry is an unnecessary concern to me. I will cut open my path in life by myself.”
Thanks to Marquis Fernand, I can feel at ease without feeling any resentment towards my father. I’m really thankful for that.
“Wow, we can bring Kurt-sama’s sweets as a souvenir!? How wonderful.”
“Yes, I will make them for you earnestly.”
“I’m happy too. Obviously a piece is far from enough. If it’s this wonderful cookie… That’s right, we have to send a gift to the Duchess soon. She’s such a gourmet, so it’ll probably be great if we can send her your cookies. Precisely because she’s really used to extravagance, this simplicity will resound in her heart. Let’s send them garnished with her favorite roses.”
I hesitate a bit. These cookies are indeed delicious. But to send them to a ducal house…
“I will do so. However, If I’m going to send something to the Duchess, won’t it be good to send better cookies? Using the honey and wheat from this village, then unsalted butter made from cows milk, and almonds. And because of how she favors the roses, I need the rose petals, and also rum. If I have these, I’ll show you the very best cookies I could make.”
“If you have something that could surpass these, then after the selection ceremony, bring yourself to my manor. I’ll collect the ingredients in that place, so would you cook there?”
“Yes, I’ll gladly do so.”
Buying the marquis’ favor will definitely become a plus point if I think about what would happen afterwards. For that sake, I have to become the feudal lord first. My mind stiffens from that thought.
“Right, about the chickens. I’ll bring them here when I return to witness the ceremony. Until then, prepare something that can be used as chicken shed.”
“That fast? That’s great news.”
“That’s just another reason. I wish to eat more of your sweets, it doesn’t seem like I could hold back until you bring yourself to my manor. When I come back here, I’ll bring chickens and chicken eggs, so would you make more sweets for me using the eggs at that time?”
I think about the recipe. Sweets that will display the deliciousness (umami) of the egg. …..It has to be that, isn’t it?
“Then I have a request. Would you be able to prepare up to 50 eggs?”
“It’s possible, but what are you going to do with those?”
“To celebrate the new feudal lord, the Baron house of Arnold will hold a festival. I’m thinking to treat all 200 attendants with some sweets. Then I’m going to need 50 eggs.”
“…You. Really, you’re interesting. Then, I have to arrive as soon as possible.”
“There’s no need to hurry. There’s two hours from the end of the ceremony to the start of the festival. If I have that, I can handle 200 people’s portion.”
I smile, and this time, it’s Marquis Fernand’s turn to laugh out loud.