“First, there’s something I want to say upfront.”
I preface this before explaining it to the cooking team slaves. It’s about the cookie recipe I’m going to teach them.
“Regarding the recipe, I’ll teach you, for now, it’s confidential information not to be leaked.”
“What do you mean by for now?”
Meranda, representing the cooking slaves, asks in response to my explanation. Her question is natural, so I properly explain.
Currently, food stalls and carts selling light snacks in this world mainly focus on grilled meat skewers of edible monster meat.
I think I mentioned before that other stalls mostly deal in ingredients like produce that haven’t been processed by people. They also handle processed wheat and barley like flour and seasonings.
However, there are practically no shops selling more indulgent foods like sweets. If the existence of such things became known to ruling classes like nobles, they would try to monopolize it.
Therefore, even if such stalls existed before as a precedent, they would quickly be monopolized by the rulers enclosing them, and if that failed, they would be driven out by harassment and unable to continue operating.
As a result, it has hindered the advancement of civilization in this entire world, maintaining a low level of civilization for a long time.
In my previous world, the Earth’s populace, fed up with such circumstances, rebelled against royalty and nobility in revolutions and coups, ending in new communities formed by the populace.
And then, conflicts occurred again between the newly formed communities, with a continual cycle of fruitless victories and defeats leading to the current society on Earth.
In that sense, by maintaining medieval European-level civilization for many years, this world may have prevented a cycle of unproductive conflict.
I digressed, but the point is, if you want to spread something better, you inevitably need the backing of the top ruling class. That’s why I intend to utilize the authority of the royal family to the maximum.
But while I could go directly and have the king come help, first I want to build some foundation through an organization that can negotiate with the country on equal terms. So to start with, I need to keep the information confidential and have them recognize its high utilization value.
“That’s why I think this cookie recipe will eventually be purchasable by anyone at the Commercial Guild, but for now it’s information only I know. If someone else learns about it and makes ownership claims before we can spread the recipe, it could become troublesome.”
“I see. Understood.”
Hearing my explanation, Meranda and the others nod in understanding. With them comprehending it, I’ll start teaching the cookie recipe right away.
However, it has to be within the range of others besides me being able to make and price so even commoners can easily obtain it. Additionally, rather than the high quality served at the previous tea party, I’ll intentionally lower the quality so as not to rapidly refine the commoners’ tastes.
So I’ll go with just wheat flour, sugar, and eggs without butter. Eggs themselves were rarely seen on the market as a luxury ingredient before, but with the chickens raised at the orphanage and my estate, they’re being distributed to some extent through the Commercial Guild. Also, with the Commercial Guild itself starting chicken farms in response, the circulation of eggs has further increased, making them available even to commoners.
First, mix the eggs, sugar, and salt in a bowl, and put wheat flour in another bowl. Crush the sugar and salt and put them in the bowl into a sand-like texture.
Sift the wheat flour to improve the finished cookies. Gradually add the mixed three ingredients to the sifted wheat flour while mixing with Hera, and bring the dough together by hand in the end.
Roll out the dough clump to 2-4 mm thick, and use a wooden cookie cutter to cut circular shapes.
Bake the cutouts in a frying pan until browned and hardened to some degree, and the commoner-style cookies will be complete.
“Let’s see… bite… Nom nom… Well, something like this. That’s the gist of it.”
I try the finished cookie. To be honest, having experienced higher quality ones, these feel a little lacking to me, but I judge they’re sufficiently well-made for people craving sweets.
The proof is when I had Meranda and the others sample the prototype, they ate it heartily with satisfied expressions.
After that, I had each of them make it following my instructions, and once everyone had learned the process, before I realized it, the serving and guard team slaves had gathered to observe.
“Rolando-sama, I believe I’ve taught the basics of customer service.”
“We got some good exercise for the first time in a while!”
Machad, who I left the serving team to, and Carifa, who handled the guard team, report to me as such. While Shifan and Meranda pointed out Carifa’s coarse speech, Carifa herself seemed indifferent.
“Good work, everyone. For now, since the cooking team made prototype cookies, have a taste test snack.”
At my words, the others’ faces light up happily. I evenly divide the cookies so there’s no quarreling, but they all look at me as if waiting for something. When I tilt my head quizzically, Machad explains.
“They’re waiting for permission to eat.”
“Oh right. Machad, you do it. I’m not their master.”
“I-I see… You can eat.”
Though reluctant, at my words he gives the slaves permission. As if waiting for that, they start munching away.
“Th-these are delicious.”
“It’d be a waste not to eat them.”
“Not as good as the master’s cookies, but these’ll do.”
Only one had a differing opinion, but the prototype cookies made by the cooking team were generally well-received. A considerable number of cookies disappear in an instant. However, their expressions clearly showed feelings of “I want more.”
“That’s enough for today. Eating too many will make you fat.”
They respond with a unanimous “Ohh…” Seems being fat is detested by women no matter the world.
After that, returning to the Commercio Trading Company, I used magic to build a new residence there for the girls to live in and had them rest for the day.
“First, there’s something I want to say upfront.”
I preface this before explaining it to the cooking team slaves. It’s about the cookie recipe I’m going to teach them.
“Regarding the recipe, I’ll teach you, for now, it’s confidential information not to be leaked.”
“What do you mean by for now?”
Meranda, representing the cooking slaves, asks in response to my explanation. Her question is natural, so I properly explain.
Currently, food stalls and carts selling light snacks in this world mainly focus on grilled meat skewers of edible monster meat.
I think I mentioned before that other stalls mostly deal in ingredients like produce that haven’t been processed by people. They also handle processed wheat and barley like flour and seasonings.
However, there are practically no shops selling more indulgent foods like sweets. If the existence of such things became known to ruling classes like nobles, they would try to monopolize it.
Therefore, even if such stalls existed before as a precedent, they would quickly be monopolized by the rulers enclosing them, and if that failed, they would be driven out by harassment and unable to continue operating.
As a result, it has hindered the advancement of civilization in this entire world, maintaining a low level of civilization for a long time.
In my previous world, the Earth’s populace, fed up with such circumstances, rebelled against royalty and nobility in revolutions and coups, ending in new communities formed by the populace.
And then, conflicts occurred again between the newly formed communities, with a continual cycle of fruitless victories and defeats leading to the current society on Earth.
In that sense, by maintaining medieval European-level civilization for many years, this world may have prevented a cycle of unproductive conflict.
I digressed, but the point is, if you want to spread something better, you inevitably need the backing of the top ruling class. That’s why I intend to utilize the authority of the royal family to the maximum.
But while I could go directly and have the king come help, first I want to build some foundation through an organization that can negotiate with the country on equal terms. So to start with, I need to keep the information confidential and have them recognize its high utilization value.
“That’s why I think this cookie recipe will eventually be purchasable by anyone at the Commercial Guild, but for now it’s information only I know. If someone else learns about it and makes ownership claims before we can spread the recipe, it could become troublesome.”
“I see. Understood.”
Hearing my explanation, Meranda and the others nod in understanding. With them comprehending it, I’ll start teaching the cookie recipe right away.
However, it has to be within the range of others besides me being able to make and price so even commoners can easily obtain it. Additionally, rather than the high quality served at the previous tea party, I’ll intentionally lower the quality so as not to rapidly refine the commoners’ tastes.
So I’ll go with just wheat flour, sugar, and eggs without butter. Eggs themselves were rarely seen on the market as a luxury ingredient before, but with the chickens raised at the orphanage and my estate, they’re being distributed to some extent through the Commercial Guild. Also, with the Commercial Guild itself starting chicken farms in response, the circulation of eggs has further increased, making them available even to commoners.
First, mix the eggs, sugar, and salt in a bowl, and put wheat flour in another bowl. Crush the sugar and salt and put them in the bowl into a sand-like texture.
Sift the wheat flour to improve the finished cookies. Gradually add the mixed three ingredients to the sifted wheat flour while mixing with Hera, and bring the dough together by hand in the end.
Roll out the dough clump to 2-4 mm thick, and use a wooden cookie cutter to cut circular shapes.
Bake the cutouts in a frying pan until browned and hardened to some degree, and the commoner-style cookies will be complete.
“Let’s see… bite… Nom nom… Well, something like this. That’s the gist of it.”
I try the finished cookie. To be honest, having experienced higher quality ones, these feel a little lacking to me, but I judge they’re sufficiently well-made for people craving sweets.
The proof is when I had Meranda and the others sample the prototype, they ate it heartily with satisfied expressions.
After that, I had each of them make it following my instructions, and once everyone had learned the process, before I realized it, the serving and guard team slaves had gathered to observe.
“Rolando-sama, I believe I’ve taught the basics of customer service.”
“We got some good exercise for the first time in a while!”
Machad, who I left the serving team to, and Carifa, who handled the guard team, report to me as such. While Shifan and Meranda pointed out Carifa’s coarse speech, Carifa herself seemed indifferent.
“Good work, everyone. For now, since the cooking team made prototype cookies, have a taste test snack.”
At my words, the others’ faces light up happily. I evenly divide the cookies so there’s no quarreling, but they all look at me as if waiting for something. When I tilt my head quizzically, Machad explains.
“They’re waiting for permission to eat.”
“Oh right. Machad, you do it. I’m not their master.”
“I-I see… You can eat.”
Though reluctant, at my words he gives the slaves permission. As if waiting for that, they start munching away.
“Th-these are delicious.”
“It’d be a waste not to eat them.”
“Not as good as the master’s cookies, but these’ll do.”
Only one had a differing opinion, but the prototype cookies made by the cooking team were generally well-received. A considerable number of cookies disappear in an instant. However, their expressions clearly showed feelings of “I want more.”
“That’s enough for today. Eating too many will make you fat.”
They respond with a unanimous “Ohh…” Seems being fat is detested by women no matter the world.
After that, returning to the Commercio Trading Company, I used magic to build a new residence there for the girls to live in and had them rest for the day.
