Akatsuki Translations

Eight shadows stretched across the courtyard, illuminated by the slanting sunlight. Not a monument to the great victory of the mushroom faction, but the parasols of our food court. Incidentally, in my previous life, I was firmly in the bamboo shoot camp.

In the space that was empty just three days ago, our food court had materialized. Looking at the school building, five decorated doors surrounded it, carefully avoiding gaudiness. It was slightly amusing to see how the emblems of each trading company desperately tried to conceal the rooms’ former identities as storage spaces.

“We managed to make it in time,” I muttered.

The setup was greatly aided by helpers from the team members’ companies. As expected of mid-tier trading companies, the quality and preparation of the equipment were impressive. The sky-blue parasols differentiating us from the gazebo, the white tablecloths, and the grey floor coverings were all brand new.

This luxury was possible only because six trading companies pooled their funds.

The elegance was more reminiscent of a high-end restaurant’s terrace than a food court.

I approached the area where the cooking assistants were gathered. In the center of the eight tables was a space prepared for assembling the small dishes from each company into one-plate lunches.

“This is the model. Be sure to use it as a reference,” Plura instructed, drawing a thin stick with pale yellow sauce to create a pattern surrounding the dishes on the plate.

The one-plate lunch I had conceived had been transformed. While each item’s unique colors and shapes were even more prominent, the flavors were harmonized. For instance, Plura Trading Company’s mousse, originally circular, had been cut in two and arranged alternately, apparently to avoid overlapping with the soup container’s shape.

Moreover, the pattern created by the yuzu sauce elevated the aesthetic appeal by one or two levels.

It almost felt like it had left my hands entirely. In fact, when it came to practical matters, they were far more reliable than me. It made me acutely aware that I had prioritized applying modern knowledge over honing basic skills.

Although it’s rather pathetic, I’m grateful that I can focus on overall direction and security as the food court’s manager.

“Jacob and Remi will be joining us in the afternoon,” Mia reported.

“Is that so? Kukuku,” I chuckled, imagining the two of them.

“Senpai, you’re quite the schemer. Do you know how much trouble Remi and I went through to get them to agree to that outfit?”

“Well, Mia, you didn’t tell Jacob that Remi would be coming along until you’d convinced him. Remi’s stunned face when he found out he’d been betrayed was quite something.”

“Divide and conquer is a basic strategy,” Mia replied coolly.

“Indeed. Especially when facing a formidable enemy.”

I looked at the school building and gazebo flanking the courtyard. In the school building, large trading companies had created luxurious and spacious areas utilizing the ample space. The gazebo, apparently, would be used for sales in a format reminiscent of merchants attending a noble’s tea party.

Seeing the grand structures on either side made our laboriously constructed holdings look like a field encampment. After all, regardless of the contents, we were surrounded by bare earth. Perhaps the good weather was our only saving grace.

Just moments ago, I had seen Carst and his sister laughing and pointing at the courtyard from a school window. That’s how it should be. We need them to let their guard down for this to work.

“Good morning, Vinder. Here, Mia, this is what you asked for,” Dalgan called out.

“Thank you, that’s helpful,” Mia replied.

“Why do you need information on accessory trends?” asked Dalgan.

“That’s a trade secret,” I said.

“I wasn’t asking you, Vinder,” said Dalgan.

“I’ll tell you later,” Mia assured.

“Et tu, Mia?”

“Senpai tries to act like a strategist but is poor at keeping information confidential, so I have to keep things under wraps,” Mia explained.

What a harsh assessment.

“They’re arriving,” Dalgan said, coming to stand beside me.

“Indeed,” I replied as the gates opened and ornate carriages began to enter.

I felt a twinge of anxiety about the responsibility I was shouldering. Despite having been an adult in my previous life, it was still daunting.

“Buck up. We’re going to run a successful business and give Carst a taste of his own medicine,” Dalgan said, slapping me on the back. It was good to see the team’s enthusiasm. After all, Dalgan had taken the lead in setting up the food court.

“To be honest, I think the first day will be tough. Make sure you don’t get discouraged either,” I cautioned.

“Of course not,” he replied, giving me another hearty slap. A critical hit. Well, the fact that we could engage in such banter was a significant improvement.

The elegantly dressed guests disembarking from the carriages were drawn towards the temple-like school building. A few exceptions headed towards the gazebo. To them, the cluster of parasols in the courtyard might have looked like little more than a baggage area.

Consequently, there were no customers at the food court. Or more precisely, no official customers.

“We’re following the plan, but still no one…” Belmini said, looking at me worriedly.

“It’s only been ten people. That’s to be expected,” I reassured her.

Every time someone came to greet Alfina, a team member would casually walk by, carrying a one-plate lunch. The team members were the ones eating them too. I called it ‘self-shilling’. It seemed to be attracting interest, but there were still no orders.

Incidentally, Alfina was seated in a tent brought from the Archduchess Berthold’s house, with Claudia and Luitza on either side. As planned, it was positioned where all the shop doors were visible.

I had asked Alfina not to recommend the food court to anyone. Partly because she wasn’t the type for such subtle maneuvering, but also because it would be counterproductive for today’s target customers. Her role was simply to attract people.

People had only just started coming to greet Alfina. It was earlier and more numerous than I had expected. Probably due to Hilda’s intention to show the Priestess in a pitiful state. Even so, it wasn’t a bad start.

In marketing, the proportion of early innovators (customers who are drawn to novel things) is said to be 2.5%. At first, we need a certain number of people or it’s not even worth discussing. Whether it’s going well or not can’t be determined until we start getting data, but statistically speaking, it’s not time to panic yet.

“Senpai,” Mia tugged at my sleeve.

A middle-aged nobleman with a small mustache emerged from Alfina’s waiting room, accompanied by his daughter. Mia’s gaze was fixed on the necklace the daughter wore – a bird motif, unusual in social circles where floral designs predominated.

Just like before, a one-plate lunch for team members was brought out. The daughter paused. Plura, who was overseeing the service, was called over and asked about it. Then…

“Our first official customer,” I noted.

Prompted by his daughter, the reluctant father headed towards a table.

“As I thought earlier, this dish is so beautiful it’s almost a shame to eat it,” the daughter remarked.

“Indeed, it’s a truly exquisite concept,” the father agreed.

Plura smirked at their comments.

“And Father, the aroma is wonderful.”

“Ah, I was hesitant at first, but it’s quite interesting once you get used to it. Hmm, not bad at all.”

Roston remained silent, but I noticed his fist clenching tightly.

The reactions were excellent. Team members who had been eavesdropping let out audible sighs of relief. Riruka and Belmini even clasped their hands together.

◇◇

The sun was directly overhead. Our food court, with parasols casting perfect circles of shade, was starting to look presentable. However, the issue was the category of customers. Of course, we weren’t concerned about titles or per-customer spending at this stage.

“How’s it looking, Mia?”

“So far, it’s in line with your hypothesis, senpai.”

Tables were gradually filling up. Compared to the desolate morning, the team members’ faces had brightened somewhat. Most customers were nobles who had come to greet Alfina, but some seemed to be coming specifically for the food court after visiting the school building and gazebo.

As planned, female customers outnumbered males, with men appearing somewhat reluctant. However, once seated, both seemed satisfied.

Oh, a man just ordered the standalone roast beef.

“Mmm, this is even more delicious than what we had before,” Fuglsig murmured behind me, savoring his food while holding a makeshift parabolic antenna. The numerology teacher with him was now nodding seriously.

The common trait among our customers, regardless of age or gender, was their fondness for novelty. While nobles value tradition and can’t risk their family’s reputation, this creates a hunger for new experiences. For them, this is a festival – even failures can be laughed off.

Though for us, it’s no laughing matter.

“I doubted your sanity for doing business in shacks and warehouses, but you’re doing well,” Carst remarked.

“Kuku, indeed. An unexpectedly strong showing,” his sister added.

“Ah, senpais. …Haha, we’re learning a lot,” I replied.

The Carst siblings were in high spirits, observing the two occupied parasols. Their timing was perfect, putting me in a good mood too. I greeted them with an appropriately troubled expression.

“Would you like to try something?” I asked, strategically blocking their view of the dishes being served. Of course, I was silently willing them to refuse.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to decline. We’re quite busy, you see,” the sister replied.

“Haha, you’ll need to try harder. We’re having trouble handling all our customers,” Carst added.

Surprisingly, my silent prayer was answered. This would delay any potential moves from their side. We might only need to be on high alert on the third day.

“An excellent start, Mia.”

“Yes, sir.”

I commented while looking at the figures on the memo Mia handed me.

Entering the tent, caught between Claudia and Luitza’s contrasting gazes, I sat across from Alfina. Things seemed to have settled down here.

“I was certain Ricardo-kun would be selling French toast,” Alfina remarked.

“This time, Vinder is strictly behind the scenes,” I explained.

I had no intention of putting that out front. Partly because I didn’t want to stand out, but also because it’s valuable otherworldly knowledge that can be recreated in this world. We’ve already used yuzu, albeit in a small way, as a hidden card this time. We need to manage our information ammunition carefully.

“This French toast…” Claudia began, then stopped herself. “Never mind.”

“Shall I make some for you sometime, Claud? It’s really delicious,” Alfina offered.

“W-What? Your Highness cooking? What if you burn yourself?”

Claudia glared at me. She probably thought I was tainting her precious liege with commoner food.

“In any case, please be careful. With the Empire’s involvement, we need to be cautious,” I advised.

“Indeed, Alfina-sama. Especially considering what happened last night,” Claudia added.

The Empire… so there really is something going on. It’s not normal for Claudia to be more wary than me.

The bell signaling the end of the first day’s business hours rang out.

Well then, shall we venture into the enemy’s den to see today’s results?