Akatsuki Translations

“This is beyond my expectations in terms of quality,” I remarked, genuinely impressed as I gazed upon the adorable dishes placed on each of our trays. We had gathered in the conference room, also known as the “Room of the Sage,” for the first time in three days as the members of the mock store holdings.

However, the praised members seemed to have mixed feelings.

“The taste is spot-on, but with such small portions, there’s zero meat texture,” Dalgan commented.

“…It’s beautifully made, but with only vegetables, the balance is off…” Belmini added.

“At this size, we can’t do satisfactory toppings. Don’t think this plain dish represents our true abilities,” Plura chimed in.

“…”

“For male customers, it would be finished in one bite. And the color is still…” Riruka trailed off. “We’d drizzle cream as an accent, though.”

Faced with the bite-sized dishes, the members’ words remained unchanged from three days ago. Even Riruka seemed anxious. Indeed, by the definition of luxury in this world, it might appear unreliable. One could even say it’s not worth considering as a standalone dish.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to make us do something like a tasting. The nobles will just think they’re being mocked. They’re different from the commoners who would jump at the chance for free food,” Dalgan said, clearly not giving it serious consideration.

“There’s an appropriate size for savoring food, you know. I doubt you copper-ranked folks would understand,” Roston added.

The two male members, in particular, seemed to harbor doubts that I might be making some fatal misunderstanding. It’s because of my background. But they were mistaken. My origin was that of a commoner from another world.

“No, this is fine,” I reassured them, nodding once again as I surveyed the five small dishes, each with a different shape and impression. Then, I received a round plate from Mia. This plate was the only thing I had prepared for today.

I began placing each person’s bite-sized dishes onto the white plate. As my hands moved, the pure white plate gained more and more color.

At the very front was Belmini’s vegetable jelly assortment, featuring five types of vegetables. Though pale in color, the red of the carrots, yellow of the bell peppers, green of the zucchini, and white of the turnips were solidified into square shapes. It served as an appetizer and salad.

To the left rear, I placed Roston’s baguette, sliced into small oval shapes and stacked in three layers to be paired with various dishes. Of course, I alternated their positions to create height.

In the right rear, I placed Riruka’s broad bean stew in a separate small cup on the plate. A swirl of accent cream was drizzled on top of the green soup.

Finally, the main dish. In the center, I arranged the roast beef like a rose flower. At the center of the red meat, I placed a small piece of fig, its sweetness restrained. The color of the meat instantly brought the plate together.

At the very back, a square white cheese mousse. The fragrant tart crust and a single wild strawberry made the small dessert stand out.

As each color and shape was added, it was enjoyable to see everyone’s gazes becoming more and more eager.

“This is the signature menu of the food court, the one-plate lunch,” I announced, presenting the completed collage of dishes on the white plate.

“Beautiful,” Riruka responded dreamily. It must have slipped out unintentionally. The other members, who had been full of complaints until now, fell silent at the sight of the painting that had appeared on the plate. It wasn’t a negative or positive reaction, but rather a bewilderment of not knowing how to evaluate it. And when it comes to new things that usually provoke resistance, that reaction is almost a victory.

For a long time, mass production of a small variety of products had been the norm in modern industrial society. The same applied to food. In fact, Belmini had expressed concerns about inventory management with just five types of vegetables. In this world, relying on a single missing ingredient was nothing but a risk.

And that’s precisely why the direction of luxury tends towards bigger and flashier things. Thick steaks, whole cakes—those are certainly luxurious even in my original world. However, on Earth, where food is abundant and even obesity among the common people is a problem, there’s a different kind of luxury.

In industrial terms, it’s the exact opposite concept: small-lot production of a wide variety of products. A paradigm born in a world overflowing with goods. That’s what inspired this idea. The fact that I didn’t immediately think of the one-plate lunches from restaurants in my original world probably showcases my commoner roots from before I was born.

Even if you’re not used to it, you should be able to understand. Assembling small quantities of various types of food has a different impact than sheer size. But it’s an incredible luxury. The kind that could even appeal to the nobility.

“Amazing, it’s like a painting on a plate. I’ve never seen a dish like this,” Belmini said. It was the first time I heard this girl’s raised voice. At the sound, the large man suddenly looked up.

“That’s not all. This is a kind of menu. Isn’t that right, Vinder?” Dalgan grabbed my shoulder. His grip was too strong, it hurt.

“Menu?”

“Look, on this plate, each company’s specialty is lined up in portions that make you want to eat a little more.”

“I see, so if customers who eat this order more of the dishes they liked…”

I thought he was the athletic type, but he unexpectedly has a good grasp of business. As expected of a silver-company’s successor. But I wish he would let go of my shoulder.

That’s right, this is an assortment of appetizers designed to stimulate the customers’ appetite. Moreover, it’s an edible menu meant to guide them to each store’s main dishes.

“Vinder, you really came up with something incredible,” Riruka remarked.

“Edible painting, edible menu… I’m dissatisfied that the dessert, the star of the show, is at the very back, but this is…” Plura still seemed unhappy. It probably didn’t match her ideal vision. Still, I’ll take it as a good sign that he’s not completely rejecting it.

“But… it’s certainly an amazing concept. It’s beautiful and elegant, and it seems like it would be popular with the noble young ladies, but…” As the visual impact settled, Riruka’s face turned anxious.

“You’re right, let’s give it a little taste,” I decided to respond to the doubts with verification. Everything so far had been theoretical, about appearances. But first and foremost, this had to be a dish. Everyone reached for the plate, taking toothpick-sized portions to taste.

“…Each item is delicious on its own, but it’s not enough. It’s fine since that’s intentional. But looking at it as a whole, they’re clashing.”

“No good. The flavors are all over the place.”

“That’s right, like this…”

Faced with the plate slightly smeared with sauce, calm opinions began to emerge. Rather, it was reassuring to hear.

When I was in Japan, I once tried arranging supermarket side dishes on the dining table to make a course meal. With half-price stickers on the side dishes, there was nothing luxurious about it, but that aside, I learned something. Lining up ready-made side dishes doesn’t make a course meal.

Of course, the items lined up here aren’t just side dishes. They’re the specialties of each company, made with their best products. And that’s precisely why their individual personalities become a hindrance.

“To be blunt, the meat dish should have its flavor toned down a bit more. It interferes with the delicate taste of my mousse,” Plura stated.

“It’s the opposite. You should make your flavor stronger,” Dalgan countered.

“The vegetable dish and our soup overlap a bit, don’t they?” Belmini pointed out.

“…Yeah. But…”

“That’s right.”

And that’s precisely why it can’t be easily adjusted. If we deny each other’s specialty dishes, the holdings will crumble as easily as dropping this plate.

I extended my hand to the male student who had only provided the baguette and thus hadn’t been mentioned in the discussion.

“Did you bring what I asked for?” I inquired.

“–Compared to lemon, it lacks acidity and has a plain flavor,” he replied, handing me a small yellow fruit. It was impressive that he managed to procure such a thing in this short period. Roston, I hadn’t paid much attention to him, but I need to remember him.

Mia arranged the one-plate lunch on a new plate. I took the rough little fruit and cut it in half with a knife. I dripped a drop of juice each on the vegetable jelly and roast beef. For the soup and dessert, I sprinkled finely chopped peel. The amount was very small.

A nostalgic scent reached my nose.

“What’s supposed to change with this?” Roston asked.

“Please try it,” I urged.

Even I was no culinary expert. It was just something I had overheard from cooking manga in my original world. By the way, I liked a ramen manga featuring a bald culinary consultant.

Each person began eating again. Surely their clothes wouldn’t come off this time, right?

“Huh, it’s somehow coming together nicely. Even though the aroma isn’t that strong,” Belmini remarked.

“Compared to lemon, the aroma is lacking, but it’s still vivid. This is…” Plura trailed off.

Four pairs of eyes turned to the taciturn male student.

“–It’s a fruit called Yail that we handle in very small quantities,” he explained.

In the language of my original world, it was yuzu. I had used it as a subject for market research in a university project. Perhaps it was close to the Japanese native hana-yuzu, as both the aroma and taste were mild. Thanks to that, it added a sense of unity to each dish without being assertive. When I was looking for ingredients unknown in this world, I found it by chance. At the time, I just made a memo of it, but I never thought it would come in handy.

“I had no idea it had such versatility. Even I didn’t know,” Plura admitted.

“It’s givin’ the flavor some harmony,” Dalgan noted.

“If I were to add it to my mousse, it would normally be lemon. There’s no mistake about that, but considering it as a single dish, tch,” Plura clicked her tongue.

“With this, I think we can make it work with a little adjustment. No, it’s good enough as it is,” Riruka said cheerfully.

The presentation of unity through aroma was a success.

I breathed a sigh of relief at the surprised gazes of the members. I repeat, cooking was not my specialty.

Now, the next problem was whether this would be appreciated not by the food experts here, but by regular customers.