Akatsuki Translations

Students had gathered in front of the student council room, arguably the most impressive room in an already impressive school building. Their bloodshot eyes were fixed on the provisional rankings list posted outside. Out of 42 total entries, over half – 22 to be exact – were food-related businesses.

“As expected, but still… business isn’t good,” Dalgan groaned, his gaze dropping to the bottom of the list. The Holdings members’ rankings were clustered at the very bottom. It was unsurprising, given that all six shops had operated at a loss on the first day. Vinder was just two steps away from dead last, with only two shops below them – ones that seemed to have failed after desperately renting spaces wedged between the grand areas of the large trading companies.

“I couldn’t go see because the school building was so busy, but it seems you’re working hard, Alfina,” Hilda remarked, emerging from the room and looking down on the commoner students. As she approached Alfina, her tone became slightly resentful. Apparently, her priority was isolating the Priestess rather than sales or profits.

“Yes, everyone at the food court is working very hard,” Alfina replied calmly, restraining Claud. She was perfect for situations like this, appearing completely unconcerned.

“It’s quite impressive to have set up such a large stall in the courtyard. Um, Vinder, was it?” Leonardo, the person responsible for creating these rankings, called out to me. I wished he’d forget my name, honestly.

“We managed to put something together. We’ll do our best not to disappoint the student council’s kindness in giving us this chance,” I replied, the very picture of a model junior.

“Let me give you some advice as your senior. Novelty only attracts attention at first,” Carst interjected, ignoring the murderous glares from my team members.

“Congratulations on your first place, Carst,” I deflected.

“Ah, well, as the family of the future head of the Food Guild, we can’t afford to have a shameful ranking,” he replied.

Theodore’s eyes darted towards the Kenwell siblings in second place, despite the considerable gap. It seemed premature to be thinking about guild leadership already.

“Tomorrow, the Second Prince of the Empire, Lord Dagobert, will be attending. We expect performances that won’t embarrass us as students of the Royal Academy,” Hilda concluded. The commoner students bowed to her before leaving the room. While the Empire’s involvement was concerning, I was preoccupied with managing Holdings and watching out for enemies within the school. We’d have to rely on Jacob and the others for the former.

◇◇

“Hold on, you want us to prepare twice the amount for tomorrow?”

“Customer numbers did increase in the afternoon, but we haven’t even broken even yet.”

“If we have leftovers… ugh…”

Back in the courtyard, I proposed preparations for the next day to the team members. Naturally, I was met with confused looks. It was understandable, given that I was asking them to increase quantities despite being in the red.

“Let’s at least hear him out. After all, Vinder is technically the manager of Holdings,” Riruka said, seemingly defending me. The fact that Dalgan and Plura didn’t immediately reject the idea, and that Riruka now felt comfortable siding with me, was slightly ticklish.

“Just to confirm, you mean doubling only our portion of the one-plate lunch, right?” Roston asked.

“That’s correct,” I nodded.

“Well, the customers who ate it gave great reviews, but still…” Dalgan mused.

“…Since each portion is small, we could manage doubling it with our skills,” Plura added hesitantly.

“It’s not so bad for us, our part is mostly soup so it’s relatively easy,” Belmini chimed in.

“B-But we should still hear the reasoning…” Riruka stammered.

I laid out the compiled results I’d received from Mia in front of everyone.

“Based on the progression of customer types, we can see that the food court’s reputation is spreading like a snowball,” I explained.

What Mia had been compiling was the trend in decorative accessories worn by customers who ordered the one-plate lunch.

“With that small number of customers? And how can you tell customer types?” Dalgan asked, bewildered.

“That’s based on the accessory trends that Riruka and Mia checked,” I replied, showing them a graph recording the number of customers wearing currently fashionable colors and designs, those from the previous trend, and unusual designs not yet showing signs of becoming trendy.

“And the spread of rumors is faster than we anticipated. Please look at the sales curve by hour,” I continued.

“By hour? You’re thinking about such minute details, Vinder?” Dalgan said, sounding impressed despite himself. His eyes were glued to Mia’s graph.

This was essentially the Innovator Theory[1]. However, unlike modern Japan where people are constantly connected via social media, information circulation here is slower and there’s no mass media.

But Everrett Rogers published this theory in the early 1960s, long before smartphones or even feature phones. And our current market is very narrow. Noble society could be likened to a small, gossip-loving village.

While it’s impossible to perfectly predict how these conflicting elements will interact, I judged that we could still apply the theory.

“Categorizing customers by personality traits? That’s a new concept. But I see the logic. There’s always a certain number of customers who like novelty, even among pretentious nobles. And their reviews can attract other customers. But still, it’s only three days,” Dalgan mused.

“I see some merit in it. But what about the gap of tonight? And suddenly doubling production…” Plura added skeptically.

Their doubts were reasonable. But you could also say we only have three days to compete. The risk of losing momentum seemed greater than the risk of leftovers. I was confident in our visual appeal. Even customers who just heard rumors and glanced our way while moving between the school building and gazebo should have an effect.

“There are risks. On the other hand, if we continue as is, we’ll likely avoid a loss tomorrow. What do you want to do?” I asked, looking at each team member. This decision needed to be shared by everyone. And I believed this was a risk worth taking, one that the people here would agree to.

“The one-plate lunch is essentially a holdings menu. In other words, it’s under Vinder-kun’s jurisdiction. I agree with his policy,” said Leonardo.

“If we’re participating, we can’t afford not to aim for a win,” Dalgan added.

“If there’s a chance of success, let’s go for it. Well, doubling isn’t that much of a quantity anyway,” Riruka chimed in.

“At worst, we can think of it as advertising costs,” Plura pointed out.

“Y-Yeah, that’s right… Okay, let’s do our best,” Belmini agreed.

Everyone nodded. The risk of increased production would be divided. The advantage of compartmentalizing isn’t just about shares. However, this only works if everyone agrees. And we easily achieved that difficult condition.

◇◇

“It’s not quite as good as your prediction, but it’s much better than yesterday,” Riruka said, looking at the seats that were nearly half full. Despite her sarcastic tone, her expression showed relief.

“Sorry for worrying you,” I replied.

“I-It’s not like I’m just glad your prediction wasn’t way off and you didn’t embarrass yourself or anything,” she stuttered.

That wasn’t what I meant, but okay.

“Finally starting to sell things besides the plate lunch too. Everyone’s complaining, but they don’t really have anything to complain about,” Riruka said before returning to her own tenant space.

“How’s it looking, Mia?” I asked.

“The development is following the hypothesis. However, the ratio change is a bit faster. I think we’ve completely captured the early adopters,” Mia reported.

“It’s still just the morning of the second day. If we start cutting into the volume zone by the end of today…”

Customer numbers could suddenly spike. I hadn’t considered the possibility that doubling might not be enough.

“It seems the quality of the one-plate lunch was too high. The beauty is apparent at a glance,” Mia observed.

“Let’s consult with Dalgan and Plura. At least guide yesterday’s customers to each company’s dishes. That was the original purpose of this menu after all,” I said, heading towards the upperclassmen.

As afternoon approached, customer traffic increased further. About 60% of seats were filled. From the outside, it might look like we’ve finally achieved a respectable appearance. However, considering the rate of increase, it was alarming. Looking at Mia’s analysis, we might already be entering the largest category – the early majority.

“Will the plate lunches barely hold out?” I asked.

“We’ve succeeded in guiding customers to each company’s main dishes. However, if your hypothesis is correct, we’ll definitely run short tomorrow. Before the food, it’ll be the seats,” Mia warned.

Normally, physical constraints would be the hardest to solve. But that’s where the courtyard has an advantage. We have plenty of space.

“Increase the seating?”

Riruka looked puzzled at first, but her expression changed to one of realization as she saw the customer seats nearing 70% capacity.

“I got it. I’ll ask the other Kenwell-affiliated shops too,” she said.

“Please do. Dalgan-senpai, could you help move tables from the old chief librarian’s room after today’s business hours?”

“Sure thing, I’ll gather some strong guys,” Dalgan replied promptly.

Both responded without hesitation. Their quick understanding and willingness to help was reassuring.

Next, I needed to be wary of interference from Carst. Earlier, Zeldia had come by, feigning coincidence, and said with a slightly strained smile, “I’m glad you’re likely to break even.” It seemed they were surprised we could conduct business normally in the courtyard. If that’s the case, we still had some leeway.

But would they be so careless by the end of today?

“Occupying seats with reverse cherry blossom viewing… They probably don’t have that kind of personnel to spare, and only commoner students can be moved. They wouldn’t have the guts to stay put while noble customers are waiting. Direct interference during business hours would be difficult at least…”

I was mentally running through possible sabotage scenarios. The target would naturally be us, managing the company. If so, we could handle it – we who weren’t selling anything were nimble.

“Greetings to Fina… I mean Alfina-sama seem to have peaked too. If we can hold out today, the real issue will be after business hours. Will there be enough time for both security and expanding the food court? …What’s that group over there!?”

A somber group in black was walking towards Alfina’s tent. Five men, no, one might be a woman, looking about the same age as the students around them. They stood out like gakuran uniforms in a mission school.

Claudia and Luitza emerged from the tent, engaging in a heated discussion with the black-clad group.

“Senpai,” Mia called.

“Ah, I’ll be right back,” I replied.

Honestly, I didn’t want to get involved, but this was part of my role as the food court manager. It would be a failure on my part if our customers’ pleasant dining atmosphere was disrupted.

“It’s disrespectful to Lord Dagobert,” a girl standing beside a particularly well-dressed man said. She had black hair, blue eyes, and a side ponytail, looking quite strong-willed.

The man with the daring expression, Dagobert, also had black hair and blue eyes. Perhaps they were related? Three other men flanked Dagobert’s sides and back, two with red hair and one with brown.

All five wore an emblem on their chests resembling three bundled swords – the same as the Empire’s flag. So these were the imperial students mentioned yesterday. They seemed to be here to pay respects to Alfina, but the atmosphere felt off.

“The greeting to His Highness should have been completed at yesterday’s welcome party,” Claudia stated firmly.

“I regret that she escaped when I tried to invite her to dance. This is a rare opportunity. We, who bear the weight of our nations, should deepen our friendship. Are you trying to interfere with that?” Dagobert challenged.

“Alfina-sama has entered the cathedral and is not directly involved in state affairs. Moreover, considering what happened twenty years ago… I believe this is for the best for both countries,” Claudia replied, maintaining politeness but not backing down an inch. Remembering how she had distanced herself from her liege at her family’s behest, I was genuinely impressed.

“Claud. Luitza,” Alfina emerged from the tent.

“Ah, Princess Alfina,” the man’s eyes gleamed like a predator spotting prey.

“I hear you saved your country by foreseeing the monster outbreak. The Empire has long been troubled by monster attacks. I’d love to hear about that time,” Dagobert pressed.

“Prophecies are matters of national importance. As an honored state guest, isn’t this a topic you should refrain from?” Claudia interjected.

“Besides, Alfina-sama is busy with her duties as an official of the Consort’s Festival,” Luitza added, stepping forward.

“That’s strange. Princess Hilda told us she was assigned a role with plenty of free time,” the aide girl said. However, Luitza gestured towards the food court.

“No, as you can see, it’s very busy here. Moreover, this is the first year we’ve set up stalls in the courtyard, and there are numerous matters requiring Alfina-sama’s approval. Please understand, this is all to ensure that everyone, including His Highness the Prince who has come all the way from the Empire, can enjoy their time here,” Luitza explained.

Her words seemed to make the black-haired girl falter slightly. This might be my chance.

“I-I-I’m terribly sorry,” I stammered, stepping forward with an air of being thoroughly intimidated by these important figures. It was an act I’d perfected over the past six months – the “why am I here?” and “I’ve drawn the short straw, what should I do?” performance. Though perhaps it wasn’t entirely an act. The imperial royalty was truly imposing up close.

The prince stood half a head taller than me, with a sturdy build. Even through his clothes, you could tell his body was covered in muscle. He looked more like a gladiator from a movie than a prince.

“Alfina-sama. Um… there’s been a dispute between some of the stall owners. If possible, we were hoping the princess could mediate… uh…” I said, looking at the black-clad prince with fearful eyes. He regarded me like I was an insect. Not just him, but all five of them had similar looks. And it wasn’t just directed at me – they seemed to look down on Alfina, Claudia, Luitza, and even the academy students gathering around us.

Wasn’t the Empire suffering from monster attacks and here to ask the kingdom for food aid?

“That cannot be ignored. Vinder, you escort the princess,” Claudia said, blocking the prince who was trying to force his way forward. Her words were so unexpected I could hardly believe my ears. Before I could ask for clarification, I felt the black-clad group becoming more aggressive.

I reflexively took Alfina’s hand.

I barely managed to signal with my eyes to Jacob and Remi, who were standing by at the edge of my vision. Then, without looking back, I pulled Alfina away.

TL Note(s)

[1] In-depth explanation of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory