Akatsuki Translations

On the final day, I went to check on my tent first thing in the morning and found everything unchanged from last night. The honey jars, the scratches on them, and even the thread Alfina had caught in the lid on her first day of her field trip were all untouched.

“No signs of sabotage. Huh, I was sure they’d try something last night.”

Crash! Bang!

“What the— Wait, stop!”

As I stepped out of the tent, I heard a commotion and Plura’s hoarse voice coming from the direction of the school building.

“What happened, Plura? What is this, the supply’s all messed up!”

I rushed towards the school building. A group of our members were gathered in front of Plura’s door, and there were three toppled boxes on the ground.

“I received today’s fruit delivery. Right after that, a vendor I’ve never seen before bumped into me,” Plura said, looking frustrated. She was holding the only remaining box, her elbow scraped, probably from protecting at least one box.

“Sorry, I lost them,” said Dalgan who had gone after the culprit.

At this time, every store was bringing in their supplies. Various vendors were moving around the campus. A collision could have been accidental, but if it were, the vendor wouldn’t have fled. This was sabotage.

“Why Plura?” I wondered aloud.

“Among the mid-tier stores, we’re the direct competitors to Carst. I was on guard, but it wasn’t enough.”

“Ah!”

I recalled the information Riruka had told me about Hilda favoring Carst’s sweets. If they couldn’t attack the second place Kenwell directly, the most effective target for sabotage would be…

It was an obvious conclusion. My mistake was assuming the target would be me.

From the fallen boxes, a sweet scent and fruit juice were seeping into the ground.

“Only one box left. Getting more fruit now is…”

Dalgan said, clearly frustrated. Perishable goods like fresh fruit were in limited supply.

“At this rate, the one-plate lunch…”

Belmini muttered as she helped clean up the mess.

Without the dessert to finish the meal, the damage to Holdings would be significant. Damn it, I hated my own carelessness. So much for being the head of security.

I struck my forehead with a clenched fist. Dalgan and Riruka looked equally gloomy.

“Heh. Look at your faces,” Plura said, shaking the remaining box. Come to think of it, why had she protected just one box? With a defiant grin, Plura opened the box. Inside, it was filled with small red fruits.

“I defended my role in Holdings.”

“Heh, that’s not like you at all. Damn it,” Dalgan said.

“Plura-senpai…”

Damn, what was this?

“Senpai, I have a suggestion, although it might not align perfectly with your usual style. Riruka, Roston-senpai, please listen too.”

I called out to Plura and the members gathered around Roston.

“Young master, the crushed fruit can only be used for sauce,” Riruka said.

I brought Riruka and Roston into Plura’s kitchen. A bear-like man dressed as a cook was stirring a pot.

“If we combine mousse with mixed fruit sauce, we can at least offer a basic product… though it lacks the vibrant presentation our shop is known for,” Plura said, already thinking of ways to salvage her store. I needed to play my part too.

“So, what is your suggestion…?” Plura asked.

“Yes, a special recipe,” I said, accepting eggs and milk from Riruka and bread from Roston.

“This is…”

“To think such simple ingredients could produce such a robust flavor,” Plura and the head chef were speechless, their mouths full of golden baguette. Impressively, even on my first try, it tasted better than when I had made it. The professionals knew the precise measurements and baking times.

“However, it lacks a certain level of sophistication…”

“How about adding this on top?” I suggested.

“Now that’s a high-end touch,” the head chef said as I brought out a jar with our mark on it. He dipped a wooden spoon into the jar and tasted it.

“For honey, it has a straightforward aroma. Perfect for pastry making. This is remarkable.”

“…It’s different from our usual fare, but this bold sweetness and richness could complement the delicate flavors of our one-plate lunch nicely,” Plura nodded in agreement. Perfect, we had our ace for the final day. We wouldn’t let the competition have their way.

“Look at that! Nobles are lining up. It’s unbelievable,” Riruka exclaimed, seeing the customers waiting in the corridor. The food court, expanded to double the seating, was packed. People were being drawn from the surrounding school buildings and the gazebo. Even the makeshift tables with tablecloths were full.

The sun was strong, but the low humidity, unlike Japan, was a relief.

“Carst’s guys looked worried,” Dalgan noted.

“At this rate, the rankings should be interesting. But was it alright to share such a precious recipe?” Plura asked.

“It’s my duty as the Holdings manager,” I replied.

“And the honey, you’re practically giving it away at that price,” Plura said.

“That’s our fair price. It’s a Copper’s honey, after all.”

“Really? The cherished honey aroma can be tricky for certain pastries. But your honey is versatile. Could we source it in the future?”

“Once this is over, we’ll start our production plan, so it should be possible. I’ll talk to my father. But for now…”

“Ah, the rush. It feels like we’re at the heart of a festival,” Plura said with a laugh.

Plura and I shared a grin and then went our separate ways.

On the final day, the operating hours ended an hour earlier. The members, clinging to their parasols for support, were exhausted. In the final stretch, even Mia and I had been roped into serving, but our fatigue was nothing compared to theirs.

There was still work to be done.

After hearing the experiment results from Fuglsig, I headed to Kenwell’s tenant. By comparing the coin count from Vinder, which was the lowest, Riruka’s store, which was mid-range among Holdings participants, and Kenwell, which was second until yesterday, we could assess the accuracy of the experiment.

“I saw the end. It’s hard to believe you had nobles lining up,” Jean said.

“The extra seats and tables you loaned us were a big help,” I replied, thanking Jean and Maria.

“We did charge you for the rental… So, what’s the intent behind this experiment?” Jean asked in a low voice.

“It’s insurance. I hoped we wouldn’t need it, but that changed this morning,” I said calmly. Carst had not only failed in their sabotage attempt but had also stirred up more trouble. Word about our one-plate lunch and the unprecedented pastries had spread, drawing a significant crowd to the courtyard.

If they accepted defeat gracefully, good. If not…

After returning from Kenwell, I gathered with the members and headed to the student council room. Everyone was buzzing in front of the posted ranking chart.

“We’re at the top among the independents,” Dalgan noted.

“It’s as expected. Nothing to get excited about,” I added.

Vinder was in the bottom third. Plura insisted on offering the recipe fee and the food court dividends brought us this far. The Silver rankers who ended up lower than Coppers were giving us wary looks. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to uphold your dignity. Trust my self-preservation skills.

“Belmini, Roston, and even we did much better than last year. If you hadn’t said the one-plate lunch profits would be shared only among the food providers, Vinder would have ranked much higher,” Riruka pointed out.

“It’s fine. I don’t care about the ranking,” I shrugged.

Tonight, Luitza would likely report the value of the stock system to the Duchess. Vinder’s primary objective was almost achieved. The experience of managing different merchants was invaluable for the future establishment of a trading company.

“You… Well, never mind. What do you think about that?” Riruka gestured.

There hadn’t been any cheating as far as we were concerned.

“With that momentum, Kenwell should have definitely overtaken Carst.”

Revenue was deducted for space costs. Carst, having overbid, was struggling. Moreover, the food court’s success left Carst’s large tenant with many empty seats by the afternoon of the final day. The twins had reported this.

Yet, Carst remained at the top of the list. I headed to Kenwell.

“Our calculations suggest we should be twenty percent ahead,” Jean noted.

“Is it already decided?”

“Most likely. Rankings are the student council’s responsibility. The one in charge is…”

With three noble students in tow, the chancellor’s second son, Leonardo, entered the student council room. Participants were then called in. I exchanged glances with Jean and entered.

It was time for the final battle. As Holdings’ manager, it was my duty to settle the score for the damaged fruit.