Episode 9
#9. If you can't get a job, start a business (1)
-To Arad Jin. I am Arina Rune Renslet, lord of the Northern Grand Duke Renslet and representative of the North..
-I heard a rumor about the Arad salt you made..
-It is said that Arad salt can make any tasteless dish taste like a spice dish eaten at the palace..
-And recently, I confirmed that the rumor was true through my trusted servants and knights..
-So, I, Arina, would like to ask you a favor rather than an order..
As befits a Northerner, the letter began without any rhetoric..
I quickly read the text to see what her request was..
-I want to buy the secret recipe for Arad salt you made..
- In the North, everything is scarce and precious. I don't even have a lot of money. Recently, the already insufficient finances of the North are draining faster due to the spices coming in through the empire..
-After I buy the secret recipe for Arad salt from you, I want to spread it to my people..
‘……?!’
I felt refreshed inside after reading her letter..
An archduke can forcibly take the recipe for Arad salt from me by order, not by request..
Or he could take me to a high castle and have all the food with Arad salt all to himself..
Alternatively, you could buy the recipe at a cheap price and then sell the Arad salt at a high price through the merchants..
‘A strange monarch.’
But she didn't take this easy and coveted route..
-In return for the Arad salt recipe, I, Arina Rune Renslet, will promise two things to Arad Jin..
-First, I will give you 50 gold coins on the spot as a reward..
-The two will give Arad Jin, a former nobleman of the Eastern Continent, the rank of baronet..
- We value your aristocratic roots and the fact that you have not forgotten etiquette, so we allow you to keep the surname 'Jin'..
-Your title award ceremony will be held at the High Castle this spring..
-I promise this in the name of the Grand Duke of the North..
Even the compensation was not that easy..
One gold coin is worth 20 silver coins. 1 silver coin requires 100 coopers..
Gold coins are something that ordinary people rarely see even once in their lives. The letter said that giving as many as 50 gold coins wasn't enough and that they would even give him the rank of baronet..
Although the rank of baron is a single rank and no manor is granted, the air that free people and semi-nobles breathe is different in a caste society..
Of course, the value of Arad salt, which can replace spices, is incomparably greater. Enough to have a significant impact beyond the North and across the entire continent..
However, we must take into account that the world I have now fallen into is one in which there are no copyrights or individual rights..
In an era like this, receiving even this much care was unprecedented..
“…….”
After reading the letter, I glanced at Arina..
Her face was covered with a hood, but her blue eyes were visible..
Arina's blue eyes met my black eyes..
‘What is your intention??’
Decisions and rewards that other nobles on the continent would call crazy if they saw them. I guessed the reason.
‘No, I'm just smart?’
It is a world without the concept of patents..
As for Arad salt, only the ratio and manufacturing sequence are currently unknown..
Everyone already knows the ingredients that go into it..
If things continue like this, before summer, copy products similar to Arad salt will spring up not only in Haven but throughout the northern region..
This is probably why Foley and other competitors did not come forward to buy the Arad salt recipe from me..
‘There's no reason to monopolize it while getting criticized because it's going to be leaked anyway..’
It is presumed that the Grand Duke of the North also knew this and wanted to take care of public opinion and honor instead of a clumsy monopoly..
In addition, there may be an intention to resolve the northern trade deficit caused by spices..
‘Then why are you giving me gold and a title? You can just ignore it and wait until a copy comes out..’
But there were still unanswered questions..
“His Highness wants to ignite passion for the North, starting with you..”
At that time, a knight spoke to me as I was reading the letter. It was an old knight whose name was Dominic..
‘I heard that Balzac, the sword master of the North, Frost Blademaster, is old..’
I asked back, guessing the true identity of the old knight named Dominic..
“Are you talking about passion??”
“That's right. ‘What happens if you make outstanding achievements in everyday life, not on the battlefield?’ Your Majesty wants to use you as an example to spread the word..”
“……!”
I opened my eyes wide at the article's words..
‘What an amazing person..’
Her perspective was something not easily seen even on 21st century Earth..
On the other hand, it was a pity that such a person disappeared so vainly..
“I will follow the will of His Highness the Grand Duke..”
After reading the letter, I immediately knelt down as required. I received the Archduke's request and order..
It's going to get robbed sooner or later anyway, so I'm satisfied because I can sell it at such a high price..
“…….”
I felt Arina looking at me with a soft smile..
“Since I'm leaving, I'll write it down now and give it to you..”
“Ho? Would you please??”
I took out a piece of paper on the spot and wrote down the Arad salt recipe..
Then he folded the paper carefully and handed it to the old knight, who was presumed to be Balzac..
“I like this because he has a refreshing personality..”
“I was already feeling burdened by the attention directed towards Arad salt these days..”
“Did you? It's a good thing I brought some gold coins just in case. Now, take it..”
Balzac was delighted with my refreshing behavior and handed me a bag containing gold coins as promised..
“The title award ceremony will be held when spring comes. As soon as the weather clears up, come to the high castle. The Grand Duke will welcome you with great hospitality..”
“Seong-eun is just devastated..”
Even if the title award ceremony was not carried out as promised, there were no major complaints..
‘If you add 50 gold to the money you've collected so far... … . I guess I can do my best in the North..’
Because the gold coins in my pocket are more valuable to me now..
Just like roasting beans in a flash of lightning, Gongchisa ended..
It was truly a practical Northern look..
“Hmm! It’s been a long time coming, so let’s eat today too.?”
Once the situation was somewhat resolved, the mayor and other northern knights began to sit at the table..
“yes! We'll serve you right away.”
I quickly got ready to cook.
In the meantime, I was able to prepare breakfast quickly thanks to Jack, who added water, heated it, and prepared the ingredients..
Afterwards, other guests came one by one to eat Arad stew..
Naturally, Jack was in charge of ordinary guests and I was in charge of high-ranking people..
“Okay, what special treat awaits us today??”
“We will prepare Arad-style tomahawk steak for you. We recommend dipping it in the special Arad sauce served in front of you..”
“Ooooh! The steak looks like an axe! Hahahahaha!”
“For dessert, I will have sorbet made with honey-soaked winter apples mixed with ice..”
“Sherber… … what? Anyway, I'm looking forward to it..”
‘It's like some kind of omakase.’
That's how a bewildering day began..
By the way, even though I haven't officially become a baronet yet, I can already feel the air around me changing..
“I… … . Should I call you Baron??”
“You haven't become a baronet yet, so you can treat me like normal..”
“Anyway…….”
The first one is Jack and Tom.
They didn't react much when they heard the made-up story about my aristocratic roots..
However, having received official recognition from the Grand Duchess of the North, it seemed difficult to ignore it any longer..
‘I guess I should leave this inn sooner. If possible, within this month.’
I thought to myself as I looked at Jack, the employees, and the regular customers who were having a hard time with me..
“But will it be okay??”
When I decided to leave Jack's Inn, I asked Jack while I was working..
“what… … . What do you mean??”
Jack answered my question politely. Now it seems more comfortable to treat me with respect..
“Arad salt will soon spread throughout the North, so sales will no longer be like they are now..”
“iced coffee… … . Well, it can't be helped. It is the name of His Highness the Archduke and not anyone else..”
But Jack's expression didn't show any concern at my concerns..
“And honestly, it's been so hard so far..”
“It was hard?”
“To be exact, my mind was harder than my body..”
Rather, the reaction is that one feels relieved..
“Sales may drop a lot, but I feel at ease. I feel comfortable too..”
I felt like I was having a hard time knowingly or unknowingly paying attention to what was going on around me..
“iced coffee… … . I didn't think of that..”
Feeling sorry for no reason, I decided to tell Jack a secret, considering our relationship so far..
“Can you give me your ear for a moment??”
“yes?”
“Wildflower stems are used in the soon-to-be-known Arad salt recipe.…….”
“?!”
The Arad salt recipe I wrote down was missing one thing..
Something like kimchi and salted fish.
Of course, missing this doesn't mean the taste will change much. But it will taste like something is 1% disappointing..
The difference in taste is such that people with a developed sense of taste will continue to stubbornly visit Jack Inn..
“Persimmon, thank you!”
After hearing my secret, Jack thanked me with touched eyes..
I ignored his gratitude and finished my job as a chef, which I would soon quit..
In order to reap the beauty of the end of life.
Jack seemed to have a knack for cooking..
I absorbed quite a few recipes in two days..
Of course, I wasn't saying that I had absorbed all of my cooking skills and knowledge..
Just dishes for inns. This meant that I had mainly cooked the dishes I cooked at Jack's Inn..
“Perhaps because the Arad salt was released, the number of hall guests has definitely decreased..”
“Takeout has also decreased a lot. Is it because other inns followed suit??”
“The price needs to be lowered gradually..”
The recipe for Arad salt quickly spread throughout Haven. Now it's enough to run the inn with just Jack and Tom..
“I think I can do it alone starting tomorrow..”
“Yeah it looks like.”
“We plan to continue giving free bowls of stew to guards and officials..”
“Are you okay? The profits will be big?”
“Surprisingly, the invisible effect is large..”
“It's like that when you look at the forest, not the trees..”
I felt like Jack had grown as a businessman more than when I first met him, as he seemed to have seen, learned, and felt a lot while working next to me..
‘Now I can leave the inn with peace of mind..’
Thanks to you, I was freed from my job as a chef at Jack's Inn..
But that didn't mean he had completely given up on the restaurant business..
“Is there Arad??”
“Yes, what would you like to eat today??”
“Please take the course I always take..”
The only time I cooked in the kitchen was when I was dealing with the knights of the High Castle who came here every day to eat..
“Wasn't the Arad salt released? You can taste similar food at Polly Inn.?”
“Is it inconvenient for us to come here every day??”
“It can't be! However, isn't it much more shabby compared to the Polly Inn for high-ranking people to eat here??”
“Hahahaha! I was joking too. The reason we come here every day is because of the food you prepared, Arad..”
“It's me?”
“Some of us knights strangely said they were more attracted to the food you prepared. I feel sorry for Polly.”
The driver who introduced himself as Dominic (suspected as Balzac) spoke in a low voice in response to my question about K-Omakase..
‘1%There are gourmets who can feel the difference in taste.?’
I glanced at the only female knight in their group..
Today again, she was wearing her hood deeply and savoring my medium-grilled steak more intently than anyone else..
It was so cute how his body trembled slightly every time he chewed the meat..
‘If I fell in love with my food that much... … . Even if I were to join the party, I think they would allow it.?’
When I saw her like that, I suddenly made a bold decision..
Northern Grand Duchess Arina Rune Lancelet must be protected.!
I have not forgotten this proposition.
…… Of course, when I received 50 gold in exchange for Arad salt, the proposition became slightly blurred, but it quickly returned to normal..
“By the way, why did the knights from the High Castle come here to Haven??”
First, I carefully asked them about their purpose for coming here..
“It's obvious why high-ranking knights like us are here. To fulfill my duties as a bailiff..”
“Is there weightlifting in Haven??”
At those words, I put on a surprised expression and asked back..
“That's not it, don't worry. Isn’t Haven adjacent to the Demonic Land? I often hunt high-ranking monsters in the Demon World so that they don't bother the people..”
“iced coffee…….”
Literally translated, it means I came to have fun..
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