Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ Volume 2 - Chapter 0 - Prologue

Prologue: A Brand New Daily Life

After my engagement with Faruno was decided, I slept overnight at the Arnold’s mansion, then returned to my village.

Though it was an engagement, Faruno made her own preparations separately by returning to Marquisate of Fernandes.

The villagers greeted me excitedly when I arrived. They already knew that I was the next feudal lord. …The group of villagers who returned earlier must have told them somehow.

I go back to my house once to change clothes, then head out again. There’s a very important job to do today.

“Uwaa, there are so many chickens!” Tina’s eyes sparkle.

In front of her, two carriages arranged by Marquis Fernandes are linied up. One by one, the chickens are carried through trays over to the sheds I’ve prepared for them. Yes, the chickens I’ve been waiting for have finally arrived. Finally, I’ve obtained one of the most important ingredients as a pastry chef: the eggs!

“Not only the quant.i.ty, the quality is also great. I’ve expected this the moment I laid my eyes on the eggs, but these chickens are indeed great.”

I’m observing the chickens; they look healthy and young. Surely, they’ll lay a lot of great eggs. I bow deeply towards Marquis Fernandes.

“Yes, these chickens are good. They’re big and plump, they look so tender… Gulps.”

Tina’s drool is dripping.

It’s as if she has entered her fighting mode; her fluffy tail points up rigidly and her fox ears twitches non-stop. Even now, she looks ready to jump at the chickens anytime.

“Tina, you can’t eat them, you know?”

“Wh-what are you talking about? There’s no way I’m… going to do that.” Looking shaken, Tina replies to me. She subtly turns her face away; she’s so easy to understand.

“There’s no need to hurry; we’ll have the chance to eat them soon. For now, more than collecting the eggs, our priority is to increase their numbers. We only need to leave a few roosters behind; our meals will get more lavish soon.”

I received around fifty chickens, but that number is far from enough. In order to distribute the chickens to each village, I should treat the eggs as a precious commodity. For now, I’m determined to focus on increasing their numbers.

The eggs should be left alone aside of a celebration.

“Chicken meat! Uwaa, should we grill them, or make some stew, or… whatever it is, I’m looking forward to it!” The chicks haven’t even hatched, but Tina is already thinking about how to cook them in the future.

I understand her feelings, though. Around here, the only meat we can eat is game meat that comes from hunting wild boars, deer, or ducks. Those are tasty, but the deliciousness of a domesticated source will be different for sure. Moreover, my heart throbs in excitement when I think of how there will be a steady supply of meat, which is a huge relief.

“Yes, I’m looking forward just as much. Or maybe even more, if I think about Tina’s cooking.” I’m brushing Tina’s head unconsciously. Her fluffy hair and ears feel really good.

After a while of that, Tina grips my hem hard.

While wondering what she’s thinking, I’m looking at her, then at the carriage that doesn’t unload any chickens. Instead of chickens, there are piles of lumber and bricks. I’ve been speculating on their purpose for a while now.

“It seems that Faruno-sama’s engagement with Kurt-sama is true.” Somewhere, Tina mumbles solemnly.

“It seems so.”

There are several carpenters who have been working energetically for a while now. The stuff dropped from that carriage are a house’s materials. Somehow, they are bringing materials from a disa.s.sembled house, to a.s.semble it again. That’s the method to shorten the a.s.sembling process.

It seems that the completed house will be a terribly extravagant one.

The house they are building right now will be inhabited by Faruno and her servants. No matter how much I’ve verbally promised not to lay my hands on her, no one will be able to believe that if we live in the same house. Therefore, Marquis Fernandes is building a house in my village and sending some servants to Faruno for monitoring.

I’m surprised that Marquis Fernandes will go as far as building a house for the sake of the engagement. It seems that Faruno will come to this village when the house is completed. Two weeks after that, I will announce my betrothal to Faruno and go to Marquis Fernandes’ house to make the pastry for the d.u.c.h.ess. The details should be discussed at that time.

I have to think of a pastry recipe.

The d.u.c.h.ess is a woman who likes roses. Since I’ve told my plans to make cookies that will enliven the beauty and fragrant of roses for a long time, Marquis Fernandes will arrange the ingredients for me. Right now, I’m thinking about the plan to improve it.

“Still, it’s amazing how easy it looks like to build a house.”

“That’s because he’s a marquis. He’s only third in the court after the Emperor; of course he can go to this extent.”

That is the marquis’ status. It’s not something that a baronetcy’s inheritance, one that barely qualifies to enter the court rank like the Arnolds, could even compare to. It’s sufficient to say that they’re like existences above the clouds. The only ones whose status stand beyond it are the imperial family and the ducal house.

“Kurt-sama is amazing, to be able to catch the attention of the daughter of that man.” Tina sounds proud when she says that, but she can’t hide the sadness and loneliness behind those words. She must have thought that I will be taken away.

I wrap my arm around her shoulders.

“Tina, sorry. I wanted to refuse that engagement. I know it’ll make you sad… However, my position doesn’t allow that. I know it’s unfair to you.”

“That, I won’t dare to say that kind of thing. My position and Kurt-sama’s are already different from the start.” Tina’s voice sounds sorrowful.

It’s common sense for a n.o.ble to build connections with other n.o.bles. There’s also the tendency to avoid marriage with a beastman like Tina.

I happen to think that it’s such bulls.h.i.t. I can stay with Tina. I won’t make her sad. That is more important to me than anything. Because Tina was here, I didn’t abandon my dreams. Because she was here, I worked hard to reach this place. I wish I can stay with her from now on too.

“Your feelings are enough. Kurt-sama, please think of what will make you the happiest. That will make me the happiest too.” Tina removes herself.

“Tina, I… All right. I’m going to think about my own happiness.”

Tina nods.

She must have misunderstood somehow. My happiness is to bring her joy. I replied like that, because no matter how much I tried to reach out to her, she only responded in words. I have to think of the best way to stay with her.

☘

After I received all the chickens, I entered the chicken shed and discreetly used RecoveryHeal on one of them.

If they were only that many, the sick and injured chickens would mingle together. They might also produce worn-out chicks in the long-term.

My RecoveryHeal is effective for non-humans too.

When I used it on wheat before, I was shocked when the wilted wheat was revived. By using RecoveryHeal, I was expecting them to grow into healthier chickens as they mature.

But then, a tiny mischievous thought sprouted in my mind. If the target is human, I can enable them to use mana once I heal their mana-producing organ. I had been thinking for a while about whether or not a non-human could also use magic.

I looked at the chickens with my all-seeing eyes, the side effect of RecoveryHeal.

RecoveryHeal is the power that can return something to its normal condition. Therefore, I must first know what the normal condition const.i.tutes. That’s how I gained this ability to see through everything with my eyes.

“As I thought, they have it.”

The chickens also have a mana-producing organ. It was naturally unusable since it was damaged, but I could heal it. If the chickens can use mana, maybe they will lay more eggs.

[RecoveryHeal].

It’s not like I don’t have any bad feelings, but the temptation is too big. I cast RecoveryHealon the weakest-looking chicken. It was not only sick, it also crashed into something when being carried over, resulting in one broken leg. Dying was the only thing left for that one.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck.a.w.k, cluck.a.w.k!”

The healed chicken jumped. And then, it rushed out straight to the wall with mana in its whole body, smashed through the wall, and escaped. Just like that, it ran out of the village and disappeared into the forest.

“And there it goes. Of course.”

If it can escape, it will. Let’s avoid granting the chickens the ability to use mana next time.

From then, I manually collected the eggs by scanning the shed and returned to the house. If I left them lying around, they’ll get spoiled. Of course, there won’t be any chicks hatching from them either.

Let’s include these eggs in today’s meal. I’m sure Tina will be happy to eat some egg dishes.

Translator’s Notes:

LMAO I don’t know what to think with the chicken-that-uses-magic. I’m pretty sure it will have a part in the future, idk l.m.f.a.o.

See you next Friday!