Chapter 20
Chapter 20. Competition Is Not Fair (3)
Blyton, the representative of Polar Suns, had not been in a good mood lately.
"The more I chew on this, the more infuriating it gets."
Cola.
It was all because of that damn Cola.
A month ago, Blyton had tried to steal Cola away.
It was the usual competitor elimination he always did.
However, right after the negotiation failed, Cola's value began to skyrocket like crazy.
If he had gotten his hands on Cola back then, he couldn't even begin to estimate how much profit he would have generated.
Blyton was the type of person who drooled more over the 1 gold coin going into someone else's pocket than the 10 gold coins he held in his own hands.
Because of that, even now he would often bolt upright from bed shouting about Cola.
"Damn it... If only I had properly succeeded in negotiating with that ignorant fool back then."
"Good morning... or maybe not."
"Of course not!"
"There's even worse news."
A lawyer placed a letter in front of the grinding Blyton.
"It's correspondence from Miss Clarisse."
"Ugh..."
Blyton, who had been raging, took the letter and swallowed hard.
Blyton was Clarisse's retainer.
Retainer sounds nice, but he was essentially a subcontractor who handled dirty work for Clarisse.
A noble of Clarisse's caliber would naturally have several such 'fixers.'
Clarisse had previously ordered him to 'prevent her younger sister from gaining a foothold in high society.'
This time, Blyton had failed to properly carry that out.
He couldn't steal Cola, and he had to watch Penelope subtly return to high society using Cola as her stepping stone.
In other words, he had screwed up.
The lawyer, curious about what kind of scolding might be written, peered over his shoulder to read the letter.
"There's surprisingly little content."
"Are your eyes properly set in your head?"
"There really isn't much, is there? It just says to go fox hunting sometime when we have time."
Blyton looked at the lawyer as if he were pathetic.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Have you ever seen me go hunting alone with Clarisse?"
"Hmm, no?"
"Would a refined noble go hunting with a fixer like me? It would lower her dignity."
"Now that I think about it, I wouldn't go either."
"This bastard."
After punching the lawyer once, Blyton personally interpreted the letter written in elegant language.
"When she says 'let's go fox hunting when we have time,' what she means is 'Are you so free that you have time to spare? Aren't you doing your job properly?'"
"Oh... She sure speaks in a roundabout way."
"In noble society, you have to put on airs in front while doing whatever behind the scenes. She probably didn't want to leave evidence of ordering her sister's persecution."
"Well, it's all about reputation."
There was something unfair about it.
Blyton hadn't been idle either.
He had been working on a plan to figure out Cola's manufacturing method and slightly alter the recipe to produce knockoffs.
The result was a failure, and in the meantime, Cola achieved unexpected success.
Still, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Phew, damn it. Now she's finally telling me to move as I please."
"So why have you only been using gentle methods all this time? That's not your style, boss. You said before that Miss Clarisse wouldn't care whether you stole Cola or not."
"Hey! That was when Cola was just a marketplace beverage! Now everyone from city councilmen to any bigshot with influence has their eyes bloodshot looking for Cola—would I smash my head against solid ground?"
The underworld that Blyton belonged to was complexly intertwined with high society like weed roots.
He couldn't act rashly.
Clarisse's letter was a reprimand, but at the same time, it gave implicit permission that said 'I'll take responsibility for the aftermath.'
In other words, there was no longer any reason to be selective about methods.
"Release the kids."
"Time to return to being the 7th seat of the Gray Council."
"Why are you putting on airs?"
And when Blyton said he wouldn't be selective about methods.
He meant it literally.
***
Jurgen had been away from his shop for a long time.
That's why the place where the two recently met was a two-room rented house.
To Penelope, it seemed like facilities that weren't much different from a stable.
It was a wooden building that had been constructed quite some time ago, so it couldn't be helped.
Still, Penelope was always very excited on her way to his house.
"Here, today's sales revenue."
"You came a little early today, just put it over there."
As soon as she opened the door, a delicious smell wafted out.
Penelope became twice as excited.
Something she had learned while being with him.
Jurgen was very good at cooking.
Though it was called cooking, it didn't particularly involve luxurious or elaborate ingredients.
However, he had the ability to create excellent food from insignificant ingredients, like the potato pancakes he had made in the Demon Realm.
That's why Penelope would shamelessly visit Jurgen's house around dinner time.
"Were you cooking again?"
"How tasteless must the nearby restaurant food be."
"You prepared a portion for me too, right?"
"Of course."
What would today's menu be?
As Penelope naturally moved toward the kitchen as if it were her own home, a subtle flush appeared on both her cheeks.
On the frying pan over the burner.
Chicken wings that had been briefly blanched to remove any gamey smell were sizzling as they cooked.
No wonder it smelled so good.
Penelope especially loved chicken dishes.
"Hm? What are these leaves? Do they go in the cooking too?"
"Bay leaves. When you boil or stew meat, adding them helps eliminate the gamey smell."
"You really have a lot of curious knowledge."
Penelope said this while staring intently at Jurgen's back as he cooked at the burner.
He was a curious man.
He could effortlessly make cooking incomparable to any decent chef.
Despite being a commoner, he had no greed for money.
He had the strange ambition of starting a culinary revolution.
Though he had the flaw of not recognizing Penelope's nobility and constantly speaking informally...
"Huh?"
Penelope shuddered slightly.
Come to think of it...
His informal speech no longer bothered her.
There was a time when she had worked with the single-minded determination to get him to acknowledge her noble dignity.
Now she visited his house casually, and having comfortable conversations with each other wasn't awkward at all.
It was probably because she had come to recognize him as an equal 'business partner.'
'Huh?'
She felt a sense of discord.
Penelope had acknowledged him as an equal business partner.
She no longer wanted to hear him say "Oh my, I'm sorry for not recognizing you, Miss!" like in the past.
Rationally speaking, saying "I'm the second daughter of the Rosemore Count family" would be advantageous for business.
Yet she still hadn't revealed her family background to him.
'...Why?'
Was it because it would be awkward to say it now?
Because the timing wasn't right?
She pondered briefly, but no clear answer emerged.
It felt like having an itchy back that she couldn't reach.
Of course, a noble lady wouldn't do such undignified things.
"Miss Penelope, could you pass me that Cola?"
"Uh, yeah. Here."
An unbelievable scene unfolded before her eyes as she was lost in thought.
—Swoooosh!!!
Jurgen poured Cola all over the chicken he was grilling.
"Wh-what are you doing?"
At the shocking scene, Penelope's thoughts, which had been spinning in circles, returned to reality.
She had looked forward to Jurgen's cooking and had eaten lunch hastily today.
To commit the terrible act of pouring Cola over perfectly cooked chicken!
"Just trust me and wait."
"What? What exactly should I trust? I can't trust anything anymore..."
"Miss Penelope has certainly become much more humorous."
A short while later.
Penelope faced the suspicious dish placed on her plate.
With narrowed eyes glaring at the dish, Penelope then glanced at Jurgen.
"Is this really proper cooking?"
"Why are you so suspicious?"
"Common sense dictates that when you pour a beverage on food, it becomes suspicious!"
Though she said that...
When he had suddenly poured Cola into the frying pan, she felt like the world was collapsing, but now that she saw the actual result, it looked quite decent.
Chicken wings grilled golden and crispy.
A dark, thick sauce covering them entirely.
"It's a type of chicken wing dish called 'Cola Wing.' I made the sauce with Cola, soy sauce, red pepper, and minced garlic."
"Soy sauce?"
"It's a sauce from the eastern continent, but fortunately I can get it here too."
"Hmm, I'll eat it thinking I'm being deceived."
Though her head was telling her that Cola Wing was a suspicious food, she found herself swallowing.
And for good reason, because the smell was just...
Penelope picked up her fork and knife.
Noble dining etiquette meant not eating even a single chicken wing carelessly.
Press down on one side of the chicken wing with the fork to hold it steady, then cut the tip with a knife to separate the bone.
Cut between the two bones with the knife to remove the bones, then eat.
Penelope skillfully deboned the glossy brown chicken wing and put it in her mouth.
"...!!!"
Penelope was shocked!
Salty. Sweet. And spicy.
When her teeth lightly pressed down on the chicken skin that still maintained its crispness, juices burst forth.
The doneness of the chicken was also perfect, and most importantly, there wasn't a trace of any unpleasant gamey smell.
The thick sauce clinging to the chicken skin launched a full flavor assault on all the taste buds on her tongue.
The insane umami was something she could feel in most of Jurgen's dishes, but this was particularly addictive.
The saltiness suppressed the umami that could become greasy,
The sweetness suppressed the saltiness that could become sharp,
The spiciness suppressed the sweetness that could become cloying,
And the sweetness again suppressed the spiciness that could become piercing—this infinite loop was...!
"Truly... an infinite orbit of flavor...!"
"Miss Penelope has such rich expressions, it's really nice."
Naturally, she should maintain her dignity while dining, yet she wanted to immediately throw down her fork and knife and tear into it with her hands.
Not only that, she wanted to suck her fingers and eat the sauce on her hands too.
"I can't hold back anymore...!"
And Penelope gladly did just that.
"Nom nom nom nom."
This taste.
It was a violent flavor that forcibly drew out appetite.
It was a barbaric taste that forcibly made one cast aside dignity.
Penelope began deboning the chicken wings as if possessed.
Though Penelope was skilled enough to debone even saury with fork and knife, naturally nothing could be faster than hands.
Shiny chicken bones piled up on the plate at twice the speed.
"Gulp, gulp...! Ahh...!"
After refreshingly downing her Cola in one shot, Penelope looked at the white pile of chicken bone graves and came to her senses belatedly.
"No, this is... You! What did you... do to me!"
"I didn't particularly do anything."
Penelope's face turned pale blue.
Grabbing chicken wings with her hands and thoroughly devouring them was extremely barbaric behavior.
From the omniscient noble lady's perspective, what she had just done was an absurd atrocity on the level of 'blowing your nose in a napkin while eating' or 'gargling with wine'!
However.
"It's nice to see you eat well. Why don't you always eat like this instead of picking at your food?"
Penelope felt a surge of emotion.
"Are you making fun of me? I know I did wrong too!"
"I'm not making fun of you. Someone I know was always lukewarm even when I cooked for them. Saying we should work instead of wasting time like this."
But Jurgen was just smiling with a pleased expression, without any ulterior meaning.
There wasn't a trace of contempt or reproach in it.
Penelope was momentarily dazed.
She had always struggled to maintain proper etiquette.
Those who have nothing become desperate to protect even the smallest things.
She had always bared her teeth at those who doubted her dignity.
But here, there was no need for that.
Even if she didn't maintain dining etiquette.
Even if she didn't pay attention to her walking and gestures.
To that innocent general store owner, Penelope was just Penelope.
So she could just show herself as she was.
"...One more bowl."
"How could I refuse?"
Jurgen had made 1.5 times the usual amount of food.
From what she heard, he had failed to control the portions.
Because of that, she ended up eating chicken wings until she was about to burst.
After the meal, they sat around in the living room and discussed business plans together.
Though embarrassing, it was quite an enjoyable time.
"My stomach won't go down."
"You ate so much, it can't be helped."
"I didn't eat that much! It's because I have a small appetite."
"If you're really bothered, how about a walk?"
"Good, a walk."
To avoid attention, Penelope put on a floppy hat and Jurgen pulled his hood down low as they went out for a walk.
The night streets were quiet.
But unusually, the air was thick.
Penelope unconsciously wrinkled her nose at the acrid smell.
"Did you burn your clothes while cooking?"
"Hm? I don't think so."
And at that moment.
A dark red column of smoke rising from the distant sky caught her eye.
"There's a lot of smoke over there. There must be a fire. If that location is... isn't it around Brellum Shopping Street?"
"...It seems right."
"......"
"......"
Both fell silent simultaneously.
Eventually their eyes met.
"Let's go see."
"Let's go. My alchemy should be able to help."
Seized by an inexplicable anxiety, the two hurried their steps.
Penelope checked her alchemical catalyst in preparation for a situation where she might need to help with firefighting.
"Tear down the building next to it first! We need to prevent the fire from spreading!"
"Where are the alchemists and what are they doing!"
"Don't just watch, evacuate! There's danger of injury!"
The fire scene was already packed with onlookers.
Firefighters from a private insurance company busily carried buckets of water from carriages.
Shop owners who hadn't bought insurance were praying that the fire wouldn't spread to their stores.
"Wow, it's really blazing."
"Isn't that the shop that had lines of people wanting to buy Cola until recently?"
"Tsk tsk, they say you never know what's ahead in life."
Flames dyed the dusky sky crimson.
The building blazing between the shoulders of onlookers.
Jurgen's general store was engulfed in flames, burning fiercely.