Upstart Pastry Chef - Chapter 94

 Chapter 94: The Ingredient for Sweets is a Black Jewel

I had successfully finished my new cake, Rotweinkuchen, which generously used red wine and chocolate.

Tina and Chloe, whose palates had grown more refined lately, liked it too, which was a relief.

Tina and Chloe had been taken away by the servants of this estate. Since they were coming to the royal capital as my servants, they were apparently being taught various things so they wouldn't bring shame upon me.

Left alone, I was about to wrap the Rotweinkuchen, which had finished cooling. A rich aroma of red wine and chocolate drifted through the air.

I decided to sample a piece myself. A slice of the cake that Tina and the others had tried was left, so I put it in my mouth.

"Yeah, yeast is definitely necessary after all. Cakes have to be fluffy."

Because baking powder didn't exist in this world, it was hard to find fluffy bread or cakes.

That wasn't satisfying enough for me as a pastry chef, so I made yeast and baked it using yeast this time. Thanks to that, a dough rich in trapped air had been produced.

This fluffy texture was a weapon. No one else in this world could make it.

However, yeast also had a drawback. Since it was a natural yeast made by soaking fruits in water to ferment, the taste and aroma of the fruit used in the yeast liquid would transfer over.

This cake had a great compatibility with cranberry flavor, so it wasn't a problem, but using yeast without thinking would ruin the balance of taste and aroma.

Depending on the fruit used to make the yeast, the dough wouldn't rise well.

I was planning to make yeast liquids with various fruits and use them selectively, but striking the right balance was quite difficult.

Thinking about it was enjoyable, though. That was probably the true delight of being a pastry chef.

"Well then, time to wrap it."

I wrapped the Rotweinkuchen in the packaging made for the confectionery shop that opened in Eclava.

From now on, regardless of the purpose, any sweets I made would be wrapped in packaging bearing the shop's name before handing them over to someone.

That would serve as an effective means of publicity no matter what.

The breed of people known as nobles loved to brag. If they ate something delicious, they would spread the word on their own without being asked. If the packaging with the shop's name caught the eye of the person being introduced to it at that time, they would become a new customer.

"Kurt-sama, I was able to procure the things you asked for!"

While I was wrapping the cake, Farne entered the kitchen out of breath.

"Farne, thank you. You're a lifesaver. It was an absolute necessity for the cakes we're making in the royal capital."

Farne was holding a wooden box as if it were precious. Even from here, I could tell it was top-tier goods.

This was an ingredient with an exceptionally strong aroma, and a truly good one exuded its presence even inside a wooden box.

It was an ingredient more often used in cooking rather than sweets, but it could also be used in desserts. In France, the cutting edge of confectionery, it had recently come to be used in desserts in earnest.

The supreme aroma that intoxicated adults could only be brought out by this fellow.

I hadn't expected such an ultra-luxury ingredient called the "black jewel" to exist in another world, so I had been surprised when I first found it.

When I went to the market, only small second-grade ones with weak aromas were lined up, so I had purchased those, brought them back, and asked Farne to acquire ones that were larger and had a stronger aroma.

"A first-class one must have been expensive. Please bill me later. The Four Great Dukes' banquet was a request via Border Baron Fernande, but I can't sponge off them all the way to the pastries for royalty this time."

This matter was a project I had taken on entirely on my own. Although I could borrow the power of my fiancée Farne, I couldn't borrow the financial power of the Fernandes.

...Though I had borrowed clothes, connections, and various other things, I couldn't lean on them to this extent.

"Please don't worry about it. It was terribly cheap. Let's see. About enough money to buy five apples."

"A first-class one, this?! It isn't valued very much around here, is it?"

I opened the wooden box. Both the size and aroma were top-class. If one tried to get something like this in Japan, 100,000 yen would be necessary.

"I don't think it's all that great, though. I have eaten it before. The aroma is nice, but it doesn't have much taste, and I don't really care for the texture."

"It's a matter of how it's cooked. It's a difficult ingredient to handle."

Had Farne eaten it before? Hearing her impressions, I understood why its evaluation was low.

In short, the people of this world couldn't make proper use of this fellow. It was the same in Japan. Its evaluation was low even though it was treated like a jewel overseas. The reasons were that only second-grade items could be obtained, as well as poor cooking and preservation methods.

However, if you made even those kinds of people eat the real thing, they would understand why it was loved overseas. The people of this world would probably be the same.

"If Kurt-sama says that much, I'm starting to look forward to it. Once the sweets are finished, please let me have some."

"I'm counting on you for that too. Farne's palate is dependable."

She had relished gourmet food since childhood and, above all, possessed the palate of a noble. Having her taste-test it was quite reassuring. Especially if the opponents were renowned nobles or royalty, she would likely notice things that I wouldn't.

"By the way, Kurt-sama. That confection you're wrapping right now, might I have some of it?"

"Actually, this one is a no-go."

When I said that, Farne made an overtly disappointed face.

"Kurt-sama is mean."

"I don't mind, but Border Baron Fernande told me it wouldn't be fair to sneak ahead and eat my new sweets before Duke Lenaril. Border Baron Fernande then declared that if that's the case, he wouldn't let you have any either. So, I heard they're going to hold a tea party once we arrive at Duke Lenaril's household, so I want you to wait until then."

Hearing that, Farne puffed out her cheeks. She had been dragged into Border Baron Fernande's childish prank, so naturally she was angry.

"Understood. I'll look forward to it until then. Kurt-sama, cut it a bit large for the tea party, okay?"

Farne's modest request was amusing, and I let out a wry smile.

"Yeah, leave it to me. If I recall, the departure for Duke Lenaril's estate was tomorrow noon, right?"

"That's right."

"In that case, shall we head out to the market starting now? Farne, can you accompany me?"

"Yes, gladly!"

Farne linked her arm with mine. It felt a bit reluctant to leave Tina and Chloe behind while they were in the middle of special training, but let's do what we could right now so that members of the royal family could eat even slightly better sweets.

~Two weeks ago, in a room within the royal castle~

"Today's course is amazing! Is this the food that was served at Duke Lenaril's banquet?! It's delicious, novel, and fun. Even I have never eaten a course like this."

A boy in his mid-teens with darkened blond hair was shoveling food into his mouth with terrifying momentum. Originally, course meals were served one dish at a time in order, but this boy had them served all at once because he found it bothersome—and furthermore, in large platters in massive quantities.

"In particular, this eel pie and the roast jade duck are great! To think they ate such delicious things without telling me, how impertinent."

"Prince Granta, my apologies. I too never expected that such things would be served at that country noble's banquet."

Present at this scene were Granta, the third prince of the Federal Empire of Fedelar, and one of the Four Great Dukes, Duke Heltring, who governed the West. Duke Heltring was an ambitious, handsome young man who wielded exceptionally strong influence even among the aristocratic faction.

The dishes being served today were a recreation of what Duke Lenaril had caused the prospective Baronet of Arnoldt to prepare.

"Delicious, delicious! Another helping. Bring me another helping!"

Prince Granta was devouring it like a pig. Duke Heltring merely watched that sight, inwardly sneering at Prince Granta.

As for the right of succession to the throne, Prince Granta was fourth, following the eldest son, second son, and eldest daughter. Though high, it was hard to imagine him seizing actual power. This was because while the other princes and princesses were capable and could act for the sake of the country without drowning in greed, Prince Granta alone was incompetent and faithful only to his own desires. Rumors of his bad character were widespread, and he was disliked by the commoners, retainers, the king, and his siblings alike.

Precisely for that reason, Duke Heltring was currying favor with him. The other princes and princesses would easily see through his hidden motives and would be difficult to manipulate.

Duke Heltring thought as follows: I will cozy up to the stupid pig and manipulate him skillfully. Let the capable, difficult-to-handle older brothers and sister whose succession rights were higher than the pig's simply disappear.

With no way of knowing Duke Heltring's thoughts, Prince Granta, absorbed in his food, finally felt satisfied after asking for seconds several times, and told the servants to bring out dessert.

"Phew, I'm satisfied. That prospective Baronet of Arnoldt who made this—I want to eat more of his cooking. Are there any other recipes he made?"

Duke Heltring shook his head with an apologetic expression.

"My apologies, there are no such things."

"I see, that's a shame."

"There is one more thing I must apologize for. To tell the truth, these dishes drop a notch or two in flavor compared to what the prospective Baronet of Arnoldt made. No matter what, we couldn't make anything equivalent to what he made. Even after bribing multiple chefs who helped the prospective Baronet of Arnoldt during the banquet to get the recipes, and even when Heltring's own boastful chefs aimed for a perfect reproduction and researched further improvements, they still fall short."

Hearing those words, Prince Granta's eyes widened.

"W-What, there's even better than this?!"

"Yes, as frustrating as it is, the prospective Baronet of Arnoldt's food is even more delicious. His culinary technique itself is probably superior. Furthermore, today's dishes are merely a fraction of his power. His repertoire is packed with gourmet foods we don't know about."

Prince Granta was a gourmet. His chest swelled with anticipation for dishes he had yet to see. At that moment, dessert arrived.

"Lastly, here is the concluding dessert of this course. It is called Imperial Torte. I purchased it at the shop the prospective Baronet of Arnoldt opened in Eclava. We lost on the dishes, but this one isn't even a contest anymore. We couldn't even make a counterfeit... To eat this, one has no choice but to buy it at his shop."

Before Duke Heltring's explanation could finish, Prince Granta had already grabbed the cake with his bare hands and stuffed it into his mouth. The moment he put it in his mouth, his cheeks flushed and his body trembled.

He simply ate with a blank mind. Right at this moment, he forgot everything except the cake.

When he finished eating, his breathing was ragged. He had even forgotten to breathe.

"What, what is this? If this is what you call a cake, then what in the world have I been eating until now?"

"I had the exact same impression. Apparently, that man's true profession isn't cooking, but making sweets."

"Just what on earth is the prospective Baronet of Arnoldt? Why can the son of a poverty-stricken noble at the empire's farthest frontier make something so refined?"

"That I do not know. No matter how much I investigate, I only find that until this year, he had not once stepped foot out of the poor, desolate village under development. Ordinarily, he should be living hand-to-mouth, uneducated, and it's doubtful whether he can even write characters. Yet, what he creates surpasses even the cutting edge of our culture."

Duke Heltring had pulled out all the stops to investigate everything about him. The more he investigated, the less he understood. His existence was impossible.

Not only in cooking and confectionery, but he was also progressive and exceptional as a lord. Excellent in character, he was adored by the commoners. He excelled in his ability with the spear—the very synonym of Arnoldt—and possessed valuable magic. Such a person had no business being born in Arnoldt's environment.

"Duke Heltring, I want—I want the prospective Baronet of Arnoldt! A man with such skill should not be clearing forests at the far edge of the world. Do something about it."

Duke Heltring grinned slyly. He had moved just as expected. Of course he would bite if you dangled bait right in front of a pig's snout.

Duke Heltring wanted Arnoldt just as much. That fellow was useful. Depending on how they were used, food and sweets could even serve as diplomatic cards. And he also had expectations for his other abilities.

However, that man was already laid claim to by Duke Lenaril, one of the Four Great Dukes. If one were to steal him away, it would take power even greater than that—like the pig right in front of him.

"Understood. Then, please allow me to share my wisdom... If we do it this way, he will surely become Prince Granta's."

Prince Granta laughed. Inside his head, he would be able to eat even more delicious food and sweets than now. That was all that was in there.

Why had Duke Heltring started saying such things, and what was his objective? Wasn't he being used? Any other prince would naturally be on guard, but he was incapable of that.

That precisely was the reason Prince Granta was scoffed at behind his back as incompetent.