Upstart Pastry Chef - Chapter 99

Chapter 99: Arrival at the Royal Capital

Having completed our half-day journey through the skies, we landed at a village on the outskirts of the Royal Capital.

From here, we would transfer to a horse-drawn carriage as usual, so we unloaded our baggage.

Among our luggage were our weapons to fight in the Royal Capital from here on out... a collection of secret ingredients. I watched over the process closely, instructing everyone to carry the bags with utmost care.

A half-hour ride by carriage from here would bring us to the Royal Capital.

Even though I was from a poor noble family, as a noble myself, I had long harbored a quiet admiration for the Royal Capital.

This country is governed by the Four Great Dukes, who oversee their respective quarters and manage the nobility. Unless something extraordinary occurs, one rarely has the chance to visit the Royal Capital. To be summoned there is a true honor for any noble.

"Kurt-sama, the Royal Capital has a castle, right? I've always dreamed of seeing a real castle!"

Tina, the fox-eared young beauty, was so excited to see the Royal Castle that she could barely contain herself, her fluffy silver tail swaying back and forth. It was easy to understand why a girl would harbor a longing for a magnificent castle.

"Yeah, it's said to be the most beautiful castle in the world. I'm really looking forward to seeing it myself."

The castle of our nation, the Federal Empire, was built without sparing any expense, bringing together the finest architects and engineers of the era to display the empire's might. Its beauty and grandeur were famous enough to reach even the remote borderland of Arnoldt.

As a pastry chef, having an artistic sensibility is essential, so any opportunity to experience true beauty is something I deeply appreciate.

"A castle, huh? Personally, I just hope there's plenty of delicious food to eat!"

Chloe, on the other hand, was far more pragmatic. She was vastly more interested in food than any castle.

Truth be told, I shared that interest.

"Whether it's Duke Lenaril's territory or Eclava, everything is lumped together as 'the East' from the perspective of the capital. But the Royal Capital is the central hub. It gathers goods from the north, south, east, and west, so there are bound to be plenty of fascinating ingredients and dishes. I'm looking forward to exploring them, too."

From what I had heard in rumors, the Royal Capital was overflowing with marvelous things.

Establishing a home in the Royal Capital was every merchant's ultimate dream. Merchants who achieved massive success in regional provinces would eagerly pour their wealth into setting up a main branch in the Royal Capital, turning their regional stores into mere subsidiaries. They believed it to be the true proof of being top-tier. Conversely, there was a prevailing sentiment that no matter how much you earned, you were still second-rate without a main store in the capital, which drove them to secure a flagship location there at any cost.

Naturally, where wealthy people gather, goods inevitably follow. Items poured in from all over the world, filling the Royal Capital with an immense variety of treasures.

However, it wasn't all positive. The land surrounding the capital was poorly suited for agriculture, and to accommodate vast crowds from all four directions, the bountiful forests had been cleared away to build wide roads. Furthermore, there was no sea nearby. In short, the freshness of the food was hardly stellar. No matter how many ingredients gathered there, the flavor fell short compared to eating them directly at their point of origin.

I was relieved that I only needed to make cakes here. If I were asked to prepare a full-course meal in this place, I would have been forced to choose between using less-than-fresh ingredients or relying strictly on items that didn't require freshness.

Well, if I got truly serious, I suppose I could bow low to Duke Lenaril to borrow a dragon carriage and airlift ingredients straight from their places of origin, but I had no desire to go through such a hassle.

"Slurp... Kurt, let's go on a huge food tour together, okay? It's research, research!"

"Well, yeah. Research is important. Opportunities to visit the Royal Capital don't come easily—I might never get another chance. I'd love to find some time to tour around and try all the delicious food the capital has to offer."

Chloe was getting carried away.

I certainly wanted to do a food tour, but two major problems stood in the way.

The first was money. Prices in the Royal Capital were absurdly high. Since the city relied entirely on outside sources for food production, transport costs pushed prices through the roof. On top of that, Arnoldt was poor. Unlike the previous dinner party hosted by Duke Lenaril, this trip's expenses came out of my own pocket, so my budget was tight. It would be wonderful if the Royal Family provided an allowance, but it was best not to expect anything. The mindset of royalty is that nobles exist to serve them as a matter of course. ...Still, considering I had left both my shop in Eclava and the Arnoldt territory behind to come here, I hoped to extract some sort of reward.

The second issue was time. I came here to receive my conferment as a Baron. Between preparations for the conferment ceremony and numerous requests from capital nobles wanting to meet me—sent directly to Count Fernande and Duke Lenaril—my schedule was packed. Even after they filtered out only the nobles whose acquaintance would benefit my future, the sheer number was daunting. On top of that terrifying schedule, I had to bake prototype confections for the Royal Family, all while keeping out of sight of assassins lurking around, waiting to harm Arnoldt.

Incidentally, between the nobleman visits leading up to this point and the physically exhausting work of making chocolate, my fatigue had already reached its peak.

"Tina, Chloe... if I end up dying of overwork, please bury my body in Arnoldt's raspberry field."

"Wait—Kurt-sama! What kind of ominous thing are you saying?!"

"Whoa... Kurt's face is completely pale."

"I was just joking."

Even as I said that, neither Tina nor Chloe stopped looking at me with worried expressions.

I suppose my exhaustion was visible enough that it didn't sound like a joke to them.

I think I'll ask Tina for a tail-pillow again today. Burying my face in Tina's fluffy tail washes away my tiredness ten times faster than usual.

"Next Baronet of Arnoldt, that's enough chatting for now. It's almost time to depart."

"My apologies. I got a bit carried away."

"If anything, I am relieved to see you have enough composure to fool around right at the doorstep of the Royal Capital. You are destined to become a great man."

Duke Lenaril gave a faint smile.

This was bad—complaining in front of a woman who was working far harder than I was showed a lack of composure.

I needed to pull myself together.

◇

Duke Lenaril's carriage glided smoothly, arriving at the Royal Capital sooner than expected.

The outer walls of the capital rose well over twenty meters high, boasting an impressive thickness that overwhelmed anyone who looked upon them.

The sheer volume of traffic passing through was staggering, with people and goods flowing in and out without pause.

Leaving behind the long queues waiting for customs tax assessment, our carriage glided smoothly through the gate reserved exclusively for nobility. As expected of a Ducal house.

Once inside, Tina's eyes sparkled as she leaned out of the carriage window to look around.

"Whaaaaa... it's so much prettier than anything I've heard!"

Tina gazed with an enraptured expression at the stark white castle.

The Royal Castle stood majestically at the very center of the Royal Capital.

To me, it looked far more impressive than Cinderella Castle at Disneyland.

It shared a similar fairytale-esque aesthetic, but it was easily twice as grand and luxurious.

I couldn't even begin to fathom how much labor and fortune had been poured into creating such a structure.

"Kurt, I'm amazed. I have to admit, I'm genuinely impressed by this. Humans really are incredible."

Even Chloe, an elf who normally preferred the natural beauty of flowers and trees over human architecture, seemed deeply moved by the sight.

"It's certainly a feast for the eyes. Still, it's incredible..."

Every road was meticulously paved with cobblestones, laid out so seamlessly that not a single gap or crack was visible.

Expensive streetlamps were lined up at regular intervals. I wondered how much oil they consumed in a single day. The daily cost of that oil alone could probably feed the entire population of Arnoldt.

Moreover, every single building without exception was breathtakingly beautiful. The very quality of the stone used was on a different level. If I recalled correctly, the Royal Capital had strict laws prohibiting any architecture deemed unworthy of the city.

...Even without such laws, people who viewed living in the capital as a status symbol would probably compete out of vanity, pushing themselves to build magnificent homes just to show off.

Everything in sight was simply overwhelming.

"Tell me, Next Baronet of Arnoldt. What do you think, looking at this city?"

Duke Lenaril asked me.

My answer was already set.

"There are many beautiful things here. However, there is no harmony. It looks as though someone simply jammed the finest items together by force."

"Fufu, quite right. I share the exact same opinion. That is the true nature of the current Royal Capital: buying up everything one desires and stuffing it together, devoid of any genuine aesthetic sense."

Duke Lenaril smiled with a somewhat shadowed expression.

Seeing her like that, I couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness around her.

An awkward silence fell over the carriage.

I decided to change the subject.

"Where are we heading now?"

"To my secondary residence. The Lenaril family maintains a mansion in the capital as well. There is a fully equipped kitchen there... and I won't let anyone interfere with your work."

That was a huge relief.

If there were enemies actively looking to sabotage me, I had been prepared for the possibility of being attacked in my sleep.

At Duke Lenaril's mansion, safety would be guaranteed.

"That is a great help."

"Also, rest well today. Today is the only day I haven't packed with appointments."

This woman truly thought of everything. I couldn't thank her enough.

"I'll do just that."

That being said, simply resting felt like a waste, so I planned to properly carry out market research and work on prototype cakes. Since this was practically a hobby of mine, it wouldn't build up any fatigue.

"...I know I just said there are no plans, but Next Baronet of Arnoldt... if you're willing, I would like to have dinner with just the two of us tonight. I'll invite you to my favorite restaurant, which serves dishes you can only taste in the Royal Capital."

I definitely wanted to go.

The moment I heard "dishes you can only taste in the Royal Capital," a certain item flashed through my mind.

Among the few things produced locally in the capital—which relied on other cities for most of its food—there was a secret specialty that was never exported or distributed to other cities.

However, there was one problem.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't have enough money on hand to enjoy the finest restaurant in the Royal Capital."

At the risk of repeating myself, Arnoldt was poor.

Even though we were making profits from the shop in Eclava, that money went directly into the Arnoldt territory's coffers.

While I paid myself an allowance equal to the wages of the workers at the Eclava store, purchasing books and ingredients for my confectionary research meant my pockets were always empty.

"Since I am inviting you, you don't need to worry about money. Unless you have another reason to decline, come along."

To be honest, even if she was far superior in status, having a woman treat me at a restaurant didn't feel quite right to me as a man.

However, I couldn't suppress my curiosity for new flavors, and the prospect of dining alone with Duke Lenaril was undeniably appealing.

"Then I will humbly accept your invitation."

"Please do. I'm looking forward to dinner tonight."

Duke Lenaril smiled brightly.

It was an extraordinarily lovely and charming smile.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp gaze.

Chloe was staring at me with a deeply resentful look. It seemed she didn't like the idea of me eating at a top-tier restaurant all by myself. Tina was hurriedly trying to soothe her.

"You don't need to worry either. I'll bring you two along as well. However, you'll be in a separate room with an etiquette instructor. Since you are to be the servants of a Baron, you had better learn proper manners now."

When Duke Lenaril said that, Chloe raised her arms in celebration, while Tina looked a bit lonely. She likely disliked the idea of me being alone with Duke Lenaril.

Tina was feeling jealous.

...Even though there was no need for that.

Most likely, this dinner was a pretext for us to discuss matters that could only be spoken of in private.

I needed to brace myself for whatever Duke Lenaril intended to discuss under the guise of a private dinner.