Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for my Retirement (Light Novel) Vol. 1

by Funa

  Oh? Not checking out yet, are we?

  “Ask away! And feel free to use that shopping basket.”

  Likely never having seen such a thing, he placed his items into the topmost basket with a bewildered expression.

  “First, I want to ask about that scale remover. Why are you selling it?”

  Huh? Is there a problem with that?

  “Uhh, because it’s useful?” she said, puzzled. “It turns scale removal into a real cakewalk, so it’s a great gift for housewives...”

  The shock on his face was clear. “Little lady, do you have any idea how far we are from the sea? All the fish here is either dried, pickled, or smoked. None of them need the scales removed!”

  Oh no! I messed up! It doesn’t belong here! So that’s why the girls were so weirded out...

  “I’d also like to know how to use these,” he said, pointing to the basket.

  Oh, so he’s not actually buying yet. What a shame. And hey, there’s almost nothing but cooking supplies in there... He’s gotta be a chef or something.

  “Certainly,” she began. “This here’s a peeler—the name says it all. You use it like this. It makes peeling so easy, even a child can do it! Frankly, it’s unfair to the experienced cooks.”

  Stupefied, the man could only listen.

  “This is an hourglass. When you turn it upside-down, sand falls to the bottom. Always takes the same amount of time to run out. It helps when you need to know how long you’ve been boiling something. I have them in several sizes, including three, five, and ten minutes.

  “Ah, this one’s a can opener. It opens ‘cans’, which are storage containers that preserve food for years. You can eat right out of them, too. You’ll find some canned foods over there.”

  Most cans these days didn’t need an opener, but the discount store Mitsuha had bought hers from mostly supplied those that did. She’d also felt that opener-dependent cans were the first logical step in introducing them to this world.

  The more she explained, the more a flush spread across his face. At last, the man spoke up. “Please tell me about this. Why is it so expensive?”

  He placed the knife on the counter.

  “Ah, because it’s not some child’s toy,” she said, sensing an opportunity to upsell. “It wasn’t made by just pouring molten iron into a mold.”

  “What?” The man gave a disgruntled look, perhaps feeling a little challenged by her tone.

  “It’s a masterpiece crafted over countless days by several men—no, demons—who spent decades perfecting the art of forging kitchen knives! It’s both an instrument and a work of art! It’s the ultimate achievement of the ‘Steel Demons’!”

  “S-Steel Demons...” he gulped.

  “See here? It was folded over and over. The union between soft and hard steel made it bind with such perfection. This miraculous feat gave birth to a knife that’s both sharp and sturdy!”

  His hands, which held the blade, were shaking.

  Mitsuha continued, “Honestly, I won’t gain any profit by selling it, but it’s our duty as merchants to pass on such masterpieces from the craftsmen to the chefs. If it’s too cheap, the makers can’t earn a living, but if it’s too expensive, the chefs won’t be able to afford it. This is a case where we should sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. Don’t you agree?”

  “I-I’LL TAKE IT!” the man shouted, tears flowing out of his eyes.

  Thank you very much!

  After recovering his composure, he spoke up again. “By the way, I’d like to speak with the shopkeeper. May I?”

  “Uh, sure, go ahead,” she said.

  “Then... could you call them for me?”

  “Uh, like I said, go ahead. Let’s talk.”

  “O-Ohh, I see. Young as you might be, you’re the only one at the counter, so I guess that makes you the shopkeeper. But that’s not what I meant. I wish to talk to the owner of this place. The manager, not an employee.”

  Well, I can’t really blame him for that, she thought with a shrug.

  “Sir, this store is mine. I bought it, remodeled it, and stocked the shelves. I’m both the owner and a shopkeeper!” She was, essentially, the retail version of a restaurateur.

  After taking the time to process her answer, he said, “Very well, then... Do you sell fresh fish?”

  So that’s why he’s here. Do the three girls have something to do with this?

  “What gave you that idea?”

  “Because Anke’s trio told us.”

  “Who’s that?”

  “The three girls who were here yesterday.”

  Ah, so it was them. I totally blanked on their names. But man, they actually advertised me! A-thank youuu! Anyway...

  “Oh, those three? They were my first customers, so I pampered them a bit. It got me in the red, haha...”

  “I see. They really raved about your wares and the food,” the man said.

  Uh-huh, of course they did! Keep it up, girls! Also, notice how I said it was a special case? Now I’ve made it clear that kinda service is usually more expensive. I’m so good at this!

  “So, why the interest in fish? From what you’ve told me, it’s not a hot commodity here...”

  The man then began telling her about his circumstances. His name was Marcel. He was the head chef for Viscount Ryner, the same man who employed Anke and her crew. At just thirty-six years old, Marcel was a bit young for his role but had the skills and confidence he needed to succeed.

  Until recently, he’d worked as second-in-command to an aging chef. His superior had suddenly become ill, so he retired and moved to a countryside town to live with his daughter’s family. It had been an abrupt change, though not entirely unsurprising. As a result, Marcel had been promoted to head chef—an enviable position for someone his age.

  Soon after, however, they were faced with a major obstacle: the coming-of-age of the Ryners’ daughter, Lady Adelaide. When noble ladies turned fifteen, they had to make a public debut into high society. This event also doubled as a birthday party and would be held by each noble family during the first ballroom season after their girl’s birthday.

  The debutante balls greatly influenced the girls’ futures and positions in high society, so families spared no expense on them. From the dress to the food, everything had to be perfect. The money spent could easily reach twice the wealth of one commoner family, all for a single night.

  If the previous head chef were still in charge, everything would have gone smoothly. The man was a veteran who’d worked in noble kitchens his entire life. But he was retired now, and though Marcel was skilled—likely one of the best in his class—he had almost no experience with such parties.

  During the Ryners’ previous, smaller affairs, Marcel had stuck to following the head chef’s orders, so he hadn’t had a chance to learn proper menu composition, timing, or improvisation. The old man had planned to teach him these things during Adelaide’s debut, but his sudden illness made it impossible.

  Pre-debut birthday parties were never too fancy, so this would be the biggest party at the Ryner mansion since the current viscount’s wedding. And since the Ryners were relatively “new money”, they were already scorned by the other families. Failure wasn’t an option, as it would only make things worse. Adelaide would be a laughingstock, and the family name would be disgraced forever.

  “But I don’t know if I can do this,” he continued. “I know I’m better than your average chef, but compared to the veterans in the grand noble houses or the talents in the royal palace, I’m little more than a beginner! I can’t help but think I’ll bring shame to Viscount Ryner and his daughter. It’s pathetic, I know, but it scares me...”

  He hung his head. It managed to make him look smaller.

  “So, you figured you’d try to floor them with something you can’t get around here—fish,” Mitsuha said.

  “Yes, precisely.”

  She took a moment to think. Hrmm... I could just sell him the fish and leave it at that. I’d ma
ke some good money and help him out—everyone’d be happy. But... what’s this strange feeling inside my heart?

  Oh, I know what this is... It’s excitement. This could be lots of fun!

  Mitsuha had a personal policy that didn’t allow her to ignore things like this. “One moment, please,” she said, then locked the door, closed the curtains, and put up a sign that read, “Closed Due to a Special Contract”.

  Who would’ve thought that sign would come in handy so soon?

  Less than an hour after opening, there she was closing up shop. She went back to the counter and took out another sign, this one only partially complete.

  “I’m also gonna start this service right now,” Mitsuha said as she showed it to him.

  It read, “From falling in love to running your land, Mitsuha’s General Store will tell you how it’s done! For a fee, of course.”

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  After explaining her plan, Mitsuha told Marcel, “We’ll have a food and drink tasting tonight. Come over and bring three other people, including someone who has the power to make the final call. Oh, and make sure you bring your appetite.” He promptly left afterwards, taking his new knife and other purchases along with him.

  According to Marcel, the star of the party was the debutante herself, but after her introduction as a potential spouse, the focus would shift to exchanges between the nobles. The youths would chat among themselves while the adults would discuss... adult things. Because of this, they had no performances or ceremonies planned, so the party’s quality would be based mostly on the food. Lady Adelaide and her dress would come next, then everything else. Mitsuha could see why Marcel was so worried—he was responsible for the most important part.

  As soon as he’d left, Mitsuha jumped back to Japan, changed clothes, and walked outside. There was a girl she’d been friends with since kindergarten, who she called “Micchan”. Micchan went to college in the city, and Mitsuha was headed in that direction, but it wasn’t to meet with her childhood friend.

  Eventually, Mitsuha arrived at the entrance of Micchan’s home—also a liquor store—and shouted “Hellooo!” without any restraint. She’d been doing this since kindergarten, so both Micchan’s family and their neighbors were used to it.

  As usual, she was greeted by Micchan’s dad. “Michiko’s not here,” he said.

  Yeah, I know.

  “I came to see you, actually.”

  “Well, that’s a pleasant surprise. What’s up?”

  “Sell me some booze.”

  “Huh?!”

  Persuading him to help her proved to be hard work, but Mitsuha managed it in the end. Micchan’s father agreed to send the alcohol to her house once the order was filled.

  Wondering how I convinced him? I told him that I got the chance to help cater a foreigner’s party, so I had to bring some food and drink samples for them to try. It was basically the truth, right? I mean, Micchan’s old man is sharp, so he’d see through any cheap lies. I also told him I’d buy lots more if they liked it. That must’ve been what swayed him. And it’s not like I’m gonna drink any myself. Really.

  After taking care of the drinks, Mitsuha bought some food with a long shelf life: boil-in-the-bags, canned goods, fruit, and so on. She also got ice cream and stored it in the freezer. As for fresh, ready-made side dishes, she’d worry about them closer to evening.

  She placed an order for some high-quality fish at the nearby sushi shop, then called in some takeout soup and other meals from her favorite French food place. With all that done, she loafed around at home until it was time to buy the remaining sides and pick up her orders.

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  That evening, Mitsuha greeted her guests. “Welcome!”

  Just as she’d asked, Marcel had brought three people with him. Two of them were obviously the viscount and his wife, while the third was a woman in her late twenties. Marcel told Mitsuha she was his second-in-command. As far as she knew, female chefs were a rarity. If she climbed up to that rank in a noble’s kitchen, she must be really good.

  She led them to the table in the kitchen and introduced herself. “Please make yourselves at home. I’m Mitsuha Yamano, the store’s owner.”

  They stayed quiet. So far, this was nothing but Marcel taking his friends out to dinner at a place he liked. The family’s problems were out of the picture for now. We’ll only talk about them if we clear the first stage, Mitsuha thought.

  “Today, I’ll be bringing you a variety of foods to sample. Because of this, there won’t be any specific course order. I’ll bring things out as they’re ready. The portions are small, but there will be a lot of food going on just a few trays. Take from them at your own pace.

  “Focus on tasting. Don’t force yourselves to eat it all or you won’t have room for the other dishes.”

  The four of them nodded.

  Let’s get to it.

  “First up, consommé,” she said as she set the bowls on the table. For this course, at least, each guest got their own dish. It had come from Sucre, the French restaurant.

  Thanks for your hard work, Chef Kanai!

  The group had been stone-faced from the moment they entered the store, but just a single whiff of the soup made them soften up. And the taste? It was richer than the nobles themselves. They didn’t say a word, as they were far too busy emptying their bowls.

  “I’ll bring out the rest. Try whatever catches your eye!”

  And so Mitsuha began bringing the dishes.

  There was cuisine from all over Earth—French, Chinese, Japanese, fusion, et cetera. Some meals were from proper restaurants, while others were simple side dishes, boil-in-the-bags, and canned goods from the supermarket. Of course, Mitsuha didn’t forget to plate the sushi and other fish dishes.

  Then came the alcohol. Beer, wine, whiskey, brandy, and sake, among others. There was no shochu or cocktails, however. She made sure to give them a fair warning about the stronger liquors.

  She’d expected to be barraged with questions, but everyone just ate and drank without saying anything.

  This is kinda freaking me out...

  As her company ate, they slowed down and finally began to pose questions. “All this is from a foreign country, isn’t it?” asked the viscount.

  Whoa! Straightforward, aren’t we?!

  “Yes, it’s all from my country and its neighbors,” she answered.

  “Who prepared it?”

  Already with the second one!

  “Some of my countrymen.” It wasn’t a lie in the slightest.

  “Where are they now?”

  “They’ve retired and are now living peacefully in this country. Convincing them to give me these samples was hard work! I had to promise never to ask for such a favor again.”

  “I see...”

  “B-But then how will we learn to make any of this?!” Marcel joined in.

  Yeah, this’d be pointless if he couldn’t.

  “I can get you the recipes. You can use them to practice until you get it right. We’re having this dinner so you can memorize the taste.”

  Marcel and his second-in-command grimaced.

  “What about the ingredients?” asked the viscount. “Can you tell us how you brought them here?”

  Oh, well...

  “Just leave it to me. It’s my job, after all! From love advice to land advice, Mitsuha’s General Store has got you covered! This time, I’m not selling you my help. I’m giving you a consultation! Of course, you’ll have to cover the costs.”

  “Pfft... Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!” The viscount burst out laughing. “Lady Mitsuha, please allow me to hire your services. I need you to provide the ingredients and teach us to prepare the food.”

  Looks like I passed. I mean, of course I did. I’m pretty sure I had it in the bag with the soup. I can make some good money if I accept, but...

  “I REFUSE!”

  The viscount’s face froze mid-smile.

  “Oh, don’t worry—I’ll definitely help with the cooking,” M
itsuha added. “But just that would be pretty boring.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I want you to let me handle the dress and the performance, as well. They didn’t call me ‘The Plumber of the Opera’ in elementary school for nothing!”

  “Performance?”

  He completely ignored the “elementary school” and “The Plumber of the Opera” parts. Well, it’s not like I want him to ask about it.

  The group then got to talking for a long while. The viscount eventually agreed to leave most of the party in Mitsuha’s hands, but only under certain conditions, like requiring her to give frequent progress reports, provide detailed descriptions, and lead the rehearsals.

  I guess it’s only fair for him to be so strict. This event is way too important for him to take a laissez-faire approach and just leave it in the hands of some stranger. If he’d been stupid enough to do that, I wouldn’t have taken the job in the first place.

  Marcel and his second-in-command begged to take home the leftovers, so Mitsuha jumped back home and got some plastic bags for them.

  Eat up while it’s good, she thought, handing them out. If you want, I’ll think of a reason to get you some more.

  They don’t have to be so desperate, though. It’s not like they have to learn to make all of this stuff. They’ll still have their usual, local dishes, and I’ll bring all the desserts. They were just supposed to pick whatever packed the greatest punch... They were pretty fired up, though, so I guess it went in one ear and out the other.

  The viscount took all the remaining alcohol and requested much, much more. Mitsuha made a mental note to bring the good news to Micchan’s dad. A noble ball wouldn’t be proper without enough food and drink, so the hosts tended to get way more than they actually needed. He was in for a whole lot of business.

  I’ll have to tell him to increase Micchan’s allowance! she thought cheerfully.

  Just when Mitsuha thought the meeting was over, the viscountess grabbed her shoulder and gave her an intense glare. Thankfully, she only wanted some shampoo and body wash. Mitsuha brought her some of the luxury products aimed at nobles and even sold the shampoo and conditioner separately.