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TL: ALT
Chapter 23 – Vocal Shop
The owners of The Vocal had a great reputation.
They loved the samples so much that they ate them all, which made the product’s appeal clear.
All that was left was to agree on the terms and sign the contract.
Once they got to that point, Wataru told them his price:
Fifty silver coins for a 500-gram bag.
That’s about 500,000 yen.
Although this was a low price compared to sugar, the shop owner was still surprised.
“That’s expensive. Is it really that much? How much can you use with that amount?”
“Roughly speaking, you can use about 10 to 5 grams for every 200 grams of flour. You may need to adjust the amount depending on the dish you’re making.”
“I see. So that’s all it takes. In that case, it might be profitable to use it for high-end desserts.”
Wataru had discussed the price with Mariel beforehand.
The sugar sold to the nobility was only possible because of the Welcome Trading Company’s reputation and distribution network.
Wataru agonized over setting a price that would allow him to make a profit while remaining affordable for commoners.
It was still expensive, but considering sweets were originally a luxury food, the price was acceptable.
The owner thought about it for a while.
The response was slower than expected, which made Wataru worry.
He had expected the negotiations to go well, but they were proving difficult.
He wanted to avoid sales activities that required a lot of legwork.
The more time that passed, the more it would interfere with his activities in Japan.
He hadn’t replied to the email yet, but orders were surely piling up.
“What do you think? We are the only ones selling this powder in this country. Right now, we have the advantage of being able to deliver it faster than anyone else.”
“Hmm, but you know. If we use it for research and then try to sell it as a product, how well will it sell? If it doesn’t sell, it’ll be a big loss, even as an investment. I can’t just say yes right away.”
“Dad, don’t be ridiculous.”
Just as Wataru was beginning to think he should give up, the owner’s son, who was next in line to inherit the business, interjected from behind him.
As one of the chefs, he must have had his own thoughts on the matter.
The person most affected by the store’s success or failure is the heir to the business.
“Sure, we might fail, but if another shop tries something like this, our shop will lose all its customers in no time! Even if we try to sell it to them later, our reputation will be ruined. This is our chance!”
“You… but…”
“And what about the pride of being a chef who makes the best food? I won’t accept that! I know how good this is, and I won’t give up trying!”
“Th-that’s… All right, damn it, I understand. I’ll take responsibility. But since you’ve spoken up, you have to make sure it turns out right!”
“Of course I will!”
Inspired by his son’s determination, the owner’s expression became resolute.
His unexpected support was a great help.
Wataru was glad the family had tried the sample cookies.
If it had just been the owner, the deal might have fallen through.
“How many would you like to buy? We have ten bags ready.”
“If we’re buying, we’ll buy them all, right, Dad?”
“Yeah. That’ll be five gold coins, right? Wait a moment.”
It’s difficult for a privately owned shop to earn five gold coins in sales.
That’s about the same as a skilled craftsman’s annual income.
This shop is popular, so it’s possible to make that much, but if it fails, it will be a huge loss.
Wataru approached the shop because it was already somewhat popular and appeared to be financially stable. However, the shop owner must have made a significant decision.
He took out the pouch of gold coins that had been carefully stored away and handed exactly five coins to Wataru.
In exchange for the money, the shop owner received baking powder from Aire.
They exchanged contracts and agreed to meet again in a month.
Thanks to the gate, it should be easy to visit again next time.
“Well, I’ll stop by again. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product.”
“Sure, and you’ll be a regular customer by then.”
“Of course. I can’t wait to see what kind of dishes you’ll come up with.”
It’s a useful ingredient for Western-style desserts, such as cakes, cookies, and pancakes.
They probably won’t use white sugar, but Wataru was looking forward to finding out how they would compensate for the lack of sweetness and which ingredients they would combine it with.
It would be some time before Vocal became the most famous Western-style sweets shop in the capital.
The owner said, “We’re just a snack bar,” and held his head in his hands.
〇〇〇
After finishing their business, Wataru and the others headed to the Royal Academy.
Having overcome her insecurities, Mariel no longer wanted to dress like a noblewoman. She planned to visit in her own clothes.
Wataru agreed that renting costumes and paying for a carriage would be an unnecessary expense.
The four of them set off in a shared carriage, traveling through the royal capital.
The carriage slowly made its way around the city.
It was more like a bus than a subway.
Two Hyupos pulled the carriage, which could carry about a dozen passengers.
As the wheels rattled along, Mariel timidly asked Wataru a question.
“Master, why did you decide to sell the goods to individual stores instead of going through a trading company or guild? Usually, I would think it would be less work and more profitable to leave it to a trading company, like you did with the sugar.”
“That would have made it too exclusive for the nobility. Making a big profit is good, but I wanted to make more people happy by making it affordable for the general public.”
“I see. Was there another reason you chose that particular store?”
“No. I just wanted to sell to a store in the capital that would treat it well and sell it properly. If that store gets a good reputation and demand increases, I plan to supply other stores as well.”
“You also planned to sell coffee individually before, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Maybe it’s because I’m a commoner, but I’d rather have everyone enjoy it than just the privileged class.”
If it were just about making money, it would definitely be better to do business with the nobility.
However, he would have to deal with their difficult and abusive personalities. He also didn’t want to give preferential treatment to just one merchant guild.
Wataru and the others were handling the sales for now, but he wanted to hire someone to take care of that in the future.
As they talked, the carriage arrived at the academy gates.
“We’re here. I hope we can hear more details about the shrine.”
Maurice had been hiding the fact that he was a magician.
How much they could learn would depend on how well Wataru and the others could get him to talk.
In front of the academy gates, Wataru gathered his strength and steeled his resolve.
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