'Yo!You've got your makeup on today.'
'Shut up, dude.
I've grown accustomed to the forty wards.
I'd come to Percy's sugar factory.
After a midnight meeting, I came here today to get some sugar. Yesterday I spent the whole day running around informing people, doing small tasks and preparations, and today I have a full schedule. I have to finish what I have to do quickly.
'Well, why don't we just get a permit and start selling the cakes?
'Hey, you. That's the cake, isn't it?The pretentious store on the other side of the main street, .......'
You must be referring to the place I went with Estella before.
'Is that ...... good?
'It's not bad, but it's not the kind of cake I'm looking for.
'Isn't that the kind of cake you're talking about?
'Not at all. Well, I'll let you eat it when it's done.'
'You'll use sugar, right?How sweet is it?I'm a sucker for sweets, seriously.
It's probably because he's been through a lot, thought a lot, vented a lot. Percy's face has become refreshed, as if he has lost his possessions, and the flirtatious atmosphere he used to have has returned.
However, he is no longer as sneaky as he used to be.
'I have such a sweet tooth that I can eat a whole barrel of sugar that I made myself.
'...... How can you eat like that and not die?
If you're a normal person, you'll go straight to diabetes.
'It's not that ridiculously sweet, but let's just say it has a lofty taste that you can't get with ...... sugar direct.
'Oh ...... oh!I don't know what it is, but it looks amazing. ......'
Percy's nose is puffed up. How intrigued is he?
'Okay!It's for future study!I can't help it, I can't help it. I'll follow you!
'You ...... need to work.
'I'll start tomorrow!
'Wow, this is definitely someone who doesn't work hard.'
'I'll do my best!I'm a man!
'Procrastination, uncool, unmanly.
'Shut up!I want some sweet cake!
The only thing manly about you is your assertiveness. If you disregard the ...... content.
If the taste of the cake will give you a boost for your work tomorrow, I'll let you have it. In any case, I'm going to bake a whole cake.
.................. Oh, one hole is definitely not enough. Yeah, I think so.
'Well, let's go.
'I'll go get Molly too!
Percy runs off with a childlike smile on his face.
He's so cynical. And a perfect child. Hardly the man who attempted assassination yesterday.
Percy runs off in high spirits, but when he comes back a few minutes later, his shoulders are slumped and he's pouting.
'I can't go to ...... because I have to work,' she said.
'Your sister is more solid than you. ......'
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...... You didn't get to work too, did you?
I'm going to go with Percy.
I took Percy to the anteater brothers' field.
Magda and Assunto are there to explain the value of sugar radishes and their future prospects.
'Oh, yes. I wanted to ask you while we were alone.'
I came to Percy alone because I had something to ask him.
And I wanted it to be as private as possible.
'Do you have any idea where the black market sugar goes?
'...... Why are you asking me that?'
'No, ...... I'm just curious about something.'
The black market is a system that is in direct opposition to the peddler's guild, and is not approved by the church, the nobility, or the residents, and is frowned upon. You can't do business with them openly, of course, and if they know you're doing business with them, your name will be seriously damaged.
Percy probably didn't want me to mention this topic anymore, but I really wanted to ask him about it.
'Molly will be thirteen this year, right?
'Yes, that's right, but I'm not going to ...... do it.'
Don't stare at me with scary eyes, siscon.
'If you had taken over the factory shortly after Molly was born, it's hard to imagine that you could have ...... run a normal business and managed to raise a child and work at the same time. You're an idiot.
You're an idiot.I've been working really hard!
'Haven't you been selling sugar to the black market for quite some time?'
We walk side by side and try not to look at each other.
If it's hard to talk about something, it's even harder to talk about it when people see your face.
'Well, ............ it's been about eight years now,......, but at first I was honest... ...!
'I know, I know. There are plenty of things in life you can't help.
I'm not accusing you of using the black market.
I don't care about that.
'Sugar has been flowing for eight years, and yet sugar has not reached the general public. Even the top cake shops in the 40th district use brown sugar. If this is the case, it is reasonable to assume that someone is buying up all the sugar that has been flowing in.
In fact, it is even possible that they have been encouraging Percy to distribute the sugar.
The day before yesterday, I heard that Percy was 20 years old this year, which means he was only 12 years old eight years ago. It would be easy to deceive such a child. If you make them feel insecure, you can get them off the hook in one shot.
I don't know if he's done anything that bad, but there's a guy who's been getting sugar unfairly for the last eight years and sipping the sweet juice. That's for sure.
'Well, you're right, but ...... indeed, it's not ...... right for me to mention his name here.'
'Imagawa-yaki: ......'
'What?
'............, right?
Percy was reluctant to say it, but I gave him my prediction, and it turned out to be correct. Percy's pupils widened as if to say, 'I knew it.
So that's it.
The sweet bean paste used in the Imagawa-yaki was a taste that could not be reproduced with brown sugar.
The store had always used white sugar. The "new sugar" Percy made.
I hadn't noticed it for a long time, but it seems that the store of Imagawa-yaki is in the 40th district. I heard that Estella had asked them to set up a stall as a "special exception" during the festival.
That explains why I didn't see it when I was walking around the 42nd district. ...... I was casually looking for it. ............ No, you see, I took it from Jeannette first... It's a good thing I was able to return it at the festival.
If there is an Imagawa-yaki store in the 40th district, then it makes sense.
Hey, hey!Are you going to tell ...... anyone about that?'
'No. I'd rather keep it under wraps. Don't tell anyone, either.
If the 'new sugar' becomes popular, the Imagawa-yaki shop will use the official one from now on. The taste will never change.
If we keep quiet, no one will know about the past.
We don't need to know that Jeannette's favorite food was made on the black market.
Food is innocent.
There's no need to tarnish the good memories.
'......Yashiro'.
Magda appeared in front of us as we were heading for the field.
'Assunto's not here.
'What's up?Are you alone?'
'...... Magda's duty is done. Assunto will talk to him about the future.'
'I see.
From now on, we'll make full use of that field and spread the sugar radish to other farmers. Assunto will explain about the rights and management methods.
'...... Mormat was also here.'
'I guess he was invited by Assunto.'
'Assunto told me that they were planning to plant sugar radish fields in District Forty-two as well.
It makes sense that Mormat of the District Forty-two Agricultural Guild was called in. He also plans to talk to the guild leader of the 40th district agricultural guild to increase the production of sugar radishes by dozens of times the current amount.
''...... The anteater brothers, they were very happy.''
'I see.
They've been recognized for what they've been making and told that it's very valuable. That must have been nice.
'...... But a good man told me yesterday about the value of sugar radishes.'
'You were going to see him?
'Oh, yeah. I apologized.
Apparently, Percy told the anteater brothers before we left.
'On the contrary, he thanked me. ...... 'A good man was sugar-coating me, and it opened up a new path for me.'
It seems ...... quite sycophantic to think that being taken advantage of has opened up possibilities. ...... Well, maybe they are.
I'm still a little bewildered. ......'
'Then let them make a lot of money.'
'Oh. I'll do my best to make that happen.
After meeting up with Magda, we proceeded down the main street.
When I got to the front of the lord's mansion, Estella was there.
'Hi. I've just finished.'
Estella had asked the lord for help in expanding the production of sugar radishes and the distribution of sugar.
'The results were good. The look on Oji-sama's face when he found out the value of sugar radish was ......'
Estella giggling.
He's in a good mood.
'I've gotten them to promise to cooperate fully in suppressing the nobles. We should be fine for at least a month.
'There's the Woodcutter's Guild and Torbeck's Engineering Shop in District 40. The nobles won't be able to do anything against them.
It's a great advantage to have a force in the territory that can resist the nobles.
In the future, Percy's sugar factory and the anteater brothers' sugar radish farm will be added to the list. ...... Isn't it invincible, forty wards?
I'm not sure how you can find the value in such a thing.
'Well, you're right. People who don't know about this stuff never talk about it.
I knew about it, but I have to admire how Percy figured out how to make sugar from sugar radishes.
'No, ...... actually, when I was still a kid, I couldn't get the factory to run properly. ......'
Scratching his head, Percy speaks with embarrassment.
'I didn't have any money and I was looking for something cheap to buy and I came across stinky spinach. ......'
'Did you force yourself to eat it?'
'...... Ah. The roots looked tasty, so I gave it a try, but it was ...... stinky.'
'But you still kept trying.'
'Because I didn't have anything else to eat. ...... And I discovered that if I cooked them at a very high temperature, the smell would lessen.
The component of muddy smell in sugar radish is similar to the component of muddy smell in eel, and it is decomposed by high temperature. That's why eel grilled with hippopotamus does not smell like mud.
'And when the smell was gone, I thought to myself ......, "Hey, I can make sugar out of this, can't I? I thought.'
'That's why you won, because you were able to connect it to sugar.
'Haha, is that a compliment?
'In moderation.'
Percy's face crumpled up in a smile, as if he was not satisfied.
'Well, after all, I'm only good for making sugar. That's why I'm more sensitive to sugar than anyone else.
'Ah. You don't seem to be able to farm or cook at all.
'Shut up!I'm fine with Molly!
'What are you going to do when you get married?
'I'm not going to marry her off!
'No, go ahead!
'No way, no way!
...... This guy's got it bad.
I'm worried about Molly's future, you know.
'Oh, yeah. The old man will take you home in a carriage.
It seems that he was quite happy with the information about the sugar and that the lord Demilly gave him preferential treatment.
That's very thoughtful, that bald man.
What was prepared was a very luxurious carriage, and Percy was puzzled.
'Can I ride in this ...... thing?
'Oh?Do you want to ride alongside?
'You can't, no way!
There's a big, hairy horse that's going to pull the carriage.
Let's say hello.
'Pleasure to meet you, Tsurupika.
'Yashiro ......, can you stop before they confiscate the carriage?
I don't understand what you're complaining about ...... when I'm being so polite.
In such a luxurious carriage, we returned to the 42nd district.
I was dropped off when I entered the 42nd district, and I decided to go back to the sunlit pavilion after I finished another errand.
The place I was headed to was ......
'Hey, Neffery.
'Oh, Yashiro.
Nepheli's poultry farm.
I need fresh eggs to make the cake.
I'd better get home and cool the eggs. Cold eggs are essential for making a cake. If they're not cold, the meringue won't foam well.
'I got some good eggs today. I'm proud of it.
Neffely proudly hands me a basket full of eggs.
Yeah. They're certainly big and well-shaped.
'Sorry. You should come to the Sunshine Pavilion later. I'll feed you some good food.'
'What, what, what?What are you going to feed me?
'A cake.
'Cake?...... Lovely. I've always wanted to try it. ......'
As expected of a fashion-conscious, fashionable girl like Nepheli. Of course she knew about the cake. But it's not what you think it is at all.
'Oh, An-chan!What do you mean, 'you'?
I yell in a whisper, and Percy tugs at my clothes.
'What's that?
'Ah, ah, ah, ah, that girl ............ you know?
'Neffery?Well, I mean, I know her. ......'
'Are you guys dating?
'No, we're not dating!We're just friends who help each other out in business.'
'...... or do you have a boyfriend ......?'
'Eh ............ you, no way ............'
'............Moving.'
Are you serious?
What?This guy, seriously?
'What a woman with such clear animal features. ......'
This guy ...... has no beastly features at all, so he's longing for the exact opposite type.
I thought it was masculine to have a lot of animal traits.
Percy is very feminine and Nepheli is very masculine, right?
Are you sure about that?
'Ah, ah, um!
'Hmm?Who is it?
'Pfft, it's Percy Rayard!Remember me as Percy, the perky, blooming sea lance!
Hey, hey, hey. Coelacanths don't bloom.
'Oh, ha, ha, ha, what is it ......, I'm sweating, ha, ha!
...... How nervous are you? ............ You're a chicken.Look closely. It's a chicken even if you don't look closely.
'O,...... me,...... that,......, it's hot today.
Percy wiped the sweat off his face and let out a dry laugh.
Relax. You're the only one who's sweating. ...... Oh, look, your make-up's completely gone.
'What?Your eyes. ......'
'What?............ ah!
Percy shouted when he saw the ink on his hands.
The black make-up around his eyes had completely fallen off and he looked like a normal flirt or a handsome man.
'No, this is the ......!
'You don't have any animal features at all, do you?
'No, that's not true .............'
'And the makeup?
'Oh, it's ...... right away!I think the beast's features will be ready tomorrow. ......'
'I don't like people who don't look like men like that. ......'
'Huh?
Neffery ...... you, what a direct ............
'You should be more firm. A man has to be a man.'
Nepheli pats Percy on the arm.
'...... Does Nepheli prefer men with animal features?
I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.
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'What about ...... Yashiro?
'Huh?I'm not sure what you mean by that.
'...... Yashiro has no animal features.'
No, Magda. That's a given.
'Oh no. Because Yashiro is not a beastman. It's natural that he has no animal features.'
Yes, yes. Nefari is right. ......, but I coined the term "beastman race," didn't I?When did it become so widespread?
'...... Yashiro is an exception?
'Oh, no, not ...... that ............ too, not anymore!I'm sure you'll have a great time.I'm definitely going to eat it!See you later!Good luck!
With a bright red face, Nephrite ran into the chicken coop.
'Oh, no!I can't believe it!
What a girlish scream, covering her face with her hands. She covered her face with her hands, swaying her ...... cravat.
'...... That's why, Percy.
Magda, 'Doggone it! Magda puts her hand on Percy's shoulder, depressed.
Did you ask her that to comfort her?
If so, Magda's ......
'...... no pulse at all'.
...... You're a demon.
'O ............ ole!I'm going to be a man!
You're pathetic, Percy.
Well, good luck with that.
I don't know. ...... Are there any acquired animal traits?
I'm pretty sure I won't be able to recognize you if you do.
I was thinking about this as I listened to Percy's screams, which would probably never come true.