CH 172

"Rice Balls and Launching a New Business"

Translated by Dawn

“Rice Balls and Launching a New Business”

“It’s time for Rolando’s exciting cooking!”

“…”

After my meeting with the king, I returned to the mansion and took the natural course of action: cooking.

Since then, I had been busy with the Saverdales party and various other things, and despite having obtained rice and soybeans, I didn’t have time to cook.

Finally, as I had completed everything I needed to do, the opportunity for production activities had come. Naturally, I wasn’t foolish enough to let this chance slip by, so I immediately took action.

In an attempt to kill two birds with one stone, I invited Ruzzo, the mansion’s cook, to join me, and we decided to take on a particular dish. That dish was…

“Onigiri.”

“Onigiri…?”

Yes, onigiri or rice balls, a familiar dish made with rice, which was considered soul food among the Japanese. Although one might question whether onigiri could be categorized as a dish, that discussion could be saved for another time. For now, let’s get started on cooking as soon as possible.

First, we put rice in a suitable wooden bowl and washed it with water to remove the bran. Once the bran was removed, we put the rice in a deep pot and cooked it, adding water.

We cooked it slowly for about thirty minutes, then took it off the heat at the right time and checked if it was done. It seemed to be going well.

“Alright, now we just need to shape it with salt. It’s complete.”

“That’s quite an easy dish.”

Indeed, onigiris were a simple dish, but they had been loved by the Japanese for a long time. They might be just rice balls, but they were more than just rice balls.

Taking care not to burn my hands, I rubbed salt on my hands and started shaping the rice balls. Since I used to do this a lot in my previous life, I could make beautiful triangular onigiri. However, as I was currently twelve years old, there was a limit to the size I could shape them with my child-sized hands.

“It’s done like this.”

“I see. May I try it?”

“Sure.”

Once the dish was ready, it was time for a taste test. Ruzzo, who had asked if it was okay to eat, and I tried the onigiri right away.

“Mmm, munch, munch…”

The moment it entered my mouth, a simple yet somehow nostalgic flavor spread. Despite being seasoned only with salt, the sweetness of the rice itself and the sense of each individual rice grain as I chewed gave me the exact sensation I had been longing for.

The rice in this world seemed to be sweeter compared to the rice on Earth, whether it was due to the absence of pesticides or some other special factor.

However, it was not that the rice in this world was superior. Since it didn’t rely on chemical cultivation methods like pesticides or genetic manipulation, there were some variations in flavor and slight impurities. But overall, it was within an acceptable range, so there’s no problem.

If possible, I would like to try cultivating even better rice through homegrown methods, but that could wait until I have more time.

“This is a simple taste, but it’s delicious.”

“I agree. You can eat it with your hands, and it’s quite filling. It’s suitable for a snack or even a main meal.”

After that, I taught Ruzzo how to cook rice, and with the remaining time, I shared the recipes for takoyaki and sweet potatoes.

For now, I had the opportunity to taste the rice in this world, so when I had the time, I planned to challenge myself to make soy sauce and miso using soybeans.

As usual, after feeding… I mean, sharing the lunch I made with the servants, I headed to the Affari Trading Company and the Commercial Guild with the introduction letter from the king and the land deed I received from the king.

First, I went to the Affari Trading Company. The purpose this time was to have the representative of the Affari Trading Company introduced me to their son and appoint him as the representative of the newly established trading company.

“You must be Rolando-sama. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Banz, the representative of the Affari Trading Company.”

“I’m Rolando. Let me give you this right away.”

“T-This is…”

When I arrived at the Affari Trading Company, I immediately showed the introduction letter from the king to Banz, the representative. At first, Banz seemed surprised by the introduction letter, but as an experienced merchant, he quickly regained his composure and started asking questions about the contents of the letter.

“Why do you want us to introduce you to our Machad, Rolando-sama? To be frank, I don’t think Machado has much talent as a merchant.”

“Are you saying he lacks talent from your perspective or in general?”

“If we compare him to us, then yes.”

“Then he must possess at least the minimum abilities required of a merchant in general. In that case, there shouldn’t be a problem. Please introduce him to me.”

“If you insist on saying that, understood.”

In response to my words, Buns instructed someone who was available to bring Machad. After a while, a young man with a calm appearance arrived.

“Father, what do you need from me?”

“This person here wants me to introduce you. You have heard about the hero who defeated the demon tribe, right? He is the hero Rolando.”

“I’m Rolando. Nice to meet you.”

“Y-Yes. I’m Machad. So, what can I do for you?”

I conveyed my desire to open a new shop and entrust it to Machad. At first, Machad was surprised, but eventually, I managed to persuade him and secure his cooperation.

Accompanied by Machad, we went directly to the Commercial Guild and informed the receptionist of our purpose. As soon as I showed up, I was led to the reception room, where Guild Master Liliere entered.

“Rolando-sama, long time no see. I’m Liliere.”

“…Why did the top of the guild suddenly appear?”

As I wanted to have a relaxed conversation with the assigned staff, it seemed impossible with Liliere’s presence.

“All matters concerning Rolandop-sama are under my responsibility.”

“Isn’t that considered an abuse of authority?”

“Oh, not at all. Hehehe.”

She laughed, clearly using her authority as the Guild Master for personal gain. While it was convenient to have my matters go through the Guild’s top, I wondered if Guild Masters were unexpectedly idle.

“Just so you know, I’m quite busy, so I didn’t come here because I have nothing to do.”

Apparently, my thoughts from earlier were written on my face. Liliere began to speak with a displeased expression.

Anyway, for now, we decided to convey our purpose for visiting the Commercial Guild and proceed with the discussion. The reason we came to the Commercial Guild this time was to determine how to use the commercial district land given to me by the king and complete the necessary procedures.

Currently, through Greg Trading Company in Orargrand, the products made by me and the artisan golems are being sold. However, I believed that the demand would soon stabilize and lead to an excess of supply. If that happened, no matter how many products we produced, we would end up with inventory, which would not generate profit.

However, the cost to produce the goods, the expenses, was zero. Even if there were no sales, we would not incur losses. It was truly a cheat in business.

“For now, I’d like to proceed with the registration process for the trading company. This person here will be the representative.”

“Is this person… Isn’t he the son of the representative of Affari Trading Company?”

“Do you know me?”

“It’s just a coincidence. Understood, I will register it under his name.”

We completed the registration process for the trading company without any problems and left the Commercial Guild with Machad. By the way, I wanted to name the company “Machad Trading Company,” but Machad stubbornly refused, so I reluctantly named it “Commercio Trading Company.” The name was derived from the Italian word “commerce/trade.”

And so, with the merchant and the trading company registration in hand, I decided to confirm the land given by the king along with Machad.