CH 372

Is this connivance?

“Otousama, it’s Cristea. I have something to talk to you about.”

Otousama replied with “Enter” when I knocked, so I opened the door and stepped inside.

“Otousama, excuse me for bothering you while you are busy. I would like to talk to you about bacon.”

“Mu? A new product?”

“No, that’s not it. Are you aware that bacon is currently the hot topic of the Capital? There seems to be a standing order from the Capital’s Adventurer’s Guild to purchase bacon from our fief’s Guild…”

“Ah, you are talking about that? Tirie did contact me about that, but what about it?”

Huh, Otousama was aware?

“Why are you leaving it alone? Wouldn’t it get bought up by the Capital’s cooks? Besides, it seems to be selling at a high price in the Capital, you know?”

Rather than that, we could have put it on the Capital’s market ourselves so that everyone could enjoy bacon cheaply.

“It’s up to them how they deal with the bacon they buy.

The number of Orcs captured and the quantity of produce is limited, so the number of sales can’t be changed. Adventurers are eating it to enrich their meals, but in the end, it’s up to their judgment whether they want to eat or warm their pockets.”

Eh~ isn’t this a bit too cold?

“The people of the Capital desire it even with the increased fee, so you don’t have to worry about it. It’s not like the adventurers are losing out, and while its price here may seem fairly expensive in our fief, it’s still cheap for the people of the Capital. From Tirie’s report, the guild is selling at higher price than the regular to the Capital’s guild, but I was asked to overlook it for the sake of the adventurers.”

Otousama replied without taking his eyes off of the documents.

The way he said it might have sounded heartless, but it seems that he was asked by Tirie-san to overlook this matter so the adventurers could earn a little extra money?

Well, Otousama was apparently a naughty adventurer in his youth, so he must be aware of their money circumstances, and Tirie-san also requested Otousama with the adventurers in mind.

If that’s the case, then it might be inevitable for the price to be higher…

“Although I say that, the Capital’s selling price and the actions of the adventurers are always monitored. If they profit too much, someone will have to deal with it, though. Because the supply can’t catch up with the demand, it’s inevitable for a steep rise in price… it’s headache inducing.”

Fuu, Otousama sighed.

Well, of course. It’s not like we can constantly get our hands on Orcs.

Kurogane had exterminated a settlement of Orcs before, so there will be a supply for a while, but… since a nearby supply of Orcs had vanished, if unlucky, the scarcity of goods will only increase from now on.

Although I had asked Kurogane to periodically search and hunt for Orcs, it wouldn’t be possible to increase the rate of production. Uumu, how troubling.

“For the time being, I considered increasing the variety of smoked foods, but… do you have any ideas?”

“Eh, ideas? If you ask me so suddenly… I have taught the workers a lot about the smoked foods before coming to the Capital, did you not receive any proposals from them?”

“Fumu, as I thought… I will have the workshop experiment.”

To be frank, I would like to make things like sausages, but I need some meats to do that.

Err, if I recall correctly, you need sheep intestines for a Vienna sausage, Frankfurt sausage is pig intestines, and cow intestines is used for Boronian sausages, no?

A hunted prey is fundamentally dismantled on the spot and internal organs are either buried or burned. That’s why it might be difficult to obtain intestines.

Despite that, I feel that the value would only go up on the day I make sausages.

I don’t know whether eating the internal organs would be accepted in the first place.

Seeing me nodding my head in thoughts, Otousama stopped filling the documents.

“… It seems that you have an idea?”

“Eh!? Th, there’s no way I would have an i, idea or anything…”

“So you have one?”

“… I don’t.”

It wouldn’t clear the obstacles for the bacon and smoked foods. I am not lying.

“A new product then?”

Ugh!

“… Y, you might call it a new product, but it won’t become a substitute for bacon, and it might be even more difficult to obtain than bacon too.”

When I replied reluctantly, the wrinkle of Otousama’s glabella deepened.

“A more valuable recipe than bacon, you say? Just what is it?”

Hieh! Otousama’s insight is too sharp…!

What do I say, is it only my imagination that he’s glaring at me like a wild animal that found his prey!?

“T, that. It makes use of animal organs, so I don’t think it would suit Otousama’s tastes. Therefore…”

“I don’t mind. Try making it.”

Please don’t get your hopes up, before I could say that, Otousama interjected.

“Eh, but…”

“You don’t have to mind the project’s people. Just go and make your new product.”

Otousama who muttered ‘I will have a new product to taste soon’ has told me to make the new product, and he continued working on the pile of documents after telling me to return to my room.

Eeeh… somehow, it has been decided that I will make sausages… what do I do?