While we were suffering from sore muscles, a shocking, history-changing event was happening simultaneously in each district of the giant city of Allbloom.
Yes.
The release of a new bread.
People all over the city were astonished by the appearance of a soft and delicious bread that defied conventional wisdom.
At the bakers' guild workshop, customers lined up in long lines, lured by the unusual, rich aroma, without knowing what was being sold.
The round bread for staple food sold like hotcakes, as the sweeter you chewed, the more sweet it became.
But more than that, people were surprised by the existence of sweet bread with a wide variety of sweetness.
The bread, which was unlike anything they had ever seen before, tasted like nothing they had ever tasted before, and the softness of the bread made it impossible to believe that it was bread, and it was sold out in no time.
Normally, the bread is made in batches on days set by the church, but on this particular day, the bread was baked for 24 hours straight.
I wonder if my message reached the church leaders properly.
Strike while the iron is hot.
Let all the people in the ward eat the new bread without sparing any money.
If you take advantage of the initial momentum and grab their stomachs, they'll continue to buy bread almost forever. I told Bertina to tell them that they would be buying bread more often than ever before,......, but I don't think she got that far, anyway.
But I think she understood how great this bread was.
The church continued to bake the bread, and as if to celebrate the birth of the new bread, they served the new taste in a big way. Of course they took the money, though.
Today, one night after such a shocking debut.
A huge pile of bread is piled up in front of us.
'I've got some from the bakery in BU.
As if to show off his power and wealth, Gerasie puffs out his chest and makes a smug face. He's wearing an all-black hairdo today.
'You look so old.
'Didn't you have anything else to say, you?
You're in your twenties and you smell like an old man.
I don't think dignity is proportional to old face.
'I've prepared a lot of stuff for you too.
Ricardo, who I hadn't called, also showed up at the 42nd district with a large amount of bread.
'What, I didn't call you?
'You need enough to satisfy your sisters, so I'm cooperating with you!
'So you want to appeal for friendship, earn points, and stay at Estella's house someday?That's disgusting.
'I have no such ulterior motives!Who would want to stay at that guy's house?
What are you talking about when you tried to stay and were refused.
He's got a personality that's very easy to understand.
Thanks to that, though, it's easy for us to take advantage of him.
While I was thinking about it, Estella, who was greeting Gerasie formally, came over to me.
'Wow!Ricardo brought me some too. And so many of them.
'Oh, yeah. Well, it's no problem for me to prepare this much, but you guys need it, don't you?
Ricardo is a bit excited by Estella's unusually honest joy. Your nostrils are swollen.
'Feel free to take it with you, hahaha.
'Yeah. Thanks. Well, I got it, so you can go home now.'
'I'll stay!Until the end!
'Oh, ......, are you bored?
'I haven't felt bored in years!
No, you're bored, no matter how you look at it.
But, well...
It's a little distorted, but I think Estella and Ricardo are becoming more like childhood friends. To the point where they can easily swear at each other. It's a little distorted, but still.
But, you know, ...... if you have any problems, you can count on me. I can give you as much time as you need.''
That's how much he acknowledges Estella, and how much he cares for her, I guess.
Hearing this, Estella looks into Ricardo's face.
'Ricardo.
I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it. I'm not sure if it's a ...... thing, or if it's a ...... thing where breath leaks out of your nose, or if it's just a flat-out snicker?
'So, what's with the big brother wig?'
'You're like a big brother to me, aren't you?
'Hahaha, you're so rude~'
'You, Estella!
In the event that you have any questions regarding where and the best way to get in touch with us, please do not hesitate to contact us.
I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before. That is my mission as the one who is in charge of the lives of the people of this district. I'm not going to put everyone in the 42nd district in a situation where they are worried, and even if that happens, I'm not going to be an unreliable lord who can't do anything without relying on other districts, that's my responsibility as a lord.
From now on, trouble will continue to pour in, to the point of being unpleasant.
Even so, I will not panic at every turn, and I will be a lord who firmly supports the 42nd district. With a smile that shows such a will, Estella declares firmly.
At the sight of Estella, Ricardo lowered the fist he had been raising and lifted the corner of his mouth.
'Is that so?
'Yes. Besides, I'll rely on Oji-sama and Lucia-san in case of emergency.
'Aren't those two lords from another district?
'These two are already my relatives.
'Count me in, you know!
'Hahaha, that's too much!
'That's not good!You're driving me crazy!
Ricardo. Regardless of your true intentions, the fact that you've been tormenting him for over a decade is not something you can easily get rid of.
Serve her. Pay me. And be my bread and butter.
Then someday, Estella might even take a second look at you.
'So, Lucia. Do you have any bread?
'I've been in the Forty-second Ward. There's no way I can prepare it. Think before you speak, anchovy.'
I know. I know you've been sobbing in muscle pain all day yesterday and haven't stepped out of the house.
Don't spend two nights here so casually. If you stayed two nights, go home early in the morning to take care of your own ward. What are you doing staying till noon?
'It's already noon.Don't you want to go home?'
'I'm leaving. After the bread festival.'
I'm going home after I've had my fun, my lord.
'I'm worried that Gilberta will end up in the street.
'If she does, I'll take her as my wife and take care of her for life.
Gilberta will be on the street when you're broke. I can't take care of her.
'Anyway, where did you hide Hammarotan?Isn't Hammaro supposed to be helping out at the Sunken Pavilion from today?'
'You know a lot, Lucia. ......'
''Hmph. Don't underestimate the intelligence of a lord.''
'Choose where you want to exercise it.
Don't devote your intelligence to Hammaro's work situation.
As Lucia pointed out, there are no members of the Sunlit Pavilion here at the moment.
Of course, Hammaro's not here either.
They're scheduled to meet up with us later.
'Well then, let's get started with the "Late Spring Bread Festival".
At Estella's words, Natalia and the waitresses spread out to set up the standby.
The venue for this bread festival is the main square.
The people near the main street have been complaining about the lack of events. This time, we rented out the main square as the venue for the Pan Festival.
Unlike the field day, which took a whole day, this event would only take a few hours. Occupying the square would not cause any major problems.
Bread will be distributed free of charge at stalls of different kinds.
The turnover rate will be reduced if people have a hard time deciding which bread to eat.
Therefore, people will be asked to line up at each stall after deciding which one they want to eat. The person in charge of the stall only has to give the bread to the customers who come to get it. It's a simple job that even a child can do.
The waiters are on edge, though, because of the chaos that is expected.
The bread festival started with a brief greeting from both Geraci and Ricardo, who had donated the bread, and Estella's final words of encouragement: "Enjoy the bread and eat to your heart's content.
As soon as the festival was declared open, a line formed in front of the stalls. The waiters shouted to keep the waves of people in line.
It's quite an atmosphere. People flock to the stalls as if it were a bargain or a grab bag for the first sale of the year.
That's how much attention the new bread is getting.
'At this rate, it will be gone in no time at all.
Gerasie's cheeks twitch as people flock to the stall. He barely manages to keep a smile on his face, but he can't hide the fact that he's overwhelmed.
'Instead of satisfying the sisters, even the lords might find it insufficient.
Gerasie had brought a lot of bread, a lot of bread, but it was still an underestimate.
That's right. How many people do you think there are, my lord?
And if you look closely, you'll see that there are a lot of people who don't live in District 42 in the mix.
They're probably from the 29th and 41st wards. Estella had opened the gates wide to welcome the lords to the party.
'Yum!
'Oh no!What the hell is this?
'How much?
I'm going to try to change my focus.
The more you chew, the more you get.
'The more you chew, the more the aroma of wheat spreads in your mouth. ......'
'It's like a wind blowing through a meadow.
'This melon bread is also delicious, with the flavor of the melon coming through.
It's like a wine evaluation. ...... Anyway, there's no melon flavor in melon bread.
'It seems to be popular.
Seeing the reaction of the people, Estella nodded in satisfaction.
'You've been hiding something this good for a long time, haven't you?
'Hmm. I had no right to offer it to you.'
'I'm grateful that you've got the 'right' to do so.
Even so, I wanted to see the bread-eating contest, to see the tits swaying in line!
'To Bertina, and Sophie, and Sister Barbara. If a sister you're close to is in trouble, you can't help but reach out to her, right?
'What?Do you think I gave you the recipe to help people?'
'You're free to think that, aren't you?
'You're free to think what you want, but it's offensive, so correct me.'
'Then I'll correct it. Thank you for what you've done for me and the people of my domain.
'Don't get cocky.'
Estella chuckles.
Who broke my bones for you. In the first place you can't jump or shake so you're not in a bread eating contest. In other words, you are the furthest thing from bread.
'I just like things that are soft and round.
'Hmmm. Well, that's your answer.
What's so funny?
Don't smirk at .......
'But I guess the Church won't complain now. The Church will no longer be forced to deal with a drop in sales in the outer districts.
If it's not selling well, you should take action yourself.
Get over it with corporate efforts.
They think they deserve what they get.
It's the nobility that can't resist the Church. Especially if you're a lord.
Estella, in particular, had been told in a roundabout way that the reason bread was no longer selling in the outer districts was because the Forty-Two districts had created and spread strange foods, so this information must have made her position much easier.
Even though the originator of the idea is a secret, the church members know which ward the idea came from. It will not be leaked to the outside of the Church, but it will be heard by the inside of the Church, especially by the higher-ups who are not happy about it.
If you've sold a favor, good luck. Well, at best, it's a small price to pay.
That's about the best the church can do. Anyway.
Anyway, with such a good reputation, there won't be any more 'no bread sales'.
And Estella won't have to deal with any complaints.
'Thank you, Yashiro.
'If you wanted to thank me, you would have said, "For what you've done..."'
'Yes, of course, but...'
He comes in front of me and looks straight into my face.
'Thanks to you, one of my troublesome problems has been solved. So I wanted to say thank you, personally, to you. This is just my way of thanking you as Estella.'
If you say such a thing to me, I might be indebted to you and expect a troublesome payback later on. ...... You look so innocent.
'A troublesome problem ....... Estella. There are no breast implants in pastries. ......'
'I knew you'd say that. I knew you would say that.
With a snap, Estella's fist hits my chest.
Her wrist twists and turns as she hits me. What the hell, that tickles.
'You should practice accepting people's gratitude with open arms.
'Shut up, ......, that tickles, stop it.'
I said, brushing Estella's hand away.
That's right, it tickles. ...... to be looked at that straight in the eye. You should be swearing like you always do.
It's just a side effect of my ambition to get rid of one of your problems.
Just a byproduct. A bonus.
Don't take it personally.
'The bread-eating contest was a lot of fun...'
'Are you still going to say that?Why don't you say, 'You're welcome'?Come on, say it with your mouth.'
Estella pinched both my cheeks and pulled.
Stop it, come on.
Don't make me moan my cheeks.
''Don't make out with me.''
Ricardo and Gerrardy, standing side by side, said to me with a dumbfounded look.
I'm not flirting with you.
Estella is only flirting with me.
Hmm...
'Oh, Lucia. There's melon bread. Why don't you go get a couple?'
Gerasie and Ricardo, not understanding the meaning of Lucia's impatience, tilted their heads at Lucia's overreaction.
And then Ricardo says something unnecessary again.
'Oh, that again? A woman's diet or something like that. ......'
'Oh?'
Lucia's glare petrified Ricardo.
Scary. Lucia, you've mastered the petrifying stare skill. He's like a cockatrice.
'...... cockatrice'.
'Don't call people strange names, anchovy.'
What are you talking about?
Lucia doesn't look like she needs to go on a diet. ...... Well, you don't get to say 'diet' to her face, do you?
You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their life.I don't know and I'm not interested.
After silencing the rude man, Lucia raised her index finger and gave a speech.
'Melon bread is high in calories. You can't eat too much of it.'
'Huh, where did you learn the word calorie?
'Under Imelda's tutelage.
'What happened to you, at his house?
What are you studying under?
In terms of style (except for her breasts), Lucia's not bad at all.
'You're the one whose breasts have grown since you came to the Forty-second Ward. He taught me many things about body shape management.'
'No, Lucia-san......, I'm glad that you're getting along with the people of my district, but it's indeed outrageous for a lord to be mentored by the daughter of a guild......'
''Actually, I've grown by about two millimeters during the past two nights.
'What?Yashiro, really?
'Which ......?You've definitely grown by two millimeters!
'Imelda-sensei!I'm sorry.Where's the teacher?
'Calm down, Ms. Creamona!Remember what you just said to Ms. Suarez.'
'...... Or rather, it's scary that you can visually notice a 2 mm change in your clothes, Oba.
It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.
I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that.
I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
'Yashiro!The cream buns are delicious!
'Oh!Don't eat too much, Delia.'
'Ah!
'Yashiro-san. Today's melonpan is also crispy and delicious.''
'Bertina really likes melonpan, doesn't she?
'Because it's crispy too.'
'Don't eat too much.
'Yes, sir. It's only the fifth.
I see, you haven't even reached the first half. ...... It's a long way to the eighth.
'Oh, Yashiro~!
'Hey, Neffery. Are you eating?'
'Yeah. Anyway, have you seen Molly?I saw her earlier at the venue. ......'
'Yeah, I think she's with Percy.
'With Mr. Percy?I wonder why?'
'He's at work. I asked him to do something for me.'
'Work at ......, why are you with Mr. Percy?
Hey, Percy.
They think you're not working.
Well, actually, if only Molly were here, I'd be fine.
'Hey, ladybug!
'Hey. Millie's a melonpan too.
'Hmm. I just got in line with Shisuta.'
'Shall I make you a melonpan hair ornament?A big one.'
'No, Miri, I'm not that picky.'
Millie slaps my arm.
Millie's casual body touch!
Where did she learn such a sophisticated technique?You're not going to a party, are you?
You can't go to a party like that, Millie!
'Miss Milly, the jam buns are empty.
'Oh, sh*t. But Miri, you're still eating melon bread, so I'll take it.
'Then, I'll take it first.
And then Bertina walked away, clutching a cream bun and squirming anpan.
How long have you been hustling? ...... I thought I was eating melon bread just now.
I'm sure you're not the only one with a fast pass.
'Fastpass?'
'It's like a priority ticket. Don't worry about it.
There's no such thing as a fastpass because they don't have one.
'Oh, Sister. You can go ahead if you want.'
'Oh, you don't mind, do you?
'Don't mind me, Sister.'
'Yes, Sister, you've always been a great help to me.
'Come on, after you.'
'Two is not enough, come on.
'I'm starving, aren't I?
'Thank you, gentlemen. Then, thank you for your kindness and may the Spirit God bless you all.
Isn't he using some kind of cheat move?
I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
You can't have two loaves of bread, the sisters will starve to death! It's not two pieces of bread, though, because she's already eaten ...... the melon bread.
I'm not sure what to say. It's humanity, isn't it?
'Is it a human virtue,......?'
Millie is looking at Bertina with sparkling eyes, but is it really something to be respected?
I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not.
Isn't that sympathy?
There's not a trace of sore muscles in her face as she happily bites into the jam bun she was given.
He's back to full strength.
Yashiro. Didn't Paula and the manager come?
While I was watching Bertina being fed, Norma arrived.
She looked around at the crowded hall.
'I think they're all in their stores,' she said.
'You mean at Cantalucia and the Sunshine Pavilion?'
'Oh, yeah. I did a little favor for them.
Everyone was looking forward to the bread festival, so I thought they might be a little reluctant, but they seemed to enjoy being the ...... instigators more and agreed.
Paula was especially enthusiastic.
In this kind of situation, we usually prepare and act alone in the sunny pavilion. She was very happy to be able to take the lead in the surprise.
'Paula is a hidden gem,' he said.
'And the managers?
'The secret weapon.
It wasn't just to help people that I went to the trouble of giving away the recipe for the bread.
In fact, I wouldn't help people at all!
It's all for my benefit!
Well, if you can make money while you're at it, why don't you?
As long as you don't interfere with me, I don't care where or who makes money.
It's easier for scammers to operate when the economy is running.
'I don't know what you're up to,......, but I wish you'd have asked me for help,.......'
Norma pokes me in the shoulder with a pout.
No, you see. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's had to deal with this.
'...... I'm an outsider this time. ............ outsider'
Why are you sulking like that?
No, I just thought it would be a little bit wrong to ask for too much help. ...... Oh, God!I'll ask you nicely next time!Don't swell up!
I'm not sure what to say.
I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
'Hello, Imelda.
'Look at this!It's 'Melonpan and I'!
Imelda raised her melonpan to the sky and posed with it.--Imelda poses.
Yeah. It's not worth looking at, so I'll turn away.
'Hey!Please look at this!
'Don't play around, just eat.
'I'm eating, all right. But it's still a big crowd.
'Well, it's free.
'Sure, it's nice to be able to try different flavors for free. Even though they're going to be on sale, at 50Rb each, you can't buy that many.
Norma looks a bit confused.
The new bread is priced based on the traditional bread.
A soft round loaf costs 30Rb, a butter roll 35Rb, and a loaf of sweet bread 50Rb.
A loaf of bread is 60Rb. A half loaf is 30Rb.
It's not so expensive that you can't afford it, but it's not something that an average family can afford to buy and eat every day.
If you want to buy a 500 yen dessert after every meal, you may hesitate a little.
Or, if you were to buy a piece of sweet bread as a meal, you would also be a little hesitant.
Such is the price setting.
The price is higher than that of hard black bread, which was 20Rb. However, considering the fact that the former high-class white bread cost 70Rb, it may be said that the price is affordable.
This is thanks to the "high quality bread" sold around the central district.
The recipe is almost the same.
However, the ingredients used are different.
The flour used is top-notch flour reserved for the aristocracy, and the sugar used is naturally aristocratic sugar. The milk used for cream buns, strawberries for jam buns, and azuki beans for anpan are all made with high-grade ingredients reserved for the aristocracy.
That's why the price is set a little high.
Listen and be amazed.
The price of a high quality melonpan sold in the Central District is as much as 1000Rb!
Melonpan. When did you become as good as muskmelon?
I tasted it through Bertina (who sent it to the creator as a confirmation of the taste), but the taste was not that different. The only thing I can say is that the aroma of wheat is richer.
However, the aristocracy finds value in the specialness and price.
If it is expensive and rare, they will consider it to be a supreme delicacy.
If it is expensive and rare, they believe that it is a supreme delicacy, and that it is incomparably more delicious than the "poor man's bread" (a derogatory term among the nobles) that the poor people eat.
The church has announced that similar bread is sold in the outer districts, and the royalty and nobility (laughs) know about it.
'The common people are so happy because they can enjoy happiness with such cheap products.
'They want to imitate the aristocracy with imitation goods, isn't it cute?
'It's unfortunate that you don't know the real thing, isn't it?
'No, no, they're happy because they don't know the real thing.
'Well. That's true too, isn't it?
--So, it seems that they will pity us on their own and will not attack us.
Rather, they seem to want to immerse themselves in 'I know the real thing,' and the wives of aristocrats are willing to buy only expensive things.
Thanks to this, the new bread is selling like hotcakes in Chuo Ward.
The cost is still different, but the interest rate is higher for the "nobleman's bread. In other words, the church will be able to make a lot of money if the nobleman's bread sells well.
Now, they won't complain even if the sales of bread in the outer districts drop a little.
'But I'm curious.
Imelda muttered as she took a bite of the melon bread she was holding up, looking at the bread stall.
'The popularity of sweet bread is tremendous. ......'
Buttered rolls are too sweet, and I've never had a problem with them.
Butter rolls seem to be popular among adults who avoid overly sweet pastries, but the staple breads, round bread and bread, are not as popular.
'Compared to the old bread, it's softer and has a stronger wheat aroma and sweetness, and it's certainly tastier,......, but it's still not as good as the sweet bread.
There is no doubt that Norma's opinion is the consensus of all the people in this hall.
If only round bread had been created this time, people would have been so impressed by its softness and sweetness that they would have lined up to buy it.
This time, however, there were sweet buns.
The children and even the sweets-loving madams were absorbed in the sweet buns.
Oh, my God, it's my fault, it's a big mistake,......, you think?
That's why you've prepared a hidden gem.
The best way to eat bread that the aristocrats don't know yet.
If you give them this information as well, they won't try to interfere with our new business.
That's why I'm going to throw in the secret recipe for making that leftover round bread and bread taste good. --Paula!
'Let me go!
At my signal, Paula replied, holding up a lit torch in her hand.
Paula the Inuit, holding a hot fire.
Yeah, no pun intended. It's not a pun, but that's exactly what I'm trying to make.
By the way, I taught Magda how to cook with bread, green pepper, bacon, tomato sauce and cheese, and Loretta how to cook with ham, cheese, eggs, lettuce and bread.
Now, the second part of the "Late Spring Bread Festival" is about to begin.