Crunch Crunch Crunch
We walked around for an hour after that whole roast thing.
The roasts' flavor was a bit weak but the meat was so good I couldn't help myself. Sorry 'bout that mr. stall owner.
Heck it's already mid-day before I realized.
Gotta start preparing my stall for noon.
"Hikaru, let me help."
"Eh, are you sure? That'd be great, but the festival is still ongoing..."
"Walking and eating around by myself is neither tasty or fun. Helping you sounds funner."
"R-really. Thanks."
She's such a good kid...
I feel a bit bad for making her help with my camouflage stall, her kindness almost brought me to tears.
Though well, she'd only have to accept payment and hand over the product we're selling at most.
I put my small unassuming stall somewhere away from other stalls.
I don't wanna trouble other stalls if I open too close to them, not like I'm doing this for profit.
Other stall owners were looking at me dubiously when I picked this space while we were scrambling for one.
I'd rather this than somewhere that stands out, should invite less trouble.
So what I'm selling is the one thing that exists in every summer festivals in Japan, Shaved Ice.
There's no risk of food poisoning or being half cooked like with meat dishes.
Some people might get stomachache if they have too much but I can just warn them after their second serving, no problem there. I hope.
Even opening this stall required me to complete some annoying procedures.
I drew the water for the ice from a spring in the Monster Prairie, went around gathering fruits for the syrup from various stores and the prairie, and had them appraised for safety before I got the permit to sell them.
I have Item Screen to preserve the freshness while other stall owners seem to be using refrigerator-like magic tools.
Had no idea making money from food was this troublesome... I always complained about high food cost, but considering all the hard work put behind them, maybe the price is right.
I shave the pre-frozen ice with ice cutter drill made with mana control, put fruit syrup mixed with food coloring on top and it's done.
Didn't know this world had food coloring as well. Wonder if it's used to color food for nobles?
I have five different types of shaved ice named after Monster Prairie's areas; green (melon), pea green (pear-like fruit), yellow (lemon), citrus (orange), red (strawberry).
I wanted to make Hawaiian Blue as well but I dunno what kind of flavoring used for it. Soda? Lemonade? ...I can't seem to even recall how it tastes.
The main ingredient for each type is pretty much identical save for flavoring and color. Guess the image you get from color is important after all.
I got lemon and strawberry from the merchant that was on board the wagon we took to get to this city, Kanakmat-san.
There's only so many fruits you can get from the prairie.
One hour after I opened my stall, almost nobody came.
Small one only costs 350 en, large size costs 700 en, but people seem to hesitate because they're not familiar with it.
The location of my stall being out of the way is one, the price being much cheaper than other stalls which makes it more suspicious is another. Of course it won't sell.
Though the few who did buy seemed pretty happy with it.
"It's not really selling huh. Well guess this is much more relaxed than being too popular."
"...I'm barely helping."
"Sorry about it... Right, wanna have a taste of an arranged shaved ice?"
"Eh, is it okay?"
"Of course it is. I mean nobody's coming anyway."
Let's mix things up.
I shaved ice with mana drill, poured strawberry syrup on the shaved ice put on a paper cup, and then poured sugared milk on top.
Condensed milk would've been better but well, this should be sweet enough... Might be a tad too much sugar even, but still less than something like cola, I believe.
Let's have a taste.
Hm, good. It's good stuff.
"Yummy. Today's really hot, makes it all the tastier."
"For sure. Think this is pretty nice as a palate cleanser after eating heavy stuff like meat, but I guess this place is too far out for people to notice?"
"How about adding this pink milk shaved ice on the menu? Honestly, I think it's the tastiest one."
"Well, I am accepting custom request, but you sure that's gonna sell? No harm with an addition I guess."
And so I wrote 'Add milk topping: 100 en' on the menu.
...Don't think this is gonna work though.
...Oh? I see two figures heading this way, customers?
"Good work out there... Oh there's nobody here."
"Hello... Uh, what are you selling?"
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
The heck, it's just Reina and Radia-kun.
Looks like their date is going pretty well. Feel like Reina is holding a tad too much stuff, is that all food?
"It's shaved ice, want one? It's not selling at all anyway, you can have it for free."
"Aren't you getting kinda desperate? I mean I've never seen or heard this shaved ice food, no way you can sell them if you don't promote them well."
"Is this shaved ice the stuff you two ate just now? That pink snow-like stuff."
"Seeing as we're here already, I want a yellow one please."
"Oh, get me a green one."
Picked them by your hair color huh.
I mean that's fine.
I put ice inside a box and shaved them with mana control to avoid prying eyes.
Reina and Radia-kun were looking at me curiously as I did.
"Is that box a magic tool for shaving ice? You don't see something like that often."
"Yes. By the way, carelessly putting your hand inside might make it unable to grab a spoon ever again, beware."
"A, ah. I'm never touching that box..."
It's actually just a completely normal box though.
This camouflage should be good enough.
I poured syrup on their shaved ice and handed them over along with paper spoons.
The two had a bite at once. How do you like it.
"It's crunchy with sweet and sourness mixed well, so cool and so good!"
"Yumm...! What the heck, this is way good why'd nobody buy them!"
Glad they liked it.
Feel like they're kinda over reacting, guess they're being considerate.
"I can't believe something this good and cheap doesn't sell."
"Well this place is way out there, it's so cheap it loops back to looking suspicious, and the dish itself is a complete unknown. 'Course it's not selling."
"Uh, if you're aware why not improve them and..."
"Now now, I'm sure people looking for dessert after eating other stall food are gonna come this way, surely. Probably. Hopefully."
"I see you're not really trying to sell them..."
The two never stopped their hands despite their retorts.
"Pardon~."
Whoa, another customer huh.
Didn't notice because how deserted it'd been... Sad.
Wait isn't she
"Oho, Naima-san. Welcome."
"I'm finally done with my work and come all the way here to take a look, that's an unusual stuff you're selling. What is it?"
"It's called shaved ice, you put fruit-based syrup on top. So yeah, in short it's ice."
"Wait what that sounds so good, give me a green one, lots of it please. Ah, make it large."
I'd have liked to offer Naima-san a hawaiian blue if I had one to match her hair.
Naima-san's eyes popped open wide once she took a bite.
Then she suddenly walked away briskly without saying a word.
"...Wonder if she didn't like it, she just took off."
"Now, now Kajikawa-san, to each their own."
"Nah, she kept eating as she walked, don't think it was that bad."
Reina and Radia-kun encouraged me when I got a bit down.
I kept having people do this to me, so lame.
That only lasted briefly.
A flood of people came rushing in tens of minutes after Naima-san left.
What what, what's going on!?
"Oy, I want this large red one with milk topping!"
"Large yellow size for me!"
"Mine's pea green, small please."
"Hikaru! Hurry with the next one!"
"O-ou! What's with this sudden rush of customers!"
Before I realized what was going on, a huge line of people formed even Alma's help wasn't enough.
Something's not right, it was completely empty just a bit ago, where did this crowd come from--
It can't be.
"Is this the stall that sells the damned good ices Naima-chan mentioned?"
"Open your stall somewhere easier to access, finding this place in this hot day's an ordeal you know."
"Uwaa, so good!? It's just like Naima-chan said, it's like eating fluffy snow!"
"Oy, where's my orange large size!?"
"Coming right up!"
"What's up with that box, ice instantly turned into snow inside."
"Weird ice dishes and a weird tool huh."
Could Naima-san have promoted my stall because it was too unpopular?
To think she'd come to my rescue after all the trouble I gave her with herb appraisal. Thank you sorry.
...I want to believe this is not her way to get even on me.
Like seriously, there's just no end! How many people are there anyway!
...Afterward, the line never stopped forming until we used up all the syrup I made. I had to take the next day off to gather more ingredients.
It was super tiring. It's a different type of fatigue from battle, even Alma sat down listlessly.
I'm happy about it but it also drives home just how difficult running a store is... I'm gonna spend the whole day making syrup tomorrow.
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