Once my talk with Akane-san had reached a natural stopping point and the conversation hit a lull, Kaori-san stood up from her chair with a bright smile.
"Is the business talk over? Then, since you're both here, why don't you stay for a light bite? I have a dish I'm thinking of adding to the limited-time menu, and I'd love to get some feedback."
"Oh? If you're sure, Kaori. I'm feelin' a bit peckish, so I'd love to tuck in... but I feel a bit bad. We already used your place for our meetin' and you even served us tea. How about I pay for the meal?"
"Your cooking is delicious, Kaori-san, so it's a tempting offer... but I agree with Akane-san. We should pay for it."
While I was grateful for her offer, I felt apologetic about being treated to a meal. She had already let us use her shop as a meeting place and served us tea, even though our discussion didn't really involve her business.
However, Kaori-san just gave us a look that said "don't worry about it" and smiled.
"I haven't even settled on a price for the menu yet, and this is just a test run. As a professional, I can't very well charge for a tasting."
"Haha, well, if you put it like that, I can't argue. In that case, I'll gratefully take you up on it. That work for you, Kaito?"
"Yes. I'll find another way to thank you later, Kaori-san."
"...I'd prefer if the 'thanks' stayed within the realm of common sense. Well, anyway, I’ll get things ready. Oh, it’s stew—you can choose between beef or white. Which would you like? I’ve made both and kept them in my Magic Box, so the prep time is the same either way."
Giving a wry smile, she wrapped a bandana around her head, tied on an apron, and headed into the kitchen while asking which one we wanted.
"Which one do you reckon is better, Kaito? I like 'em both, so since there's two of us, let's order different ones to share. You pick first."
"I like both as well, but... let's see. In that case, I'll go with the White Stew."
"Then I'll take the Beef Stew."
"Got it! It'll be ready in a jiffy, so just wait a bit~"
After hearing our choices, Kaori-san pulled two large pots out of her Magic Box, set them on the stove, and began laying out the tableware.
"It’s a bit of an unusual choice for a Set Meal, isn't it?"
"Yeah. My shop usually focuses on rice-based set meals, but rice isn't exactly a staple in this world. I figured it would be better to have some bread-based options so customers have more variety, so I've been experimenting with a menu that pairs well with bread. I haven't finalized anything yet; I'm just using the limited-time specials to gauge the customers' reactions."
"Ho, you've really put some thought into this. I heard your place has even been featured in magazines and such. Sounds like business is boomin'."
"Tourism magazines have introduced us as a spot where you can get Authentic Otherworld Cuisine. Whether my cooking actually counts as 'authentic' is another story, but business is definitely booming—partly because Olivia-sama is a regular here. We're usually packed at night."
I remembered seeing the article about Kaori-san's shop. It had spanned two pages and was quite a detailed feature. While having Olivia-sama as a regular was a huge draw, the novelty of Otherworld Cuisine centered on a rice-based diet likely played a part as well.
In Friendly City Hikari, which was always teeming with tourists, that novelty seemed to bring in a lot of curious customers.
"But with things being so busy, it must be hard for you to manage the shop all by yourself, Kaori-san."
"Actually, it's not like that at all. I have much more breathing room than I did before. It's because I have that leeway that I can afford to play around with these limited-time menus."
"Business is up but you're less busy?"
I shared Akane-san's confusion as she tilted her head. Normally, you'd expect a surge in popularity to make the owner more overwhelmed, but Kaori-san seemed genuinely relaxed.
"Well, for one thing, I've limited the number of seats to what I can handle alone, so I never get truly swamped. But more than anything... for someone in the restaurant business, a large-capacity Magic Box is truly a godsend."
"Ah, I see. You just cook it all beforehand and keep it in there."
"Exactly. With things like stew, it's much more efficient to make it in bulk. But if you make too much at once, you normally have to worry about throwing it away if it doesn't sell. I used to have to constantly calculate exactly how much to prep each day. Plus, since many items have to be cooked to order even with prep work, I couldn't really expand the menu. The more items you add, the harder it is to predict sales, which leads to more waste."
It was true; when I first visited her shop, the menu was about half the size it was now, and she didn't have any limited specials. The fact that she could expand her offerings meant she had the operational capacity to do so, and the Magic Box was clearly the catalyst.
"But with a Large-capacity Magic Box, I can just make everything in bulk and keep it inside. Then all I have to do is plate it. It's so much easier. And since the box preserves everything in a freshly made state, I don't even have to reheat it. Even if a limited special doesn't sell out, I can just eat it for dinner myself, so Food Loss has almost vanished. It's made my life easier and increased my profits. I'm having a blast coming up with new recipes. I really have to thank Raz-sama for the Magic Box and Kaito-kun for introducing us."
As Kaori-san beamed with joy, it was clear she truly loved the art of cooking. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and I couldn't help but smile along with her.
Serious-senpai: "I suppose for a shop that handles food, a tool that stops degradation, keeps dishes perfectly fresh, and has the capacity of a whole mansion really would be a godsend... But Shigenobu mentioned that a Black Magic Box costs well over a hundred million gold. The entry cost is just way too high for your average restaurant to ever afford one..."