"The village's food really is delicious."
Perhaps because Urza said so, the smiles of Ann and the High Ogre Maids were dazzling.
According to Urza, the Local Chefs' skills were of course a factor, but the ingredients and seasonings of the Village of the Great Tree were simply extraordinary.
Well, the taste of the vegetables, grains, and fruits of the Village of the Great Tree was certainly something to be proud of.
Though that was mostly thanks to the Universal Farming Tool.
As for the seasonings... that was probably thanks to Flora.
She made all sorts of things, like soy sauce, miso, and mayonnaise.
Those formed the foundation of not only the Village of the Great Tree's food culture, but Village Five's as well.
Of course, the presence of crops and plants grown in each village to be used as seasonings was also significant.
Sugar was harvested by cultivating sugar cane and sugar beet, and curry powder—made by mixing together chili pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, cardamom, cumin, bay leaf, and the like—was highly valued as a seasoning.
Something that must not be forgotten was vinegar.
The production method was nearly identical to sake; grains or fruits and sugar were combined with a base known as seed vinegar... which, frankly, was just regular vinegar.
It was made by mixing those together.
Essentially, using vinegar to make more vinegar.
By changing the types of grains and fruits, the flavor of the vinegar would change.
Rice vinegar made from rice, fruit vinegar made from fruits like apples, and black vinegar made from barley were probably the most well-known.
Which vinegar to pair with a dish depended on the Local Chefs' skills.
Obtaining that initial seed vinegar was a bit of a hassle, but since it was found in ordinary households, I had Lu and Tia buy some for me.
Nowadays, each household in the village made their own, and the Dwarves produced it in large quantities between their sake brewing sessions.
Vinegar was essential.
Without vinegar, even mayonnaise couldn't be made.
Was that everything when it came to the village's seasonings?
No, no, there was still more.
For example, honey.
The honey from the Gnosis Bees in the bee hives built in the Forest near the village couldn't be fed to babies, but it was the absolute foundation of the village's sweets.
It was a favorite of the children and the Fairy Queen.
Maple syrup tapped from kaede was also available in the village.
Additionally, for the sake of certain spicy food lovers, crops spicier than chili peppers were also grown.
I didn't know much about them, but things like habanero and bhut jolokia.
These were so intensely spicy that they once caused an uproar over whether they were actually poison.
Garlic, green onion, chinese chive, wasabi, mustard, shiso, sesame, and the like were indispensable for specific dishes.
...
Those weren't seasonings, but condiments.
Salt?
Come to think of it, the salt from the Forest of Death was apparently famous and considered a rarity.
You just had to dig a little and it would come right out.
For me, it was a bitter memory.
Ah, no, since it was salt, I should probably call it a salty memory.
And why were plants growing in places where there were salt deposits?
Honestly, I had no idea.
They were growing, so they were growing.
Perhaps they were simply plants that grew in such places?
It was a world with magic.
Things like that probably happened.
But I think the village's fields were thanks to the Universal Farming Tool.
In other words, the village's ingredients and seasonings existed because of the Universal Farming Tool.
God, thank you.
I must not forget my gratitude.
"I suppose I have no choice but to buy it?"
Urza apparently wanted to obtain similar seasonings in the city she was based in, too.
Without relying on imports, that is.
Things like the salt from the Forest of Death, which had a limited production area, would be impossible, but it wouldn't be impossible otherwise.
In fact, there were many seasonings produced in Village Five, the city of Shashato, or the surrounding villages.
That was because production couldn't keep up if it were only the Village of the Great Tree, Village One, Village Two, Village Three, and Village Four.
Village Five also had workshops that produced soy sauce, miso, and mayonnaise, all supervised by Flora.
Building such workshops in the city Urza was based in wouldn't be impossible.
However, just building the workshops wasn't enough.
They needed to train people who were thoroughly familiar with the production methods and storage techniques.
Securing raw materials was also necessary.
Distribution channels had to be established as well.
The Civil Servant Girls were more knowledgeable about such matters than I was.
How about relying on Frau and the others?
...
What's wrong?
Are you not good with Frau and the others?
You're not?
Because they were your teachers when you were in the village, it's hard to consult with them?
I'd think it would actually make them easier to consult with...
During the consultation, they'll end up testing you one way or another.
That... does sound like something they'd do.
So the consultation turns into a negotiation, huh.
Besides, Tiselle was in charge of those kinds of negotiations?
Or was it Asa or Earth?
I see.
Ah, Urza.
I'm sure you already know this, but I'll say it anyway.
There's someone behind you, waiting with their arms crossed, you know?
Yes, Ice the Ice Monster.
He's been there the whole time.
He's exuding confidence, as if to say leave the negotiation to him.
Ah, he's speaking.
He's clearly saying he's good at negotiating.
How about relying on him?
Urza reluctantly turned to Ice for help.
The result.
It was decided that workshops for soy sauce, miso, mayonnaise, and other seasonings would be recruited for the city Urza was based in, led by the Civil Servant Girls.
It seemed he had worked quite hard.
After all, Ice's body of ice had shrunk by about half.
Ah, so he got squeezed pretty hard on profit distribution.
Since it concerned Urza, I wouldn't have minded if Frau and the others had gone a bit easy on him.
Hmm?
They went plenty easy on him?
They apparently took care of quite a few of the troublesome arrangements for him.
Was that so?
Then I'll be sure to thank Frau and the others on my end.
Ah.
So, what happened to Urza?
You reported to her, right?
You did, but she was taken away by the Civil Servant Girls?
Remedial lessons?
Because it's no good if she can't negotiate herself.
W-well, that's true.
Since it was for Urza's own benefit, neither Hakuren nor Zabuton interfered.
They were watching over her with gentle eyes.
...
I'll watch over her too.
Ah, anyone who can use Cooling Magic, go cool down Ice.
Because he worked hard.
Ice: "Here is the recruitment plan. We look forward to your cooperation."
Civil Servant Girls: "Is the only benefit here future prospects? This is hardly worth discussing."
I think Ice, who managed to bring things to a successful recruitment from that point, was truly impressive.