With about ten days remaining until the Kingdom of Sinfonia's Founding Anniversary Festival, we were holding our second prototype session—or, more accurately, a practice run for those who couldn't make it to the first one.
Joining Alice, Tre-san, Cento-san, Sien-san, and myself were Aoi-chan, Hina-chan, Luna-san, and Sieg-san.
Technically, those four were acting as the relief shift. The plan was for Tre-san and the original crew to open the stall with me, then rotate out when the others arrived in the early afternoon. That way, we could take a break and enjoy the festival ourselves. We would then swap back as evening approached and see the stall through to the end of the day.
This session was primarily for the newcomers' benefit, though Luna-san was already well-versed in making sweets as a maid, and Sieg-san was a natural in the kitchen. The ones who really needed the practice were Aoi-chan and Hina-chan. That said, Alice’s equipment was so high-spec that even Tre-san and I—neither of whom had much culinary experience—could churn out perfect results. The two girls were handling everything without a hitch.
"Not bad at all, you two," Tre-san remarked. "If you run into any trouble, don't hesitate to ask your senior!"
...Why did she feel entitled to act like such a veteran and pull a Doyaaa Face just because she had exactly one more practice session under her belt than they did?
"Tre-san? Hmm, do you have any tips on how we can bake these even better?" Hina asked.
"Let's see... I’d say you just need to pour more love and courage into them."
"That's way too vague! Your advice is so 'fluffy' it doesn't even count as advice!"
Tre-san merely smirked at Hina-chan's exasperation. Still wearing her Doyaaa Face, she turned toward Aoi-chan and held up a single Baby Castella.
"Listen, Aoi. For example, if you poured love or courage into this Baby Castella right now, do you think it would actually taste better?"
"Eh? No... Even if I were to concede that love and courage could improve the flavor, that might apply to the cooking process. Surely it wouldn't change a product that's already finished?"
"I see... Then do you think it would really become delicious if you added them during the cooking process?"
"I wonder. I don't know specifically how you would add them, so wouldn't that be difficult?"
Aoi-chan replied with a hint of bewilderment as Tre-san dragged out her mysterious line of questioning. Finally, Tre-san flashed a fearless smile.
"Heh... Precisely."
"Wait, what?! Tre-san, Aoi-senpai just shot you down! Why are you acting like that’s exactly what you wanted her to say?!"
"Listen, Hina, Aoi... There is only one thing that is certain."
""Something certain?""
"The truth is, both of you are already better at this than I am, so I don't actually have any advice to give!!"
Seeing Tre-san puff out her chest and proudly declare that Aoi-chan and Hina-chan were superior to her, the two girls couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Ahaha! Honestly, Tre-san..."
"Wait, pfft... Tre-san, you can't just say that..."
"It can't be helped. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Oh, but from what I’ve seen, Hina is slightly better at the baking part. Aoi, however, is better at packing them into the bags."
"Ugh, you're right. I feel like the bags Aoi-senpai packs are somehow... crisper."
"Hmm, now that you mention it, I think the Baby Castella Hina-chan makes has a more beautiful color..."
Despite appearing as playful as always, Tre-san was surprisingly observant. She had clearly been watching their progress with a keen eye.
"Like I said, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. The important thing is the division of labor. Hina bakes the Baby Castella, Aoi packs them, and I eat them! This is the Trinity—the perfect cycle!"
"No, no! It completely stops with you! That's not a cycle at all! Besides, I want to eat some too!"
"Alright, let's all eat together then! It's time for a tasting session. I'll get the black tea ready—I'm quite good with black tea, you know?"
"At brewing it?"
"At drinking it!"
"Pfft... Fufufu."
Tre-san, Aoi-chan, and Hina-chan continued their lively chatter. It was a surprising sight, considering they had only met once before at the White God Festival.
Tre-san’s social prowess was truly something to behold; she was bantering with them as if they had been friends for a lifetime. In truth, while Aoi-chan and Hina-chan still seemed a bit reserved and awkward around Cento-san and Sien-san, they were already acting like old pals with Tre-san.
Was this the power of a natural extrovert, just like Raz-san... the power of being Communication Power Gifted? I’d like to think my own social skills have improved quite a bit since coming to this world, but I still feel like I’m no match for people like them.
Well, it was probably because she was so genuine that she drew people in. Thinking that, I watched as Tre-san waved over Cento-san, Sien-san, and me with a beaming smile, shouting, "Let's have tea!"
Additional Members' Abilities
Rough Criteria: G: Idiot F: A Bit Bad E: Ordinary Person Level D: Somewhat Excellent C: Quite Excellent B: Pro Level A: Genius S: Level That Leaves a Name in History SS: Cheat SSS: Exercise Restraint, You Idiot
Aoi Cooking: E Packaging: C Calculation: B Customer Service: D
Hina Cooking: D Packaging: D Calculation: D Customer Service: C
Lunamaria Cooking: B Packaging: B Calculation: A Customer Service: B
Sieglinde Cooking: A Packaging: D Calculation: D Customer Service: C
Bonus
Anima Cooking: D Packaging: D Calculation: A Customer Service: D
Caraway Cooking: C Packaging: S Calculation: C Customer Service: B
Eta Cooking: G Packaging: D Calculation: B Customer Service: C
Theta Cooking: C Packaging: A Calculation: C Customer Service: D
Lilia Cooking: G Packaging: S Calculation: SS Customer Service: C
Illness Cooking: SS Packaging: SS Calculation: S Customer Service: S
Nebula Cooking: Absolute One Packaging: Absolute One Calculation: Absolute One Customer Service: Absolute One