I was relaxing after finishing lunch when Illness-san visited my room.
"Kaito-sama... a package has arrived for you. It’s quite large, so I’ve had it placed in front of the backyard warehouse..."
"A package?"
Usually, Anima handles all the mail and deliveries sent to me, but she was out today for a meeting with a shop she had invested in. It seemed Illness-san had come to notify me in her place.
"Yes... It is a package from the Rich Baron House in the Arclesia Empire. It is a large wooden crate filled with Riples..."
"Oh, from Marie-san’s family? Wait... it's here already?"
Marie-san had mentioned during the tea party that she would send some Riples grown at the Rich Baron House, but I hadn't expected them to arrive just two days later. Did she send them in a massive hurry?
"She did say she’d send some, but I’m surprised they got here in only two days. You said the backyard? I’ll go check... By the way, is the box really that big?"
"It is a Business-size Wooden Box, the kind mainly used by merchant associations for stocking inventory... If the contents are entirely Riples, I believe it contains about ten Riple Boxes. Since each of those holds about thirty, there are likely three hundred pieces inside..."
"That’s an incredible amount."
So it was basically a shipping container. Three hundred pieces was an absurd quantity.
When I walked out to the backyard warehouse with Illness-san, I found a wooden crate that was indeed the size of a shipping container. If it was truly packed with fruit, having several hundred inside made perfect sense.
There was a letter from Marie-san included with the crate. "Since I did not know how many servants were at your mansion, Kaito-sama, I am sending one business-size box," it read. She went on to explain that their sales channels were limited compared to their harvest, meaning they had Riples to spare, so she wanted me to accept them without hesitation.
I see. Marie-san didn’t realize I had almost no servants or maids. She had probably imagined a high-ranking noble’s estate like Lilia-san’s and sent a surplus to ensure there was enough for a large staff to consume.
"They look like delicious Riples, but the quantity is truly something else."
"Indeed... If we store them in a Magic Box, they won't spoil, but finishing this many on our own would be a monumental task. Perhaps you could distribute them to your acquaintances, Kaito-sama?"
"That’s a good idea. With this many, let’s set aside one box for us to eat at home and share the rest with my friends."
Just as Illness-san suggested, even with a Magic Box preventing them from rotting, it would be impossible to eat them all ourselves. Sharing them was the best way to go.
"Would you like to try one now?"
"Yeah. Since she went to the trouble, I'd like to try one."
"Then I shall slice some and bring them to your room... along with some black tea that pairs well with the fruit."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
I handed Illness-san one Riple Box for our own use, stored the rest in my Magic Box, and headed back to my room.
Shortly after, Illness-san arrived with sliced fruit and tea. I suggested she join me, and she graciously accepted, turning the tasting into a little afternoon snack time.
"Wow, these are sweet and delicious!"
"Yes... These are even higher quality than I anticipated. Even in the Kingdom of Sinfonia, where fruit cultivation is common, one rarely encounters Riples of this caliber..."
The Riples from the Rich Baron House were even better than I had imagined. Despite appearing like ordinary Riples, the sweetness was on another level the moment I took a bite. It must have been a particularly sweet variety.
That said, the sweetness wasn't cloying; it had that refreshing quality characteristic of the fruit, making it a perfect match for the black tea.
"They might be quite lovely as jam as well..."
"That does sound good. I’d love to try that on some bread."
"I shall prepare some for you soon."
"I’m looking forward to it. But man, the taste is so different from the Riples sold around here. Is it just the variety?"
"This variety is relatively common in the Arclesia Empire. However... to achieve a sweetness this refined, one would need to be very particular about the growing environment and methods. It seems the Rich Baron House possesses an exceptional orchard."
It certainly tasted like high-quality fruit that had been raised with immense care. With a flavor like this, it wouldn't be strange for it to be a massive hit. However, Marie-san’s letter mentioned they only wholesale to nearby cities, so it likely stays within the Rich Baron Territory rather than circulating to the imperial capital.
Stomach Pain Devil: "The Stomach Pain Carnival is officially underway!"
Serious-senpai: "Mercy... Is there no mercy left in this world...?"