Chapter 51 Neil’s Plan and Narsht’s Revival
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”―That is how I came to the Count Atmiras’ house, and the Lord told me that Master Neil was here, and that is how Ronald-san brought me here.”
Narsht-san finishes explaining what has happened so far, then sits up from the couch and lowers himself to his knees on the ground.
”Master Neil, please forgive me for all my rudeness.”
”Narsht-san, please raise your head. I’m not angry with you.”
”I know Master Neil is kind, but I can’t allow myself to be taken in by your kindness.”
No matter what I said to him, Narsht-san kept bowing his head.
As Narsht-san himself said, he knows that I would not be offended by such a thing.
Now, as I am puzzled as to how I can convince Narsht-san that he has been forgiven, he looks up and stares me straight in the face.
”So, Master Neil, is there anything troubling you at this moment?”
”Something I’m having trouble with?”
”Yes, if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know. I don’t care if my life is in danger. If you ask me to help you to settle the land, I will gladly be your sword.”
No way, I can’t ask a cook to go into the labyrinth with a sword.
It’s not like it’s the wrong field, and even if I let him go, he’s not going to get anything out of it, he’ll just end up dying a dog’s death.
But, well, I guess that’s how serious he is.
Well, Narsht-san won’t be satisfied if I just ask him to help me with something… wait a minute, isn’t this a perfect time?
”Actually, I have a problem… I’ve been thinking about how to attract people to this settlement…”
”Attracting people? You want me to think about it?”
”No, I’ve thought of a way. I need Narsht-san to help me with that. What do you think?”
”If I can help you, I’ll be happy to!”
”Then you can cook here in the settlement.”
”What?”
Narsht-san looked at me with a puzzled look on his face. I knew I would get that kind of response, so I kept on talking.
”You see, in order to gather people together, we need something attractive to attract them, so I decided to build a restaurant that serves food that can only be found in this settlement.”
In the past, when I thought about what was needed to recruit people to become soldiers, I decided that in addition to housing, there should be a way to spend the wages and entertainment.
But I wondered what kind of entertainment and use of wages would be attractive, and it suddenly occurred to me.
The three major human desires are sleep, lust, and appetite.
In this settlement, thanks to the spirits, there is abundant supply of various crops regardless of the season, so cooking is not a problem.
Then, I came up with the idea of creating a specialty dish that can be eaten only in this settlement and building a restaurant to serve it, which would satisfy both the need for entertainment and the use of the wages paid to the workers.
”Narsht-san, you have worked as a head chef in our family, and you also worked in a tavern until recently, right? Then you are the right person to manage it.”
”W-wait a minute! I’m a disqualified as a cook. I can’t believe I’m picking up a knife again.”
”Disqualified cook? Who decided that?”
”That’s what I decided myself when the owner of the tavern told me that my cooking was not good enough. I can’t cook properly if the ingredients are limited… but I was given what I wanted and I made delicious food and pretended to be a first-rate chef…”
”I see, making good food with limited ingredients is what makes you a first-rate chef, and that’s why you’re not a good cook.”
”Yes.”
I understand Narsht-san’s point of view and agree with it.
However, I threw a word to Narsht-san based on his argument.
”So you are saying that my father, who appointed a person who is an unfit cook as a head cook, is not a good judge of people?”
”N-no! I never said that!”
”But that’s what it means, isn’t it? My father recognized Narsht-san’s cooking skills and appointed you as the head chef, but you says you’re not a good enough chef.”
”That’s…”
”Narsht-san, it is true that if you can make a delicious dish with limited ingredients, it is a great talent and you may be a first-rate chef. But don’t you think that a person who chooses the right ingredients from among many ingredients and makes a delicious dish is also a first-rate chef?”
”Master Neil, is that…”
”Yes, I mean Narsht-san.”
Every time I commented on the taste of the sauce, Narsht-san asked me what he thought of it, and I asked him what I thought of this or that, and finally he came up with a very tasty sauce.
It is true that if he had limited ingredients, he might not be able to make good food, but on the other hand, if he had unlimited ingredients, he could make good food, and that was also a great talent.
”What I want now is a cook like Narsht-san. If there are any ingredients you want, please don’t hesitate to tell me and I will gather them as much as I can. So, please, will you help us for the sake of this settlement?”
”…Is it all right with you? I who underestimated Master Neil as a child…”
”Narsht-san is good. To tell you the truth, it’s much easier for me than hiring a stranger, so talent is of secondary importance.”
I really feel that Narsht-san, whom I know, is easier for me to talk with and to order things rather than hiring a stranger as a chef.
And Narsht-san, who knows that I am too shy to step into the room with others, must have understood that my words were not a lie.
He bowed his head with tears streaming down his face and took my hand in his.
”I will gladly accept your offer.”
”I look forward to working with you again, Narsht-san.”
Thus, a new member joins my settlement.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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