As a result of the high number of interested participants, the curry class was decided to be held multiple times.
Furthermore, in addition to the large number of applicants, many also wanted to participate again.
While their reasons varied, there was no need to refuse, so multiple participations were deemed “acceptable.”
However, participants who joined for a second or subsequent time were placed after those attending for the first time, though it wasn’t quite a queue.
This was a natural measure, as the original goal was to spread it to as many people as possible.
Nevertheless, since Eri’s teaching capacity was limited, it was important that they thoroughly learned and then spread the knowledge further.
Provisionally, at the end of the last session, they were urged to share it with others, but whether that message would sink in remained unclear.
After all, the recipes they learned were still rare, and could themselves become a source of business.
They were told that the food stall would continue indefinitely, making monopolization impossible, but it would still be possible to earn for a while.
More importantly, there was no need to limit their food stall or shop to the Fifth Floor.
In some cases, they could even venture outside the tower to earn money.
What they did with the recipes they learned this time was up to each individual.
***
About a month had passed since the curry classes began.
Eri, who was preparing for the next day, was visited by Sarasa, who had brought a certain person (a man) with her.
The man watched Eri, who had a nervous expression, chewing with her mouth.
“Hmm…”
“How is it? From what I tasted, I think it’s definitely up to par,” Sarasa said to the man, in place of him, as Eri slowly tasted, trying to discern even the hidden flavors.
The man, Shigen, was so nervous he couldn’t even open his mouth. Shigen, who had learned the recipe in Eri’s curry class, had visited the food stall that day specifically to have his own homemade curry tasted. Sarasa, having tasted it and liked it, had brought him along.
“Yes. I think it’s well made,” Eri replied, nodding. Shigen’s expression visibly brightened. “Then, may I have permission to serve it at the shop (food stall)?”
This was Shigen’s main request. Shigen, who used to run a food stall selling light meals, had become enamored with the curry Eri and the others made and had participated in the class. Although they had been told they didn’t need to ask for permission, it was important to Shigen to get Eri’s approval.
However, Eri’s expression became thoughtful. “I said you were free to open a shop, didn’t I?”
“Y-yes. But, I was wondering if I could use the shop’s name…”
“I see.” Eri let out a small sigh at Shigen’s words.
While there wasn’t a direct system of “noren wake” (franchising) in this world, something similar existed. When Mia named the new tower Kousuke gave her “Little Amamiya,” it was based on this concept. Essentially, instead of using the exact same name, something was added to the name of the original shop to indicate a lineage-like relationship.
Recognizing that Shigen was seeking something like this, Eri shook her head. She judged that this was beyond the scope of what she could decide. “I apologize, but I cannot make that decision.”
When Eri said this, Shigen frowned. He thought he had been rejected. Seeing this, Eri continued, fully aware of his reaction. “Whether or not I can share the name, I will confirm with you, so could you wait a little while?”
At Eri’s question, Shigen’s face shot up. He understood that his path was not completely blocked. “Y-yes! Please do!” Shigen said, bowing his head. Eri reiterated that she didn’t know if permission would be granted and told him to return the next day.
***
Upon receiving Eri’s report, Floria immediately spoke to Kousuke. “Hmm. I don’t see why not.”
“You don’t?” Kousuke blinked in surprise at Floria’s casual response. Typically, a shop’s name was something to be taken seriously.
“Well, why did we set up the food stall in the first place?”
“…Ah, I see. Thinking about it that way, that’s true.” From Kousuke’s perspective, coming from a world where noren wake existed, he wouldn’t even object to using the same name if it were permitted. Of course, if it were exactly like noren wake, he might consider strict conditions about maintaining the taste, but there was no need to be so stringent about using a similar name. Naturally, it would be problematic if they served something that couldn’t be considered curry, but otherwise, it wasn’t an issue. This was an unimaginable response if they were trying to maximize profits, but it was a way of thinking that stemmed from not intending to profit from the food itself.
“Well, if they are to inherit the name, it might be good to establish some rules rather than granting permission indiscriminately.”
“That’s true. And actually, Floria, you’re good at that, aren’t you?” It wasn’t just about the taste, but also the names they chose, which were more of a contractual matter. Kousuke could draft contracts himself, but since he wasn’t well-versed in the rules of this world, asking Floria was the best option.
“If you ask whether I’m good at it or not, I’d say I am, but I’m not that knowledgeable, you know?”
“I suppose that’s true. In this case, I don’t think very detailed terms are necessary, though?” Kousuke had seen contracts in this world before.
“Is that so?”
“If you bind them too tightly with contracts, won’t that undermine the original purpose?” Kousuke’s thinking was that overly strict or detailed contracts could cause people to become hesitant and potentially stifle their free thinking. Therefore, it was better to have lenient terms rather than strict ones.
“Hmm. I suppose that might be the case. Let’s think carefully about that, including those aspects.” Kousuke’s words convinced Floria, who nodded several times and looked up at the ceiling as if lost in thought.
***
Floria discussed with the other members and spent several days deciding on the contract terms. However, the contract wasn’t meticulously detailed to prevent loopholes like Kousuke might have known about. The reason it took time was the caution exercised, as this was their first contract. With the contract thus established, Shigen, who had already received a passing grade for his taste, became the first certified individual. By the way, when opening a shop, the name must include “Soro,” which means fox. However, as shops using the name “Soro” would inevitably appear without authorization, a system for registering approved names would be established later. This concludes the series of stories regarding the “Japanese Cuisine” promotion activities. There might be occasional status updates, but they won’t be written collectively. Probably. Next will be a side story requested by the users.
