“This is charcoal, isn’t it?”
“Oh, do you know about it, big brother? It’s a fuel that’s only recently become available, so not many people should know about it.”
“I, I just happened to know about it.”
In this world, the fuel used for cooking was firewood, made from drying wood. Kent knew about charcoal because it was commonly used in his previous world, but it was not widely known in this town.
“It burns for a long time and produces little smoke, making it easier to handle than dried firewood. It looks like burnt material, so I guess people don’t think it’s such an effective fuel. If you try it, you’ll see how good it is… it’s just like my cooking. Hahaha.”
The shopkeeper chuckled humorously.
“By the way, how did you get this blue color?”
“You want to know that? Unfortunately, that’s a company secret. So I can’t tell you.”
“I see.”
Kent, curious about the blue color that looked as if it were made with food coloring, had asked the shopkeeper. Although he had been open about how he made his dishes, he explained that this was something he couldn’t teach others. Kent had only asked out of curiosity, so he didn’t press further upon hearing that and withdrew his question.
“You two understand that this food is delicious, right? However, no matter how confident I am in what I offer, if sales don’t increase, it’s tough to keep this restaurant running. Well, it’s not good to complain to the customers.”
Although it was on a back street, away from the main road, the restaurant was located near the center of the commercial district, and considering the high rent, it seemed difficult to maintain. The shopkeeper complained a little to Kent and Catherine about the lack of sales.
“Does this food have a name?”
“No, it doesn’t. Or rather, is it okay to just give things like this a name? So, I just offer it as my original creation.”
“I see. I think you should start by giving it a friendly name. How about something like ‘Blue Roast,’ taking from the color?”
Kent, noticing that the blue food lacked a name, suggested to the shopkeeper that they should start by giving it a name.
“I see, that’s a good idea. Big brother, is it okay to name this dish ‘Blue Roast’?”
“I think so.”
Kent, inspired by the name of a copying technique called “blue printing” that existed in his previous world and resulted in blue prints, had come up with the name spontaneously. The shopkeeper liked it and asked if he could use it. Since Kent had no reason to refuse, he agreed. Thus, the dish known as “Blue Roast” was born in the town of Tiol.
“Once it has a name, you can use it on signs and such, so you can advertise it to people walking on the back street.”
“Yeah. Thanks, big brother.”
The shopkeeper, seeing a glimmer of hope after Kent’s advice, thanked him with a smile.
“I also have a proposal, would that be all right?”
“Oh, you have a suggestion too, young lady? Tell me if you don’t mind.”
“Yes, then, could I have that piece of board over there?”
“Ah, it’s something I was planning to discard, so it’s fine.”
Catherine also had something in mind and asked the shopkeeper if she could use a small piece of board that was left behind the counter. The shopkeeper apparently intended to discard the board, so he handed it to Catherine.
“Also, I need something to write with. Do you have anything like a pen and ink?”
“Well, I have some for writing in the ledger. Please wait a moment. Here you go. What are you going to do with this?”
“I heard from a certain restaurant manager about this, but you write a message like this…”
Catherine received the pen and ink and began to write something on the board.
“Let’s see, what does it say? ‘I enjoyed it very much. February XX, from Catherine, the First Saintess.’ Hey, is it okay to use the Saintess’s name like this?”
“I think it’s probably fine. If you hang this on the wall of the store, customers will know that a famous person has visited, and it will help attract more customers.”
After writing the message on the board, Catherine returned the pen and ink to the shopkeeper. Reading the words written on it, the shopkeeper was surprised that the Saintess’s name was being used without permission.
“I see, it’s like a signed autograph board.”
In Kent’s original world, when a celebrity visited a restaurant, they would sign a board as a memento, and some establishments would display them. It was probably Rachel’s suggestion, but Kent thought the strategy would be effective.
“The Saintess is a kind-hearted person. I can guarantee that you won’t be punished for displaying it in the shop. (Well, since the Saintess herself wrote it, I think it’s fine too.)”
“You haven’t displayed a crest in front of your shop, so there’s no problem now. However, if you ever come under the protection of a noble and display their crest, please remove this to avoid any trouble.”
“Haha, protection from nobility? That’s not going to happen for a small shop like this. Hahaha.”
Kent added a word to reassure the shopkeeper, and then Catherine gave him a caution about displaying the board. In this town, shops under noble protection display the family crest. If another noble’s name were present, it could provoke power dynamics between nobles and lead to trouble.
“Shopkeeper, it’s not a stuffy crest or anything, just a board with writing on it. Why don’t you try displaying it, just to see?”
“We’d be in trouble if this shop went out of business, you know. If it has even a little effect, I think it’s fine to display it.”
The shopkeeper hesitated to display the board, but the regular customers also encouraged him to try Catherine’s idea.
“I see. If you all say so, I’ll display it here. Well, if this increases customers, I won’t be able to thank the Saintess enough. Hahaha.”
The shopkeeper listened to everyone and attached the board to the wall in a visible location for customers using a nail.
“We should be going now. How much is it?”
“Since we discussed a lot, it’s on the house.”
“That won’t do. We enjoyed the meal thoroughly, so we must pay the proper price.”
“Oh, really? In that case…”
Kent and Catherine finished eating the Blue Roast and were about to pay. However, the shopkeeper, feeling grateful, said it was free. But Catherine, thinking it was rude as a fellow merchant not to pay for something enjoyable, refused. Since Kent had promised to treat them this time, he paid the bill.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Thanks for everything. Please come again if you’d like.”
Kent and Catherine, their stomachs full, left the shop. In fact, the board that Catherine left behind was later confirmed to be an original written by the Saintess herself. The restaurant selling Blue Roast became famous for offering something endorsed by the Saintess, and many people began to visit. The existence of such boards also became widely known, and it began to establish a custom of celebrities leaving their “footprints” as mementos when visiting various establishments. Restaurants also actively began to display these, and they became a symbol of a shop’s status.
