NOVEL WEB Chapter 289.1
Chapter 289.1. Preserved Foods
Serika welcomed her guests into a spacious living room, large enough to host a home party with ease. The guests included Taira Konoha, Takeda Shingen, and their attendants.
[Calling us attendants is harsh, Serika-chan. I’m here too, don’t forget about me!]
A girl, clearly reading Serika’s thoughts, complained with a sharp glare.
[You left me out, didn’t you? If there’s a touching event scene, do it while I’m around! Otherwise, it’s like the early heroine character being forgotten—a trope that makes readers laugh in novels or manga!]
“You traitor,” Serika thought angrily, responding telepathically. Why Yukihana? She had expected her to offer help and say, “Let me lend a hand!” That was the kind of event she’d wanted to create.
[When I heard about it later from Sakimori, I was shocked. I was so sad I joined hands with him for comfort. Ehehe, his hands were so big.]
“I wanted to join hands too,” thought Serika, who had asked Sakimori for that moment. He had clasped her hands, commenting on how slender and smooth they were. She was overwhelmed with joy, though Sakimori teased her with a smirk. A little embarrassment might have been nice, she thought.
Here stood Serika, a heroine easily delighted just by holding hands.
[Not fair! How can you be so sly? I was planning to tell Serika-chan myself later! I even had this whole plan involving a fight with a wrestler-like man in armor!]
[Whether anyone ends up with the heroine is still unclear. For now, it’s truly unpredictable, fufufu.]
One of the attendants, Shizuku, dressed as Rei, watched the usual exchange between the two with amusement.
Though the banter lasted only seconds, Serika, without revealing any hint of silliness, crossed her legs, smiled charmingly, and turned her gaze to Konoha and the others.
“I’ve heard about the preserved food supply for the Adventurers’ Guild. Establishing a company and opening a new market—truly befitting someone connected to the Heike clan.”
“I’ve heard enough flattery. What I need are ideas for creating the preserved food.”
Konoha cut straight to the point, prompting Serika to smile wryly at her straightforwardness.
“Should I assume a partnership? Between the Jester Knights, the Adventurers’ Guild, and Kamishiro Corporation?”
“Yes. Amatsugahara Corporation will also join, but that falls under the Guild’s purview.”
Ensuring a profitable partnership for all parties was essential. The Adventurers’ Guild was on track to become a major corporation within a few years. Partnering with them was non-negotiable. Shingen’s straightforward agreement brought Serika some relief.
The market’s scale was undoubtedly massive. Sakimori, a rival in business but also a friend, would need to be deftly navigated. Sakimori’s sharpness could be frustrating at times, but that was the nature of things.
“The problem is what type of preserved food to create.”
“Rei, what do you think?”
“We can’t decide without seeing a menu first. Show me the menu.”
“This isn’t a restaurant, you know?”
The elegant decor led Rei to confuse the place with a high-class restaurant, much to Serika’s chagrin.
[You’re showing your true colors, Shizuku!]
[Oops! W-Wait, this was all an act. Help me out, Serika-chan. Lay it on thick, please!]
With a sigh, Serika resumed the conversation, accommodating her friend’s theatrics.
“As Rei mentioned, there are so many options for preserved food. And in a world with magic and skills, we could create something really unique.”
“Hmm, that makes sense. As expected of Rei.”
“Indeed! My wisdom knows no bounds. By the way, I skipped lunch, so please serve me something delicious. I’d prefer meat.”
Konoha was fooled and impressed by Serika’s cover, while Rei grew more boastful.
[You skipped lunch?]
[There’s this NEET who keeps mooching lunch off me. If I eat with them, people might think I’m a NEET too! I didn’t want to feel guilty about eating while fully summoned today!]
Shizuku, fully summoned for her meeting with Konoha, was still hung up on something Tia had said earlier. She had come to assist Konoha, choosing to avoid—no, “politely decline”—Sakimori’s more demanding work.
[Besides, I assumed the food for guests would be lavish.]
Perhaps she didn’t care after all; maybe she was just a glutton.
With no other choice, Serika asked her maid to serve lunch. Konoha had already eaten and requested something light, while Shingen received bottles of fine liquor, salty snacks, and fried appetizers. Shizuku and the maid were served plates piled high with steaks—beef, pork, and chicken. Without hesitation, they began eating with gusto.
As Serika watched, she wondered if Shizuku had always been this hopeless. Perhaps it was better she hadn’t fully become a true fairy.
After a while, as everyone finished eating, they resumed their discussion.
“There are various types of adventurers. Some focus on hunting monsters, others on exploration, and still others on escort missions,” Serika said, counting on her fingers.
“The most popular are escort missions.”
“Not monster hunting? Isn’t that the most lucrative?”
Shingen, gulping wine, replied, and Konoha looked surprised. Certainly, defeating monsters seemed like a job that would bring in a lot of money.
“Monster hunting is the third most popular. Escort missions are safer and provide steady income.”
“How uninspiring. I thought everyone was out slaying monsters.”
[Reality is harsh. Munch, munch. Gulp. Few are willing to risk their lives fighting monsters. Soldiers fighting daily wars would break down mentally, right? It’s the same for adventurers. More steak, please. Rare, 500 grams.]
Adventurers sought safety over danger. While monster hunting could yield high rewards, it wasn’t worth the constant risk of death. Shizuku, however, seemed perfectly fine with requesting another bloody steak.
“Exactly. That’s why standardized preserved food would lose to competitors.”
For escorts, adventurers could eat lunch in shifts. Explorers needed lightweight options. Monster hunters required food that could be eaten in messy surroundings. And other companies were undoubtedly eyeing this market too.
“I had been thinking too simply, only about what to put inside canned food.”