Isekai Nonbiri Nouka

Chapter 102 – Evaluation Meeting

I prepared a big table in the hall of the house and took a seat.

「The first martial arts festival of the Big Tree Village, I would like to start the evaluation meeting.」

One of the civil servant girls, who acts as the chairperson, declares.

Aside from the civil servant girls who belong to the festival executive committee, representatives of various races are sitting around the table.

There are also the oni maids who were the cooks and props men of the festival.

「First of all….for your work for the first martial arts tournament, thank you for your hard work.」

Everyone responded.

「The festival can be called a success. However, there are still problems. Let’s reflect on those in order to improve the festival next year.」

The meeting progresses steadily.

Because I know all of the arrangements beforehand, the problems I heard are things I already know of.

I have a feeling that it’s like reporting to those who don’t know of them yet.

「It was troublesome that we have not anticipated the arrival of several guests. We should have thought of that.」

Though all of them are relatives, it is still a matter of concern.

We failed to anticipate that.

「The outsiders, the beastkins from Howling village and the lamias also joined.」

Right.

Because we only know the ability of the citizens of the village, we don’t know where to assign them.

Since there are participants that we have a little idea on how much ability they have, it probably added some element of liveliness.

By the way, hearing about not fully understanding one’s ability….

「I would like to add two more people for that, revelry Bulga and black spear Stifano.」

Dors group were the ones who informed me that.

「I already did. When I was still a child, those names can be heard from the fairy tale that my nursemaid use to tell me.」

When one of the civil servant girls said so, the other civil servant girls agreed.

「Fairy tale?」

「Yes. It’s a famous fairy tale in the demon lord’s territory. It is a story about the archdevil Gucci who kidnapped the princess and fought with the armed forces of a great country. They are archdevil Gucci’s subordinates.」

A name I heard before came up….

「It’s a fairy tale series with many volumes. However, even though there are several versions of the book, it always ended when the archdevil Gucci is punished by a dragon.」

Punished by a dragon.

There are occasions where fairy tales are stories based on facts.

Next time we meet, I’ll ask about it…

「Those two, do you think they are the same person who appeared on that fairy tale?」

「Same person? No way.」

「What are your grounds for denying it?」

「My grounds? Because Bulga-san and Stifano-san are both good people. They are not the ones who’ll do cruel things like the Bulga and Stifano in the fairy tale. 」

「…..certainly. They probably got their names from them.」

「Yes. In addition, there are a lot of people who got their names from characters of stories. It is understandable given that they are feared and possesses strength.」

「I see.」

That’s right.

It’s true.

That’s is something that can be considered as the common way of thinking.

Why did I ever think that the characters of that fairy tale are those two?

…….

It is probably because they are stronger than I had expected.

But they are doing the complete opposite of what the people they were named from have done.

Ah, and neither of them won so I guess they are not that strong?

After all, they only have the same name.

「We got derailed. Back to the evaluation meeting….how about the foods?」

To my question, one of the oni maids raises her hand.

「Everything was well received but they were not much different from what we usually serve. I wonder if the food were enough to give off a festive atmosphere.」

Right.

I also thought of preparing food that will give off a festive feeling.

Speaking of festivals, what I really imagine is stalls.

Food that can be served on stalls…..candy apple!

It is made by covering the apple with candy….

It is just a normal sweet apple so cast aside the idea.

And if there’s no sour apple, it will be pointless.

I decided to raise a sour apple tree.

I also thought of strawberry candy but strawberry is sweet too.

It might be a good idea to harvest them before it gets sweet but I thought that it will still become sweet once it was dipped in sugar.

While the everyone is at lost, a beastgirl speaks.

「Won’t it be alright to serve normal candy?」

She’s exactly right.

Let’s just make candy.

We can use the fruits as fragrance and flavoring.

It is extremely popular.

It is regrettable but I already challenged making cotton candy.

TN: Start of a flashback.

Raw material for making cotton candy is sugar.

I know how to make it since I saw it on TV.

First is putting sugar on the can….

Can?

…….

………..

Then, as a prototype, I’ll use a bamboo cylinder.

First is making numerous holes on the side of the bamboo cylinder.

Next, put a wire on the top of the bamboo cylinder…..I don’t have a wire.

Let’s use a thick thread from Zabuton as a substitute for a wire.

Then, tie the bamboo cylinder above using the thread….

Above?

I can see the sky.

I’m sorry, spiderlings.

I’ll hang the thread to your web.

Thank you.

I put sugar on the suspended bamboo cylinder.

I lit a bonfire under the bamboo cylinder.

The sugar on the bamboo begins melting.

When the sugar begins to melt, it is time to spin the cylinder sing the thread.

The melted sugar moves to the side of the bamboo cylinder because of centrifugal force and jumps out of the holes.

As it jumps out of the hole, the sugar becomes filamentous and will turn into threads as it cools down with the help of ambient air.

With the use of a stick, collect everything!

However, as it is still being heated by bonfire from below, the sugar that jumped out was not cooled but hit the flame directly and burned.

Failure.

I had Loo cooperate with me and rechallenge it by using magic fire.

I went well somehow……

I finally understand the concept of the cotton candy making machine.

It’s just sugar strings scattering around.

It’s still noon but I decided to take a bath.

I abandoned the idea of making cotton candy.

At least we have a finished product. Loo took a bath with me too but she ate the cotton candy immediately after we finished making it.

「Great! I feel like I’m eating cloud!」

She loves it so let’s make a proper cotton candy machine after the festival.

After hearing about it from Loo, several people, Tier, Rasuti, Hakuren, and Frau, gathered before me.

I was again covered with sugar when I made cotton candy again for these ladies.

I really should make a proper cotton candy machine after this.

I also tried making various things….

During the festival, we didn’t serve a new kind of candy.

Afterward, with the cooperation of the oni maids, I cooked several dishes for the festival but….

It can be considered as an extension of our everyday food. There is no festive feeling.

If there is something like that, I should have cooked it.

「Though I was able to make some dishes using the ingredients Michael-san sent, I have not thoroughly researched on how to season it so it is already a misstep.」

Right.

Though it was not bad, it is a little roughly seasoned compared to our usual meal.

「Normally, when we speak about festivals, it means that we can eat delicious food and fill our stomach. However, in this village, the everyday food is delicious and there’s a reasonable amount of them too….」

That’s right.

「We never considered the surroundings that’s why our preparations are insufficient. I was too much focused on sweets back then.」

「That said, candy is delicious and the cotton candy is really superb though it was not served during the festival. Also, isn’t there the thing called crepe? I recall that it is fruits with cream that is wrapped with thin bread…. It was a shame that we were not able to prepare some for the festival.」

「Ah, yes, thank you for your input. However, the people who have yet to taste it are staring so…」

「I’m sorry. We should have suggested foods to cook. I’m really sorry.」

The oni maid tried to bow but I stopped her.

「We are exactly conducting an evaluation meeting because of things like that. Now, let’s think about countermeasures.」

「Counter measures?」

「Ah, I mean what kind of food will give off a festive feeling?」

I asked that question to everyone.

「It should be a food that we don’t usually eat.」

「Should it be large? Being large gives off a good impression.」

「During New Year festival, we eat preserved food from previous year.」

「During harvest festival, we cook using newly harvested crops.」

「Is seafood a bad idea? I think grilling a hellketch will be flashy and will certainly give a festive feeling.」

Hellketch…ah, squid.

「Ah, then I think buburu gutsugutsu grill will give off a festive feeling.」

Buburu gutsugutsu grill, grilling on top of a turban shell.

「Both are seasoned with soy sauce. I feel the magnitude of Flora-san’s achievement again.」

「Speaking of soy sauce, baked corn is good. Even if it is a normal dish, it is rarely served.」

「It is also big. Though I can eat a whole bunch myself.」

Various opinions come out.

「Though it is called a festival, I think the food should be easy to carry and easy to eat. Everyone took their food to their seat and continued to watch.」

Indeed.

「The nearby eating space was not used much.」

That was regrettable but it was utilized during the second half since we arranged the food there.

「To summarize it…It should be big, easy to carry, easy to eat, and seasoned with soy sauce? 」

「I think there is no need to limit it to soy sauce. There are also other seasonings.」

「However, their smell is not that attractive.」

「I won’t deny that.」

For the time being, all opinions were recorded on paper.

「Let’s wrap that out for today. Regarding the festival foods, I’ll think about it but it will be good if you think about it too. Even idea is good enough. Thank you for your hard work.」

Now, I’ll bring them to the place where our next agenda lies.

Now, problems regarding the progress of the martial arts tournament.

「When the contestant was called, s/he will not come out immediately.」

「Waiting for the match to resume is boring.」

「But I think it is necessary to give them time to recover.」

Things to be done if someone obtains victory unfairly.

「Maa, something must be done for it.」

「Should we prepare a number of people for that?」

Other various things.

It was a long evaluation meeting.

Maa, other things are even beyond what the committee can do.

However, we understand that if we can’t do anything about those next time, it might damage our reputation.

Maa, I don’t want to conduct another martial arts festival anymore….

「I’m excited for next year.」

「I’ll win next time!」

But the atmosphere forbids me to say that.

But I’m the village chief.

I’m in the position where I can decide that.

So I have to tell them firmly.

「Ma, maa, I don’t want you to be upset but next year, we’ll also decide what kind of festival we’ll conduct using lottery. It means that there is a possibility that it won’t be a martial arts tournament.」

Un, I did my best.

I did my best.

「I see, then, does that mean that we’ll be making a martial arts society in order to have a martial arts tournament again?」

「So we’ll basically conduct a martial arts tournament and a new festival.」

Everyone looked at me with eyes full of expectations.

……

「Le-let’s carefully consider it.」

I did my best….I really did.