Novel Full Chapter 2355: The Promised Tea Party ㉔
The Ritch Barony…… to put it simply, they were a poor noble household with many children. Including Marie, the Baron and Baroness had three sons and five daughters, ten people in all when everyone gathered. And now…… every single member of this large family had stopped eating and were holding their heads in distress.
The reason, of course, was the story Marie had brought back from the tea party she attended. At first, the atmosphere was cheerful, like they were listening to a pleasant tale from a trip. But as Marie’s story went on, the faces of the Baron’s family grew steadily darker, until at last they were holding their heads in despair.
[……Errr, to summarize…… being invited to a marquis’ tea party is already a huge matter, but not only that, it was one Underworld King-sama herself attended, where you are allowed to introduce yourself…… and on top of that, Miyama Kaito-sama acknowledged you as a friend and even gifted you a magic tool for placing exclusive orders with Nifty, which could be considered proof of that friendship……?]
[Yes, that’s correct.]
[……We were never taught how to deal with a situation like this.]
Baron Ritch forced a strained smile as he asked for confirmation, hoping it was just a mistake…… But when Marie affirmed his words, the Baron buried his head in his hands once more.
[To think…… even I have never spoken directly with one of the Six Kings. What on earth should we do……? And since this was at the Hamilton Marquisdom’ tea party, the entire Archlesia Empire’s nobility will probably know by tomorrow…… T- This is a disaster……]
[Well, in that regard, my husband and I only attend the capital’s parties about three times a year…… If things go as usual, the next one will be the celebration for Emperor Chris-sama’s birthday, so we still have some time.]
The Ritch Barony stood at the very bottom ranks of nobility…… so low that some might even forget such a house existed. And yet tomorrow, they would be at the center of noble society’s gossip.
Naturally, neither the Baron nor his wife had any confidence in handling such a situation well. Still, as the Baroness pointed out, their poverty meant they rarely attended social gatherings in the first place, so there was at least some breathing room.[……Just how many times more expensive is Nifty’s tea compared to what we use now?]
[Would it even be measured in times? Couldn’t it be dozens of times more……?]
At the second daughter’s murmur, the eldest son replied with a complicated expression. Just as Marie had worried during the tea party, regularly buying Nifty’s products in amounts sufficient to avoid criticism from other noble houses was far beyond the Ritch Barony’s means.
[In that regard, it seems they do have lower-priced products, like the sugar cubes I received this time…… So I was thinking we could somehow manage with those, at least enough to keep appearances…… or so I hope. Ah, and since Miyama Kaito-sama mentioned he liked ripples, I was planning to give him a crate, but would that be alright?]
Though Marie was also troubled by the financial burden, she thought they might manage by purchasing only the cheaper options in modest amounts, just enough to preserve appearances.
And as for gifting ripples to Kaito, she decided to confirm it with her family just in case.
[Ah, that’s no problem. We have plenty of ripples left over.]
[……Expanding sales channels costs money too. The world really is harsh.]
The Ritch Barony owned a large ripple plantation, and aside from taxes, sales of ripples were their primary source of income. However, their shipments only reached nearby towns, and expanding their distribution across the entire Archlesia Empire would require significant resources. Compared to the businesses of other noble families, their earnings were little more than a drop in the bucket. What’s more, because their plantation was large but their outlets were few, their ripples tended to pile up in surplus every year, so giving away a crate posed no issue at all.
[Still, since we’re sending it to none other than Miyama Kaito-sama, we should really send something of good quality, and as fresh as possible. Hmmm…… it’ll cost a bit, but let’s use the teleportation service.]
[Indeed. With the teleportation service, including preparations, it should reach Miyama Kaito-sama by the day after tomorrow. That might be best.]
Marie agreed with the Baron’s words. The teleportation service, as the name suggested, used Teleportation Magic to deliver packages. While more expensive than carriage or flying dragons, it allowed goods to reach Symphonia’s Royal Capital in a short time, even from the remote corners of the Archlesia Empire.
[We have confidence in our ripples’ flavor. I do hope he’ll take a liking to it.]
[Hahaha, if he does, sales might even go up.]
The Baroness spoke half in jest, and the Baron cheerfully played along with a laugh.
At this point, it was only a joke…… just the sort of “wouldn’t that be nice” talk…… yes, at this point, that is……
<Afterword>
Serious-senpai : [T- These guys…… they’ve gone and hastened their stomach’s death on their own…… I thought Cornelia would be the first to get her gut punched, but they just went and booked themselves an express delivery straight to stomachache hell……]