A Sweet Bargain
The servant turns the tables on the staff. “How about it? Isn’t it impressive? Doesn’t it make your curiosity bubble over?”
—Flip, flip…!
“Right, once you turn that page you’ll find the real high-class dessert menus. The earlier pages were just the basics. From here on, it’s all about special recipes using the continent’s finest ingredients—”
Wow, he’s ridiculously chatty. Was this guy always such a talker? I thought he was supposed to be a straightforward, manly dwarf.
I’d only flipped through the book he gave me without much interest, yet Johnson launched into a nonstop explanation of its contents without being asked. He seemed genuinely excited, his gruff voice growing louder as he went on about his favorite subject.
‘This book is actually really useful. I didn’t expect the recipes to be this detailed.’
Just as the title suggested, it contained basic confectionery and baking recipes—fifty of them, no less. The first pages covered simple cookies and loaves of bread, but as Johnson had said, the further I turned, the more advanced the desserts became. There were even recipes for puddings and handmade chocolates that required real skill to pull off.
“But why give me this all of a sudden…?”
I asked after skimming through it. The sudden gift left me flustered. I was grateful, yet also a little annoyed. Johnson’s intentions were far too obvious, making it hard to keep my expression in check. He was clearly hoping that by giving me the book, he could get me to make desserts that suited his own tastes.
Still, I forced a smile to maintain appearances.
“Why else? You’ll be serving the young ladies for the rest of your life. You need at least the basics. Besides, as a servant you can’t even enter the archives, can you?”
Johnson stroked his beard, answering as though the question itself were ridiculous.
“Ah, that’s certainly true.”
I couldn’t argue with that. His explanation made me nod without thinking. The displeasure I’d felt earlier faded, replaced by reluctant understanding. Even if it was only a surface-level reason, the fact remained that this would help me right now.
‘Honestly, with my current skills I won’t last long…’
To put it bluntly, my situation was precarious. I’d only just barely made it through a single day. What I needed most was knowledge. If I’d managed to win Sofia over yesterday, I wouldn’t be worrying this much. Having a dragon by my side to protect me would solve everything, but so far I was completely on my own. The only one I had was Derke, an unranked freshman.
My skills were still at the beginner level. I’d never wanted to spend my life just brewing coffee, but survival came first. I had to coldly accept reality and move forward. Otherwise, even something as simple as those biscuits would only earn half a star. Relying on the little I’d picked up while working at a café clearly wasn’t enough. With my current ability, I wouldn’t be able to handle the difficult days ahead.
It was perfect timing. I was grateful for the chance to gain knowledge. Of course, I couldn’t make the dessert Johnson wanted right away.
“Thank you very much. I actually needed something like this.”
“That’s more like it! You’d better be properly grateful! I’m probably the only one looking out for you, you know?”
Johnson nodded to himself, looking thoroughly pleased. He was probably already looking forward to tasting new desserts in the future.
“You’re right, sir. By the way, have you had any work since yesterday? You’ve been coming to the lounge two days in a row…”
Ever since the semester started, Johnson had been subtly looking after me. He grumbled on the surface but kept dropping helpful tips. If I had to compare him to something, he was like a tsundere with curly whiskers. Of course, excessive attention was the last thing I wanted. I was glad I’d turned down his offer to become the vice-principal’s assistant. Getting involved with him would’ve been impossible to escape.
“The beginning of the semester is actually pretty relaxed. The budget’s already been finalized, and most of the requisitions were handled before admissions.”
“I see. Thanks to you, things are much clearer now.”
“Hm? What do you mean all of a sudden?”
“I’m sure about what I should make next.”
“Oh? That’s good news. Personally, I’d be satisfied with raisin bread—”
“I’m going to try making a cake!”
“Hmm…? A c-cake?”
“Yes, a special cake!”
Johnson looked at me with surprise. It was as if he were silently asking, ‘You think you can pull that off?’ Even if he didn’t say it outright, he clearly doubted my skills.
Impossible or not, I had to succeed. I needed to satisfy Sofia! And who in their right mind would ask for raisin bread?
“If I succeed, I’ll let you taste it first. You’ve helped me so much, after all.”
“R-really? You’d let me try a dessert meant for the young ladies first?!”
Johnson’s eyes sparkled with obvious greed. If I hadn’t rejected the vice-principal position, a favorability notification would probably have popped up by now.
“Of course. You should look forward to it.”
Because I was going to make a mint chocolate cake—something even worse than raisin bread. Once he tasted it, his expectations would cool off completely. Maybe then he’d stop coming to see me every morning. I could satisfy Sofia and get rid of Johnson’s favorability at the same time. Two birds, one stone. Still, it was true that he’d been looking out for me…
—Drip, drip…!
I poured Johnson a double-strength morning coffee made with gratitude. It was a small thank-you for the book. It felt too modest a repayment, but if he wanted more, I could make as many cups as he liked.
“Oh, you’re pouring it without me even asking now. Thanks. I’ll enjoy it today as well!”
—Gulp, gulp!
Johnson downed it in one go, just like always. I still couldn’t understand how his tongue worked. At this point, I was starting to wonder if he actually had good taste.
“Kuh…! This one’s got a nice chill to it, and the way it goes down is sticky in the best way. It’s art.”
“I-is that so? It’s probably because of the creamer. I’m glad it suits your palate.”
Maybe he actually liked bitter flavors? No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t figure him out. Well, I was still grateful he enjoyed it.
‘Wait. If his sense of taste is damaged enough to find this delicious, wouldn’t he also say mint chocolate tastes good?’
A chill ran down my spine at the thought.
“Anyway, a cake, huh? I’ll be looking forward to it!”
For once, Johnson seemed satisfied with just one cup of coffee. He let out an “Alright then—!” and stood up from his chair. He was probably already imagining how the cake would taste.
But I couldn’t just let him leave like that. This dwarf still had plenty of use left. Since we’d run into each other, I might as well bring it up.
“Sir? Are you heading to the general affairs department now?”
“Yeah! Even if things are relaxed, I can’t keep leaving my post empty.”
That was a complete lie. He’d sat around yesterday and even eaten biscuits before leaving.
“I’m sorry, but before you go, could I ask a favor?”
“Huh? The book should’ve been enough. What else do you need?”
“You know this better than anyone, don’t you? With the current kitchen setup, proper baking is impossible. The ingredients are too limited.”
I quickly spoke up before he could leave, emphasizing the state of the kitchen.
“Hmm? Now that you mention it, things have definitely deteriorated over the break. Fifty years will do that…”
“So, even if I can’t get new tools right away, could you at least help me order some ingredients?”
“Order ingredients? Isn’t that supposed to be your job every month?”
Johnson looked slightly flustered when I got to the main point. Ordering ingredients was normally my responsibility. But I had a different reason for asking him now.
“To satisfy the young ladies’ tastes, I need high-quality ingredients like chocolate. We don’t even have baking soda for proper baking right now.”
“Then just put in an order.”
“What’s the point of a mere servant like me writing those ingredients on a requisition form? The section chief will just reject it anyway.”
This was the real reason I’d brought it up. There were limits to ordering high-grade ingredients. Even though this was an academy that served the continent’s goddesses, they were strangely stingy in this area. It reminded me of how military rations were oddly inadequate. Maybe they were just ignoring me because I was a lowly human servant.
“Well, I don’t personally check every requisition form.”
“That’s why I’m asking you directly, sir.”
“But even so, the budget’s already been finalized…”
“Haah, if that’s what you say, sir, then there’s nothing I can do. I really wanted you to try my special cake first…”
“Krrghhh—!”
When I deliberately made a weak sound, Johnson frowned and stroked his beard. He looked like a dwarf standing before an anvil, torn between claiming a legendary ring or not. He had to be disappointed. After all, he’d gone so far as to give me the book—if he got nothing in return, it would be a total loss.
……
For a long while after that, Johnson silently stroked his beard. His expression resembled that of a craftsman standing before an anvil, ready to strike.
“…Um, sir?”
“Fine. I’ll look into what extra budget I can pull together today! And if you need any kitchen tools, just tell me! I’ll make sure Erdin doesn’t hold back on support!”
After taking a moment to think, Johnson made a decisive, manly choice. Now I understood why he always asked for coffee to be made “refreshingly.” To think he’d offer such generous support so readily.
“Thank you so much!”
“While we’re at it, write down everything you need. I’ll support you as much as I can…!”
It worked. Things were going better than expected. This was the perfect chance to completely overhaul the old kitchen.