Sweet Persuasion
The staff’s greatest adversary was the professor. “There’s a way! A way to persuade Professor Benetric…!”
After tasting the cookies, Erdin cried out in self-answer, her long ears perking straight up. Honestly, I was surprised. Had her voice always been this loud? And now she was flapping her ears like a lively elf girl? Was it because of the star candy’s dangerously sweet flavor? Color returned to her previously listless face. Even her usually quiet personality seemed to gain a sudden burst of energy.
Crunch, crunch…!
“Erdin, ma’am…?”
She had shouted that she had a good idea, yet instead of explaining it, she simply kept stuffing cookies into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out like a hamster’s. It was exactly the reaction of someone who had just been handed a cigarette after suffering withdrawal. Her eyes had gone glassy, fixated solely on the cookies in front of her.
Yesterday the first-years had reacted the same way. Could I have… put something strange in them? The moment anyone tasted these cookies, they all seemed to lose their reason. For a moment I wondered if I had accidentally added some kind of narcotic.
[A new target wishes to commune with you.]
[Target compatible with Gourmet Feeding: Erdin (Elf, Lv. 609)]
[Do you accept communion…?]
Reject.
The system message appeared as usual. This time, however, I shut it down completely before the acceptance window could even show. I rejected it without even checking the status information. It no longer surprised me. The only thing that still felt surprising was Erdin’s age.
That aside, what was Erdin doing right now?
Rustle, rustle!
Shake, shake, shake…!
“Um, Erdin, ma’am? What exactly are you doing…?”
She had been cramming cookies into her mouth, but now she began stuffing them into her pockets like a squirrel hiding acorns. She cleared the plate completely, not leaving a single one behind.
“Hey, Erdin. You were saying something and then just stopped. What are you doing? I haven’t even had a taste yet!”
“Ah! I-I’m sorry!”
When Johnson finally grabbed her wrist with his thick hand, Erdin’s senses seemed to return at last.
“…I-I just remembered a good way to persuade Professor Benetric!”
Erdin set the plate down with a startled expression, as if she herself couldn’t remember what she had just done. Had she seen a hallucination after eating the cookies?
“But what does that have to do with the cookies?”
“Exactly! Give me one too! How delicious must they be for a forest spirit to openly steal them right in front of us…?”
Johnson clicked his tongue and reached out, snatching the cookies from Erdin’s hand. With a displeased look, he popped one into his mouth, as if wondering why everyone was making such a fuss.
But Johnson was no different. The moment he put the cookie in his mouth and started going “om nom nom,” he reacted just as dramatically.
“Kuh-heeerk—! W-what is this taste…?!!”
It was complete chaos. Getting this worked up over a single cookie? Johnson’s hands trembled as though he were having a seizure.
“…C-coffee! Someone get me coffee…!”
His small, bean-like black eyes sparkled as he desperately called for coffee. The cookies must have been far too sweet for him. He was frantically searching for something to wash the taste away.
“Here you go.”
I handed him a cup of coffee without complaint. I appreciated that he enjoyed the food, but watching him react as intensely as a dwarf who had just touched the One Ring didn’t exactly improve my mood.
‘Strange. When I ate them, they just tasted good. Why is everyone reacting so violently?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out the reason. The only thing that felt suspicious was Derke’s special trait, Dragon’s Touch.
Gulp! Gulp!
As always, Johnson downed the scalding coffee without any trouble.
“Haa… Now I understand why Erdin reacted that way.”
“Right? Johnson, you’re thinking the same thing I am, aren’t you?”
The two department heads looked at each other and nodded, both wearing expressions that said they had found the answer.
“No, seriously, why are you two acting like that? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Ah, sorry for the late explanation. It’s simple.”
Clink!
In response to my confusion, Erdin took a sip of her green tea and continued.
“…With your skill, you should be able to persuade the vice principal.”
“Excuse me? My skill?”
I tilted my head at the sudden, absurd statement. Persuade her with my skill?
“…Don’t tell me you’re talking about my desserts?”
“Yes, exactly. Professor Benetric has a weakness for sweets.”
“And how does that relate to our current situation?”
This wasn’t some cozy little bakery. Were they seriously suggesting I win her over with pastries? The girls might go crazy for desserts, but were the adult dragons—the professors—really the same?
“It’s just as Erdin said. While the vice principal is weak to sweetness, she’s also quite the gourmet.”
“A gourmet?”
“That’s right. The reason she restricted support for the lounge in the first place was because she had no expectations.”
“She probably judged that even if we invested the budget, the quality of the drinks and desserts wouldn’t improve much.”
Johnson and Erdin answered in turn. The reason the budget had been rejected was surprisingly reasonable. But wouldn’t her opinion change once she tasted my desserts?
“Aah, I think I get it now. But how am I supposed to persuade her? I’m just a servant.”
“Erdin and I will bring it up with her soon.”
“That’s right. With desserts of this quality, I’m sure the vice principal will be impressed.”
Ah, so that was it. That’s why she had suddenly swept the cookies into her pockets earlier.
“If that’s the case, you should have said so sooner. I’ll prepare a separate bag for her. I’ve already made some in advance.”
“Oh? You’re giving us some too?”
“No. For now, just Professor Benetric’s share. The rest should go to the young ladies first.”
Johnson immediately looked sulky at the news that he wouldn’t be getting a personal share. Seeing that face made me feel a little guilty.
Rustle!
I pulled out another bag of cookies I had prepared under the counter and handed it to them.
“Well, I can’t give you a whole bag, but I can spare a few. Try them with milk later. The flavor will be even better.”
Since they were willing to go out of their way to help me, this much cooperation was the least I could offer. More than anything, it felt good to have my skills acknowledged by the two department heads.
“As expected, you’re the only one for the job! By the way, what’s this called?”
“It’s called geonppang.”
“Geon…? Ppang…? That’s quite an unusual name.”
I had wanted to add the modifier “covered in star candy,” but since even the name geonppang was unfamiliar to them, I left it out.
“Anyway, with this, I’m sure the vice principal will acknowledge you. Once that happens, she’ll definitely approve the ingredients and kitchen equipment too!”
“Right. Since it’s come to this, we’ll do everything we can to help.”
The two department heads, having found their answer, stood up with unusually reliable expressions. It was truly strange. Until now, the staff had been people I kept my guard up around. They had always dumped extra work on me and made things difficult. Yet here they were, standing firmly on my side and offering to help without hesitation. It really was like the sun rising in the west. The whole situation felt so awkward I couldn’t get used to it. It was as if all my hard work was finally being rewarded.
“Well then, we’ll be on our way.”
“Breeder? Next time we’ll come back with good news.”
“Yes. Thank you for looking out for me.”
Johnson and Erdin, cookies in hand, rose from their seats. Their expressions were noticeably brighter.
“Erdin, ma’am? Let’s go already. We’ll be late at this rate.”
“Ah, you’re right! We need to hurry!”
“Take care on your way back.”
Clack!
The two department heads rushed out without even acknowledging my farewell. Their steps were hurried, as though they were racing against time. They left the lounge without looking back. Still, there was a spring in their step.
‘They’re moving this busily just for me…?’
I stared blankly, as if I had seen a ghost. The sight was far too unrealistic. I felt a wave of emotion at the warm treatment I had never experienced from the staff before.
“Whew… Ever since the semester started, I’ve been through all kinds of things.”
It had been nonstop since morning. Delivering supplies was one thing, but I never expected the budget issue to drag a professor into it. Still, having allies made me feel good. I had thought I would spend my time here completely alone.
Anyway, now that everyone had left, I should finish what I had been preparing. If I hadn’t made the cookies in advance yesterday, I would have been in real trouble. It was a good thing I had fought off sleep to prepare them early. If I had started making them now, it would have been impossible. I would have run out of time and gotten nothing done.
‘I should probably prepare a drink to go with the cookies.’
I took out the glutinous rice and beans I had brought from the cafeteria yesterday. They had been drying in the sun by the window all day at room temperature.
Shhhrrrrk…!
I gathered them together and moved them. Then I brought out almonds and barley as well. These had already been in the lounge. I mixed them with the beans and glutinous rice just like before.
Clack, thud!
I struggled to move the old, worn stone mortar. It was as heavy as a millstone and not easy to lift. It was a tool I would have preferred not to use, but I had no choice.
‘Haa… How long am I going to have to use these antiques?’
Hm? Wait a second…
Hadn’t Erdin said she would look at the facilities? She had definitely mentioned it earlier. She had said that if there was anything that needed replacing after looking around, I should suggest it. I wasn’t asking for high-end kitchen equipment. Even so, antiques were a bit much, weren’t they? Even if it wasn’t the latest model, something with at least a little more convenience would be nice.
“No, if she said she’d check the facilities, why did she just leave?”
Erdin had been forgetting things a lot lately. It was to the point where I wondered if she had dementia. But soon I realized why they had left the lounge at the same time, as if they had planned it.
“Dong—! Dong—! Dong—! … Dong—! Dong—! Dong—!”
The grandfather clock rang twelve times, announcing noon. That was right. It was almost lunchtime. It was the time the staff guarded just as strictly as their quitting time.
‘Ah, so that’s why they rushed off to eat.’
I should have known. I got emotional for nothing. I’ll admit it. No one can resist a legally mandated break.