MTLNOVEL I accepted Kisaki’s proposal for now, but it was a tricky problem to provide her with an answer right away. Still, if I conveyed Kisaki’s intentions to Rumi, there’s a good chance she’d be willing to collaborate, so I needed to have a separate conversation with Rumi.
The method I used in the first place was based on the original rivalry, confining competitive feelings within a small frame to suppress any bad feelings to some extent. This wasn’t a perfect solution, but it seemed to be received as an overflowing success by Kisaki, who was struggling with similar issues…
…Hmm, if Kisaki was impressed by this method, wouldn’t she at least try to devise a similar approach?
The image I’ve seen of Sanhaegyeong is best represented by a culinary academy. And the conflict between Hyunryongmun and Hyeonmusanghoe is rooted in cooking, so ultimately the only way to break through this situation is through cuisine.
If I link cooking and rivalry… Hmm. A few ideas come to mind right away.
I scoop up some of the almond tofu and put it into my mouth, slowly organizing my thoughts.
According to Kisaki, traditional almond tofu is made using apricot seeds, but over time, it has changed to using almonds processed into milk. Hyunryongmun is full of traditionalists, so I wonder if that doesn’t bother them.
Anyway, all I have to do is enjoy this sweet jelly. Tradition or whatever, that’s the least of my concerns.
“…My dear, could you share your thoughts compared to the usual tea snacks enjoyed at T-party?”
“Well… that’s quite an interesting request. The desserts served at T-party are supplied by Millefeuille, the most renowned dessert cafe in Trinity. Compared to those… it definitely exceeds the average in taste. Yes, in that sense, I can certainly call this almond tofu an excellent dessert?”
“Exceeds the average… does that mean it’s a high-level establishment to set the bar so high?”
“Ahaha. Well, I do think there’s some difference in taste, but… If you’re really curious, how about Kisaki-chan comes to Trinity later? Visiting Millefeuille directly wouldn’t be bad, or attending the T-party’s tea gathering is also an option! Though, serving a full banquet like here would be impossible.”
“Hmm. That’s not a bad idea. Since you came such a long way without hesitation, what reason would there be for the hostess not to reciprocate? There’s no need to deliberate. If I’ve been invited, it’s only right to respond.”
Before I knew it, the conversation smoothly flowed from this meeting to the next one. After finishing the almond tofu and sipping sweet liangsha, the people from Hyunryongmun bring something out again.
Something yellow and jelly-like is placed in front of me on a plate.
“This is called sambujjeom. The main ingredients are egg yolk and sugar, which aren’t particularly special, but the cooking process is quite complicated, making it a rare dish that’s hard to taste anywhere.”
“Heueng… it has quite a fascinating appearance. It looks like some factory-made jelly in texture.”
“The viscosity is certainly less than that. Ah, the distinct sweetness might be a bit overwhelming, so you don’t have to force yourself to eat if it doesn’t go down easily.”
When I take a light scoop, it wasn’t as viscous as Kisaki mentioned. It strangely reminds me of steamed eggs.
To put it simply, my impression is that it’s somewhat less creamy than custard-flavored steamed eggs.
By the way, after finishing all this, I’m starting to feel my head spin a bit. Maybe I really need something sweet to kick in? Eating sweetness back to back definitely seems to be having an effect.
“Kisaki-chan, have you ever tried something like a cooking contest?”
“Of course. There was a time when Hyunryongmun and Hyeonmusanghoe each put forward three chefs to compete against each other. Unfortunately, during the event, a conflict arose, and the competition was canceled before a winner could be determined. Since that incident, it seems that it’s been difficult for the hostess to attempt such a method again.”
“…Hmm. Indeed, trying something that has already failed once isn’t exactly easy.”
A cooking competition. If you think about it, it’s not that different from the summer festival between Gehenna and Trinity. It’s just packaged differently.
Regardless of the essence, we packaged the event as a ‘festival,’ while Sanhaegyeong openly clashed in a competition, so I don’t think there’s any significant difference there either.
“Kisaki-chan, I have about two ideas coming to mind right now.”
“Oho. Then I would like to hear your thoughts. Please do share.”
“Ahaha. It’s not really a profound idea, but my first suggestion is a cooking contest. However, we shouldn’t make it a direct competition between Hyunryongmun and Hyeonmusanghoe like before.”
“…You mean, hosting a cooking competition that’s not a rivalry between the two groups but a straightforward cooking contest?”
Wow, she caught onto that right away? Her thought process is definitely faster than mine. Honestly, even without my help, I think Kisaki would eventually succeed in improving relations between the two groups.
“Exactly. By expanding the eligibility to individuals, we can hold a large-scale cooking competition. If possible, we could split the competition by seasons, allowing participants to bring seasonal dishes. But of course, we need to refine the details further since it shouldn’t be merely about the competition.”
“Hmm. Allowing individuals to participate means permitting cooks from outside Sanhaegyeong to join, right?”
“Yes, that’s right! If a cook from Sanhaegyeong doesn’t always win, then having outside cooks participate means that losing will inevitably bruise their pride. If, in that process, they even fall short to students from Sanhaegyeong, they will feel a sense of frustration.”
“Just hearing that makes me think of only negative outcomes…”
“The important thing is how the dishes will be judged. Essentially, you and Rumi-chan must attend as judges. Yes, the two of you need to give objective evaluations so that the kids from Hyunryongmun and Hyeonmusanghoe can accept the results.”
Usually, I might have been a little wary, but if the heads of each camp compliment the opposing side’s food, the kids might start showing interest in a dish they used to dismiss.
However, how effective this would be depends on how serious Hyunryongmun is about its traditions.
Right now, I didn’t specifically mention just Hyunryongmun while being conscious of Mina sitting next to me, but I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that the core reason lies there.
The essence of this competition is ultimately just a means to instill the thought in Hyunryongmun’s kids: “Wait, the lord praised the food from those scoundrel merchants???”
“This is what I mentioned earlier: I have a friend who truly loves food more than anything else in the world. Right now, she’s sharing my interests and pretending to be a culinary critic with another friend… If I have her and people like her judging alongside you and Rumi-chan, we can manage quite a bit of fairness in the judging.”
“Hmm. That does sound better than the previous contests we attempted. Could I hear your second proposal?”
“Ahaha, this one is more of a business idea linking to a broadcasting company. Hyunryongmun and Hyeonmusanghoe would operate a restaurant at various academy autonomous districts for a certain period and ultimately compete based on the revenue generated or votes from the students who have tasted from both. It has that kind of vibe… Not a bad business item, right?”
To be honest, one of the things I found quite dull after coming to Kivotos was the broadcasting field. Especially in the variety sector.
But during the period before I possessed this body, there was a cooking-centered variety show that gained considerable popularity.
As a result, my thoughts naturally drifted that way.
Honestly, since I was pushing for relationship improvement based on the cheat key of the Eden Treaty, this was pretty much all I could offer Kisaki right now.
“…I can’t shake the thought that you are quite a mysterious person. While I can’t tell how effective it would be in such a short time, you’ve certainly thrown out some ideas worth trying. Quite interesting.”
“Ahaha, it was just possible because I focused on improving the relationship between Trinity and Gehenna in a similar direction. Approaching from a different angle… Hmm, to be honest, I lack the confidence to come up with any ideas in a short time.”
“Heueng. They say even a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. The plans you presented may be somewhat lacking right now, but drafts are always like that. They become better results through discussions and the process of realization.”
Kisaki’s way of speaking seemed, how should I put it, quite pleasant to listen to. While her tone was similar to Seiya’s, there was none of that roundaboutness.
“Time… Hmm. Speaking of which, I’ve been remiss in checking your schedule. Are you planning to go directly to Hyeonmusanghoe?”
“Um, sort of? I’m planning to stay in Sanhaegyeong until tomorrow. Most of my time will probably be spent at Hyeonmusanghoe.”
The original reason I came to Hyeonmusanghoe was to borrow Rumi’s help to complete the recipe for bunmoja tteokbokki. Since both bunmoja and mala originate from Sanhaegyeong, I had no choice but to inquire about it, which led me to Rumi and Hyeonmusanghoe for her assistance.
The tteok I knew would require building a factory just to make it, making it challenging to access right now.
So, the fate of my time in Sanhaegyeong was bound to be spent mostly conducting culinary research with Rumi.
“Then it wouldn’t be polite for the hostess to keep you too long. Since you’re scheduled to stay until tomorrow…”
Kisaki, who nodded for some reason, rested her chin on her hand and looked at me.
“Would you mind giving me some of your time before you leave? I believe Sanhaegyeong and Trinity could become quite good friends, and it would be wonderful if there were more exchanges in the future.”
…Trinity, inspired by England, and Sanhaegyeong, inspired by China, becoming good friends?
That’s genuinely going to be a tough call…