Chapter 22

The boy causes a panic at the guild in his own laid-back way.

A review effect, perhaps? It made it into the daily rankings! I'm surprised!

Thank you, everyone.

"Um, everyone, are you okay...?"

In front of her, a guild staff member (and a high-ranking one at that) was devouring cucumbers with a single-minded focus. Yūri asked with a troubled look, but there was no response. Beside her stood Yack, who was also her chaperone and supervisor, and the merchant Harrows. The two of them watched the group continue to eat cucumbers with expressions that seemed to say, "Well, this is to be expected."

To explain what was happening, it was all because of mayonnaise.

Harrows had suggested that Yūri register mayonnaise with the production guild. Following his advice, Yūri came to the production guild with Harrows and Yack. Since Harrows was one of the top merchants in the capital, high-ranking guild officials were present from the start. However, Harrows requested that the guild master be called. The production guild was already on edge at this point, knowing that a product could make even a skilled merchant like Harrows react this way. Yūri, however, was completely oblivious.

They were led to the guild master's office, with a couple of high-ranking officials joining them. Now, in front of them, Yūri's mayonnaise (leftover from yesterday but still in good condition) was being enjoyed with cucumbers. The guild master, two high-ranking officials, and the guild master's secretary were all partaking.

This was fine. It was their job to test the product. They had to thoroughly evaluate its quality to determine if it was worth registering. That's why Yūri, at Harrows' suggestion, brought mayonnaise for tasting and some cucumbers. He chose cucumbers because there were some left in the fridge, and they were easy to eat, especially when cut into sticks.

The problem was that they were so engrossed that they weren't listening to a word Yūri said. The four of them were eating the mayonnaise-covered cucumbers with intense expressions, almost as if they were devouring them. It was a bit scary.

"...Mr. Harrows, um, this..."

"Let's just wait until the cucumbers run out."

"Ha..."

Harrows was smiling brightly. He had already experienced the shock of mayonnaise the night before, so he knew this reaction was coming. He had insisted on coming to the guild master's office rather than the reception counter to prevent Yūri from causing a commotion by taking out the mayonnaise and starting a tasting session there.

Yack patted Yūri's shoulder, who was tilting his head in confusion. Yūri was still his usual laid-back self, unaware of the chaos he was causing. Yack and Alie were the ones who knew Yūri best, so Yack was silently pleading with Yūri not to say anything unnecessary. Yūri seemed to understand and nodded.

The tasting session continued until all the cucumbers were gone. The guild master, still excited, looked at Yūri.

"...So, this is the condiment called mayonnaise, and you want to register its recipe with the production guild, correct?"

"Yes. Honestly, I don't really understand why mayonnaise is so important, but Mr. Harrows and everyone in the clan say so."

"...You don't understand?"

"No, I don't."

"...I see."

The guild master slumped his shoulders at Yūri's innocent response. The two high-ranking officials patted his shoulders from either side, and the secretary left to bring more tea with a sympathetic look. Yūri, still confused, was standing next to Harrows and Yack, who exchanged glances and shrugged. They had anticipated Yūri's reaction.

"Here's the recipe. It's just the basic one, but I've added some variations as well."

"...This paper?"

"Oh, it's my personal property."

Yūri smiled sheepishly, but the notebook he casually handed over caused a stir. The paper was something that couldn't be produced with the current paper-making technology in this world. Yack didn't pay much attention, but Harrows's eyes gleamed. As a merchant, he couldn't ignore it, but he was composed enough not to comment.

The production guild officials were more interested in the material of the paper than the content of the recipe. Yūri remained blissfully unaware, while Yack, who didn't seem particularly interested, sipped his tea. Harrows, understanding the shock the guild members were experiencing, looked at Yūri with a supportive gaze.

"Guild Master, can we register this recipe?"

"Of course. I'll inform the restaurants and other places immediately. Ten percent of the recipe's sales will be your share."

"Okay."

"Recipes like this are sold for 100 gold coins each. So, for each sale, you'll receive 10 gold coins."

"Okay. Should I come to collect it?"

"Usually, it's kept in the production guild's vault, so you can come by whenever it's convenient."

"Got it."

Yūri, thinking it was like a patent and royalty, was content with the explanation. He hadn't really expected his recipe to be sold, so the idea of extra income was a pleasant surprise. The laid-back boy remained true to his nature.

Thinking the conversation was over, the guild master asked if that was it. Yūri nodded but was then tapped on the back of the head by Yack, causing him to tilt his head in confusion.

"...Yack? Did something happen?"

"Alie said to register the hair ties and hairpins, and to bring the materials as well."

"Oh, right. I forgot."

Yack, thinking it was a good thing he came along, smiled. Yūri was a good person but incredibly absent-minded. He often overlooked details, leading to such oversights. However, it was because Yūri didn't see much value in the hair ties and hairpins.

"Shushu? Hairpins? What are those?"

"These are hair ties and hairpins. The hair ties are for bundling hair, and the hairpins are for securing small sections of hair."

Yūri took out a few hair ties and hairpins from his school bag, along with the materials: hair elastics and black hairpins, which were not available in this world. The hair elastics were in a bundle and never ran out, even when cut. The hairpins were in a case and also never ran out. Thanks to magic, Yūri's possessions were incredibly overpowered.

"The materials are these hair elastics and plain hairpins. For the fabric, I get scraps from a clothing store."

"...Where did you get these hair elastics and hairpins?"

"They're from my hometown. They're magic items, so I can supply them in unlimited quantities."

"Unlimited?!"

The production guild officials screamed in shock. Yack and Harrows, who were used to Yūri's overpowered items, looked at each other with distant eyes. If the guild officials knew that Yūri's notebook paper was also unlimited, they might faint, Yack thought. For everyone's peace of mind, he decided to keep quiet about it. Alie had also strongly warned him not to mention the paper.

Harrows was examining the hair ties and hairpins with interest. He wanted to handle them as merchandise, but Yūri, who planned to supply them to the clothing store, refused to part with them. The boy kept his promises.

"So, um, Guild Master..."

"Call me Guild Master. What is it?"

"Alie said, could I supply these hair elastics and hairpins to the production guild, register the recipe, and have others make the hair ties and hairpins?"

"...What?"

The guild officials were confused by Yūri's request. He explained that he wanted to register the recipe and supply the materials, and the production guild could sell the recipe and materials to housewives, who could then make the hair ties and hairpins. The guild could buy these back and sell them to stores. This was a concept of part-time work, which didn't exist in this world. A girl Yūri had befriended had mentioned that her grandmother would work hard if such a job were available. Yūri thought that if older women and housewives could earn some extra money, they would be happy. He had discussed this with Alie after hearing the girl's comment.

The guild officials were surprised. The hair ties and hairpins were relatively easy to make, and the demand was high. Yūri couldn't keep up with the production on his own. The guild officials agreed to take on the project. They discussed the pricing: 5 gold coins per hairpin and 10 gold coins per 10 cm of hair elastic. Yūri, who had no cost, didn't need much money, but the guild officials insisted on a fair price. They agreed to sell the materials at the same price to those who needed them. The guild would buy the finished products and sell them to stores.

This way, people who knew the recipe might start making their own, but the quality would vary. The guild could still sell the better-made products. The guild officials agreed to this arrangement.

On their way out, Harrows asked Yūri to supply him with hair ties and hairpins if he had any extra, showing his shrewd business sense. Even with scraps of fabric, skilled hands could create excellent products.

Thus, the boy who caused a panic at the production guild returned home, thinking about lunch, as usual.

In any case, mayonnaise will likely revolutionize meals.

The hair ties and hairpins will also cause a stir.

But Yūri won't care and will probably do similar things in the future, I suppose...

I look forward to your comments and feedback.