The construction activities in the polar ice field are in full swing. To fulfill her promise of providing meals for the employees, Ina not only bought a large amount of food from Neranka but also ordered a thousand pieces of coconut bread from Hana's bakery. Today, Ina went to the bakery to pick up the goods and discuss the supply arrangements for the future with Hana.
The popularity of the Dragon Flame Restaurant inevitably impacted Hana's bakery and Keira's smokehouse. With the mercenaries choosing the Dragon Flame Restaurant, the purchase of bread and smoked meat significantly decreased.
However, Hana and Keira didn't mind at all; instead, they were quite pleased. Not having to make bread and smoked meat for the mercenaries meant they had plenty of time to fulfill the Dragon Flame Restaurant's orders.
Nearly all of the dairy products from Keira's ranch were bought by Ina, and three-quarters of the fresh meat from the butcher's shop was sent to the Dragon Flame Restaurant. Every few days, Hana would receive large orders for hundreds of loaves of bread. Along with the orders came the raw materials for making bread: flour, milk, eggs, fine sugar as white as snow, and various precious fruits from Misty Town. While kneading the dough, Hana thought about how Miss Ina seemed to have found other ways to acquire food, as the flour she sent was even finer than what was sold in town.
Ina stood outside the bakery door, the rich aroma of a coconut hitting her before she even knocked. Once inside, the coconut scent mixed with the aroma of baking bread, reminding her of a coconut grove in the sunshine, with the evening breeze carrying the scent of wheat fields.
Hana showed Ina rows of freshly baked bread, helplessly spreading her hands, "This time there are only two hundred, this is the limit of the oven."
Ina put the still-warm bread into her game backpack. Hana had long gotten used to seeing so many bread disappear into thin air. Perhaps it was a space ring, Beck had one too, specifically rented for convenient procurement from Bant City.
Ina suggested, "Maybe you could consider building a few more ovens and hiring a few workers. The restaurant's demand for bread will only grow, and I'm just worried that you won't be able to handle it."
Hana put a new batch of fermented dough into the oven, "Indeed, I should prioritize these plans. Sometimes I even think about asking Beck to close the grocery store to help me, I'm really swamped doing it all by myself."
"The grocery store can't close, many people in the town rely on it," Ina said, finding a chair to sit down. "I also have something about the grocery store to discuss with you."
Hana paused when she heard what Ina had to say next, she washed her hands and opened the door, "I think the mayor should know about this."
Now, Ina and Hana were sitting together at Rosa's round table. Rosa confirmed with Ina again, "You can provide the town with a large amount of affordable food?"
Ina nodded, "That's right, long-term, in large quantities, and at a low price." She could buy food from Neranka that was dozens of times cheaper than in Misty Town, and it was no trouble at all to bring some for the townspeople. However, changes in grain prices have far-reaching effects. Ina had already planned to lower the prices of some foods in the restaurant, but other matters should be controlled by Mayor Rosa.
Rosa noted down the price of the food provided by Ina. Ina didn't add a single copper coin, she directly gave Rosa the quote from the Neranka food store.
Rosa's pen paused, "This food must come from a wealthy territory." She turned her head to look at Hana, "What do you think?" The grocery store was owned by Hana and her husband. It was not an exaggeration to say that Beck risked his life each time he went to Bant City, and the food they brought back was sold at the current price with the unanimous agreement of the townspeople.
If low-cost food were to be sold in the town immediately, the food in the grocery store warehouse would depreciate greatly, and the ones to suffer would undoubtedly be Hana and Beck.
However, Hana wholeheartedly approved of this, her tone cheerful, "This is a great thing. If the price of food drops, more mercenaries might consider settling in the town, and the town will become more lively."
Although Hana was supportive, Rosa would not allow her to suffer. After pondering, Rosa said, "Since there is a source of low-cost food, Beck should not buy food on his next trip to Bant City. Wait until the food in the grocery store is sold out, and then sell the food that Miss Ina brought."
"The residents of Misty Town do not have the habit of hoarding a lot of food. The climate here is humid, and not everyone has dry storage conditions like the grocery store warehouse. In that case, the drop in food prices will not cause losses to those who hoard food. However, it would be better if the price of food gradually decreases at a gentle rate, giving us time to observe the chain reaction caused by the drop in food prices. If an uncontrollable phenomenon occurs, adjustments can be made in time."
"As for the profit from selling food," Rosa looked at Ina and Hana, "You two should discuss it first." Ina had no plans to open a food store, and the low-cost food would also be consigned to the grocery store. Rosa believed that since Ina took the initiative to provide low-cost food for the town, she would not want to make too much profit from it.
Ina really didn't care about this small amount of profit. It could be said that any transaction that couldn't be included in the restaurant's turnover, and thus bring her achievement points and experience, she didn't care about.
So Ina took the initiative to say to Hana, "The grocery store needs to bear operating costs, but for me to bring the food is just a minor effort. I'm willing to sell the food at the original price to the grocery store."
Hana also made a promise that the grocery store would earn a normal profit considering the cost of sales, ensuring the price of food remained low.
When she left Mayor Rosa's house, the system reminded Ina, "Apart from the Rize people, you're also supplying food to Misty Town. Aren't you afraid that people in Neranka will notice the anomaly of Dragonflame Restaurant purchasing a large amount of food?"
Ina nonchalantly said, "How much is the daily transaction amount for food in Neranka? There are ships full of grain coming and going at the port. My amount is not even one-thousandth of a grain merchant's transaction volume. Besides, I'm not forcing anyone to sell or buy, it's a fair transaction, who can say anything?"
"What if they don't reason with you?" the system muttered.
No reason? What, are they going to use force?
"It's clear that this person would regret losing the chance to reason with me," Ina said coolly.
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Neranka.
A new Dragonflame Restaurant had opened near the port, selling a dessert with a dense texture and sweet and refreshing taste, something called ice cream.
Jacqueline invited a few noble ladies she was friendly with to try the ice cream at the Dragonflame Restaurant.
Ruby frowned when she heard the restaurant was near the port, "Why would they choose to open it at the port? That's where all the laborers and just-released convicts hang out."
Jacqueline fluttered the fan in her hand, pleading, "But I want to go. Hamilton said that their desserts can't be found anywhere else in the empire and that I must try it."
Seeing that Ruby was wavering, she continued, "We'll have afternoon tea there, we won't run into any laborers at that time."
"Alright, I'll go with you to check it out," Ruby reluctantly agreed, and the others were also persuaded.
Blanche poked Jacqueline on the forehead, "If they don't have the dessert you mentioned, we'll be upset!"
Jacqueline blinked mischievously, "If all of this turns out to be false, then Hamilton is playing a trick on me, I won't talk to him for three months!"
A group of noble ladies boarded their carriages and headed towards the Dragonflame Restaurant at the port. Accompanying them were maids and, of course, guards.
Ruby stepped out of the carriage and looked at the gauze curtains fluttering in the sea breeze and the fresh white roses on the silver-gray round tables. She nodded, "It seems indeed suitable for afternoon tea. It's also nice to sit here, enjoying the sea breeze and the view."
The group entered the Dragonflame Restaurant. The ladies took the best seats by the window for viewing the sea. The maids sat by a table on one side, and the guards filled another. Apart from them, there was not a single customer in the restaurant.
Blanche chuckled, "The view here is nice and quiet. But I wonder if the dessert will be as delicious as you said. If it's really unique, why aren't there any other customers?"
Jacqueline argued, "Hamilton said it just opened recently, so, of course, there won't be many customers. He and his guards come to eat here every day. If we had come a bit earlier, we might have met them."
Donne, standing to one side, finally had the chance to approach, "Miss, what would you like to eat? You can look at the menu on the wall."
Ruby, without lifting her head, said, "We want that...um...ice cream dessert."
Donne patiently explained, "There are many types of ice cream. The best-selling in the store is the Neapolitan, where you can taste three flavors in one. There's also the Sundae with your choice of sauce, and the double-flavored ice cream cone."
Ruby blinked and picked the one that sounded the best, "Then I'll have a Sundae, with strawberry sauce."
Jacqueline looked at the menu on the wall. Her gaze lingered over the names of various dishes, watching the mouthwatering preparation process of each dish. She excitedly hit Blanche's arm, "Blanche, look!"
Everyone looked at the wall and froze in unison.
"Oh, Jacqueline, you were right, this place is indeed unique."
Jacqueline shook her head in bewilderment, "No, I was wrong. I had no idea it was like this!"
So the ladies, who only intended to have some dessert and afternoon tea, ended up ordering a full table of dishes.
Every time Donne brought a dish, they would cover their mouths with their fans and exclaim in low voices:
"This caramel apple looks like a piece of art!"
"Mango Mille-feuille, indeed has many layers!"
"Grilled Cold Thorn Fish... this is not something one should eat for afternoon tea, who ordered this?"
Blanche signaled Donne to put the grilled fish in front of her, "Yes, I ordered it. I didn't eat enough at lunch."
The scent of the grilled fish was so strong that it filled the entire restaurant with a spicy and delicious aroma. The guards and maids frequently glanced over here. Ruby helplessly smiled and told the guards and maids to order whatever they wanted.
The maids huddled together, whispering, and only ordered coconut milk squares and caramel pudding. They were quite keen to try the grilled fish ordered by their mistresses, but it was still working hours. Despite the mistresses' generous offer to join them, they couldn't very well eat until their faces were greasy, so these dishes were all excluded. The maids exchanged glances, deciding to come and eat on their own next time.
The guards had long since looked through the menu out of boredom. They didn't like those small, bite-sized desserts, so they ordered a massive shrimp pizza.
"And that soda." A guard grabbed Donne's arm.
Donne first brought five glasses of soda. Transparent bubbles bubbled up and burst with a "pop". The guards took a sip, and their surprise couldn't be concealed even as they pursed their lips.
The cool soda flowed down their throats, refreshing their stomachs, leaving a tingling sensation in their mouths. Their muscles tightened and then relaxed. If they could describe the feeling in one word, it would be, refreshing!
"I think it's ten times better than bitter beer." One guard finished his soda in one gulp.
Ruby turned her gaze to the strawberry sundae in her hand. The small white porcelain bowl was filled with cream-colored ice cream, topped with bright strawberry sauce, and large chunks of fruit slowly slid down the curve of the ice cream.
She spooned the ice cream into her mouth, and her eyes instantly lit up.
The sweet, chilly, soft ice cream mixed with the strawberry sauce slid over her tongue. Ruby squinted, and tiny droplets of water condensed on the edge of the porcelain bowl in her hand.
The desserts here were indeed unique.