Published: July 26, 2025
I am Benno.
I am the owner of the Gilberta Trading Company. Twenty-nine years old, single.
At the end of a meeting gathered with owners of large stores who pay a certain amount of tax in the city, the Guild Master, an old bastard, looked around at all the attendees and spoke.
“Is that all for the agenda? Then, in the grand conference room, there is a tasting event for a new confectionery product we plan to launch. If you have time, please stop by. They said they have prepared some for your attendants as well.”
At the old bastard’s words, I stood up and headed toward the grand conference room.
All the attendees at this meeting were owners of large stores. You could say that they were merchants with both the money to buy expensive sweets and the discerning eyes to judge the products.
Even if tastings were held at the Guild Master’s house or shop, it wasn’t certain whether people would bother to go, but moving to another room right after the meeting was convenient enough to attract them. The scheduling and venue selection were infuriatingly clever. It was sure to draw attention.
The quatre-quarts confectionery made with information leaked by Myne.
Moreover, the tasting event was motivated by the Guild Master’s granddaughter, who got excited by a casual slip of Myne’s words.
Really, that fool just keeps coming up with things one after another! Bringing something that shakes the market! Without knowing the trouble we went through trying to keep Myne from getting too much attention, that thoughtless girl!
Usually, when you have a flagship product for your store, you want to keep it exclusive. Until now, no one would have publicized products before their official release in this way.
By publicizing a pre-release product, you can impress who the original creator is. If it’s something others cannot easily imitate, it’s effective.
What’s aggravating is that sugar is not yet widely circulated. In this city, the only shop handling sugar from the central region is the Guild Master’s. Riding the trend coming from the center, this will appeal strongly to the noble class looking for sweets.
Also, by holding this tasting event, not only will the Guild Master be in the spotlight, but surely his granddaughter’s abilities will also be noticed. That granddaughter’s sense for money is inherited from the old man.
“Welcome to the quatre-quarts tasting event. Please choose the quatre-quarts you like best and put these wooden tags into the box.”
As I entered the grand conference room, several boys and girls with their heads covered in the same cloth were lined up, handing three small wooden tags to each incoming guest.
“You can put all three into the one you like best, or choose three different kinds.”
I clenched the wooden tags I was given in my palm and looked around the room. Those walking around the conference room had the same cloth on their heads, so it was easy to identify the event staff.
There were few guests so far, and they seemed to be quietly probing each other’s reactions; no one was reaching for the quatre-quarts yet.
“So this is the quatre-quarts.”
I could see five rows of tables lined up, each row displaying a different variety of quatre-quarts. They were cut into bite-sized pieces, but there were more varieties than I had expected.
“Oh, Benno-san!”
“Master!”
Waving enthusiastically, Myne—the culprit—and our apprentice Lutz came over. Lutz wore our apprentice uniform, but Myne was dressed like the event staff.
I lightly raised my hand in greeting and beckoned them over, then grabbed Myne’s head firmly as she came closer.
“Myne, what are you doing here?”
“Ouch! I’m helping out, you know?”
Looking at her outfit, I tilted my head and pulled off the cloth covering her head.
“Change immediately. Don’t make an impression on the merchants coming in later. Do you think I make paper and hair ornaments all to hide your existence for nothing? Do you want to be the face of our store? Should I make a big fuss about it?”