Chapter 1299

With only about 10 days left until the Symphonia Kingdom’s Founding Festival, we were having our second prototype meeting for practicing baking baby castellas…… Well, more like practice for those who weren’t around to participate in the first prototype meeting.

In addition to me, Alice, Tre-san, Cento-san and Cien-san, Aoi-chan, Hina-chan, Luna-san and Sieg-san were going to participate.

Even then, our group of four will be taking shifts with theirs, with me and Tre-san’s trio opening a stall for the first shift, then swapping out with the four who are scheduled to arrive around mid-afternoon, in which we will take a break and look around the Founding Festival.

(T/N: Alice not mentioned. My guess is she would remain near the stall as the self-proclaimed mascot, then either go around with Kaito wearing that costume of hers or leave the mascot near the stall and have a clone wear it, while she keeps on staying beside Kaito.)

After that, we will swap shifts again when the evening approaches, and then we will handle the stall until the day ends. And so, this time, it would be Aoi-chan and Hina-chan who are practicing, since Luna-san, who often makes sweets as a maid, and Sieg-san, who could already cook well, have no problems with it.

Though I say that, the cooking apparatus we will be using is so good that even I and Tre-san, who hardly had any experience in cooking, can make it well.

[Not bad, you two…… Well, if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can always just ask me.]

……Why the heck is Tre-san looking so smug like that, acting as if she was some sort of expert just because she practiced many times in that one meeting?

[Ahh, Tre-san. Hmmm, how do you think I can bake better?]

[Let’s see…… I think you should sprinkle it with more love and courage in it!]

[It’s a fluffy answer! That fluffy answer isn’t advice at all!]

Hearing Tre-san giving advice that doesn’t specifically help with a smug look on her face, Hina-chan looked surprised, but Tre-san just smiled at that, looked at Aoi-chan, and held up a baby castella.

[Hey, Aoi? For example, if I put love and courage into this baby castella, do you think it will taste good?]

[Eh? No, even if, for argument’s sake, love and courage make it taste better, putting aside if it was put in while in the process of making it, would that even change something that’s already a finished product?]

[I see…… In that case, if you add it to the cooking process, do you really think it would make it better?]

[Eh? I wonder? I don’t really know how you specifically add it, but wouldn’t it be difficult?]

Tre-san pulled out a mysterious piece of advice, to which Aoi-chan could only respond with a slightly bewildered reply. Thereupon, a bold smile appeared in Tre-san’s lips and she calmly spoke.

[Fuuu…… Indeed, that is what it means.]

[No, no! Tre-san, Aoi-senpai just denied your advice a while ago! Why is it that you look like you were aiming exactly for something!?]

[No, Hina, Aoi…… There’s one thing I’m sure of.]

[ [ One thing you’re sure of? ] ]

[The two of you are “better at making them” than I am so there’s no way I can give you any advice!!!]

Seeing Tre-san proudly declaring that Aoi-chan and Hina-chan were better than her, Aoi-chan and Hina-chan burst into laughter.

[Ahaha, geez, Tre-san……]

[Wait, fufu, Tre-san…… That’s not fair……]

[It can’t be helped. People have their strengths and weaknesses…… Ah, but from what I’ve seen, I think Hina-chan is better at making them between the two of you. Well, Aoi-chan is better at packaging them though.]

[Uuuu, it’s true that the bags packaged by Aoi-senpai looked neater than those packaged by me.]

[Hmmm, now that you mentioned it, the baby castellas made by Hina-chan seem to have a more beautiful color……]

Tre-san, who seemed to be joking around as usual, was surprisingly watching what was needed to watch, as she seemed to be paying close attention to their cooking and other operations.

[As I said before, people have their strengths and weaknesses. What is important is the division of roles. Hina-chan bakes the baby castellas, Aoi-chan packages them in paper bags, and I eat them! That’s the holy trinity, a perfect cycle!]

[No, no, that process completely stops at Tre-san’s spot, so it’s not a cycle, okay!? Rather, I want to eat some baby castella too!]

[Alright, then let’s eat them together! Let’s brew some tea and have a taste testing session~~ I’m good at tea, you know?]

[Brewing tea?]

[Drinking tea!]

[Pfft…… fufufu.]

The three of them are having quite a lively conversation. Tre-san, Aoi-chan and Hina-chan…… That is, even though they had just exchanged greetings about half an hour ago.

What is surprising is Tre-san’s communication power, as she now gets along and was having fun with the two girls as if they have known each other for a long time now. In fact, even though Aoi-chan and Hina-chan are very reserved and awkward with Cento-san and Cien-san…… but when it comes to Tre-san, they have seriously been acting like they’re long time friends.

I’m not sure if this is the power of a naturally positive sunshine…… communically gifted people like Raz-san…… but even though I think my communication ability has improved a lot since I came to this world, I’m still not as good at this as Raz-san and Tre-san.

Well, I think it’s because she doesn’t calculate her actions and is acting genuinely, that she attracts people to her…… While having such thoughts in mind, seeing Tre-san, who was excitedly saying “Let’s have tea~~” while calling me, Cento-san and Cien -san with a smile, I wryly smiled.

~ ~ Abilities of Additional Members ~ ~

【Rough Criteria】

G…… Trashy

F…… A little useless

E…… On the level of ordinary person

D…… Slightly good

C…… Considerably good

B…… Professional level

A…… Genius

S…… On the level that will leave your name in history

SS…… Cheat

SSS…… Restrain yourself, idiot

【Aoi】

Cooking: E

Packaging: C

Calculation: B

Service: D

【Hina】

Cooking: D

Packaging: D

Calculation: D

""

Service: C

【Lunamaria】

Cooking: B

Packaging: B

Calculation: A

Service: B

【Sieglinde】

Cooking: A

Packaging: D

Calculation: D

Service: C

~ ~ Extra ~ ~

【Anima】

Cooking: D

Packaging: D

Calculation: A

Service: D

【Caraway】

Cooking: C

Packaging: S

Calculation: C

Service: B

【Eta】

Cooking: G

Packaging: D

Calculation: B

Service: C

【Theta】

Cooking: C

Packaging: A

Calculation: C

Service: D

【Lilia】

Cooking: G

Packaging: S

Calculation: SS

Service: C

【Illness】

Cooking: SS

Packaging: SS

Calculation: S

Service: S

【Nebula】

Cooking: Absolute

Packaging: Absolute

Calculation: Absolute

Service: Absolute