Episode 198

The Grand Ma’a Festival of the Arin Region.

This festival is a massive event where people show off, eat, and brag about the Ma’a dishes, a local specialty of the Arin region.

As a result, most Ma’a specialty restaurants in the region participate.

Among them, the largest restaurant was the Merli main branch, which belongs to the Le’a-In Trading Company, a rival of Ricent.

Winning the festival grants the honor of being the top restaurant for a year. Even coming in second or third brings a lot of customers.

The rankings are purely based on sales, but there was a special event in the middle of it.

On the afternoon of the first day, there was a cooking competition event where all participating stores joined.

Winning here would naturally increase sales. It is only natural for people to gather. In fact, this event can be considered the main attraction of the festival.

Since people don’t participate much in just a cooking competition, it seemed to be styled like a festival to draw more attention.

Anyway, it is the largest festival and event in the region, held during the city’s holiday period, and I heard most citizens participate.

Therefore, the location of the stores also seemed important.

For stores that perform poorly in the cooking competition, their sales are determined by the spot selection.

Since the stores are arranged in a zigzag pattern starting from the entrance, the ones at the end get almost no customers, and their sales are ridiculously low.

Two days before the competition, Ricent and I were at a preparatory meeting. The seat lottery is tomorrow.

“There sure are a lot of participating stores.”

“I heard that even just middle results guarantee a subsidy, so they’re putting a lot of effort into seat selection. This is the analysis memo!”

Ricent pulled out a memo filled with writing from her pocket. Her desire to win is strong, but…

Is it really necessary?

And then, as Ricent jumped up holding the memo, two people in front frowned and approached.

“Ricent, I don’t think you should be participating here. I heard your branch’s sales are in ruins?”

“Don’t you know your place? Have you finally lost it?”

A man and woman, slightly older than Ricent, spoke lines that screamed ‘I’m your enemy’.

Ricent’s eyebrows twitched, but she forced a calm expression and replied to them without showing any concern.

“I’m not crazy. Oppa, and unnie!”

“Are these people your older brother and sister?”

While glaring at them, I quietly asked in her ear, and Ricent silently nodded, still glaring at them.

“Yes. We’re siblings recognized since childhood, the so-called legitimate children.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Ricent! You little brat! Where do you think you’re muttering to someone beneath you?”

What? Suddenly calling me ‘someone beneath you’?

I’ve suddenly become someone beneath you. It’s not even funny. Of course, dealing with these lowly people is getting tiresome.

They clearly have no sense of character.

They’re the kind of villains who make me want to help Ricent.

“And who gave you permission to call her ‘unnie’?”

Such typical villain dialogue that I almost yawned.

Of course, Ricent is not a character who just takes it. She smiled faintly and calmly began to explain her position to the two of them.

“I’m sorry, Vice-Director. But didn’t the Director already tell me to participate? Are you saying it’s okay to defy that?”

“What? Who do you think you’re glaring at, this is ridiculous…!”

The one who called herself ‘older sister’ started to lose her temper.

Ricent, undeterred, took a step closer.

“I asked if it’s okay to defy you. Should I go tell the Director?”

“What? This is really happening!”

Slap-!

The woman who called herself ‘older sister’ slapped Ricent across the cheek, seeming pleased with herself, while the one who called himself ‘older brother’ looked satisfied.

This is the worst of the worst.

“Your father told you to participate, so I can’t argue with that, but you’ll be last anyway. You might as well pack up and get ready to leave!”

The two of them turned and left without even starting, already declaring Ricent last place.

“I’m sorry for showing such a ridiculous scene.”

“Is your cheek okay?”

“Yeah, this is nothing.”

“They’re so rude. And they even declared their intention to cause trouble…”

“Right. I expected it anyway! Actually, I’m worried about that part…”

“Don’t worry. It’s fine.”

“Sorry?”

“Interference is meant to be crushed. We just need to crush it, that’s all.”

“That’s not about breaking the interference.”

Ricent once again closed her mouth and nodded.

“Understood. In that case, I’ll have to figure out a way myself.”

“That’s right. We need to stop the interference.”

“But it doesn’t seem that simple… If we analyze it, Le’a-In Trading Company always takes the best spots every year. Especially Merli’s main branch!”

“Well, it’s natural that places with money get good spots. But that’s not what I’m aiming for. Let’s take a look around first and talk.”

I shrugged and moved to the center of the square. The festival is being held here. I pointed to the best spot with my hand, and Ricent followed.

“So, the spots starting from the entrance are the best, right?”

“Yes. That’s right. Since it gets crowded from there, no one comes all the way to the back spots.”

“That’s interesting.”

“What’s interesting about that! I’m being serious here! You should never choose the back spots!”

Ricent began hopping around, but I stayed calm. In fact, I was planning to start from one of the back spots on purpose.

The stores that care about their location are those aiming for the middle rankings, but to win first place, they have to win the cooking event.

That means if you win the cooking competition, the location doesn’t matter. Stores that don’t have confidence in winning the cooking competition are the ones obsessed with their location.

Or maybe Le’a-In Trading Company wants to monopolize both.

“It’s fine. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine. I think we need to do well in the lottery tomorrow.”

“By the way, what happens if we can’t participate in the lottery?”

“Then we’ll automatically be assigned the back spots. They’ll assign us to the ones no one picked.”

“Ah, is that so? Then the interference will start today?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

It’s obvious they’ve already rigged the lottery. And to Ricent as well.

Isn’t this the kind of situation people mean when they say it’s obvious, even without seeing it?

“Don’t worry too much about the lottery. Even if we get the back spots, all we need to do is win the cooking competition.”

“Well, that’s true, but…it’s obvious they’ll try to interfere…”

“I just said we’ll crush the interference, didn’t I? Knowing that, you still asked for my help, so I’ll help.”

“Huh? How are we going to crush it?”

“It’s simple. We’ll overcome all the interference and take charge of the cooking. No matter what it takes, we need to win the cooking competition. Hehe. Your father said there are many elements of competition in this festival. I guess he’s watching to see how we’ll break through the obstacles working behind the scenes. But that doesn’t matter to me. We just need to win. Win.”

“The judges must have been bribed!”

“I told you, we’re going to win. Don’t make me say it twice. If we don’t win, I’ll take responsibility. I’ll share Bissera’s restaurant’s shabu-shabu recipe and push the current Merli branch. Of course, that won’t happen. I still need to repay Bissera for the favor.”

“…That’s…! I don’t know if I can get another chance, but how are you so confident?”

“Even if the judges were bribed, we just need to cook something that’s impossible to evaluate poorly. And a little scheming as well.”

“……”

“Don’t make that face and trust me. Those who believe will be blessed.”

“I do trust you…but the interference…”

I didn’t respond and turned back towards the eastern branch of Merli, our current hideout.

“The food was definitely delicious, but still… Oh, hold on a second! Let’s go together! Kyaaah!”

“Huh?”

I heard a scream and turned around to find, as expected…

She had tripped while running after me and was now bleeding from her nose. She can’t be helped.

She really can’t be helped.

“Didn’t your nose break?”

“I’ve become resilient to falling, so it helps cushion the impact! Hohoho! Oh, no, it’s not resilience! I’m just naturally agile!”

“Stop talking nonsense, and hold your nose. You’re bleeding too much.”

I tore a handkerchief and pressed it to Ricent’s nose to stop the bleeding.

“There’s no blood anymore!”

“Of course there is. It’s just for stopping the bleeding. Hemostasis.”

“Still, I fell over because I tripped on something, so it was a good save compared to when I fell over without anything there.”

“No, it isn’t!”

It’s not scary at all if your nose is blocked and you scream.

“That arrogant one!”

“Right? She’s not even sure if she’s really her father’s daughter. She could have slept with some other man! Her origins are unknown, yet she keeps talking back arrogantly, it’s ridiculous!”

Le’a-In Seren, Ricent’s step-sister, said while gritting her teeth in anger.

“Yeah. I couldn’t stand watching her.”

Le’a-In Deron, Ricent’s step-brother, agreed, nodding his head.

His eyebrows were furrowed with displeasure, and they trembled slightly.

“Right?”

“How dare she interfere in a succession fight? Even I’m willing to give way to my older brother!”

“That’s right. If someone doesn’t know their place, they should be stepped on. But still, it seems like the recent surge in sales from the Merli branch is why Father has given her this opportunity.”

“We must thoroughly step on her. So she won’t dare talk back again.”

“Oh? Did you pull some strings?”

“Yes, older brother. I told them to break her leg so she won’t show up for tomorrow’s lottery. And I ordered them to lock her up for a day, so she won’t be able to move.”

“Is that so? Hehe, well, I didn’t really need to do that. I’ve already handled things myself. Even if she participates, she’ll still end up last.”

“Are you going to manipulate the judges and the lottery like last year?”

“Of course.”

“Hm, then it seems like I wasted my money. Should I call them back?”

“No, it’s better that they come to their senses. It was a good move. It will be fun to see her start at the back spot and have a miserable expression, limping around.”

“That sounds great, older brother. Hohoho!”

This is something else.

I already thought it was typical, but it seems like the more this goes on, the more they can only use the same old methods.

If this were a game of Go, it would already be over. With just bad moves, how could it be a game?

A group was blatantly gathered in front of Merli. It was clear that they were the ones who had been sent earlier to deal with Ricent and me.

They looked fine on the outside, but they weren’t. As soon as they saw us, they started approaching us in a provocative manner.

This was also so typical that I could only sigh. However, why do they look so clean? If they’re sending thugs, shouldn’t they at least look a little intimidating to scare us?

“You guys!”

Ricent stammered as she watched them walk towards us. That’s when a voice came from behind me.

Seems like you woke up at just the right time?

“Umm? Uh, huh? You…? Why are you outside? Where have we been?”

“Right? You’re awake now?”

“Why am I being carried? I don’t mind being carried, though.”

Is that so.

Right, while going to the plaza where the festival is being held, I had been carrying Rurin the whole time.

Since she was sleeping the whole time, I carried her around.

Leaving her in the lair and traveling to Greek City was fine; Rurin doesn’t really mind.

But if I left her in a strange place, she would likely sulk for a day or two, so I had no choice but to carry her around.

“You were asleep, so I had to carry you. Are you awake now?”