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The Reincarnated Thirty-Something Woman’s Otherworldly Reform Life

[Welcome to the "Anything" Workshop]

Translated by: ME

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

What is the most important thing for a field?

—Soil! Soil above all else!!

To ensure that everyone who wants our product can get it, we need a sufficient quantity.

To protect the health of many people, regardless of whether they are at home or abroad, the product must be affordable.

Furthermore, since I want this business to be an opportunity to rebuild the lives of the people living in the slums, I want to ensure their income is reasonably high.

To achieve high-volume sales with thin margins, we must reduce the cost price. We must thoroughly eliminate waste.

...If it were just about making sauerkraut, one wouldn't need to go through all this trouble; we could just buy the ingredients from farmers or fresh produce shops. Though that would be expensive!

This is also an industry intended to create a foundation for many people’s lives.

Therefore, we must start with the creation of the fields themselves.

***

When I went to the Guild and explained my vision from A to Z directly to Victor, even he crossed his arms and let out a thoughtful "Hmm."

「For now, why don't we try recruiting a few people? We can recruit for specialized roles as needed, but it would be better to have people who understand the overall flow, right?」

Surprisingly, it was a sensible answer.

Following the bright red hair swaying energetically above his head with my eyes, I gave my response.

「Aye. Bwoadly thpeaking, the yoleth are: fiyeyd pye-payation, fayming, wagon dyiving, making shtaff mealth and buying mateyialth, pwoduct manufactuying, inthpection, shuppwy pwodu-th-tion, and thaleth.」

「So, starting with the things that take time. We have to get started on the fields, or we won't make it in time for spring.」

Gai watched the pairing of Victor and Magnolia with amusement as he took notes.

「...Does it absolutely have to be people from the slums?」

「No. Howevye, I with to pwi-oyitithe hiying thothe who have difficu-y-ty finding work eth-we-wheye oy thothe in need.」

Victor nodded, "I see, I see." Magnolia tilted her head slightly. Gai watched them with a grin.

(A weirdo, a runaway girl, and another weirdo... what a terrifying combination. They should come with a 'danger: do not mix' warning.)

Dominic and Claude were thinking the exact same thing, their faces looking like they had just chewed on bitter medicine.

As if to shift his mindset, Dominic turned back toward Claude.

「...Where do you intend to deliver the glass bottles?」

「I’m thinking of the fortresses in each region. It will be less of a burden on each workshop than transporting them all the way to the capital. I intend to start with a small amount, and once the standards are understood, we can move to mass production.」

Since Claude visits the various garrison units regularly, he would be able to check the physical goods then, but in the beginning, it would be necessary to check the quality every time.

They made the proposal to ensure neither side faced unnecessary waste or worry.

「I shall inform them as such.」

***

After the discussion, I wondered if Gai might know something, so I decided to ask.

「Gai, you've eaten skewel fwom stallth befoye, haven't you?」

「Of course I have.」

「Do you know wheye I can buy tasty sause? Not the salty kind.」

「The black or brown stuff? That would be the juice of the Miso-yu berry. You should be able to find it where they sell seasonings, right?」

「A bey-y?!」

I widened my eyes in shock at his casual words.

(Wait! The soy sauce substitute in this world isn't brewed?!)

Gai tilted his head as he saw Magnolia looking terribly surprised.

「...I mean, you make pepper and stuff by crushing berries, right? Though that's a powder. Isn't it the same thing??」

(Ooh... that’s how it works?)

It's times like these, with these occasional differences, that I realize how difficult it is to find what I'm looking for. Most things are nearly identical, but occasionally something different slips in.

(So things I thought didn't exist might actually be tree berries... that's a pattern too.)

As Magnolia sank into thought with a furrowed brow, Gai and Claude tilted their heads.

「...Well, shall we buy some of that on the way back, then?」

「Also, animal bones and organs, vegetables, and fish bones. A thick, giant iron plate and a stockpot... The 'makanai' staff meals the Young Lady mentioned will make their debut tomorrow, won't they?」

「...Bones and organs...」

The contrast was sharp: Gai was buzzing with excitement over "what would be created," while Claude looked slightly repulsed after hearing the ingredients.

***

As soon as we returned to the estate, I set to work on the preparations.

「Magnolia-sama, welcome back. Shall I help you?」

Lily, who had finished checking the items needed for tomorrow, appeared in the kitchen. Having been separated for most of the day, she seemed to have come to check on me out of concern.

「Then, can you watch that pot? Ss-kim off the ss--kum, pleathe.」

「...What is this...」

Numerous bones were being boiled in a large stockpot. Along with vegetables like onions and carrots and various herbs, it was a soup made from what looked like chicken carcasses and pork bones.

...If I were to put it elegantly, I could call it bouillon or stock; otherwise, it was essentially ramen broth.

And next to it was an empty stockpot.

「Gai, the fith boneth in the ovye-n—once they've bwowned, put them into the empty pot ayong with the juiceth on the baking tway, and add wayty!」

「Right-o.」

As I spoke, I grated garlic, ginger, and onion, then mixed them with the soy-sauce-like Miso-yu juice, honey, chili peppers, and black pepper. I wanted mirin, sesame oil, and sesame seeds too, but I couldn't find any, so those would have to wait. I also grated and mixed in apples and pears—European pears like La France—and added a dollop of "miso-mock" as a secret ingredient. I really wanted doubanjiang, but... etc., etc.

Yes, miso.

The Miso-yu berry was a large, soybean-like fruit. When you poked a hole in the hard shell and drained the juice, you got soy sauce—and when you cracked the fruit open, it was filled with miso!

Actually, it’s apparently called "Miso-yu insides"...

(It really is 'two great tastes in one'!)

I was so moved when I saw it at the shop that my excitement reached such a fever pitch that Claude, Gai, and the shopkeeper all looked at me with varying degrees of concern. When I asked if I could grow it in the estate garden, I was told it required specific tricks to grow and was difficult for amateurs, so it was better to just buy it.

(But, but! With this, I can finally eat Japanese-style food! Rice! I must find rice!!)

I threw the grated ingredients and all the seasonings into a pot, simmering the base of the sauce until it thickened, stirring it with heavy breaths.

—The measurements? As usual, I was eyeballing it.

...In my previous life, I only ever bought yakiniku sauce, but when things don't exist, you have to make them yourself. Tasting it, I felt like it was missing a little something, but I told myself that it probably captured the general vibe.

For something made randomly on the first try, it wasn't half bad. I would have liked to let it sit for a few days, but it couldn't be helped. Once the initial heat dissipated, I put it into storage jars to cool completely.

I figured bread wouldn't really go with it, and I didn't have any rice to shovel down. So, I decided on noodles instead.

I currently had the kitchen staff who volunteered to help me making "udon-mock." Since it can be made with water, flour, and salt, as long as you aren't obsessive about the "chew" or the "edges," you can get something that looks more or less right. I planned to let it rest overnight and cut it tomorrow morning... but the kitchen staff were looking at me with such intense eyes that I set a portion aside and had them roll and cut it now.

「It still needth to sh-immer a bit mo, but...」

I put the strained fish bone soup into a small pot, added the Miso-yu soy sauce, and brought it to a boil. I placed the boiled udon into a deep wooden bowl and poured the soup over it.

(I don't have bonito flakes or kombu, after all... but there are ramen broths made from sea bream bones or shrimp shells. Even if it's udon, maybe a seafood broth from some unidentified fish bones will be surprisingly good?)

I watched everyone closely as they ate.

The head chef and the other cooks checked the aroma, then took a sip of the soup.

「「「「「「!!」」」」」」

...It seemed to be a hit.

「Young Lady! What about the other pot?!」

They pointed to the other pot. Personally, since I was at it, I wanted to make something like miso ramen, but to keep it familiar to the others, I lightly sautéed bacon and sausages, added whatever local vegetables were on hand, brought it to a boil, and made a pot-au-feu style dish seasoned with salt and spices.

Having finished both, the head chef stared intently into his wooden bowl.

「Bones... you must never, ever throw them away!」

The kitchen staff nodded in unison.

It was a relief to see that even the estate’s chefs had accepted it.

***

The next day, when I went out into the garden, I found Paul among the several knights, Victor, and a few people from the slums.

「Oh, Pau-y. What bwing you heye?」

Paul knelt before Magnolia with a very tense expression.

「Young Lady, I know this business is being run to help those in need, but please... won't you let me participate as well!」

Paul bowed his head deeply.

Magnolia looked at Servas and Claude in turn with a troubled face. As the two of them blinked in surprise, Victor stood next to Paul and explained.

「He says he wants to give back to the product that helped cure his Sailing Sickness... He wants to work with the product to help reduce the number of people suffering from the disease, even if just by one. But since you said you were hiring people from the slums, he found it hard to speak up.」

「But what about the sh-hip?」

「My mother begged me in tears... so I quit. I nearly died, and I caused her so much worry...」

「I thee...」

I understood his mother’s feelings well. It must have been terrifying, sad, and painful. Even though he was lucky enough to be saved this time, the thought of him being lost to another disease or injury would make anyone want him nearby in a different job. Of course, whether you live together or work different jobs, you can still get sick, and you can't prevent everything... but that wasn't the point. I think Paul himself now had a stronger desire to save others who were suffering like he did rather than return to the ship.

「Perthonally, I don't mind. Shinshe we'll eventually be shelling a lot to foreignerth at Clewth, it'th actually very helpful to have Paul'th help, shinshe he'th sherved on a merchant veth-thel」

「Then...!!」

Magnolia looked at Servas and Claude again; they smiled gently and gave a small nod.

「Wey-come to the Anything Work sh-hop!」

When I smiled at Paul, everyone present wore a complicated expression.

「...The Anything Workshop...?」

Claude’s dubious words echoed.

Then, Gai and Victor began to shake with laughter.

「Pfft... what a weird name!」

「Bwah-ha... that really is a weird name!!」

(How rude!)

「It'th the 'Anything Workthop' becauthe it'th an atelier without boundarieth, where we'll tackle anything netheth-thary tho anyone can be happy!」

「Is there no better name than that?」

Magnolia pouted as she spoke. Claude immediately shot back with a stony face.

And so, before long, the garden was filled with the sound of laughter.

*****

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