I Became a Food Developer in Another World

Chapter 19: These are indeed beans (1)

[The White Tower has released MSG products!]

The news that MSG, which has been hard to come by, is now available as a product caused an explosive reaction.

The entire commercial center of the capital city was paralyzed for a day due to people trying to buy MSG products and Mizong.

But Mizong was worth the wait.

“This, this is MSG…!”

“What have I been eating all this time…?”

The magic of Mizong, which could make anything taste better just by sprinkling it on it, was a shocking experience for the people.

It was as if a blind man who had been living with his eyes closed all his life had opened his eyes to see the world.

“Honey, the food suddenly tastes so good, did you put Mizong in it?”

“What are you talking about, you know I don’t use that stuff.”

“You’re lying, this isn’t your mom’s food.”

With the advent of Mizong, housewives’ culinary skills have increased to the point of suspicion, and the complaints of husbands and children have disappeared.

“My wife’s food has become delicious.”

“I’m not afraid to enter the house anymore.”

Peace returned to the home.

“I’m sorry I didn’t like your food. It’s better than Blue Coat Chop.”

“No, I’m glad you came back.”

People who had been at odds with each other reconciled.

Mizong reminded people of family harmony and the affection between neighbors.

“I’ve made up my mind, Julie, marry me.”

“I, really?”

“I realized that I could spend the rest of my life with a woman who cooks so well.”

From time to time, lovers became husband and wife.

Laughter bloomed in the imperial capital.

While the people were happy, not everyone welcomed Mizong’s arrival.

“You sold this as MSG, but it’s not!”

“Well, it’s……”

“How dare you deceive the guards, round them all up!”

The vendors who had been falsely selling regular powder as MSG were hauled off to jail.

“I’m here for inspection. Could you please show me the kitchen for a moment?”

“Heh, heh, heh!”

Stores that spread fake MSG have been shut down.

Once the abusers were gone, people praised the White Tower and Yuri for launching Mizong.

“It must have been a difficult decision to give up your interests, but you are a great person.”

“I would never have released Mizong so cheaply. The White Tower is the pillar of the empire.”

“So, Yuri’s teacher is Ranya, the Master of the White Tower, so you are indeed her disciple!”

The White Sage Ranya McDowell was a celebrity among the people.

There are fewer than ten Archmages, and Ranya, who bears the title of ‘sage’, is the pride of the people.

The fact that Yuri was a disciple of Ranya was enough to win the people’s favor.

While the release of the Mizong raised the stock prices of Yuri and the White Tower, there was a name that came with it.

“Aria? Who is this?”

“Don’t you know her? She’s the developer of MSG.”

“What? Didn’t you develop MSG?”

“Yuri was the main developer, but Aria helped a lot, too.”

“I see……!”

“It’s not just MSG. She was also involved in all the previous food developments, and she’s Yuri’s junior, by the way.”

“Indeed!”

Aria was less famous than Yuri, but she was also starting to be talked about.

Ciel, who also participated in the development, gained a reputation as an alchemist.

But it was Laura, the head chef of the Golden Garden, who was most pleased.

“Thank you so much! Thanks to you, I can go around with my face out.”

She had faced discrimination in the empire for being a “cat-folk”.

This discrimination has led to her refusing imperial invitations and staying in her kitchen to cook.

In order to survive in the empire, she had to abandon her cat-folk way of speaking.

She had to learn magic to keep her hair in place when people asked her to stay away from them because it would fly.

Not to mention, she couldn’t show her face because of her different appearance.

But when it became known that Laura had contributed to the development of MSG and the launch of instant noodles, the perception of the people changed 180 degrees.

“Thanks to you, Laura, meals have become more enjoyable these days.”

People thanked Laura for making their meals enjoyable.

“…You must be a cat-folk, I didn’t know because you didn’t go around openly. You’re cute, why do you need to hide it?”

Complimented her on her cute appearance.

“Wow, your fur is so fluffy!”

They even touched her fur and admired it.

Laura cried tears of joy at the warm attention she had never received before.

It was all thanks to Yuri, who gave her the credit for making the ramen.

“This is a small gift from me, just for you.”

Laura plucked off a lock of her hair and handed it to Yuri.

“What does this mean?”

“It’s proof that Yuri is a friend of our people.”

A Friend of the Miao is someone who has shown favor to the Miao and is granted access to their help whenever and wherever they need it.

TLN: The cat-folk species it’s called Miao.

The hair was a sign of that friendship.

Yuri didn’t seem to realize the significance of the hair, but…….

“I don’t know if I deserve this, but I will cherish it.”

Accepting the hair, Yuri carefully wrapped it in a piece of paper and placed it in a drawer.

Laura smiled thinly as she watched. Then she whispered softly.

“Thank you so much, Nya.”

Silently, from the bottom of her heart.

*

The introduction of the Mizong enriched the Empire’s table, but it did not come without noise.

The supply of MSG was far inadequate to keep up with the demand, and even with the introduction of MSG, many of the Empire’s citizens still hadn’t tasted it.

The reason for this was the shortage of sugarcane, the raw material for MSG.

Sugarcane is a demanding crop that requires constant shifting of soil as it destroys the soil once planted.

As such, it was a low-yielding variety that was controlled by the government.

However, as the people’s consumption of MSG increased, the empire found itself in a difficult situation.

It reached a point where it couldn’t supply sugarcane even if it wanted to.

Of course, the problem wasn’t without solutions.

“Are we sure we should……use them?”

“If we accept them, we might provoke a backlash from the people.”

“But if we don’t supply them with sugarcane, we’ll be the first to be stoned by the angry people.”

“…….”

The bureaucrats fell silent.

The solution to the sugar cane supply problem was actually quite simple.

The elves, the gardeners of the continent, would be entrusted with the cultivation of the sugar cane.

Their cultivation skills far surpassed those of humans, and the supply problem would be solved.

However, the bureaucrats were hesitant to hire the elves because of their behavior.

The elves, a tribal society, were a race with a strange habit of bringing in all of their relatives when they accepted one person.

They were often resented by their own people because once they were accepted, they would rush in and take all the jobs.

It’s one thing to accept the elves, it’s another to not.

The bureaucrats were in a quandary.

One bureaucrat with his head down spoke up.

“What if we put the elves in debt?” he said.

“In debt?”

“Why do elves leave the forest and venture into human society in the first place?”

“Vegetarianism.”

Elven society was strictly vegetarian.

However, once they leave the forest, they are allowed to eat a non-vegetarian diet.

Eating other people’s food in a foreign land was a matter of course, so it didn’t come into contact with the rules.

These dietary issues were part of the reason why the Elves wanted to leave the forest and experience the outside world.

Even the most vegetarian of elves would get sick if they continued to eat that way for hundreds of years, so one of the biggest concerns for the elves was how to make a vegetarian diet “palatable”.

If we could solve that problem, we could solve the problem of elves coming in droves.

“Don’t we have a diet that we can serve to elves?”

“We have the White Tower.”

The White Tower had been on a roll lately with its food developments.

“I’m sure they can help us with sugar cane.”

“Hmm.”

The department head looked skeptical at the bureaucrat’s words.

The elves were a race that had been researching vegetarianism for a long time.

It was natural for him to doubt that the White Tower would be able to create a diet worthy of them.

But…….

“Yes, we can.”

“……?”

After hearing the story, the wizard of the White Tower accepted the request without a second thought.

*

The Elves, a race centered around the World Tree, valued harmony with nature.

They would not harm flora or fauna unless absolutely necessary, and violating this rule would result in banishment from Elven society.

Heindel, the elder and lawgiver who upheld the elven code, was now in a state of disbelief.

He’d been approached by the Empire and told that if he could help them grow sugar cane, they would teach him how to make delicious food in return.

So far, so good.

As an elf with a keen interest in improving his diet, the offer was music to his ears.

The question came next.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Heindel jumped to his feet in disbelief.

“This is meat!”

The food in front of him was not fruit or vegetables, but “meat”.

They brought meat, which the elves consider taboo.

“How dare you bring meat to the sacred World Tree?”

“This is an insult to the World Tree!”

“How dare you try to feed us meat?”

The arrival of the meat inflamed the elves, who felt they must protest the empire immediately.

Just then, the elf who had brought the meat cautiously opened his mouth.

“Excuse me, Elder.”

“What is it?”

“…This is not meat.”

“If it’s not meat, what do you mean it’s a vegetable?”

“It’s beans.”

“…What, beans?”

“Yes, beans.”

Heindel was dumbfounded.

“Are you joking?”

“Elder, I am not joking.”

Heindel turned to the elf’s side.

There stood the elven wizard who had checked the meat earlier.

“Alun, is it true?”

“Yes, I know you won’t believe it, but I’ve done a hundred percent of the research……”

Alun bowed his head in apology.

“He’s right.”

“……?”

Heindel blinked dumbfoundedly.