I Became a Food Developer in Another World

Episode 51

“Even though the Blue Tower is relatively decent, you still need to be careful.”

“Just because there are many wizards, don’t get too intimidated, okay?”

“Got it.”

“Even if a wizard you don’t know tries to pick a fight, don’t get involved.”

Ranya gave me advice as I mentioned I was going to the Blue Tower. Still, it seemed she hoped I wouldn’t go.

From the perspective of the Tower Master, it must feel like sending only disciples into the enemy’s territory.

The ‘Twelve Towers’ had a tendency to look down on those from other towers.

“Senpai, we’re going to be late at this rate.”

Aria urged me. The Tower Master was still quite worried, but I didn’t plan to stay at the Blue Tower for long.

I finally managed to get the Tower Master to let me go after saying I would return immediately after hearing the results of the competition.

“Be careful!”

Even so, the Tower Master escorted me to the front of the tower, still feeling uneasy.

This was my first time going to another tower, especially the city of wizards, ‘Union.’

As I boarded the carriage waiting in front of the tower, I looked at Aria, who was getting in across from me, and asked, “Isn’t it unnecessary for you to come along?”

“What do you mean? How can I send someone who has never been to Union on their own?”

Aria dismissed my words as nonsense. It made sense since Aria was born in the city of Wizards, Union.

I heard that she had spent her childhood in Union before moving to the countryside with her parents. And that was in the ‘Blue Tower.’

For Aria, this trip to the Blue Tower was like going back home.

Of course, it seemed she didn’t consider it home since she didn’t have any good memories of it.

“She called her parents’ territory home, after all.”

Still, as someone from the Blue Tower, she came along with me on my first trip.

I appreciated her concern but also felt a bit guilty.

Though she didn’t show it, Aria seemed hesitant about going to the Blue Tower.

“If it’s uncomfortable, I can go alone.”

“Senpai, when was the last time you went outside the tower?”

“Um, half a year ago?”

The last time I went out was when the scurvy incident occurred, and I visited the site where the canning factory would be built.

Other than occasionally resting in the tower’s garden to soak up some sun, I hadn’t had any reason to go out.

“What about before that?”

“…”

At a loss for words, I fell silent.

That was also three months ago.

‘Wow, I really don’t go out much.’

In fact, I hadn’t felt much inconvenience from not going out.

All the rumors and information from outside were brought to me by Aria.

Looking at it this way, I realized I had been living a life of high dependency.

From Aria’s perspective, it was only natural that she couldn’t let someone who rarely went outside the tower go to the Blue Tower alone.

“And the reason I don’t talk about the Blue Tower isn’t just because it’s uncomfortable. It’s simply that there’s no reason to bring it up.”

“It seems like it is uncomfortable.”

“Yes.”

Aria nodded without a trace of hesitation.

“But it’s not to the extent that I can’t go, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Well, if that’s the case.”

Since she said it so confidently, I decided not to worry about it anymore.

By the way.

‘I wonder if Snoopy was delivered safely.’

I thought of Snoopy, which I had sent to the Blue Tower a few days earlier for the competition.

*

“Elder Lawin, I’m coming in.”

A wizard from the Blue Tower opened the door to Lawin’s office to deliver potions.

“Elder…?”

As Lawin leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, the wizard flinched when he lowered his head.

Lawin’s dark circles under his eyes hinted at an unusual atmosphere.

“What is it?”

“Um, I brought the potions that were delivered.”

“Just leave them there.”

“Yes.”

“But didn’t all the entries finish already?”

“Ah, yes. This is from the Ivory Tower—”

“Ugh!”

“?!”

The wizard was startled when Lawin suddenly let out a short yelp.

Lawin, who had been nodding off, suddenly snapped back to attention.

“Wouldn’t it be better to sleep if you’re tired?”

“I’m sleepy, but I can’t sleep.”

“Excuse me?”

What was he talking about?

“Every time I try to sleep, Snoopy comes and wakes me up.”

“Snoopy? Who is that?”

“……Snoopy is a spirit of the night.”

As Lawin finished speaking, he looked at the puppy drawn on the coffee milk carton and pleaded, “Snoopy, I’m sorry. Please let me sleep.”

“……”

Was the puppy on that milk carton a spirit of the night?

‘He must be really stressed from judging the competition.’

The wizard quietly set down the box of potions and carefully left the room.

Shortly after the wizard exited, a scream echoed through the tower.

─Snoopy!

*

After three days of traveling by carriage, we arrived in the city of wizards, Union.

The streets visible from the carriage window displayed a unique view I had never seen before.

“Everyone is wearing robes.”

“Here, that’s the normal attire.”

“That?”

People who weren’t even wizards were walking around in pointed hooded robes.

“The pointed robes are traditional clothing of Union.”

“Not wizards?”

“Yes.”

Aria nodded.

“Since Union is the holy land of wizards, the pointed robe has become a symbol of wizards.”

Other items like staff and witch hats also originated from Union.

“Hmm, so that’s why Union is called the city of wizards.”

I marveled at this new understanding, and Aria looked at me incredulously.

“How can someone who claims to be a wizard not know this? You learn all this during your apprenticeship.”

“I must have let it slip by.”

Not knowing didn’t hinder my life.

As I chatted with Aria, the carriage crossed a wide bridge over a river and arrived at the Blue Tower.

─We have arrived. This is the Blue Tower.

Hearing the driver’s voice, I stepped out of the carriage, surprised by the sight before me.

“Wow, it’s so tall.”

The gray stone tower soared endlessly into the sky.

‘It must be at least four times taller than our tower.’

It was the size of a large building I had seen in my previous life.

“Let’s go inside.”

Aria led me in, looking as if she was very familiar with the place.

But soon, Aria stopped in her tracks.

Her face, looking at the entrance of the tower, scrunched up as if she had seen something unpleasant.

I followed her gaze and understood the reason.

“Oh, what a coincidence.”

Ayla, who was looking around as if searching for someone at the main entrance, spotted us and came over with a delighted expression.

She approached us as if we had run into each other by chance.

‘She should at least hide her expression a bit.’

I couldn’t help but know who Ayla was waiting for, even if I didn’t want to.

Her expression gave it all away.

“Arya, you’re here too.”

She was someone who couldn’t act even if her life depended on it.

“You were acting like you’d never come back to the Blue Tower. What’s going on?”

“It’s not to see you, so mind your own business.”

Ayla, who had perked up her ears as if expecting something, momentarily frozen.

“If you came for the competition, then enjoy your time in Union.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean it literally; I’m going to win the competition.”

As she thought of the potion, Ayla seemed to feel good again, smiling brightly.

Then she turned to me and said, “For this potion, I mixed cola tree and Darjeeling to enhance its effectiveness.”

“Cola tree?”

“Yes, ‘cola tree.’”

Ayla emphasized the cola tree with a proud smile.

She seemed to say that was all she would reveal, and I was genuinely surprised.

‘She really is exceptional.’

The cola tree actually contains caffeine, which has a stimulating effect.

Darjeeling, the base for black tea, also contains caffeine.

It was clear that Ayla, who figured this out and combined them, was an outstanding potion maker.

‘Of course that wouldn’t beat Snoopy.’

I could tell she was confident, but I never expected it to be the cola tree.

Looking at Ayla’s face, which seemed to say, “What do you think?” I couldn’t help but smile.

Ayla seemed capable, but there was something vaguely off about her competence.

Of all things, she picked the cola tree instead of coffee beans or guarana.

“……That’s impressive.”

“Right?”

It was hard to respond positively.

*

After parting with Ayla, we received our room assignments at the Blue Tower.

As I lay on the bed, Aria asked, “Senpai, aren’t we going to promote our potion?”

Although the judges score the competition, the final decision ultimately comes from the votes of the wizards who are members of the tower.

Thus, participants in the competition were eager to promote their potions.

However.

“I already did.”

“Promote?”

“I sent a delivery before coming.”

I had shipped hundreds of bottles of Snoopy to the Blue Tower as my entry for the competition. So, it should have spread on its own.

“Will that be enough?”

“Absolutely.”

Anything beyond that was unnecessary.

After all.

‘It’s Snoopy.’

There’s no stronger promotion than that one line.

<“I won’t break. Never!”>

*

As we walked through the corridors of the tower, Ayla kept perking up her ears. She was in a great mood today.

She had succeeded in surprising the genius developer from the White Tower, and, most importantly, she had seen her sister.

‘Today, Aria was so cute too.’

Even her frowning face was so adorable that Ayla had to bite her tongue to refrain from hugging her.

“…Ayla! Ayla!”

“Sorry, I was just lost in thought about the competition. What’s up?”

Ayla quickly composed herself at the call of the apprentice wizard.

“The performance of Group C-4 is incredible.”

“What? That can’t be true. They’ve always been at the bottom!”

“Well, their achievement rate is already 78%.”

“……What?”

Ayla blinked in disbelief as if she had misheard.

In the tower, wizards are assigned monthly tasks, and their performance and execution abilities are evaluated for scoring.

However, this month had only just begun a week ago.

It was way too early for the achievement rate to be 78%.

Even Ayla’s excellent group, A-1, had only achieved about 30% so far.

‘That doesn’t make sense!’

78%? That was a rate that could only be reached by staying up all night for a week.

“Let’s go check it out.”

Unable to find an answer after thinking it over, Ayla finally headed to the room where Group C-4 was located.

When she opened the door, Ayla was taken aback.

“Ugh, I can’t sleep.”

“Ugh, I need to finish the assignment before I can sleep.”

“I finished the assignment, but I still can’t sleep.”

“Uh, Snoopy! Snoopy is here!”

“Where!? Ugh!”

The wizards, looking disheveled, were making strange noises.

“Are they using drugs or something?”

Ayla muttered in a flustered expression.

But then.

“Group B-3 has an achievement rate of 80%.”

“Group C-2 is similar.”

“…What?”