After enjoying such a satisfying dinner, I leaned back in my chair and let out a contented sigh.
Ahh... That was wonderful.
The Giant Grabler Rabbit Ragù had turned out much better than I expected. The meat was incredibly tender, the sauce was rich, and the combination of tomatoes, wine, herbs, and olives had made every bite heavenly. This world maybe different from Earth, but their unsual meat tasted better.
Shiro was currently lying on his stomach, looking exceptionally pleased with himself. His tail occasionally swished from side to side.
Tweety, on the other hand, was cleaning his beak with the dignity of a nobleman who had just finished attending a royal banquet.
I smiled.
It was a good day, a very good day.
However… Something was missing.
I stared at the empty plate in front of me.
Then I looked at the remaining sauce in the pot.
I wanted something else like something sweet. My mind suddenly wandered back to the desserts I used to enjoy on Earth. Cakes, pastries, puddings, cookies... Just thinking about them made my mouth water.
"Ah..."
I couldn't help sighing.
"What is it, John?" Shiro raised his head.
"Nothing. I just feel like eating something sweet."
"Sweet?"
Tweety tilted his head.
"Are you referring to honey?"
"No, not quite." I shook my head.
Honey was delicious, of course, but that wasn't what I had in mind.
I wanted cake, a proper cake. A soft, fluffy sponge with layers of cream and chocolate. Something that would practically melt in my mouth.
The thought alone was enough to make me reach for my teleportation plate. Fortunately, I had already established a reliable business arrangement with Mukoda. And considering how much he enjoyed receiving my orders, I was certain he wouldn't mind another one.
I took out a piece of paper and began writing.
Flour. Sugar. Eggs. Butter. Milk. Baking powder. Vanilla extract. Cocoa powder. Heavy cream. Dark chocolate.
I paused.
Perhaps I should order some strawberries, too. A chocolate cake with strawberries on top sounded wonderful.
I added them to the list.
"John."
"Hm?"
"What are you preparing now?" Tweety asked, his eyes following my movements.
"Cake."
"A what?"
"A cake. Something sweet that people usually eat after a meal."
Tweety's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Is it more delicious than the food you prepared earlier?"
I looked at him.
Well… That was a difficult question.
"Different kinds of food have different charms. But I think you'll like this one."
Tweety puffed out his chest.
"Hmph. Very well. As your familiar, I shall graciously evaluate this cake."
Shiro's tail immediately began wagging.
"I want to evaluate it, too!"
I chuckled but somehow, I had a feeling that my ingredients wouldn't last very long.
I placed the order on the teleportation plate and waited for Mukoda's reply.
Hopefully, he wouldn't be surprised by another enormous grocery list.
After all, I wasn't just feeding myself anymore. I was feeding two divine beasts with the appetites of bottomless pits.
And today...We were having cake, a very big and tall cake. Although back on Earth, sweets can hyper animals, I hope my familiars wont go hyper because I'm scared what can they do. But knowing them, they were dignified. They wont probably be like the animals back on earth.
I was already imagining a beautiful chocolate cake topped with strawberries when an important realization suddenly struck me.
Wait.
How was I supposed to bake a cake?
I stared at the ingredients list I had prepared.
Flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, cocoa powder… Everything was there.
But I didn't have an oven. Or a cake pan.
Or a proper mixer.
In fact, now that I thought about it, I didn't have any of the equipment necessary to make a proper cake!
"...Oh dear."
I scratched my cheek.
It seemed I had gotten ahead of myself.
I immediately reached for the teleportation plate and wrote another message to Mukoda.
Mukoda, do you happen to have baking equipment in your online grocery store? I want to make a cake, but I don't have an oven or any of the necessary tools. If you have them, could you send me a catalogue?
I placed the message on the plate and waited. It didn't take long before the plate began glowing.
A familiar scroll appeared. I opened it.
And...
"...What?"
It was a brochure. No, not just a brochure.
It was practically an entire catalogue!
There were pictures of ovens, baking trays, cake pans, mixing bowls, measuring cups, whisks, spatulas, cooling racks, piping bags, and countless other things.
I blinked.
There were even different categories!
Basic Baking Equipment.
Professional Baking Equipment.
Commercial Bakery Equipment.
And...
Magic-Powered Baking Equipment.
"...Mukoda, what exactly are you trying to sell me?"
I couldn't help muttering. I started with the basic equipment.
There were simple clay ovens, portable wood-fired ovens, and small metal ovens that could be heated using charcoal.
They were relatively inexpensive, although I wasn't particularly confident about controlling the temperature.
The next section showed more advanced equipment.
There were proper electric ovens, temperature-controlled ovens, and even large commercial ovens capable of baking several trays of cakes simultaneously.
I swallowed.
Did Mukoda seriously think I was planning to open a bakery?
I reached the mixer section and my eyes widened.
There were hand-operated egg beaters, ordinary electric mixers, stand mixers with different attachments, and professional planetary mixers.
Some even came with stainless-steel mixing bowls. Oh, these were tempting. But the most surprising section was the last one.
Magic-Powered Baking Equipment.
I nearly dropped the brochure.
There were ovens powered by magic stones! Some had automatic temperature adjustment, while others could maintain a consistent temperature for hours without requiring anyone to watch the fire.
There were even magic-powered stand mixers!
I stared at the picture.
It looked like an ordinary professional mixer, except the description said it could operate using a small magic stone.
The machine could apparently beat eggs, whip cream, knead dough, and mix batter without requiring manual effort.
..This world really has everything."
I couldn't help sighing in admiration. Back on Earth, I would have needed electricity for most of these appliances. Here, apparently, all I needed was a magic stone.
I turned to another page.
There were cake pans of different shapes and sizes, piping nozzles, cake turntables, digital weighing scales, pastry brushes, and even a special cake decorating kit.
I was beginning to feel like a child looking at a toy catalogue.
"John."
I looked up.
Tweety was peering over my shoulder.
"What is this enormous collection of illustrations?"
"It's a catalogue for baking equipment."
"And what purpose do these devices serve?"
"To make cakes."
Tweety examined the picture of the magic-powered mixer.
"Hmm. That contraption appears rather complicated."
"It's actually supposed to make things easier."
"Hopefully."
"Then buy it."
"...You two don't even know how much they cost!"
Shiro tilted his head.
"Does that matter?"
Of course it mattered! I was the one paying!
I returned my attention to the brochure and started comparing the prices. The basic equipment was affordable, but the magic-powered appliances were considerably more expensive.
Mukoda, I'm interested in purchasing a temperature-controlled magic oven and a magic-powered stand mixer. Please also include the necessary baking equipment, cake pans, measuring tools, and decorating tools. I'd prefer good-quality equipment that I can use for a long time.
I paused before adding another sentence.
And please recommend the best equipment for a beginner.
After sending the message, I leaned back.
Now all I had to do was wait for Mukoda's reply. I glanced at my two familiars.
Tweety was still examining the brochure, while Shiro had already settled down again.
Somehow, I had a feeling that once they tasted cake, my peaceful life would be over.
Especially since I had two divine beasts who considered an entire cooking pot to be a personal serving.
I sighed.
Well...
At least this time, I wouldn't have to worry about them eating the oven.
Hopefully.
I had barely sitted myself when the teleportation plate began glowing.
"Oh, Mukoda has replied."
I leaned forward and waited for the familiar scroll to appear.
A moment later, a neatly written letter materialized on the plate, followed by another sheet of paper.
I picked up the letter first.
John,
I've gathered the equipment you requested. I also selected some additional tools that I believe you'll find useful. Since you're planning to bake cakes, I wouldn't recommend buying cheap equipment that might break after a few uses.
I've applied your usual discount. The total comes to 1,000 gold coins.
I've also packed everything securely. Let me know when you're ready to receive the shipment.
Best regards,
Mukoda.
"..."
I read the letter twice and the third time. It clearly stated crystal clear the words 1,000 gold coins!
One thousand gold coins? I slowly lowered the paper.
Wait.
One thousand?
I hurriedly picked up the second sheet, hoping I had misunderstood something.
Nope. The total was still there.
1,000 GOLD COINS.
My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"WHAT?!"
My sudden outburst made Shiro lift his head.
"What happened, John?"
"One thousand gold coins!"
"Is that a lot?"
"Of course, it is!"
I looked at the letter again.
And then I noticed something that made me even more speechless.
I've applied your usual discount.
Discount?!
THIS WAS ALREADY DISCOUNTED?!
I immediately remembered the money conversion system in this world.
Ten brass coins made one copper coin.
Four copper coins made one silver coin.
And eight silver coins made one gold coin.
One thousand gold coins was an enormous amount of money!
I wasn't buying a house. I wasn't buying land. I was buying equipment to make CAKE!
"Fumu. Is something the matter, John?"
Tweety had approached and was looking at the letter with curiosity.
"Mukoda says the equipment costs one thousand gold coins."
Tweety blinked. Then he looked at the letter.
"Is that all?"
"...What do you mean, is that all?"
"For equipment that will allow you to prepare delicious food, I would say that is a reasonable expenditure."
I stared at him.
Easy for you to say! You weren't the one paying!
Shiro, meanwhile, seemed completely unconcerned.
"Does that mean we'll have cake soon?"
"..."
I looked at him.
Of course. Of course, the only thing he cared about was the cake.
I rubbed my forehead.
Still, I couldn't deny that Mukoda had probably selected some excellent equipment. The magic-powered oven alone was something I had been wanting to try. And considering how much I planned to cook in the future, it wasn't exactly a waste.
At least, that's what I told myself.
I took a deep breath and reached for my writing materials.
Mukoda, I've checked the price. I'll send the payment now. Thank you for arranging everything.
I placed the letter on the teleportation plate and prepared the payment.
A few moments later, the plate glowed again.
The money disappeared.
And shortly afterward, a large shipment began appearing.
Boxes. So many boxes.
There was one particularly enormous wooden crate that almost made me question whether Mukoda had accidentally sent me a carriage instead of an oven.
I opened the first box.
Inside was the magic-powered stand mixer, beautifully polished with a stainless-steel mixing bowl and several attachments. The second contained measuring equipment, mixing bowls, spatulas, whisks, and various baking utensils. The third contained cake pans of different sizes.
And finally...
The oven.
It was considerably larger than I had imagined, with a beautifully crafted metal exterior and a magic stone compartment on the side.
I stared at it in admiration.
Wow.
This really was professional equipment. I examined the instruction booklet and found that the oven could maintain a precise temperature, distribute heat evenly, and even alert the user when the preheating process was complete.
The mixer was equally impressive.
It had several speed settings and could automatically stop when the mixing reached the selected setting.
I smiled.
Well, at least I wouldn't have to worry about whisking egg whites until my arms fell off.
"John."
I turned.
Tweety was staring at the oven.
"Is that the device that shall produce the sweet cake?"
"Yes."
I chuckled.
Honestly, these two were more excited about cake than they had been about the giant rabbit ragù.
I looked at my new equipment once more.
One thousand gold coins.
I sighed.
"That better be the most delicious cake I've ever eaten."
And with that, I began setting up my very expensive new bakery.
A bakery that, judging by the appetites of its future customers, was already operating at a loss.