落とし穴５６堀：甘い日 (Part2)
"That's true. Sugar is a luxury item, so we can't just go tossing it in everywhere."
"That's a harsh reality. But, as long as it's sweet, anything will do, right?"
"Hm? You're right."
I had been stuck on the image that sweets were synonymous with sugar. But as Steve said, there are plenty of other things that are sweet.
"Well, aside from sugar, the only other sweet things are fruits. But using those for sweets... that's a bit different, isn't it?"
"...Fruits?"
"What's wrong, Boss? They aren't bad, are they? These things. Well, the sweetness is a bit subtle, though."
Steve said this while dutifully recording his impressions in his notes after checking the flavors. But his words had snagged on something in my mind.
Fruits...
It was true, as Steve said, that fruits are perishable and, unlike sugar, aren't easy to transport. However, fruits can be dried, and thanks to the Weed trade district, there's a decent amount of circulation. In other words, they are cheaper than sugar, and most countries have a variety of fruits available.
But just serving them as-is would be more of a harvest festival than Valentine's Day. How could I turn this into a confection?
"Still, with all these sweets, it makes me crave something savory. Oh, do you know about it? There's a delicious meat pie at the bakery in Weed."
"That's it!!"
"Yes?"
"Pies!! There must be apple pies and the like!! That can definitely be classified as a sweet. Plus, since various fruits are already circulating among the nations, it won't be biased toward any one region!! We can use the natural sweetness of fruit to make sweets!!"
"Ah, I see. That sounds like a great idea."
"Alright. Steve, you can have all of these!! I'm going to go tell them now!!"
"Eh? No, I can't eat all of this."
"Share them with Alfin and the others. You can just say you made too many sweets."
"Ah, understood."
Having finished my conversation with Steve, I hurried back home to tell everyone who was busy making sweets amidst the sugary aroma about this plan.
"Oh my. I see, I see. That could work. As expected of you, Big Brother. We make butter from the milk of our livestock, and the necessary ingredients can be gathered from each country."
Ratz nodded in admiration. Fortunately, butter has a long history. Even on Earth, the oldest documents confirm its existence in Ancient Greece, dating back to before the common era. So, butter existed in this world too. And as for the fruit, as long as we sun-dry them instead of doing something counterproductive like soaking them in sugar, it wouldn't be a problem. It's like raisin bread, right?
"That's true. But we'll have to start by grasping which fruits are the staples of each country."
"Shera is right. Let's request the documents on the goods circulating in the trade district."
Shera and Eris immediately began the preparations.
"I'm looking forward to seeing which fruits go well with pies. Hurry up and make some, Tori."
"Hey now, Riel, you're going to help make them too."
"...I'll stick to the eating part."
Riel, Tori, and Kaya were also enthusiastic. Yes, yes. This produced a good result. Steve is useful, isn't he? No, he's always useful.
"So, what are we going to do with the sweets we make?"
Labyris suddenly asked.
"..."
It seemed my wives hadn't thought about that either.
"If you don't have any plans, can I distribute them to the school children tomorrow? I'm sure they'll be happy."
"That's right. Everyone will be so happy!!"
"They'll cry with joy!!"
Aslin and Firia agreed as well. And so, we welcomed the 14th, and that day, the school was overflowing with sweets—a truly sugary day.
...Someone please ventilate the room; the sweet scent is actually making me feel a bit sick.
Yes, one day left until Black Day. Those of you who are happily taken, please do a handstand and eat peanuts with your nose. Oh, getting them from family doesn't count. This is for those at the peak of happiness, like those with girlfriends. Family is, well, complicated.
Now, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. No, there's nothing special going on. I just want to apologize for not being able to reply to the people who always send corrections or comments. I'll use this space to offer my apologies and words of thanks. Thank you!!
And, there is a proper punchline: if *Kancolle Kai* is released safely on February 18th, I'm allowed to treat my activity log like a blog, so I plan to write a *Kancolle Kai* diary. Since I can make the content go exactly how I want, it should be easy. The browser version is hard to play smoothly without spending money, so the Vita version is convenient!!
Oh, and *We'll Do As We Please!!* will also be updated today. Man, it's tough. I guess I should enjoy my hobbies in moderation.