Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 45: The Lotus Beggar Chicken Mystery Box
Merlin returned to the open clearing at the back of the mountain, where by now over a hundred first-year students from the Beast-Taming Academy had already gathered. Each of them was engaged in different tasks, bustling with energy and curiosity.
The spices Merlin had purchased from that rotund fellow, Dahl, had finally been delivered—five large sacks in total. The sheer volume alone made it clear that these spices had not come cheap; he had spent over five thousand gold coins. Fortunately, at this point, Merlin’s earnings could comfortably cover such an expense without straining his finances.
The speed at which Merlin was making money clearly made Dahl envious. When he came to deliver the spices, he once again tried to pitch a partnership. Merlin politely declined—but not entirely. He had his own plans. In the future, as his business empire expanded, he could easily sell the recipe for his Lotus Leaf Beggar Chicken, securing ample funds to further develop entirely new ventures.
Dahl, on his part, understood that he wouldn’t get the recipe anytime soon, so he didn’t push further. He valued Merlin not just for a single dish but for the talent and creativity behind it. After all, Merlin had not only produced the Lotus Leaf Beggar Chicken but had also created a range of marinated meats and zesty, passionfruit-lemon chicken legs. These dishes showcased a rare and extraordinary gift for culinary alchemy.
It was this kind of imaginative genius—breaking conventions and redefining flavor—that Dahl truly admired. He had no interest in the short-sighted tactic of exploiting a single dish; his vision always aimed further.
Merlin, meanwhile, was staring at the worn-out spice sacks that had been used countless times. Seeing the mixture of spices, a pang of guilt struck him; it felt wasteful. After a brief moment of thought, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him.
“Jean,” he called, “gather a few people to help me out. I want these used spices dried and ground into powder.”
Jean immediately set off into the crowd to select a few willing laborers. At that moment, Stacie squeezed through the throng, placing down her prepared hardwood. “Boss Merlin,” she said earnestly, “do you need some help? My Fufu can easily grind these spices into powder.”
“Oh? And how much would you charge?” Merlin asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Three… no, two gold coins, and I’ll grind all of them into powder for you,” Stacie replied without hesitation.
“Deal. But first, these spices need to be dried; there’s still a lot of moisture in them.”
Stacie nodded solemnly. “Don’t you forget to let me do this job, okay?”
It was clear that two gold coins meant a lot to her.
Merlin couldn’t help but admire her; she was the epitome of the ideal worker. She even offered a discount without being prompted—what a wonderful employee.
The next day, after alchemy class ended—
Professor Harrington no longer queued in front of the little carts. Now, he could simply wait in his office. As Merlin’s VIP client, he enjoyed daily deliveries via owl service.
Currently, the owl delivery system was tailored only for select customers. Merlin had yet to devise a method to get the students from the Arcane Academy to place orders.
Five hundred Lotus Leaf Beggar Chickens were clearly insufficient to feed all the students, not only from the Alchemy Academy but now from other faculties as word of Merlin’s stall spread. The demand far outstripped supply.
Until the new alchemy oven was ready, five hundred was the maximum Merlin could produce. This limitation led him to a clever idea.
Ten fully-prepared carts were lined up in the courtyard of the Alchemy building. The students’ eyes lit up instantly at the sight. Merlin had truly prepared everything meticulously.
The carts were piled high with clumps of clay, each hiding the coveted Lotus Leaf Beggar Chicken inside. From a distance, it seemed like two or three thousand chickens were waiting within. The display was nothing short of impressive.
The students rushed forward eagerly, ready to purchase—but then they noticed a small sign in front of each cart, written in bold chalk:
“Lotus Leaf Beggar Chicken Mystery Box!”
???
Countless question marks appeared over the students’ heads. They didn’t understand what a “Mystery box” for Lotus Leaf Beggar Chicken could be. Yet when they saw the price—3 gold coins per box—they perked up immediately.
While five gold coins wasn’t too much for them, saving two coins was certainly appealing. But first, they needed to figure out what exactly this mystery Box meant.
“Merlin, what’s with this Mystery box thing? Did the chicken drop in price?” a student at the front asked, frowning in confusion.
Merlin looked at the curious faces surrounding him, all filled with the same puzzled expression. He chuckled softly. “Here’s the situation. Due to technical limitations, I can only produce up to five hundred Lotus Leaf Beggar Chickens per day. Many students cannot get one.”
“To allow more students to taste them, I’m introducing the Lotus Leaf Beggar Chicken mystery Box. In front of you, there are three thousand lumps of clay. Only five hundred of them actually contain a chicken.”
“What? So you mean the ones we buy might not have any chicken?” another student demanded, clearly displeased.
Merlin nodded openly. “Correct. There’s only a one-in-four chance of drawing a chicken. That’s why the mystery Box is priced at three gold coins.”
A murmur of discontent rippled through the crowd. Three gold coins wasn’t nothing—what if they got nothing at all? The students began shouting, calling him a trickster merchant.
Merlin raised his hands to calm them. “Everyone, please, don’t get upset. Although there’s an 80% chance you won’t get the chicken, not a single mystery Box is empty!”
“Not empty?” the students repeated, intrigued despite themselves.
“Yes. Even if you don’t get the chicken, each mystery Box contains a carefully prepared spice packet. These spice packets can be used to enhance any dish. The flavor is perfectly balanced—not too strong, not too weak. Its value is no less than three gold coins!”
Merlin’s explanation eased their concerns and sparked curiosity about his spice packets.
“And for those worried about missing out on these delicacies during the day,” he continued with a flourish, “even a sprinkle of these spices on bread or noodles will make the dish irresistible. You’ll find yourselves addicted in no time.”
He exaggerated with charm, making his handcrafted spice packets sound both exquisite and decadent.