Who Is the World’s Strongest Appraiser? ~Living in Another World With Satisfying Meals~

Have You Started The Dessert Buffet?

“Ah, this is what you call a happy problem, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is, but still…”

It was Lucia who sighed in distress. When she came to Scarlet Lynx’s hideout seeking advice, even Yuuri was surprised. Normally, Yuuri could only think of Harrows or Leopold visiting her. Hermine was quick to ask Lucia, “Did you bring any treats?”

Being the capable adult she is, Lucia brought along a pound cake. How thoughtful.

“Who would’ve thought becoming so popular would be a problem…”

“Exactly…”

Yuuri and Lucia both looked distant.

Lucia had recently acquired the Patissier job after Yuuri suggested she had the skills for it. This was a significant change.

Lucia’s family owned a renowned and traditional dining hall called the Food Paradise. It was a place where chefs with culinary jobs served exquisite dishes. Lucia, born into this family, lacked cooking skills.

However, her relationship with her family was good. She had a unique talent for making sweets, which her family praised highly. Her creations were so good that they could be served as part of a proper course meal at the restaurant without complaints. Yet, because she didn’t have a job, her desserts couldn’t be sold at high prices. This was the Food Paradise’s dilemma, bound by long-standing traditions.

Leaving her family to make sweets elsewhere had crossed her mind. But the Food Paradise was famous, and so was Lucia, the youngest daughter. Leaving home would attract unwanted gossip. Thus, she quietly made and sold cake sets during the tea time between lunch and dinner.

Her parents and brothers, proud yet frustrated that they couldn’t properly promote her delicious sweets, were overjoyed when she acquired the patissier job. They immediately incorporated her desserts into the menu, which became renowned for their unique taste, something not found in other restaurants. Demand grew.

Lucia and her family put in a lot of effort. Not only during tea time, but Lucia also handled desserts for lunch and dinner, increasing her popularity even more.

But as her popularity grew, she started receiving feedback she didn’t know how to address. She wanted to meet these requests but felt helpless.

“I want to eat more of these wonderful sweets, but I can’t finish them all.”

“I wish I could try all the varieties, but my wallet and stomach can’t handle it.”

It’s not about dieting but simply about financial and physical limits. Consider this: can anyone eat several normally plated cakes at tea time? For an average woman, two or three pieces might be the limit, even if she tries hard.

Moreover, desserts were only served during tea time. Lunch and dinner had desserts included with the meals, as the Food Paradise was primarily a dining hall. Serving only sweets would undermine their main dishes.

“I’m happy that people want my desserts. Truly, I am.”

“Yes, I understand. It’s really gratifying to see people enjoy your creations.”

“Exactly, but because of that, I don’t know what to do…”

Lucia sighed sadly. She was struggling to adapt to the sudden change in her environment. Before obtaining the patissier job, she was in the shadows. Except for a few regular customers like Hermine who loved her sweets, most people considered her a failure. In reality, she was a specialized genius.

She wanted to meet the customers’ demands but only knew how to make sweets. She didn’t know how to fulfill their wishes. So, she came to Yuuri, who had given her the opportunity to become a patissier.

It’s not that Lucia expected Yuuri to come up with a solution. She just wanted to vent and relax with him. Even after just a few conversations, Lucia felt comforted by Yuuri’s gentle demeanor. As expected, Yuuri was listening to her seriously, attentively, and quietly. Just that made her tense heart feel lighter.

In that moment, Yuuri suddenly clapped his hands, as if struck by a great idea.

The members of Scarlet Lynx, who had been watching the two, turned their eyes to Yuuri. They looked at him warily. They knew from experience that whenever Yuuri came up with something, things often took unexpected turns or escalated in unexpected ways. It was an unspoken rule among them. Why, indeed?

“Lucia, how about a dessert buffet?”

“A… dessert buffet?”

“Yes. A buffet is a type of restaurant in my hometown where you pay a set amount and can eat as much as you want within a certain time limit.”

“Such a restaurant exists?”

“Yes, there were various types of buffet restaurants. Of course, there were dessert buffets too.”

Smiling brightly, Yuuri continued explaining the unknown concept of a buffet to the puzzled Lucia.

Set a time limit. Decide on a price. Arrange the desserts so customers can freely take what they want. Within the time limit, customers can eat as many desserts as they like. Additionally, for an extra fee, drinks other than water could be all-you-can-drink, and since eating only sweets might make one’s mouth feel too sweet, they could prepare light snacks as well.

Drawing from his memory of dessert buffets, Yuuri proposed this idea as a way to align the desires of customers who wanted to eat more of Lucia’s sweets with Lucia’s desire to meet those wishes. Whether or not to adopt this idea was up to Lucia and her family.

“But Yuuri-kun, wouldn’t it still be impossible to eat a lot of desserts?”

“So, how about making the desserts smaller? This way, people could sample a variety of desserts with just a small bite each. It might be more work to make them, but it would allow people to try many kinds.”

“…Ah.”

“And since it’s a regular dining hall, how about setting specific days each month for a dessert buffet during the daytime? You could discuss that with your father and the others.”

Would that be okay? Yuuri tilted his head as he asked, and Lucia’s eyes widened. She was astonished by Yuuri’s idea.

Until now, Lucia had made her desserts in sizes that could be enjoyed with tea. The same went for making them as desserts. But Yuuri suggested making them bite-sized. Meaning, one could taste the dessert but still have room to eat more. This idea ignited Lucia’s patissier spirit.

“Yuuri-kun, what else should I be mindful of when implementing this?”

“Hmm, well, preparing drinks that go well with the desserts is important too. Tea is great, but having juices might also delight children.”

“True. How long should the time limit be? Based on your hometown, I mean.”

“About an hour and a half was the most common. That gives enough time to enjoy the food and finish with a cup of tea.”

Lucia asked, and Yuuri answered, recalling his memories. One hour was too short, and two hours felt a bit long. Some buffet restaurants even offer unlimited time on weekdays, but for the first buffet in this world, it shouldn’t be too long that people get bored or too short that they feel unsatisfied. Striking that balance would be crucial.

“And you mentioned light snacks. What kind of items should be prepared?”

“The places I went to had pasta, bread, and soup. Eating only sweets can be overwhelming, so having pasta or soup helps reset your palate.”

“Thank you. I’ll discuss this idea with my father and the others. Can I consult with you again?”

“If I can do anything, I’d be happy to help.”

“Thank you.”

With renewed hope, Lucia left. Watching her go, Yuuri smiled. If this world introduced dessert buffets with Lucia as the patissier, there would surely be delicious treats to enjoy.

Yuuri decided that he would definitely visit the dessert buffet if it started. So did the women who had been eavesdropping and the sweet-toothed Brook.

The dessert buffet that started a while later became a huge success and became a twice-monthly feature at the Food Paradise.