Chapter 124
Among nobles somewhat distant from Fabio, a trend was circulating.
Strictly speaking, it was gossip hardly worth calling a trend, but...
"Baron Rothschild, that fellow is unspeakably vulgar."
After Restaurant Rothschild opened, insulting Fabio became an expression nobles often used to start conversations, like saying "Hey, isn't that player Taker crazy?"
Of course, it wasn't in a positive sense, but words filled with contempt and jealousy.
"Baron Ajaccio, you're right. A young guy becomes a baron just because he's a bit capable, not even 3 years after coming of age. His actions are unspeakably vulgar."
Baron Ajaccio started sucking up to Viscount Franco, the highest-ranking person in this gathering.
"Viscount, you said that fellow was unspeakably vulgar since he became a viscount, perhaps because his family founder was a merchant. His thinking is utterly merchant-like. Letting mere lowly beings eat the precious food we nobles eat at banquets, what vulgar thinking this is. He's a greedy lump obsessed with money."
The meaning expressed in the words themselves was unspeakably vulgar, but the true meaning contained within was essentially a curse.
To nobles, merchants are beings they have to associate with out of necessity, but as lowly and evil as slum information guilds.
It's equivalent to saying Fabio, a baron, is on the same level as such people.
If Fabio himself heard this, it would be an insult worthy of throwing down a white glove signaling the start of a duel.
Viscount Franco stopped Ajaccio.
"Ahem, these days young fellows are too hot-blooded, that's the problem. Calm down a bit."
"I'm sorry, Viscount. But because of Baron Rothschild's un-noble-like vulgar actions, as a noble I just..."
They said such things, but everyone knew why they were so angry.
Up to viscount is a position you can rise to with just ability, without hereditary titles.
From baron onwards, you can't rise without achieving tremendous military merits.
But Baron Rothschild rose to that position just 3 years after appearing in the world.
'That guy is advancing his career so easily, why am I just like this?'
Because such thoughts keep coming.
Of course, dignified nobles who value honor don't voice such vulgar desires.
"But as you say, I really don't like that restaurant or whatever Baron Rothschild opened. Thanks to letting lowly beings eat the food we eat at banquets, the whole empire has become steeped in luxury. Deus taught us to be temperate."
There's a contradiction in that the nobles here are wearing clothes made of all sorts of precious jewels or expensive silk, but.
Commoners' luxury is vulgar, but nobles' luxury is a noble act to maintain family honor.
Therefore, they could insult Fabio without any guilt.
Another noble near Baron Ajaccio carefully opened his mouth.
"If the commoners properly enjoyed our noble cuisine, Baron Ajaccio wouldn't be so angry. But they're just spouting nonsense like the banquet food pursuing beauty and dignity lacks taste."
"At banquets, food isn't eaten for taste but to show family prestige."
"It's the sight of ignorant beings spouting nonsense."
"This is all because that Baron Rothschild fellow did foolish things without knowing anything."
People's aesthetic standards and tastes are generally similar regardless of era or country.
Unless it's a distinctly unique 'traditional food', what's delicious to me is usually delicious to others too.
As Fabio thought, honestly even for nobles used to banquet food, 'luxurious food' tastes terribly bad.
So no one touches on the part about it tasting bad.
Viscount Franco came up with a desperate measure to overcome this situation.
"It's none of our business whether commoners disrespect us or not."
He said that, but the viscount was extremely irritated to the point of his insides turning over.
If they had criticized the food's appearance or other things, he could have just ignored it saying "No, that's not true."
But because they criticized the 'bad taste' that all nobles agreed on, it bothered him like someone sprinkling salt on a sore spot.
"But we mustn't let them have the illusion that they can stand on a similar level to us."
It sounds plausible on the surface, but the reality is this.
Being criticized for bad taste, if they're caught up to even a little in other areas, it could damage honor and dignity.
"Show them properly what noble dignity is. Make banquets even more luxurious, and make the food so beautiful they can't keep up."
There's no other way to stop mere commoners from talking as if they understand them.
"Hold banquets in the yard where they can see too. Let's show them properly what it means to be noble."
**
Luxury is originally an act aimed at boasting by using things others can't have.
Limited to luxury, even if something is 10 times cheaper and 10 times better performing, it's no match for 'precious' items.
Wild matsutake mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms used even in ramen soup are representative examples.
Shiitake mushrooms have several times better flavor and taste than matsutake with slight exaggeration, but because shiitake can be artificially cultivated.
People consider matsutake more delicious and precious in terms of 'luxury'.
'In Japan, matsutake has the status of Hanwoo beef.'
"So Sebastian, what did you just say?"
Sebastian calmly said hearing my words:
"Clergy are going around secretly saying Restaurant Rothschild is a bad place promoting luxury. This won't directly politically impact you, Baron, but…"
Even if there's no political impact, I'll have to make all sorts of efforts to explain the lack of faith.
Like giving donations (bribes) and pretending to repent in prayer rooms (women like maids can accompany, thoroughly clearing surrounding people).
Or performing head-banging performances promising never to do such things again.
After doing such things, I'll be extorted a lot of money in the name of 'penance'.
Honestly, if I advertised for people to go into debt, I'd have nothing to say even if I went to prison.
But trying to extort punitive atonement money just for selling luxurious food at a restaurant, really.
'Should I really use indulgences later?'
These guys have been very corrupt lately, if I deploy the genius weapon of indulgences, very fun things will happen.
Moreover, I happen to have a master's in Western history, so I know the essence of Protestant doctrine opposing the current Deus religion very well.
Ah, has the time come to use the wisdom of the British Empire again?
But for now I endure because I don't have that power yet.
"I heard the Deus Church lacks money these days. They'll try to get some from me."
Other nobles take a long time to recover after being extorted once, but from their perspective, I'm someone who grows rapidly like lettuce.
'Moreover, if they trample me, Duke Sforza will make donations too.'
"But it doesn't matter. What I originally intended wasn't to spread the luxurious food nobles are eating now. Let's make a preemptive move."
"How do you plan to make a preemptive move?"
If it's wrong for both commoners and nobles to eat needlessly luxurious food promoting luxury.
It would be becoming frugal if we make both nobles and commoners give up that needless luxury.
"We just need to make extremely delicious and moderately luxurious food. And secure land to raise geese en masse in areas where truffles grow, with people searching for truffles."
Although I'm not a culinary expert, the direction of cuisine I'll popularize from now on will be infinitely close to 'French cuisine'.
Then of course we need to monopolize high-end ingredients of French cuisine that aren't getting much attention now...
So we can preemptively gain enormous profits.
'You can become rich just by moving one step ahead of others.'
"Also ask the Grand Archbishop of Florence this: Which is closer to God's will - dishes made by pouring in spices, or dishes made by bringing out the original taste of food God created?"
The Deus religion's scriptures say 'frugality' is a virtue, so bringing out the original taste will naturally be closer to God's will.
"If a trend doesn't make money, just change the trend."
It's time to spread nouvelle cuisine, new food, throughout the empire.
After the general form of nouvelle cuisine was completed, I immediately requested an audience with the Emperor.
The pretext for the audience was to present 'medicine'.