I helped the fainted Kurumi.
When she regained consciousness, she curled up like a turtle and bowed her head.
"I… I'm sorry, Leopin-san!
I said there's no way you can make sweets with just sugar and water…!
I was wrong!"
"You don't have to worry about that, so raise your head."
Kurumi then looked up timidly, as if checking my mood.
"Um… um um, that… I have a request…
Could you… teach me how to make 'Gekkou Candy'…?"
"You saw how it's made. Just make sugar water and boil it down."
"But but, I'm really clumsy…
I probably can't make it unless you teach me…"
"Really? Then try making it yourself."
Thinking that, I lent her the cooking area at my house and let her try, but…
--------------------------------------------------
Terrible Gekkou Candy
Quantity: 1
Quality Level: -12 (Material Level 4 + Job Penalty 6 + Failure Penalty 10)
A poorly made candy created by boiling sugar and water.
The cooking failed, making it extremely sticky.
It has a burnt smell and is bitter; eating it makes you irritated.
--------------------------------------------------
I was shocked in more ways than one.
"It's been a while since I saw an item with 'terrible' attached to it."
When the quality level of a completed crafted item is low, it gets "poor" attached to the front.
But if it's extremely bad, it simply gets "terrible" attached.
I think I saw a chocolate with "terrible" attached quite some time ago…
No, that old story doesn't matter now.
Right now, I need to do something about this "terrible" one.
I tasted my own candy and said to Kurumi, who was crushed by despair,
"This will require quite a lot of training. Do you have the resolve?"
Kurumi's head snapped up.
"Y-yes! Of course! Please teach me how to make sweets, Chef Leopin!"
After that, we worked on making "Gekkou Candy" until evening.
At one point we ran out of sugar, so Kurumi ran to the school store to buy more.
Even so, the "Gekkou Candy" Kurumi made remained terrible.
"In that case, we'll train all night! Kurumi!"
"Yes, Chef Leopin!"
Kurumi was a timid, nervous girl.
But her passion for sweets was extraordinary. She followed my strict guidance without a single complaint.
After repeating the process many times, the "terrible Gekkou Candy" upgraded to "poor Gekkou Candy."
And as dawn broke, finally…
--------------------------------------------------
Gekkou Candy
Quantity: 1
Quality Level: 1 (Material Level 4 + Failure Penalty 3)
A candy made by boiling sugar and water.
It is sweet.
--------------------------------------------------
The description was plain, but at last a "normal Gekkou Candy" had been completed…!
""We… we did iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!""
At that moment, the two of us cheered together in joy and hugged tightly.
Kurumi buried her face in my chest, trembling as she looked up at me with teary eyes.
From behind her curtain-like bangs, the eyes peeking out sparkled brightly.
"We… we did it! Chef Leopin! I… I finally made sweets!"
"Yeah, you did great."
When I patted her head, Kurumi smiled shyly with an "Ehehe…"
But she suddenly came back to her senses. Her face exploded into red like a bomb, and she quickly pulled away from my arm.
"I-I'm sorry! I got so happy that I…!"
Kurumi bowed her head rapidly, so fast it left afterimages.
I handed her the frying pan and wooden mold.
"A celebration for your first success. Take these."
"Eh…? I-is it really okay…? Such an amazing thing…"
"Yeah. I can always make more. Use these to train even harder."
Kurumi began trembling like a Chihuahua.
"Th-thank you so much…!
I… I'm always clumsy and slow at everything…
Everyone… everyone hated me for it…!"
Tears fell from behind her curtain-like bangs.
"But but, Chef Leopin…!
Even though I keep failing, you still treated me kindly…!
…Uuu, uwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"
Kurumi, who had pulled away, threw herself back into my arms.
She buried her face in my chest and cried like a small child.
I continued patting her head until she calmed down.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
That day, the dreaming girl presented her own menu to her classmates for the first time.
With one more rank in quality, it was well received by her classmates.
It was immediately added as one of the items sold at the cafeteria.
"Gekkou Candy" was renamed "RPG Candy," bottled in small vials, and placed on display.
It became extremely popular among the students busy with pioneering and studies.
It was easy to carry and perfect for when you were tired and wanted something sweet.
"RPG Candy" became one of the new specialties of the pioneer settlement.
The adults hungry for achievements would never overlook its popularity.
"Yes! Now we can finally give a proper prize to a decent student!"
Like a hyena spotting a lost fawn, the yes-man vice-principal was the first to come flying over.
He approached Kurumi, who was working as a salesperson in front of the cafeteria, with a beaming smile.
"Umm, you're Kurumi-san, right?
I have been watching your talent for a long time!"
When it was revealed at the entrance ceremony's "Ritual of Ability Development" that Kurumi had become a "Pastry Chef," the yes-man had blatantly ignored her.
But now he was rubbing his hands together and swarming around her like a fly.
"Your sweets have caught the attention of the supporters as well!
I am so proud to have a student like you!
I would also like to taste the commemorative first work of a future super pastry chef!"
"U-um… then please line up…"
Taking advantage of Kurumi's poor speaking skills, the vice-principal ignored her words.
He picked up a bottle of the candy for sale, opened it without permission, and ate some.
"Yes! Deli~cious! It makes my cheeks fall off!
What is this wonderful candy called?"
"U-um… It's 'RPG Candy'…
I named it after the person I respect the most…"
"I see, I see! Not only the taste, but even the name is delicious!
Not only the candy made by Kurumi-san, but even the character of the person she respects seems to shine through!"
While lavishly praising her, the vice-principal was thinking this in his head.
—'A name starting with "R" that is respected this much… It must be that person from Class 1-K!
Muhohohoho!
An excellent chance to score points has fallen into my lap!'
His flattery knew no bounds.
"Yes! I am deeply impressed!
Kurumi-san's Class 1-P will be promoted by one rank!"
Class 1-P C– → C
"And I will also give you a prize!
Not only Kurumi-san, but I would like to give a prize to the person she respects as well!
What does 'RPG Candy' stand for?
Please tell me, as a way to repay the person you respect!"
"U-um… It's 'Leo R (L are pronounced as R in Japan) Pin P · Gekkou G · Candy'…"
"Guh… gueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!?!?"
The vice-principal collapsed as if he had been poisoned.
Beside him, one of Kurumi's classmates gave a sharp retort.
"Kurumi, if it's Leopin, shouldn't it be 'LPG Candy'?"