The harvest season for Kakao fruits had arrived.
For the villagers of the Demon Forest, it was a long-awaited, large-scale harvest.
For this purpose, the village had been relocated or resettled.
Though research continued to cultivate them from scratch, it would take several more years. Nevertheless, a significant amount of fruit had already been harvested from the naturally grown Kakao trees.
For the villagers, this abundance brought a temporary sense of relief.
Since these Kakao fruits would turn into that sweet and slightly bitter “chocolate”, it motivated them even more.
They also harvested banana fruits on the side.
The ripe ones harvested were primarily sold within the territory, while those shipped outside were still green. According to Ryu, they would ripen during transportation. These naturally sweet and delicious bananas were consumed by the villagers as meals or snacks.
Ryu mentioned something about “Eiyouka” being beneficial for health, though the meaning of “Eiyouka” was unclear. Nevertheless, knowing it was good for health was the best selling point for their harvest.
They could sell with confidence.
Seeing the villagers’ bright expressions was the most satisfying thing for Ryu.
Moreover, while the Kakao fruit harvest was scheduled twice a year, observations by the villagers suggested they could harvest three times.
They noticed a lot of fallen and rotten fruit, which led to this conclusion.
Whether it was due to the nature of Kakao fruits or the uniqueness of the Demon Forest was uncertain, but it seemed the cycles were different.
This might be a pleasant miscalculation.
Increasing the annual harvest would be significant.
They seemed likely to produce more “chocolate” for the market than anticipated.
The process of processing Kakao fruits into “chocolate” would also be researched at the processing facility in the capital.
Ryu recalled from memory that warming and kneading “chocolate” with a spatula would make its texture smoother, something he remembered seeing on TV in his previous life. When he conveyed this, the head of the “cooking” department, with the skill, expressed interest and asked if they could research it.
Thanks to this, better-quality products would be processed than the “Choco Banana” served during the festival.
In the new office of the Landmark family, Farza, Ryu, Leanne, and another merchant were present.
“This…! It’s even more delicious than what was served at last year’s Harvest Festival!”
The merchant, who secured the “chocolate” contract from the Landmark family, praised the “prototype” provided by Ryu.
“This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted! It’ll definitely sell! There are plenty of nobles willing to pay a high price for it!”
The merchant exclaimed excitedly.
“In that case, let’s commercialize this. The final product will be molded with the Landmark family’s emblem of crossed swords over a laurel tree.”
Ryu confirmed with Farza and the merchant.
“Yes! Please do! It’s great, isn’t it? The Landmark brand is becoming well-known, so we’ll use that name and promote it extensively! Leave the sales to us!”
“Then, please.”
As Farza shook hands with the merchant, Ryu joined in.
This was the first step for the “chocolate” to conquer the world.
The fact that the Landmark brand, known for its “coffee,” introduced a confectionery called “chocolate” that complemented it spread quickly as gossip among the trend-sensitive nobles and wealthy.
The mysterious name “chocolate” resonated with the Landmark brand’s fans, increasing their expectations, and those who tasted it first became objects of envy.
Not only those who tasted it, but even those who heard descriptions of its taste felt intoxicated and eagerly sought out how to obtain it.
Driven by these people, who spared no expense, the price of “chocolate” soared, but its sales never faltered.
Demand overwhelmingly surpassed supply.
One of the triggers that further fueled this frenzy was a single phrase uttered by a noble fan of the Landmark brand.
“Chocolate is the best partner for coffee.”
This catchphrase spread like magic, instantly raising its popularity among coffee fans, and it began to be traded at high prices alongside coffee.
