"This curry really is delicious!"

"Yeah. The complex blend of spices and that unique spiciness that lingers—it’s addictive."

Fia and Dolph seem to have no problem enjoying the curry rice.

"Mmm, ramen is great, but this curry dish is also incredibly delicious."

"It really is. It's amazing to think we can enjoy such a delicious meal so easily even outdoors."

Lange, who can use storage magic, can always eat curry warm, which is enviable. With alpha rice, you can enjoy warm rice as long as you have hot water, but the curry roux itself has to be reheated each time.

Thankfully, Lange will be helping out at the shop this week. Starting today, we’re introducing the new product, alpha rice, for sale. Since it’s going to be a busy day, we’re having breakfast together before opening. Even though it’s just retort-packaged curry, in this world, it’s a luxury comparable to stick ramen.

We’re eating in the living space on the second floor of the shop, but I hope the delicious smell of curry doesn’t drift down to the customers already lining up outside early in the morning. I’d love to make this retort curry available for sale too.

The more food products we sell, the more the demand for each individual item will likely decrease. When launching a new product, we inevitably get large crowds, but that’s just something we have to deal with.

"Alright, everyone, thank you as always for lining up early in the morning! As usual, before we open the shop, I’ll explain the new product we’ll be selling today."

Thanks to the notice we put up at the outdoor shop a few days ago, a large crowd has gathered. This time, we’ve prepared more samples than last time, so we should be fine.

"This here is alpha rice. Just add hot water, wait a little, and you can enjoy a simple and delicious dish of rice! It’s also versatile enough to be prepared with plain water, though it will take longer."

"Ooooh!"

If you use hot water, it’s ready in 15 minutes, but with plain water, it takes about an hour. Plus, the texture is fluffier and softer when made with hot water, so that’s the recommended method.

"What’s more, this alpha rice lasts over a month as long as no moisture is added! Adventurers never know what might happen—getting lost in the forest or being injured and unable to move. It’s an excellent choice for emergency rations!"

"Ooooh!"

The packaged alpha rice from my previous world could last five years, but without the packaging and desiccants, it probably only lasts about half a year. At the very least, the alpha rice we ate a month after purchase was perfectly fine.

"To prove it, here’s some alpha rice prepared with hot water about 15 minutes ago. There are four varieties of alpha rice, but just like the stick ramen, we ask that you limit yourself to one per person."

"Ugh, there’s a limit again..."

"Guess we’ll have to line up again..."

We’re selling the alpha rice in sets of five servings, with the same purchase limits and daily sales caps as other products. I feel bad for the customers, but selling unlimited amounts of products at a small shop like ours would cause all sorts of problems.

The alpha rice is sold in wooden containers, which we collect and reuse after use. In my original world, the alpha rice packaging had a line to indicate how much water to add, but here, you need a Sierra cup to measure the correct amount of water.

In other words, the alpha rice naturally boosts sales of Sierra cups as well. While stick ramen didn’t require precise water measurements, alpha rice is much more sensitive to the amount of water. People who don’t already own a Sierra cup will definitely buy one now.

…What? Bundled sales? Shady business practices? No, no, this is all perfectly legal!

"Wow, this chewy texture is amazing! And there are so many different ingredients!"

"This orange one has a nice tanginess to it. It’s really tasty."

"This one has chopped seaweed in it. It’s a bit salty but very satisfying."

Alpha rice comes in four varieties: plain white rice, mixed rice, chicken rice, and seaweed rice.

"...As I was told, this plain white one doesn’t have much flavor on its own."

"This plain rice is best enjoyed with other side dishes or strong flavors."

Out of the options, plain white rice will likely sell the least. However, white rice is essential in cooking, and as people discover how well it pairs with richly flavored dishes, its sales will gradually increase.

It seems we prepared the right amount of samples this time. Unlike stick ramen, rice doesn’t suffer from being made in excess, so preparing more was a smart move.

"Alright, we’re about to open the shop! Please enter slowly in an orderly fashion!"

"Thank you very much!"

The last customer of the day has left the shop.

"Phew, it feels like we’re getting more customers every day."

"Yeah. Even with Lange here, it’s still busy. If the customer base keeps growing, maybe we should consider hiring another employee."

It’s true. Each time we introduce a new product, the number of customers increases. As Lilia suggested, it might be time to hire one more staff member.

"I think I’m finally getting the hang of things."

"Lange, you already seem capable of handling everything on your own. Impressive as always."

Even though it’s only his second week helping with customer service, Lange has already caught up to the rest of the team. Some people are just naturally suited for this kind of work.

…By the way, yesterday, Lange went on a date with a female adventurer he’d promised to meet. Today, I saw him chatting up another girl. Well, as long as it doesn’t affect the shop, I won’t say anything.

…Not that I’m jealous or anything!