Cooke Ferrell looked at the gorgeous pregnant woman. He was a shut-in in the kitchen and, even at his age, he couldn't really deal with beautiful women very well.
His half-brother handled all the business aspects of his restaurant back then, so he was never forced into much social interaction at all. He could just focus on his craft.
He shook his head and calmed himself down, "A deal?" He asked, "What kind of deal?"
Althea watched his reaction with an awkward smile, a bit surprised that she had to spell everything out to an old man. "As you know I own this place. You know… this place with all the ingredients?"
"Perhaps, if you'd let me taste a meal you cooked, I may be able to give you better prices."
"I… I can, of course!"
"That's great." She smiled and he couldn't help but gape. Althea continued with her offer, "Perhaps… we can come up with a satisfactory supply deal?" Althea added, and Cooke—finally realizing what this was all about—brightened like the sun.
Oh my! What an angel!!
It was just as he needed it!
Half an hour later, Althea found herself sitting on the table on the 2nd floor of his commercial space.
Obviously, Ferrel was using the entire 2nd floor as a dwelling while the now-empty ground floor would be the restaurant.
Using many of the ingredients that he had just bought, he served her two dishes: one meat viand with rice, and a vegetable side dish using local greeneries.
He looked nervous as a lot of the seasonings used this time were new and had never been used before. However, he had tasted it and thought it was divine, and he could only hope this Big Boss felt the same.
Althea looked at the simple meal with bright eyes. It looked unassuming, but the subtle aroma wafted to her nose really teased her stomach and the babies inside.
She felt them twist around in there. Her lips twitched; It was like they were asking why she still wasn't eating.
Anyway, she gulped at the plate and—using the wooden utensils—immediately began eating. She was unsure what to expect from a system-acknowledged cook but, to be honest, she was a bit excited.
The food finally entered her mouth after a graceful movement, but she awkwardly froze a bit as the combination of meat and sauce melted on her taste buds, taking her to a surprising gastronomic experience.
The taste was… sublime, to say the least.
It was like the seasoning embedded itself in every molecule in the food, so she could taste the unique flavor with every bite.
It was as if there was a cacophony of flavors dancing in her tongue, and she tasted a delicate balance between the simplicity of the available materials and the refinement of how each of them was handled.
Furthermore, her sharp senses felt something different in her body—was she more energetic?— and she immediately used her appraisal ability to check on the food's stats.
[Steamed Glorglemeat with Red Fruit : +20 health, +10 spirit]
"What is it?" Cooke asked a bit worriedly when he saw her staring blankly at the food.
Did she hate it? Didn't it work? Was he going to sleep on the streets????
Althea looked at him for a moment and sent him a sly grin.
"Have I told you about my skill?"
Half an hour later, Althea got out of the pseudo-restaurant in a very good mood.
Holding 40% of the shares, she only had to supply a fixed amount of material and seasonings every week.
She would also be teaching him about the various ingredients available locally and every local material she encountered hereafter.
In any case, considering the quality of the food, she would be really making money from this deal!
There was also the very important fact that Cooke would be taking the high-end private restaurant route.
Not only will the profits be huge for a little material, but it also wouldn't conflict with Harold's relatively more… commoner-friendly prices.
Speaking of stores, she passed by the pharmacy, currently being decorated.
A few days back, she had already asked Sheila to get a few workers and, after signing the confidentiality contract in the village center, proceeded to teach them handling methods for the herbs and making basic medicine like hemostatic gels.
Judging by the stories she heard, bug repellant would also be very popular, particularly to those going outside the territory.
While their product wouldn't be as good as her, a Pharmacist, the effect wouldn't be too bad. For instance, when Sheila tried to make one based on her formulation, the effect was 30% as effective.
This 30% was actually pretty good; it was actually more than enough for the use.
According to the NPCs, the efficacy of the formula itself was superior, and low-key mentioned the effect would be several times stronger if done by a Pharmacist.
She had yet to tell them she had awakened the occupation, and she wondered what else they could tell her about it.
Speaking of her own products, she decided that she would occasionally sell her own creations here—to be tagged 'Premium Grade'—at an exorbitant price and in limited quantities.
Of course, she would only do so after she finally understood and publicized her 'occupation' as a pharmacist, so she'd have a reliable 'brand'.
Putting this issue aside, she continued to look at the other stores as she walked along the greened streets. She saw that a few were already being furnished, while the others had just been bought with the advent of farming. These new stores would also sell food or derivatives of them.
She almost hummed as she walked along the street.
It was estimated that within a few days, this street would be very lively. And when the factories were completed, she would build a few more commercial spaces, expanding this liveliness all over her land.
Now that the economy was planned, all she had to do was wait for some construction to be completed before creating any more changes.
As for the other aspects, they were also on track. With the guard team completed and training very hard, the military might of the territory was also reassuring.
Anyway, with all these settled, she finally had the time to explore the inexplicable new stat.
[Occupation: Archer, Pharmacist ]
Okay, just the Pharmacist stat for now.