They got into the carriage that had been waiting for them at the border between the noble and common districts and returned to the residence of the Marquis of Florenziano.

"Well..."

Jin went to the kitchen with the topopo he had bought. The kitchen was preparing dinner.

However, since it was the residence of a marquis, it didn't seem to be too much of a burden to cook for Jin and the others, and they didn't look too busy.

"Oh?　Are you a visitor?　How can I help you?"

A mature man, who was probably the head chef of the kitchen, noticed Jin.

He said, "Ah, ah, hello. I was wondering if I could use your kitchen for a moment.

He showed them a bag in his hand. The cooks saw it,

"Is that topopo?　Why are you using such a common food?"

"One out of several of them is poisonous, you know?

and so on. Jin laughs and explains.

"Poison?　It's in the sprouted potatoes. The area around the sprouts is poisonous. This one is fine because it hasn't sprouted. Oh, and the green ones are poisonous all around.

"What?　That's ......."

Hmm, now that you mention it, it does occur to me.

"So, you use topopods that have not turned green, and even sprouted topopods can be eaten if the sprouts are removed?"

Jin nodded at them and said, "Yes,

"So, I'm thinking of making some delicious snacks with them.

A man who looked like the head chef stepped forward.

"In that case, let me help you, sir.

First, he washed the topopo (potatoes) well to remove the mud.

Thinly slice them and soak them in water for a short time.

Drain them, deep-fry them in hot oil, and season them while they are still hot.

Yes, Jin was going to make potato chips.

The chef was indeed very experienced and sliced the chips so thin you could see through them.

He thought of various seasonings, but decided to start with a simple salt flavor.

The prototype was completed in no time since it was fried in a pan for deep frying.

"Wow, that was easy to make," he said.

"Come on, let's taste it.

Jin picked up a potato chip and was about to put it in his mouth when Reiko quickly picked it up from the side and put it in her own mouth.

"Hey, Reiko!

"If you want to poison me, I'm at your service."

Reiko's mouth is equipped with analytical functions including toxicity.

No toxicity. Saltiness seems to be just right.

With that, Jin picks up a few potato chips and bites into them at once. A nostalgic taste spread through his mouth.

"Yes, it's good."

The head chef, who was also watching, was also a little apprehensive, but he picked one and put it in his mouth.

"Ummm, delicious!　The crispy texture, the crunchy texture, the oil soaking through and the salty taste all go together ......!"

Hearing the chef's praise, the other chefs, in order of their availability, reached for their chips and said, "Yum!

"Yum!

"I didn't know such cheap food could taste so good!"

"I guess it's not only the ingredients that determine the taste!

"I didn't know that such a cheap product could taste so good!

And so the prototype potato chips were gone in no time at all.

"Well, sir, you've taken off your helmet!

The chef shook Jin's hand.

"This looks like it would be a good light meal, and it would also go well with ale.

"I'm sure you can make it even better with some seasoning.

So, I asked him to serve this as a side dish for dinner.

I was so pleased that I asked him to serve it as a side dish for dinner.

And dinner time.

Tonight's dinner was with the Marquis of Florenziano.

"First of all, let me tell you that we are ready to mass produce the distiller. The deposit will be two million dollars, is that correct?"

That's fine," said Reinhard. Jin agrees, and the Marquis dismisses the business discussion.

"Mr. Reinhard, Miss Elsa, Mr. Jin. Let's be civil tonight. Cheers.

Cheers.

Everyone raises their glasses. Tonight's glasses were not only clear, but also had a bird of prey-like design on them, which is the emblem of the Marquise.

The first glass of wine was empty when the chef arrived. The head chef arrived.

A new dish.

He left the potato chips I had just eaten.

"Oh, that's interesting.

The Marquis immediately picked one up and put it in his mouth. Reinhardt and Elsa also took a bite.

"It's delicious. Chef Matthias is indeed a chef.

"Mmm, delicious!"

"...... delicious!"

The chef was praised,

"No, I learned this from a guest."

he said honestly.

Elsa was shocked to hear that,

"Is it ......<>?"

"What?　Topopo?

"Topopo?　This?"

At Erza's comment, Reinhard and the Marquis of Florenziano also sounded surprised.

The chef nodded his head and said enthusiastically that there was no need to worry about topopo poison and that it would be delicious if cooked. Jin also nodded,

"It's not so much that topopo is poisonous, but rather that topopo shoots are poisonous," he said. It is a means of self-preservation to prevent animals from eating the buds.

Everyone nodded in agreement with Jin's explanation. It is true that most of the stories of poisoning from eating topopo sprouts have occurred after spring, that is, days after the harvest season.

Above all, the dish, the snack, or the snack that you just ate: ......

"Topopo chips."

That's what Jin said.

He had been eating them for a long time.

"I see, I think I understand why Mr. Reinhardt said you are a bit of a special kind of magecraftsman.

He takes another bite of his topopo chips.

"It's a bit of a drag, isn't it?"

He takes another bite.

"Marquis, that's not fair."

Reinhard reaches for his chips too. Jin starts to eat too.

Erza, the last one left, reached out her hand, picked one, and put it in her mouth. After that, they began to eat as if they had been in a dam, and the mountain of Topo Popo chips on the plate was emptied in no time.

"Well, it's a great honor for a chef to see you eat so beautifully.

The chef bowed and left.

The Marquis Florenziano was thinking about something and turned to Jin,

"Mr. Jin, no, Mister Jin. I wonder if you don't mind if I make these at home, or in the Borgia?"

Jin nodded with a smile,

Yes, of course. You can thank me for my hospitality."

"Yes, thank you. Well, I'll have the food brought to you. Enjoy yourself tonight.

* * * * * *

After this, became a specialty of the Borgias, and topopo was reevaluated and popularized as a crop, making life easier for the peasants and increasing the tax revenue of the country.

The Marquis of Florenziano was praised for his achievements in later years.

In addition, it should be noted that refrigerators became widespread for the preservation of foodstuffs.

It should be added that the advice of Jin to fry topopo in oil only for a short time and not to heat the oil too hot was followed.