Chapter 108: The Eatery Opens
Yuri and I moved to a different location, arriving at the Castle’s kitchen.
Peeking in, we saw Naomi diligently doing prep work with a serious expression.
After putting the finished ingredients into containers and returning them to the refrigerator, she gave a small, satisfied-looking nod.
And just as she was about to start washing up, she noticed Yuri, who was trying to hide.
“…If you’re here, just say so. You’re so tactless.”
“Well, I was just wondering if you were enjoying yourself. You don’t seem like the type to talk about that sort of thing.”
“Mind your own business!” Naomi fumed, her face turning red.
Yep. Business as usual. I’m relieved.
Afterwards, when I told her we came to see the progress of the shop, she nodded.
She said today was her last day working at the Castle.
Apparently, she’s also been in the shop’s kitchen and has it prepared.
When I tilted my head and asked, “Isn’t that fast?” she frowned and said, “Didn’t you come here because you heard it was finished?”
It seems the shop was already completed.
True, if I calculate it, it might have been about a month already.
“There are still two days left, you know.
I’ve already checked the kitchen several times, and I’ve carefully planned the menu.
There’s only one problem left… I’m wondering how to set the prices.”
From what I hear, she’d already decided on them once, but she’s being told she should raise the prices because the food is on par with high-class restaurants specializing in nobles.
She’s apparently worried that it would be cruel to have prices so high that people in a place where commoners gather can only smell the aroma but can’t afford to buy.
She says that if she’s opening in a place where commoners gather, she wants those very people to be able to eat her food.
“Well, I can sympathize more with your thinking, Naomi, but you should probably make it a bit more expensive than a regular diner. We wouldn’t want other eateries to suffer terribly.
If you include the phrase ‘high-class restaurant,’ it probably won’t be seen negatively. Something like ‘A Commoners’ Diner by a Former Royal Palace Chef.'”
“Besides… your cooking is too delicious, so people will complain if they have to wait too long,” I told her seriously.
“You… don’t go raising the bar unnecessarily! What’ll you do if no customers come?!”
“Well, that would be my fault for planning it.
Even Count Connor acknowledges it, so the food is perfect.
The only remaining issues are whether the advertising, location, and pricing were set up properly.”
“Ah, thank you… You’ll be with me from here on out, right?”
Naomi, fidgeting nervously, looked up at me with upturned eyes.
“About that…” I briefly explained my current situation.
“You… doing things that’ll get you targeted again… You’re such an idiot!”
“It couldn’t be helped! If I hadn’t done it, this Town would have been destroyed!”
Hearing that the Town would have been destroyed, Naomi turned to Yuri and asked, “Is that true?”
Huh? You’ll believe Yuri’s words?
But not mine?
“It’s true. Rui saved the world.”
Whoa, that’s an exaggeratiooon!
“I see. I knew it, but you really are someone distant now, aren’t you…”
“No, I’m not distant at all!
I have no intention of flaunting my authority!”
When I said I didn’t want to be treated like a prince in some weird way, she glared at me sharply and smacked my forehead.
I don’t get it. Why does she always get so huffy…
“Rui…” For some reason, Yuri also gave me a strange look.
Not understanding what was going on, we went to check the condition of the shop we had commissioned.
It was more complete than expected, pretty much ready to open.
Two days later, the shop opened as planned.
We were also helping out at Naomi’s shop.
That much was according to plan, but it seemed to have attracted more attention than expected, and it was so crowded with people it felt like the entire Town had gathered.
The reason it attracted so much attention was likely because I had painted a picture on the building using dyed Slime Jelly as paint.
I painted the backs of a boy and girl holding up Staffs, with a Magic Circle floating in the blue sky. Painting such a large picture on a building was unique in Belfast, so it really stood out.
By the way, the Magic Circle is fake. I made sure to include a disclaimer.
Under such circumstances, there was no way Naomi’s shop wouldn’t be bustling.
No, it was so chaotic you could call it a battlefield.
Our academy friends, who had said to call them when it was ready, all ended up helping out, and it was truly hectic until we ran out of ingredients and sold out.
And so, Naomi’s shop closed earlier than others, and we were inside the closed shop, eating and chatting.
“Hey, I said to invite me as a customer, but…”
“Me too.”
“Me toooo.”
“Me too.”
Complaints flew, led by Riana-san.
Hiroki and Akito, who had only managed the queue of customers who couldn’t fit inside, just gave wry smiles, but the tone of the girls who handled the floor was dead serious.
“Ufufu, don’t say that!
It’s my shop, you know? You should at least help out a little!”
Naomi’s tone was her usual self, but she was all smiles.
“Naomi-san… Are you planning to keep this up indefinitely…?”
Yukina-san, who had worked incredibly hard on the floor, asked Naomi, looking exhausted.
Kyouko-chan, equally exhausted, also made a wry face.
“Of course! The customers were so happy, you know!?
Well, I did realize I need more staff, though…”
She showed a slightly troubled face, but for her, it seemed to be a happy problem, and her expression was unusually relaxed.
Everyone else looked incredulous, but for me, who had seen her anxiously wondering if customers would really come and how much her cooking would be recognized, her feelings were understandable.
She was even about to give up on her Hunter qualification, saying she didn’t need it anymore.
Since she only needed to go three more times, I made her promise to get it, as it would be a waste otherwise.
“Well, it was so successful it was overwhelming, so now I can rest easy even if we disappear.”
“Disappear…? Rui-san, did you do something again?”
To Riana-san, who was giving me an exasperated look, I said, “I might have done just a little something…” and explained the current situation.
I told her that Lestall would likely start making moves to establish connections to gather information on weapons, so I’ve been told to stay out of the public eye.
“…You really don’t distinguish between friend and foe, do you?
I am, without a doubt, on Lestall’s side, you know?”
“No, you’re not an enemy, though,” I corrected myself, but she gave me a sharp, sidelong glance.
“No, no, Riana-san, you’re different since you’ve been my friend from the start. We already have a connection, right?”
“Idiot. Don’t you consider that things could branch out from me, or that I could extract information?”
“If I’m ordered from above, I can’t exactly refuse, you know,” she said, giving me a troubled look.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I don’t intend to spill information even to friends, and I have made some calculations, you see.
Besides, if you, Riana-san, know the situation to some extent and understand that I’ve disappeared, it’ll be easier for you to refuse them, right?”
Yes, considering the speed of information transmission, there’s still a bit more time, even at the fastest.
I’ve consulted with Pops about this.
Though he also warned me not to drag out the relationship.
“So, that’s why Yuri and I have earned the right to go around and have fun for a while. Exciting, isn’t it?”
“Ufufu, I’m so happy thinking we can go on a trip together again. It’ll be a long one this time!”
As Yuri and I got excited talking about where to go after Leben, everyone around us seemed to be speechless for some reason.
“You guys… aren’t you talking about being targeted?”
“Shouldn’t you be a little more on edge?”
I received such retorts, but honestly, I’m not taking it that seriously.
Assassination or overtly forceful methods are unlikely, considering what would happen if they failed to capture me or if Belfast found out.
They probably know it’s a Magic Tool, so they understand that killing me won’t make the weapon disappear.
Before that, it would be difficult for them to even track us since we can fly.
The situation is different from our academy days when we couldn’t even leave the Town without permission.
The country is on our side, so forging identification is a piece of cake.
As long as we don’t run into anyone we know, we probably won’t be found.
“Compared to war or the Town of Leben, this is a piece of cake, a piece of cake.”
“Why is the Town of Leben a point of comparison…?”
When Kyouko-chan asked with a blank look, Yuri voiced her complaints as if to vent her frustration. However, she couldn’t get everyone’s agreement.
Everyone retorted that it probably wasn’t on the same level as a war.
Yuri puffed up her cheeks, turned away, and exclaimed, “It really was awful!” Cute.
Amidst all this, a boy came running pitter-patter from the kitchen.
“Naomi-san, I’ve finished cleaning the kitchen!”
The one staring at Naomi with a red face was Akito’s younger brother, Kazuya-kun.
That’s right, as per the initial plan, when we approached Akito’s family, they happily agreed to cooperate and the whole family came over. They’re now living in lodgings prepared by Count Connor.
Among them, Kazuya-kun, due to his own strong desire, became Naomi’s apprentice and was doing chores in the kitchen as a Chef trainee.
We’ve hired other Chefs, but we still don’t have enough, so he’s someone we really want to see succeed.
“Good work. You must be tired today, so you can rest. Let’s work hard again starting tomorrow!”
“Y-Yes! I’ll do my best to become useful quickly!”
He bowed his head vigorously and then ran off as if escaping.
“Heeh, he’s definitely got a thing for Naomi-chan, doesn’t he?”
“Fufu, he’s so earnest, it’s cute, isn’t it?”
“S-Somehow, sorry about my little brother…”
Akito scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed by the women’s excitement.
The Naomi in question huffed and looked away, but she didn’t seem to mind.
Just then, Count Connor peeked out from the “Staff Only” door.
“The shops inside are also experiencing a rush of sold-out items. Your Highness, it’s a huge success!”
Since we ended up starting on a smaller scale than originally planned, we’ve set it up so that multiple shops are housed in a single large room to accommodate as many as possible.
Although the limited space means they can’t stock large quantities, it was a very strong start.
“Is that so! If this keeps up, we might be able to attract larger tenants.”
As we were discussing that, Naomi joined the conversation, pleading with Count Connor for more staff in the kitchen, but emphasizing that she didn’t want to compromise on quality, and so time passed.
And so, the store opening, while hectic, concluded on a positive note, and I escorted everyone back to Oldam.
On the way, I stopped by the Abyss, and during my usual delivery, I was told that the Lord had summoned me.
That’s strange. Viscount Oldam shouldn’t be back yet, I thought. Nevertheless, when I dropped by the Viscount’s mansion just in case, I was handed a surprisingly large sum of money, payment for all my deliveries up to now.
There were several boxes filled to the brim with Large Gold Coins, and I was told this was all payment for the sold materials.
“Is it really okay for me to accept all this?”
I asked the young servant boy.
“Yes. This was sent from the kingdom. It’s just taking up space here.
I was instructed to make sure you take it with you when you stopped by.”
Come to think of it, they did say they’d pay me later because the prices hadn’t been set yet.
I’ve been so busy lately, I completely forgot.
My funds have been dwindling recently, so this is genuinely appreciated.
“Huh, if it’s from the kingdom, does that mean the Viscount didn’t get any money?”
“No, it depends on the materials, so Father was also pleased to have some financial leeway.”
Hmm…? Father!?
Ehh…? This shota-kun with his refined manners and elegant features is the Viscount’s son!?
Well, I mean, the General is Yuri’s father, so it’s not entirely out of the question, I guess.
“I see. I’m glad he was pleased.”
As the two of us left the mansion, Yuri tilted her head and peered at me, saying, “I thought this on the battlefield too, but you seem quite close with the Oldam family, don’t you?”
Right. I hadn’t told her about the Ogre King subjugation, which wasn’t related to Listol’s incident. And so, I returned to Belfast while discussing it with Yuri.