66-Episode 61 Store Opens

'That's nice, that!Sounds fun!

After Estella and I went around to the houses of the old-timers, landowners, and the living gods in the 42nd district to get their support for the festival of the spirit gods, we split up and went around to the restaurants.

We explained the purpose of the project and asked them to set up stalls. ............ Is 'demise' a redundant word for 'store'?Anyway, I'm going around asking people to participate in the stalls.

Since restaurants are very busy during the day, we usually negotiate early in the morning before opening or at night after closing.

Now it is early in the morning before the restaurant opens.

Ginette is probably preparing for the morning meal at the sunny pavilion right now.

And this is Cantalucia.

There are no customers in the usually crowded restaurant, and it looks unusually spacious.

While the master of the store is quietly preparing to open the store behind the counter, Paula, the dog-eared sales clerk who has full control of the negotiations, is getting excited as she listens to me.

'You can make money!That's a lot of money for sure!

Lately, Cantalucía has been making a lot of profit due to the stable purchase price of ingredients, and Paula seems to be in a slightly aggressive mode. In other words, 'I'm going to make as much money as I can, and I'm going to be the king of restaurants! That's the situation.

It's hard to believe that this is the guy who was crying in front of the store.

'It's all thanks to you, you know.

When I mentioned how well the store was doing, Paula gave me a cheerful smile.

Then she turned her face down a little embarrassed and said to me.

'Thank you, ............ ya, Yashiro.

Are you that embarrassed to call me by my name?

After saying this, he grabs the large ears hanging from his head and hides his face, barking sarcastically, 'Kyaa! I'm sure you'll agree. ...... Oh, you're a girl.

'Paula, you look like a girl.

'I'm a girl!I mean, it's annoying!Why are you even here?

'Nya!Why are you so hard on me?I don't work here, and you're getting angry at me in a natural way!

Loretta is being yelled at by Paula for saying something unnecessary.

They must not have been a good match to begin with.

Paula is a hard worker whose effort shows on her face, and Loretta is a hard worker who doesn't feel any hardship.

Even though they are aiming for the same destination under the same circumstances, they cannot understand each other because the way to get there is too different. I think they are similar in their roots, but it is because they are so similar that there are parts that are incompatible.

Especially, Paula doesn't like Loretta because she seems to have achieved success without even trying.

Well, I don't mean to say that Paula is narrow-minded or that Loretta is secretive.

When each of us goes our own way, there will inevitably be things that are incompatible with each other, and there's no need to put effort into them.

You know what I mean. If you don't like it, don't get involved. Keep it to the bare minimum.

'I was elected to the committee as a representative of New Town. I was recommended by my big brother!So I'm a little higher in rank than Paula. That's great!

''Let's see, ......, how many times can one person hit the executive committee?

'Neehee!

'Sorry, we don't have such a system in place.'

...... Maybe they just don't like Loretta because she's annoyingly involved with Paula. ...... I'm sure she doesn't mean any harm... ...

'Hmm~, but what should I sell at the stall?'

'What is the specialty of this store?

'Well, it's got to be the Hexenbiest Big Sausage!

Ah, come to think of it, there was always a big red-bronze sausage by the side of the guys drinking in this store. That was a hexenbiest sausage, wasn't it?

'It's hearty and tastes great!Once you try it, you'll be addicted to it!

'That's right, big brother!The sausages here have such a delicious fatty flavor that once you take a bite, you can't help but take a second bite!Even when I was working here, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the hexenbiest sausages that the master would secretly give me were the most enjoyable. That's right!The sausages I eat while working are very special. ......'

'Shut up!

Paula bared her fangs at Loretta, who snatched the conversation away from her.

Have these guys been working like this all day?That must be exhausting for Paula.

But the way ...... Loretta interacts with her is like a little sister spoiling her big sister.

'You sit there and zipper your mouth!Okay?

'Pfft, zipper your mouth,' ...... Paula, you use a cute expression.

'Shut up!I'll sew your mouth shut!

'Huh?I'll shut up!

If it's sewn shut, it'll never open.

Does ...... have zippers in this city?

I'm not sure what you mean by 'something you can walk around eating'.

Paula asks, pointing to the proposal I've presented.

It's a proposal that describes what to look out for when setting up a stall to avoid trouble, tips on how to increase sales, and a few gentlemen's agreements.

It says not to operate out of the space and to set the price between 20Rb and 80Rb (preferably 50Rb is the best). The price of food at a festival should be around 500 yen.

One of the items.

I have a question about the fact that the food served at the stalls should be something that you can walk around eating.

I thought I didn't need to tell you why he did that. ...... Well, if it's your first time at a festival, you might be curious.

'There's only so much space in the stalls. If people eat in front of the stalls, the turnover rate will decrease and sales will drop. It's important for the festival that people start walking as soon as they buy something and don't stop the flow.

For this reason, people prefer to eat food that they can walk around.

A bowl of ramen is delicious, but it is not suitable for a festival.

'Eating around... ...... I wanted to serve sausages...'

Paula puckered her lips in disappointment.

'Why don't you just serve it?

'What?You can't just walk around eating.I'd have to ask for my plate back, and I can't carry a plate with a knife and fork.

The hexenbiest sausage here is served on a long, thin plate with sausage and mustard, along with a knife and fork.

Well, you certainly can't walk around eating it in that state. ......

'You can just stick it on a stick.

'Stick it on a stick?

'Oh!That might be easier to eat!

Paula glared at Loretta, who suddenly opened her mouth.

But Loretta is not intimidated and calls out to the master at the counter.

'Master!I'd like to try the sausage, please!

'You just want to eat it, don't you!Pay for it!

'No, no. This is a survey by the executive committee, so please cooperate.

'............ Can I use the first one for now?

'No, we don't have a system like that.'

He calmed Paula, who clenched her fists tightly.

In the meantime, the master, who is sweet to Loretta, arrives with three sausages.

Oh, you have one for me too? You know what you're talking about, you dog-eared old man.

'All I need is a clean stick. ...... I'll just use chopsticks for now. Master, can you fetch me some chopsticks?

'Come and get them yourself.'

...... I'm slightly annoyed at the difference in treatment between you and Loretta.

'...... Loretta.'

'Master, I'd like you to bring it to me.'

'............ Wait a minute.'

Are you going?

You spoil Loretta too much, don't you?

'Don't you dare mess with my father!

'Master is a gentleman who is kind to ladies.

'Stop, ...... embarrassing me.'

He mumbled in a thick voice.

...... Don't be embarrassed, it's disgusting.

When the master, who was boned by Loretta, brought me a pair of chopsticks, I stuck one into the sausage. You'll be able to eat it all by itself.

That was all it took to make a frankfurter that could be eaten on the go.

'Oh, this looks easy to eat!

'Really. I didn't know there was such a simple solution.'

'Also, it's a good idea to have ketchup ready, not just mustard.

'Our sausages are best with mustard.

'There will be children at the festival. You'll get more sales if you can appeal to everyone.'

'Oh, I see. We usually only have people who drink alcohol here.

Paula snaps her hand.

I think we need to teach them about the difference in customer base.

You could say that children are the main players in the festival. The things that children ask for are the ones that sell. It is the things that children ask for that sell.

'...... ketchup'.

'Wow!Master, you're so clever!Let's go to .......'

Loretta dipped her frankfurter in a generous amount of ketchup and bit into it.

'Oh ............, it's so good!It tastes like happiness. It's a rush hour of gravy.

I felt like I had seen the origin of Hammaro.

Is there such a thing as ......, Rush Hour?I'm sure you're right.I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

I'm sure you'll like it.

Paula, who had apparently never tasted a sausage with ketchup before, rolled her eyes at the taste.

'It's also very easy to eat. I think we should serve it like this at the restaurant.

'The sticks get in the customers' mouths, so they're disposable.

'Oh, that's not very economical.

Well, it may be possible to reuse them by collecting them and washing them, but ...... makes me feel bad about using them.

It's better to use disposable ones. Wooden sticks that can be thrown away after eating are best for festivals.

'I'm starting to look forward to it now. How many kinds of food can you serve on the menu?

'One dish per restaurant, basically.'

'Just one item?

'That's also a way to prevent lines.

The ideal is to have a signboard that shows what you are selling even from a distance, and make people think, 'Oh, let's eat that. It is not good for the flow of customers if they have to choose from many menus.

'That's why you have to compete with something you are absolutely sure of.

'Then we'll choose the Hexenbiest's Big Sausage!

He must be very confident. Paula looked as if she had already won the number one seller.

'Master!I'll have another one!

'How many of these are you going to eat?

'If I had to guess, I'd say four bottles of ............!

'Yashiro, can I use the third one at a time?

'So, no, there's no system where you can hit the executive committee.'

Paula said, shaking her clenched fists.

'...... Look, four of them.'

'Wow!

The Master places a plate with four sausages in front of Loretta.

...... This guy knew we'd be getting more and he was ready. He must have pampered Loretta a lot when she was here. His slavery is so ingrained.

And the look on his face when he saw Loretta's joy.

Are you a foolish parent?She's someone else's daughter.

'd*mn it!That's why I love you, Master!

I love you so much ............!

The simple-minded Master stumbled over his words and turned his head away.

Oh, oh, he's embarrassed.

'............ Paula. Dad, I have something important to tell you.

'What are you trying to do, throw away your family and start a new life?

He's not a stupid parent. ...... He's just stupid!

'Loretta's 'like' is not the kind of 'like' you're talking about!It's the kind of love that animals have for people who feed them.

That's a good point.

This is just feeding.

'Paula-san, you like my brother because he treated you well, right?

'Huh!Ha, ha!I'm not the only one who likes you.No, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't hate you.But that's not the same thing as this. ......!

Paula.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what's going on in your life.

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.

'He didn't feed me!

I didn't feed him. ............ Oh, you did feed him tacos. If you ask me, I think she's become strangely fond of me since then.

Are girls vulnerable to being fed?

'Anyway, the stall will be open from morning till night, so we'll need a lot of sausages. Make sure you have enough to feed all the residents of the forty-two districts.'

'Night. ......'

For the first time, Paula, who had been so enthusiastic up to this point, her expression clouded.

'Is there something wrong with the night?

Rather, the night is the main time for the stall.

'It's not that it's bad, but ......'.

With a cloudy expression, he hesitated to say his next line.

What the hell, that's weird.

If you have something to say, say it clearly.

'This town is haunted, isn't it?It's kind of scary.'

Why are you talking like that?

You can't just say whatever you want!

'Well, now that we've done our business, let's go home, Loretta!

'Paula, please tell me more about that!

...... d*mn!Loretta, who can't help but get involved in these kinds of conversations, took the bait as expected.

I wanted to end this quickly so it wouldn't happen again!

'Haven't you ever heard of it?About a female ghost?

'No, sir. When I was a child, I used to hear a woman's voice sounding distressed in the middle of the night, and I thought it was a ghost or something. ...... Soon after that, my family grew, so I thought, 'Oh, it's not like that.

What are you talking about?It's so early in the morning.

And your parents, pull a little weight.

What about Yashiro?Have you heard of him?'

'There are no ghosts. That's just a misunderstanding by a sleepyhead!

There's a wise saying, 'A ghost's true identity is a withered tail.

There is no such thing as a ghost in this world.

'But there are still many witnesses. The other day, ......'.

What's up, girl?Are you going to tell a ghost story now?I'm leaving.I'm leaving right now.

'Do you have any witnesses?What was it like?

Loretta took the bait beautifully.

Can't I just go home before ............ you?

'My friend went to the bathroom in the middle of the night ...... and saw something glowing .......' ......

'Oh, yeah!It was glowing?

'Maybe the moonlight was reflecting off his bald head.

'So, ......, I wondered, "What is that?"' I've heard that he was curious and followed her. ......'

d*mn ......, my teasers were completely ignored.

If Paula is in talk mode and Loretta is in listen mode, there is no stopping this conversation.

So, ............'Aaaaah, I can't hear you! That's the plan!

I put my fingers in my ears, arched my back, and crouched down out of sight.

...... I want to be a clam.

'So, follow me to ...... what happened?'

'The bathroom of the girl's house faces an alleyway, and the light that wandered through the alleyway seemed to be avoiding the public eye.

'So it's a wandering ghost!So, so?What happened to it?

'After turning the corner several times, the girl lost sight of the mysterious light. ...... It was a narrow alley four streets over from here, an empty section lined with dilapidated houses.

'A ghost that disappeared in the middle of nowhere?Maybe it's the grudge of someone who died a regrettable death there!If it's not popular, it's easy for incidents to happen!

'The girl who lost sight of the light said, "Huh, that's strange, where did she go?" ............ and walked around looking for her.

'......Oh, ............, I'm starting to get nervous.'

'At ............. I couldn't find him, so I turned around to go home, and ...... he was standing right in front of me!

'Geez!Sudden appearance is bad for the heart!

'The girl clearly saw ...... a black, shadowy woman staring at ............ me with a faint glow in her eyes. It was a very sad looking woman with sad eyes. ......'

I'm not sure what to make of this, but it's a good idea.

'There are many such sightings. You know, we're in a bar, right?Even if you don't want to hear it, you'll get information like that.

'I see. That's the kind of trouble that can only happen in a bar.

The atmosphere around the two of them changes.

Apparently, the ghost story is over.

'So, about the ketchup and mustard to put on the sausages, I recommend you to put them in a thin container with a thin tip and put them in a line to make them easier to eat and to balance the taste.

'Why are we talking about sausages now?

'Haha, what are you talking about? We're only talking about sausages. Haha, you're a weird guy, haha.'

'The shadow of a black woman floating in the suspicious light ......'

'Stop it!If Magda has trouble sleeping, it's your fault!

'...... big brother, you're taking Magda to the bathroom in the middle of the night. ......'

I don't know about you, but I'm afraid of going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, even when I'm indoors!

I'm not sure if it's haunted or not.

I'm not sure if I saw anything.

Even if I did see something, it's just a withered flower!

A withered tail is a withered silver grass. ............ Why is there a silver grass in the bathroom of the Sunlit Pavilion?That's what I'm afraid of!

Oh, dear!What are you doing?

'Yashiro's a scaredy-cat, isn't he?

'Idiot!You're wrong, you idiot!I'm not scared at all!

I'm not scared at all!' 'You're scared no matter how you look at it.

'There are even couples who are apparently in a relationship, but they say, "We're not like that.If that's the case, don't make out in public!I'm sure you're aware of that.

'...... What are you angry about?

What are you angry about?

The absurdity of the world!

'Big brother, this is a serious matter!

Loretta's eyes glittered with a kind of disgust.

I've got a bad feeling about ............ your face.

'Unless we find out who the ghosts are, there might be a lot of people who don't want to go to the night market!So we're going to find out who the ghost is!

With 100% unadulterated curiosity on her face, Loretta lets out a snort, 'Hmph! she exhales.

Don't be silly. Who wants to get involved in a ghost frenzy? ......

'Right. If you guys can figure out who the ghosts are, we'll be able to run the night stall without worry.

..................

'Hey, brother!

'Yashiro!

............ No, you can't, okay?

'Well, take care of him for me, will you?

'He asked me to take care of you!

What are you doing?

I don't like it!I'm not getting involved in any ghostly disturbances!

I'll never get involved!

That's for sure!

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's had a bit of trouble with the whole thing.