CH 25

Episode 4-7 

“Since your mother was running the place, you’ve been operating without a license for three years, right? Of course, you have to pay us for the sales you have made in the past.”

The merchant guild leader approached us with a smirk on his face.

The gallet girl with her hand over her mouth, shaking and tears in her eyes.

Come to think of it, this girl looks pretty clean, but her clothes are a bit worn in some places.

The price per galette was low.

Even if we say she sells at a thin profit margin, her profit is probably negligible.

I glanced at the paperwork the guild leader had taken out, and the amount owed was a reasonable rate.

It was about half a month’s salary with allowances based on other worlds.

That means about the average monthly salary of a third-year company employee.

That’s a lot of money for me. Though I was sent to another world instead. And some of it is paid by my money.

“No way ……. Since my mother got sick, I’ve been trying to do the best I can. ……”

“That’s a wonderful thing to do. But rules are rules. You should follow them properly.”

The merchant guild leader approached the girl one step closer.

Finally, the girl burst into tears.

“B-but we don’t have that much money …….”

I didn’t say anything.

Under no circumstances, if it’s a rule, one must have a business license.

If there is a fee, then of course you have to pay to open a business.

If she were to do unauthorized business on the Aion Mall’s otherworldly premises, I would make her go through the proper procedures and get a tenant’s fee. If she continues to operate without a permit, I will kick her out.

“If you cannot pay, …… I am not evil either. Oh yes, I can show you where you can work. I’ll have you pay me from your salary in installments, not in a lump sum.”

“L- let’s go with that!”

“Well, young lady, you’ll be able to pay me in no time at all. You may not look sophisticated, but some of the customers of the brothel like that type of girl.”

“WHA- A BROTHEL! What do you mean, if she can’t pay, you’ll make her work in a brothel! A$$hole!”

“My, what’s the matter, Miss Disqualified Elf? You wouldn’t say it’s okay for a knight to break the rules, would you? You mean to tell me that it’s okay to operate a business without a license and then screw over the money?”

“Kh-! B- but! How dare you force her to work in a brothel when she doesn’t want to!”

“My my? Putting your hand on the sword at your waist, what’s the matter? Don’t tell me you’re trying to cut down a member of the merchant guild who’s asking for money for a place, as per the rules?”

The guild leader was stirring her up, and Chloe’s white skin turned red with anger.

Chloe’s right hand is on the hilt of her sword and she is about to pull out her spirit sword.

The guild leader, with a smile on his face, approaches Chloe.

“Do you think…… you’ll be able to get rid of the girl who broke the rules but has no way to pay for it?”

“Uhh……… even if it is in accordance with the rules! We can’t leave the unfortunate people as they are!”

I kept quiet and watched, but I couldn’t leave it any longer.

Chloe is a klutz and a bit odd for an elf, but she’s an employee of the Aion Mall Otherworld Store.

I stepped in between Chloe and the guild leader.

“Calm down, Chloe.”

“But Naoya! If I don’t do something, an innocent girl will get hurt!”

“My my? Does the manager of Aion Mall defend those who can’t follow the rules?”

“No, not at all, guild leader. Not paying the money owed by an unauthorized business would not be tolerated.”

“Naoya! You-!”

“Well well, you seem to know what you’re talking about, young man. Shall we go now, young lady?”

The guild leader approached the girl selling galettes and held out his hand.

I blocked Chloe with my back as she tried to approach.

Chloe grabs my shoulder.

As if to say, “Get out of the way”.

“Hey, Chloe, I’d like to have some more galette, too.”

“N-Naoya? What are you talking about?”

The power of Chloe who tried to push me away loosens.

The Guild leader and the girl both looked at me when I suddenly said that.

“Chloe said you were going to eat too, right? That’s right, I’ll buy some for Barbera and Anna-san, who are away at home.”

I take out my wallet from behind my cloak, which smells a little musty.

I still haven’t had this month’s payday.

That means I haven’t received my salary that doubles my annual income, and I haven’t received the portion of my salary that is paid in money I can spend in this world.

MY-SALARY.

“Since those two are gluttonous, same as you Chloe. That’s right, sell me all the galettes with this!”

I’m going to give the girl ALL THE MONEY I HAVE LEFT IN THIS WORLD.

The money is about a month’s salary, minus the amount spent on shopping and meals in town.

In other words, a little more than the guild leader is charging.

The galette girl rolls her eyes at the large sum of money suddenly handed to her.

“Ehh? B-but even if I sold all the galettes, this is still too much money.”

That’s right.

My payday this month has not come yet.

However, I had the money of this world.

The money was provided by Aion Corporation.

As expected, I wasn’t thrown into another world with just my body and personal belongings! I have savings in Japanese yen, but I can’t withdraw it here! I can’t survive until payday if I don’t have my money here in the first place!

I was given one month’s salary as “preparation money”!

Thanks, Aion! But since I was suddenly sent to another world, I guess I don’t have to thank you now!

“Whoops, and there’s also the price of the jam. If we buy up all the jam, business will be closed for a while! And that includes the inconvenience fee!”

Incidentally, I had to take money out of my paycheck to buy vegetables from Aion Mall because I didn’t know what the prices of non-food items were.

Once I ran out of money to prepare, there would be no more cash for me to spend until payday.

Since I was the manager and in charge of the store and I was the one who provided the money in this world, which was partially funded, I could just loan the money from the sales.

But my tendency to be a chicken, not wanting to reduce the amount of cash available in the other world as much as possible until payday, came in handy.

“Na, naoya ……?”

“Oh my? I’m sure that the cost of the galette and jam is way more than enough to cover the cost of the temporary closing.”

“Kuh ……, you’re right! Look, you can sell me the recipe for the galette, can’t you? You need this much to sell the recipe for your main product, right? Would you rather have more?”

“Ehh… uhm, it’s a home-cooked dish that my mother taught me, nothing special, but I can’t …… take this much.”

“No, no, no, no! It’s so good, you see, that you’ve been doing it for three years. It’s worth this much just because you and your mother take it for granted Right, Chloe?”

“Is that so, Naoya?”

Read the air, you dear lord so clumsy airhead knight!

At least say something like, “This galette is delicious!”

However, my internal comment didn’t reach Chloe.

Chloe was not able to catch up with the sudden turn of events.

The girl remained puzzled, and I became a little impatient.

The help came from an unexpected source.