CH 26

Episode 4-8

“Haha, hahahha! This is interesting! …… Miss, if you intend to sell the recipe, it’s roughly the right price. No one will pay more for a galette than that for a low unit price.”

“Eh ……?”

“However, think about it. Selling the recipe means that a restaurant with the same taste may be opened. In the future, even if you get a business license and pay for the place, you may not be able to sell the galette. If Naoya opens a different restaurant with the same flavor.”

I buy out the recipe for the galette.

I told her so, and the girl said, “I can’t get this much.”

Without this money, she would have been forced to work in a brothel.

The one who came to aid me in my time of need was the guild leader of the merchant guild, who had been pestering the girl who had been selling the galette, and who had been instigating Chloe to do the same.

He was grinning at me, as if he was trying to price me out of a job. In fact, I think he’s trying to price me out.

I wondered what he was going to do with me and how much I was worth as a businessman.　

Perhaps the guild leader is trying to gauge my worth by saying something like this.

“Come on, take it. Whatever happens tomorrow, you can think about it tomorrow.”

I put the money into the girl’s hesitant hands.

“There are times when you need a permit to do business, and you have to pay for it. You have to follow the rules to earn any form of money. If you want to do business tomorrow, instead of working in a brothel, take it …….”

Honestly, I even think the head of the merchant guild is kind. Apart from the sentiment of me, Chloe and the girl.

Although it is a three-year location fee, the amount is half of my salary, about the average monthly salary of a third-year employee.

And probably no additional payment for additional time.

If she can’t pay it, I’ll give her a job offer and allow her to split the money. The job is not the same, though.

Furthermore, for some reason, the merchant guild leader agreed to my proposal.

I guess he changed his target from the galette girl to me.

I wonder if he paid me out of mere sympathy, or if he can use this opportunity to his own benefit.

In short, he saw me as a good opportunity to assess the skills and abilities of the new manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.

Yikes.

To be frank, I have no idea how to use the galette recipe.

“I- understand.”

She took the money from me with trembling hands.

“It seems we have a deal. I’ll give you the three years’ rent for the place and a receipt for the payment.”

The guild leader took the coins from the girl’s hand and gave them to a man in armor who was standing next to the guild leader before I knew it.

He signed a document in his hand and handed it to the girl.

“This completes your payment. When you sell food in the future, you must register with the merchants’ guild and pay for the place. Well, it seems you sold the recipe for galette, so I don’t know if you can continue to do business.”

“This girl and I will talk about it and make a decision. We will discuss it carefully.”

“Fufu, hahahhha! I am looking forward to the future, Naoya-san.”

The guild leader smiled at the end, got into his carriage, and left.

All that remained was me, Chloe, and the galette girl.

“That prick backed down,……?”

“There’s plenty of money left …….”

The two ladies are stunned.

“Uh, Chloe. Can you get the galette and the jam on the pouch for now? And you, can I come to your house with you?”

“Ah, sure, I’ll join you, Naoya. Wait! You know, you can’t just go to a girl’s house. Naoya went to the girl’s house, said something like, ” You should thank me for saving your life,” and attacked the girl, or even her mother and me, who were there! Kuh, kill me!”

“I’m not. I’m just going to learn the recipe for the galette I paid for. I can’t think of a way to use it.”

Beside-

The guild leader said I could open another restaurant with the same flavors, but he’s wrong.

I haven’t bought JAM’S RECIPE.

Even if I could recreate the galette, no one would buy it.

Although there may be some jam available for sale in Japan at the Aion Mall’s Otherworld Store. I might be able to substitute jam that’s sitting on a shelf in a sealed-off store.

I have no intention of doing so at the moment.

“Sigh, I’m really naive. Now the merchant guild leader is on to me. Ah, he knew my name and had been on to me from the very beginning.”

My face is getting tense now.

The merchants’ guild, the business rival of the Aion Mall’s Otherworldly Store, is apparently quite formidable.

Well, for now.

“Ooooooh! I’m so glad I had the money to prepare! Thank you, Aion, you’ve made me think a little bit more about you! But now I’ve used it all up, what am I going to do tomorrow?!”

“Uhmm …… is everything okay? Sir knight, is this brother with you?”

“Don’t worry about it, young girl! Naoya sometimes does this!”

“Whose fault is it that I’m like this? It’s you and your friends!”

“W-well, I don’t know. Sorry.”

“I’m sorry ……, and …… ……, thank you so much.”

“A-ah, I hope you understand. But Chloe, we’ll talk about it later.”

“D-d-d-don’t tell me, Naoya! You pushed me into a small, dark room under the guise of a meeting to reflect on the situation! And then you attacked me.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m a little tired and I can’t deal with you right now.”

Chloe’s speech was interrupted.

I let out a big sigh.

“So, you’re going to show me the house, right? I’d like to talk to your mother.”

“Well, my house isn’t pretty enough to invite people over. ……”

“Ah. I don’t mind, and neither does Chloe. Chloe’s room is more messy.”

“H-how did you know that, Naoya? You must have followed me to my room.”

“Is your house close to here?”

“Yes, it’s in a back alley, just a few short steps away.”

Ignoring Chloe who started to say something again, I started walking with the galette girl.

My return to the Aion Mall Otherworld Store is going to be a little late and I’m going to miss the evening peak.

……Well, that’s okay. I say peak, but there are only about 10 customers that overlap. It’s just too few and it’s so frustrating!