Volume 5 Chapter 3.2

Volume 5 Chapter 3.2

Translator: Reflet

Also, these guys barely picked up trash right before lunchtime, otherwise being too lazy to tidy up the place. No matter how much they might insist on the struggles of the kitchen or whatever, Makoto simply couldn’t share in their sentiment.

「Besides, there are a bunch of people here to eat all the time, so that clearly shows we aren’t doing anything wrong, you little twerp!」

Haruna inwardly facepalmed. Just as she had expected from her advance investigation, the head chef didn’t want to hear what a little girl like herself had to say. Besides, the only reason people kept coming there was an issue of selection. Since the surrounding restaurants couldn’t absorb all the demand in terms of price and size, everyone else had no choice to eat at this cafeteria, even if the food was indeed bad.

Despite having such an overwhelming competitive edge, the cafeteria wasn’t full; it barely even reached 70% at peak hours. It was insulting to think that these people were citizens in the country of knowledge, yet didn’t realize how problematic this was.

「Then if they stop coming, you’ll recognize that your way of doing things is mistaken, right?」

「Sure, only if they stop coming!」

「Okay. Make sure to remember what you just say.」

Inwardly grimacing at the details of Plan B they had come up with, Haruna feigned bold confidence on the surface. The other chefs jeered at her. As she felt their gazes on her back, Haruna quickly left the slightly dirty kitchen as quick as she could.

「Well that exceeded expectations……」

Haruna said with a grimace and a shrug as she exited the kitchen to meet the elderly woman who was waiting outside. When she heard that, the woman shook her head hopelessly with a sigh.

Of course Haruna would question why this greedy cafeteria was just being left alone. That was why she had gone to check with the professors and secretariat, and they told her the head chef hadn’t listened to them. Even if they were to try and completely change the employees, it was apparently difficult to break a contract based simply on a bad reputation, and in with other work coupled in for extra business, they said they had never gotten around to it.

As a result, in regards to this incident, nearly all the instructors who were conflicted about Azuma Workshop were practically guaranteed to come to their side. Now that Haruna and the group had nothing to tie them down, in a sense many great things were expected from them.

「So, Professor Fluit. This is a rather mean-spirited method, but are you still okay with it?」

「Yes, of course.」

The woman by the name of Professor Fluit nodded with a serious expression when Haruna confirmed with her. Her face really was telling Haruna to do it.

「I will lay the ground work at the academy.」

「Please do. The location will be the now currently empty house next to our workshop, so we will purchase it and renovate it.」

「Will you be alright on the funding?」

「No problems there. Still, I wonder why the neighbor suddenly stopped their work?」

「Who knows? Still, that place never did have very good rumors about it, so I’m sure that had something to do with it.」

Haruna and Professor Fluit cocked their heads at this unusually convenient outcome.

The building in discussion here was an extremely large one next to Azuma Workshop Rufeus Division, formerly used as the main headquarters for Duston Trade Guild, which was a fairly large guild. Being a large building, there were some fairly bad rumors surrounding it, but the business itself was steady, with everything out in the open conducted in the proper manner, so no outsider knew the reason why they suddenly closed up shop and made a metaphorical night flight. This was exceedingly convenient for Haruna and the others, but the academy at least didn’t seem to have put pressure on that business, which just made it all the more ominous.

In actuality, Layotte and Rainy were the ones who had been involved in the bankruptcy of Duston Trade Guild. Rainy had been investigating various things about the academy’s cafeteria in order to back up Haruna when she picked up some information regarding Duston Trade Guild that she couldn’t overlook, choosing to report to Layotte. As a result, Duston Trade Guild with its proud history spanning over a hundred years was cornered into bankruptcy within only three days. As to what precisely Layotte did, he simply said it was a secret as he smiled like a villain, so even Rainy, who had only taken part in this, didn’t know.

As this directly related to Farlane’s national interest, Layotte had given no mercy, but knowing that Haruna and the others were feeling suspicious, he couldn’t tell them the specific details without making things worse, and Rainy was also keeping her mouth shut, so right now the rumor was taking on a life of its own. Coupled with the convenience of the situation, this incident was amplifying the distrust within Azuma Workshop more than it should.

Still, favorable circumstances were favorable circumstances, and Haruna fully planned to use this to their advantage. After all, the building was within five minutes of walking distance from the academy entrance, a great position with a plot of land wider than the Azuma Workshop Rufeus plot. There were many ways they could make use of this.

「So is the supply route doing fine?」

「We do have it figured out to an extent. Well, at worst, I think we can currently stock up in Wulls or Ortem Village.」

「As someone who lives in Rufeus, I would certainly prefer it if you could stock up here on any items you obtain here……」

「And we do generally intend to go about it that way. We also want to recruit only people from this city if possible, but doing that would take up a bit too much time that we don’t have, so I’m thinking we may have to rely on our connections from various places to pull us along for a bit.」

Hearing about Haruna’s plan, Professor Fluit sighed, realizing they would probably have to go with that for now.

「At the moment we do plan to endure with having the shop open for ten days, but could we count on you for moving behind the scene during this time?」

「I’m fine with that, but will this really be okay?」

「The future employees will probably have to shed a few tears, but I’ll whittle down the material, so it should be in proper form in one week.」

Haruna said something rather fiendish despite her pretty face, and Professor Fluit slightly took her distance.

「At any rate, there is no time, so once you get back, have Hiroshi-kun help you and then proceed to quickly secure the premises and get to construction, if you will.」

「Understood. I will also lay the groundwork on my end as soon as possible.」

「Much appreciated.」

Quickly deciding their course of action, Haruna and Fluit continued their detailed briefing session for a bit longer before concluding. Deciding to take a little break before moving into action, Haruna went in the direction of the professors’ lab, noticing Hiroshi partway and calling out.