Chapter 243: Let’s Get the Stall Ready – Sequel
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Once I went to market, I could sense liveliness filling the air, causing my own excitement to go up.
Given that Sword isn’t with me, I’m going to buy loads! Usually, if Sword is with me, he’ll pay for everything, so I kind of can’t buy everything I want to because I’d feel bad about putting too much strain on his wallet.
When being addressed by a seller while finding it hard to choose, I cheerfully went along with their recommendations, buying stuff with a charming smile on my lips. But, me purchasing their wares at their asking price caused them to become surprised.
“Are you a tourist or a noble’s kid? If not, it’s normal to haggle for the price,” I was kindly taught.
I pulled a slightly sullen face and then said with a smile, “I’ll properly pay. But, rather than making it cheaper, I’d like you to add some freebies. Being taught recipes as they’re used in this area or being given goods that are close to specialties as a bonus makes me a lot happier.”
In response, the vendors doted on me lots and gave me plenty of freebies. I also gathered a big amount of information!
＊
Because ferocious, big fish could mostly be caught out in the open sea, the bay was apparently abundant on smallish fish. I was told that small fish could be caught relatively safely, and thus most of the local dishes combined veggies with those small fish.
Moreover, it seems like they could light fires even in the evening because they didn’t lack any fuel as they could procure plenty of fish oil, if you didn’t mind the fishy stench.
It appears that demonic beasts hate fish smell (why!? I feel like it should actually lure them over instead!), so the fish oil also serves as decent demonic beast repellent.
Certainly, a blanket of fish stench is shrouding the area right now, but I’m currently shutting it out from my own sense of smell with magic. As if a cook could be scared of fish smell!
Oh wait, I’m an adventurer…
＊
I bought loads of things while being treated kindly all over the market. I also got many fish, even if they were small! Though, I don’t know what kind of fish they are! Probably fish native to this world!
Also, there were octopuses? jellyfish? anyway, mollusks and smaller versions of Ryoku among my purchases, too. Small versions of The King Octopus, I guess?
Oh, speaking of The King Octopus, it had a vivid green coloring. A green octopus despite being The King! Moreover, it had more than twenty tentacles!
…Isn’t that actually a jellyfish then?
I also found something similar to olive oil. So I bought heaps of it! In barrels!
That surprised the vendor.
And at that point it became exposed that I was Sword’s partner, throwing the whole market into an uproar.
＊
“――So, I’m a cook, and while Sword has gone out to hunt for meat, I’m preparing the dishes. We’re going to run a stall in the evening, so come and visit! Oh, I’d be more than delighted, if anyone wants to help out at the stall.”
After passing on that piece of news, I went back to the location of the stall after buying lots of things with a big, winning smile on my face.
Sporadically some people could be seen near the stall. Women of similar kind debated something in front of the billboard, before one of them spoke up to me.
“Umm, it’s written over there that you’re running a stall and that you’re also recruiting helpers for it, but is that really true?”
“Yep, both are true,” I nodded.
Even if only for appearance, it looks much better to serve large quantities of food. I didn’t know how many people would come, but assuming I made too much, I could simply freeze it with magic for later use as emergency rations.
And if I had Sword hold onto them, he’d gladly eat the stuff as snacks to go with his alcohol.
The key is to defrost them with light and not fire magic. Holy magic apparently works as well (by Sword).
I see, so holy magic is like microwave magic. In the other world, it was used to purify zombies with a Pl○sma B○ster, though.
＊
“I can’t pay high wages though…,” I remarked while tilting my head and being on guard of outrageous demands.
I mean, I’d be troubled if they came here thinking they could make a big profit. I can’t pay more than some pocket money.
But, when I told them that they’d be able to eat food as part of the pay, they got delighted instead.
And with that I immediately got myself some helpers.
Just as I was giving them instructions, a girl, who looked to be as old as I am or slightly younger, showed up next, asking, “I heard you’re recruiting helpers over here. Is that true?”
In response to my nod, the girl further asked, “Is it also alright for me to call over the kids from the orphanage?”
I pondered for a moment about that question, but well, this is more or less volunteer work.
“As long as they’re okay with helping until evening. It’s wrong to have children work late into the night.”
After blinking her eyes in surprise, she laughed, “Wait, aren’t you a kid yourself?”
I’m not that young anymore!
“My growth is somewhat lacking, but I’m not as old as my appearance suggests. I mean, I’m Sword’s partner after all. Us working separately right now stems from Sword having told me that he’d like me to devote myself to setting up the bar. Sword is also looking forward to it.”
Or to be precise, to the food and booze.
I apparently got the girl to think that I’m fairly old myself.
When I was told by her that it didn’t matter if the pay was limited to some pocket change as long as they’d be allowed to eat something, I gave my consent.
…In that case, I guess I’ll cover the food pay with pita bread that can be made in a relatively short time. But before that, I have to set up the kitchen, I suppose.
I installed a magic washing tool (with a sewage filtration function), magic cookware, a display stand for the tapas, a register with a money-exchange-function, and five simple flush toilets.
Two of the toilets came with the toylets of a certain game company in the other world, catering towards men (young ones).
By the way, this was an idea idea by Mr. Amato. He made me expand the male toilets at our base, but since those toylets were very popular, I guess it was a good thing to have come up with them.
Understanding that these would be necessary from my empirical experience after having run a stall at the capital, I built those toilets in advance after coming back to our base.
Well, the toylets were just an unnecessary extra, though.
Sega Toylets. ^.^
I got the other people helping out at the stall to agree to a pay of ten copper with a meal, and some ale, if they finished a certain amount of work.
＊
After being busy with the preparations for while, people started to arrive in droves.
I also secured some additional personnel when the market vendors from before told me that they talked it over beforehand and visited as they were free now anyway.
At present, I had them set up the tables and chairs together with the girls that requested to help out earlier.
Once all of that was done, it was finally time for cooking.
…is what I thought, but just then the children also showed up. They ranged from really small kids to teenagers around my age.
But honestly, what should I do with the small kids?
…Oh, wait, didn’t I buy peas earlier?
“Little boys and girls, come here! It’s time to peel peas! It’s plain and hard work.”
Well, if I did it myself, it’d take less than a minute, but since it was the kind of work I didn’t like myself either, I had them do it.
＊
Looking at the kids who rushed over, I froze and immediately shouted, “Hey, wait a moment!”
They all got startled, and came to a grinding halt.
“I’ll teach you how to wash your bodies, so first clean yourself!”
Filthiness is a no go!
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