Chapter 247: I Scouted Stall Personnel!
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The stall ended up being a huge success. Just when we started to low on food, I wrote “Sold Out” on the signboard outside our lot, and made an announcement about it with amplification magic in effect.
Well, since we’ve still got alcohol, they can drink if they want to keep drinking. But, since it’d become quite late, many people left their seats, and once even the last customers went home, I closed up.
I had the helpers gather up the trash, then cleaned all the tableware with washing magic in one swoop, before applying the same spell on the whole place after surveying the area to make sure that I didn’t overlook any person.
＊
I served the remaining dishes and ale or cider to the helpers. Then I launched the after-party with juice.
“””Good work!”””
We toasted and drained our cups.
“Pheeew, I’m so happy! It was a winner after all!” One of the helpers exclaimed after chugging down her ale.
“Winner?” I asked while tilting my head.
She nodded and explained, “Yep! I possess the kind of skill that draws me to 『good work』. That’s why I got that throbbing feeling when I saw the signboard of this place. I had waited for that sign. Since my friends also know about it, they helped out too!”
The folks who seemed to be her friends, heartily clapped her shoulders while saying, “Aye! It was a huge help!”, “This time was a huge winner!”, and so on.
Hee! Such skills exist as well, huh?
“I see, I see. You do have an interesting skill there.”
I got curious about her.
“Can I have another filling?”
I nodded at her question, “Sure, if you can tell me more about yourself. I hate stuff like giving others a treat for free, but I’ll always pay generously if there’s some kind of compensation to be obtained.”
“Yeah, that’s the impression I’ve got of you, too. Somehow, this time the throbbing was super strong, so I thought it might become a fateful encounter.”
And while she was pouring ale, I answered, “I also dislike receiving charity or being treated for free. Somehow it gives me a bad feeling, you see? It’s kinda like bragging about being rich!”
Hearing my mumbled monologue, Sword choked on his ale. I explained things while patting his back, “Well, most of the time, the one treating says they’ll treat you because it’d be a hassle otherwise. Of course, they got to have money, though. Personally, I’m disconnected from such things as I’m what you’d call a 『Creator』. I’m someone holding absolute confidence in my own creations. That’s why I want to exhibit their value. I won’t put a high price tag on them since they’re cheap enough to make, but I won’t give them away for free either. After all, that would mean my creations are so worthless that they cost nothing!”
“Okay, I really like that way of thinking!” She agreed with me. “…To be honest, I wondered why you put such a price on dishes that are so delicious, but since it’s half-self-sufficient as the meat was directly delivered fresh out of the woods, I thought it might make sense for it to be so cheap. …You never go out to eat somewhere else, do you?”
I nodded at her question.
“Making food is always cheaper than eating out.”
“That’s what I suspected! I totally got the feeling that you have no clue of the market price!”
I earned myself a scolding.
But I see, so this is not the market price? Then again, I don’t know how much it usually costs.
I folded my arms and asked her, “…So, how much should my dishes cost? I’m not all that knowledgeable about bars. I tried to build my dream-bar based on a vague image I had of it, so I set the prices to be cheap enough that people would come. Of course, I’ve not made any losses, okay? The wages haven’t been included, but I set the prices so that I’d make a bit of a profit out of this.”
She placed a hand on her chin and brooded.
“I think you should at least double the price. Even thrice the current price is going to work, or rather, even that would be too cheap. But, if you want to maintain this quality of customers, you should lower the quality.”
…I was told something absurd. I shook my head.
“…I only serve dishes which Sword labels as delicious. I’m cooking for Sword, and not for customers. For that reason, I cannot lower the quality either. In such a case, I’d rather raise the price. This time I wanted to run a bar as I had imagined it. In short, I made a bar that would fulfill my wish, so it was basically a 『Hobby Project』.”
The helpers toppled over.
“Whoaa! That’s a crafter for you. And at a level that’d put any dwarf to shame, at that!”
“Well, it’s a line he can say because he’s making enough cash as an adventurer,” one of them pointed out very reasonably.
“Yep, it’s as you say. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t do it like that. I’m an adventurer. My goal is to cherish meetings like this one here, running bars without paying much heed to profit, talk with people, and do music performances. Money is no problem for me, so I look forward to new information or once-in-a-lifetime encounters.”
When I told them so with a nod, they whistled at me.
“Hyeew! How cool!”
“Hyeehyeew! A man among men!”
Ugh!? They might have intended to praise me, but I got an objection here.
“It’s got nothing to do with gender, right? Regardless of man or woman, both can be adventurers and if they encounter a monster, the monster won’t let them get away just because they’re a woman either,” I admonished.
But, I was refuted, “And that’s a manly way of thinking!”
As I was chatting cheerfully with them, I tried to invite them over, “…If you guys are troubled about making a living or if you want to find a stable occupation, contact me. Or, please pass this introduction letter to the guildmaster in the city of Ys. I’d like to hire you as 『Advisors』. I…Sword and I are actually doing side jobs as well as we’re running a restaurant and producing liquor. Moreover, one of our merchant friends has said that he wants to sell our goods at his own store in the capital before long. So we’re recruiting personnel to help out with all this stuff.”
Anyway! We’re lacking hands! We’re always short of people.
I definitely want to secure someone with such an interesting skill, but I won’t be able to do so, if they’re willful travelers. Though I think Bennyboy would be really delighted over someone with a good nose for business.
＊
After they heard my offer, they looked at each other and then started a private talk I could totally hear.
“What do you think? I want to accept it. I think it’s about time for me to find a permanent job.”
“Me too… I mean, I feel like it’s definitely a great offer, you see? I don’t know about the pay, but I feel like my livelihood will improve drastically.”
“Yep! My skill tells me so as well! It’s itching whenever I think of accepting it!”
A woman’s itching, huh? Kind of like an ahoge standing on end? 1
I could totally hear what they said, but it looks like they concluded their little chat.
All of them turned in my direction, “””””We’re in your hands!!”””””, and then bowed.
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