54 — The Bakers' Guild Meeting

The three of us ate the breakfast Catherine prepared. Marie and Caro finally woke up just before noon, exactly like yesterday.

“Ugh… my head hurts…”

Caro looked miserable with a hangover.

“Are you okay, Caro-san?”

“I am… definitely not okay. I remember up until the point we started drinking, but I have no memory of what happened after that. I’m sorry, I’m going to go lie down for a bit longer.”

With that, Caro retreated to her room.

“I wonder if Caro-chan will be alright?”

It was the usual, sharp Marie speaking. She had transformed so much it was hard to believe she was the same person who had been sleeping with half her butt hanging out a moment ago.

“It’s just a hangover, so I think she’ll be better if she sleeps, but I’ll bring her some medicine later just in case.”

“But man, Caro-san really changes when she drinks. I have to be careful next time we have a round.”

I told them I’d take her the medicine. It seemed Rachel had learned a bit of a lesson from this incident too.

“Kent-san, we have a Bakers’ Guild meeting this afternoon. Could you help me out a little?”

“Sure. I just need to prepare the tea and stuff, right?”

“No, actually, I want you to attend the meeting with me. Technically it’s my shop, but since you’re the one effectively managing the operations, I thought it would be easier to talk that way.”

“Understood. If that’s the case, I’d be happy to join you.”

“Thank you, Kent-san.”

And so, I ended up attending the meeting.

“Well then, maybe I’ll head out somewhere? Catherine-chan, do you want to come with me?”

“Yes! I’d love to. So, where are we going?”

Rachel and Catherine seemed to be going out somewhere together. The two of them started discussing their destination.

After finishing lunch, Marie and I headed to the shop to prepare for the meeting.

“Master, Marie-san. You’re supposed to be off today, aren’t you? What’s the matter?”

Emily, who was cleaning the interior of the store, spoke up.

“We’re holding a Bakers’ Guild meeting here today. We came to get everything ready.”

“I see. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”

“Thanks. I’ll let you know.”

With that, Emily went back to her cleaning.

Marie and I rearranged the tables for the meeting and brought in extra chairs so there would be enough seating for everyone.

“Since we’re doing this, let’s install a whiteboard here. It’ll be useful for writing menus or ‘today’s specials’ once the meeting is over.”

“I don’t really know what this ‘whiteboard’ thing is, but if it’s convenient, please go ahead and install it.”

I summoned a fairly large whiteboard through my terminal and mounted it on the wall.

“You write on this board with these special pens. Also, magnets stick to it, so you can pin up papers like this. You can easily erase the writing using this.”

I demonstrated by erasing the words I had just written.

“This is amazing,” Marie said, looking impressed.

Once preparations were finished and we had rested for a bit, the members of the Bakers’ Guild began filing into the shop one after another. Those entering the shop for the first time were wide-eyed at the unfamiliar equipment.

“When you’re faced with this much of a difference in facilities, you can see why other shops can’t compete.”

“Certainly. Despite how hot it is outside, the inside of this shop is so comfortable.”

The temperature outside had risen quite a bit and it was getting hot, but the air-conditioned shop was kept at a very pleasant temperature.

“I’m glad we could gather here this time. I can’t stand this heat.”

The guild master spoke with a satisfied expression. Before long, everyone scheduled for today’s meeting had arrived.

The meeting began with status reports and sales updates from each shop. Items raised for discussion were written on the whiteboard, helping the participants keep track of the proceedings.

“Now then, regarding the Etsigoya matter. Due to the arson charges, his shop has been shut down. The state attempted to seize his assets, but since the place had already been looted by a mob, there was almost nothing of value left. We have been informed that the Bakers’ Guild is to handle the disposal of the property. Therefore, I intend to transfer all rights to Etsigoya’s shop to Marie-san, who is the hero of this occasion. You may sell it for cash, or start a new business there. Does anyone have an objection to this?”

No one spoke up in response to the guild master’s question.

“Kent-san, what should we do?”

Marie whispered to me.

“Isn’t it fine? He said we can just dispose of it if we don’t want it.”

“I understand. Thank you, Kent-san.”

Marie seemed to have made up her mind.

“Then it’s settled. Marie-san, I’ll leave the disposal entirely to your discretion. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, I understand. I will handle it accordingly.”

“Let’s take a break here, then.”

At the guild master’s suggestion, Marie agreed to host.

“Then let us prepare some drinks. Please choose whatever you like from the menu posted over here.”

Marie pointed to the board where the drink menu was displayed.

“These look like things you sell; is it really alright?”

“Yes, it’s fine. Please, order without hesitation.”

The guild master asked tentatively, but Marie replied with a smile.

“Emily-san, could I have a bit of help?”

“Yes, of course.”

Called by Marie, Emily came out from the back.

“I’ll help too.”

I joined in as well, taking orders and handing them out to the guild members. There are many types of drinks on the menu at Marie’s bakery. Most of the members seemed unable to imagine the drinks just from the names on the menu and appeared to be choosing at random.

“This fizzy drink is sweet and delicious.”

“It’s a strange color, but it’s surprisingly good once you drink it.”

“There’s actual ice in this drink! This will be a godsend in the heat.”

The drinks were generally well-received, and everyone shared their various impressions.

“How does this shop manage to make and serve such a vast menu instantly?”

“We have excellent staff.”

The guild master seemed focused not just on the variety, but on the fact that each drink was served so quickly. We had simply taken them out of the refrigerator and poured them into cups, but Marie didn’t reveal the secret, simply crediting the “excellent staff.” The break ended, and we moved on to the next agenda item.

“The next item concerns the shops that were sourcing flour from the merchant associated with the recent Etsigoya incident. I would like to hear everyone’s opinion on how they should be handled.”

The guild master asked everyone about the treatment of the two bakeries that had been purchasing the flour sold via Baron Kroise. The owners of those two bakeries were also present at the meeting.

“If they were in league with Etsigoya, aren’t they equally guilty?”

“Didn’t they damage the reputation of the Bakers’ Guild the moment they started selling at those impossible prices?”

Negative opinions poured out from the guild members.

“Very well. Then shall we proceed with the expulsion of these two shops from the Bakers’ Guild?”

The guild master made his judgment after weighing the opinions.

The owners of the two bakeries hung their heads, looking like they had resigned themselves to their fate.

“Wait a moment, please.”

I spoke up. Everyone gathered turned their attention toward me.

“Oh? Kent-kun, do you have something to say? Very well, let’s hear it.”

The guild master permitted me to speak.

“It’s a fact that they ended up selling overpriced bread, but I believe their desire to sell bread was the same as everyone else gathered here. They just happened to be approached by a merchant under Etsigoya’s influence, so I hope for a lenient sentence. Also, Etsigoya had a noble backing him, and they were using that power to forcibly drag in shops that didn’t go along with their plans. It just so happened that my shop was the third one they approached, so we were able to fight back and stop them, but I don’t know what would have happened to any other shop.”

The members who didn’t know the circumstances were shocked by my statement. It seemed the information about the relationship between Etsigoya and Baron Kroise hadn’t been made public yet.

“He had a noble backing him…?”

“If they came to my shop, I wouldn’t be able to refuse.”

“Marie-san’s place is amazing. They kicked a noble’s offer to the curb.”

Given the previous events, the Bakers’ Guild was currently benefiting from our flour supply, so no one contradicted my words.

“Then, is it alright if we have them resume business with flour provided by Marie-san’s shop, just like the other shops?”

「「「No objections!」」」

The guild master took a vote, and the two bakeries were permitted to continue their operations.

Discussions continued for a while after that, and once the guild meeting concluded, the shop owners returned to their respective businesses.

“Marie-san, good job today.”

“Thank you, Kent-san.”

Marie, Emily, and I finished putting away the tables we had moved for the meeting.

“We still have some time, don’t we?”

“The meeting finished earlier than expected, so the sun hasn’t even set yet. We have time before dinner.”

“Then since we’re done cleaning up, shall we go take a look at Etsigoya’s shop?”

“That sounds good. Actually, the barrier to entry was so high that I’ve never actually stepped inside that shop.”

Marie seemed intrigued.

“At home… I think Caro-chan is there, but it’s probably better to invite her. I’ll go get her for a second.”

With that, Marie stepped out of the shop.

“Master… I have something to tell you…”

“What’s wrong, Emily?”

Emily, who usually didn’t speak much to me outside of work tasks, approached me.

“Actually, please look at this.”

She showed me something that looked very similar in shape to the terminal I owned.

“Um… it looks a lot like my terminal. Where did this come from?”

“It appeared just as the decision was made during the meeting to transfer Etsigoya-san’s shop.”

“Is it a new ability?”

“It seems so.”

I borrowed the terminal Emily was holding and tried to operate it. While my own terminal can’t be operated by anyone else, it seemed I could operate Emily’s.

“I’m back. I didn’t want to trouble Caro-chan, so she said she’s going to relax at home today. Oh? What’s this?”

Marie returned. It seemed Caro wouldn’t be joining us.

“Is that the terminal you have, Kent-san?”

“Actually, it belongs to Emily.”

“Is that so? It looks a lot like yours.”

Marie took the terminal and tried to operate it.

“It doesn’t move…”

Marie moved her fingers, but there was no response.

“How about you, Emily?”

“Um… like this.”

Emily was able to operate it without any problems.

“But the screen is different from Kent-san’s.”

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

Marie said to me. Looking at the screen after she pointed it out, the items displayed were slightly different.

“Calls?”

When I pressed the item labeled “Calls,” an electronic sound suddenly started ringing from my own terminal.

“Kya!”

“Whoa!”

“Eh?”

The three of us were startled by the sudden noise. Looking at my terminal, it displayed “Incoming Call: Emily.” Below the text was a handset icon; when I pressed it, the call connected.

“It’s like a phone. Hold on a second.”

I stepped outside the shop while holding my terminal.

“Emily, can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can hear you.”

“Whoa, I can hear Kent-san’s voice!”

I ended the call and went back inside.

“Being able to talk even from a distance is amazing,” Marie said, looking surprised.

“Wait? The ‘Calls’ item has been added to mine too.”

When I checked my own terminal, three items had been added: Calls, Mail, and Purchase Approval.

“I understand Calls and Mail, but I wonder what Purchase Approval is?”

When I pressed the item labeled Purchase Approval, it displayed “No list available.”

“Master, can I buy something with this terminal?”

“I guess so. Let’s try it. Go ahead and pick something at random.”

I had Emily operate the terminal, and she ordered a 3-pack of cup puddings. The screen stopped at a state saying “Awaiting Approval.”

“Huh?”

“It didn’t come out?”

Marie and I thought it would just pop into existence like usual, but there was no sign of it appearing.

“Could it be… yup, thought so.”

A 【1】 was displayed over the Purchase Approval icon on my terminal. When I selected that item, it showed “Cup Pudding (3-pack) 100G” with icons for Approve or Reject next to it.

“And… Approve!”

When I selected Approve, the cup puddings appeared with a pop.

“I see, this might be useful. It makes it possible for Emily to place orders even when I’m not around.”

The three of us operated the terminal in various ways while eating the cup puddings we had just summoned. Since Marie couldn’t operate it, she sat next to me and watched the screen with great interest.

“Well then, Marie-san and I are going out now, so I’m leaving the shop in your hands.”

“Understood. Have a safe trip.”

After a round of testing, Marie and I decided to head toward Etsigoya’s shop.