Episode 191

But after a few days, not only was the new menu not created, but the sales kept dropping and eventually plummeted to a critical level. Ricent foamed at the mouth and collapsed. It was anemia.

“Ugh… No. I can’t accept this. I can’t lose like this. It can’t end like this, right, Horai?”

“Yes? Yes. But with things the way they are, we can’t even compete. Also, it seems like they used ingredients that aren’t available in our region, so we probably won’t be able to replicate it easily. New menus don’t just come up like that… Boss…maybe we should give up…”

“Horai! Is that what you’re saying?”

“No! I’m sorry!”

“I have to beat my father…”

This time, Ricent looked at Horai with a desperate expression.

“So, tell me honestly. Why is that restaurant doing well? How did they suddenly develop such a menu? It’s something impossible for Bissera to do. Is my analysis wrong?”

“That’s not it. It seems like they’ve recently hired someone from outside the area. I believe it’s their influence.”

“From outside?”

“Yes.”

“Did they have some money hidden, perhaps?”

“What?”

“That’s why they hired someone.”

“Well, that’s…”

“What? That’s it? Then it’s simple, right?”

“Boss?”

Horai was flustered, but Ricent looked like she had found the answer and confidently gave an order.

“Go and hire that person immediately. Tell them we’ll pay double, no, triple the salary of what they’re getting at Bissera’s restaurant! Got it?”

“But Boss, that’s too much money…”

Ricent approached Horai with a hungry look on her face.

“Why don’t you understand? If we bring that person over and make the same dishes, we’ll eventually win. Got it?”

“As for the immediate expenses, I’ll pay from my pocket money, so just get them here somehow!”

“Ah, understood.”

It was an order, so Horai had no choice but to go scout.

“If you work at Merli, we’ll offer you double the salary you’re receiving here.”

A man who introduced himself as Horai started speaking secretly.

He seized the opportunity when he came into town and started with this offer.

It was too obvious, but since I had been waiting for this approach, I was actually glad. I had confirmed that the woman from the restaurant, the one I saw last time, had visited. And I knew they would eventually approach me, but I didn’t expect them to be so direct.

“That’s…”

“As I thought, it’s hard, right? Then how about triple the salary?”

“Triple?”

“I thought so. I knew it, but I was ordered by my superior.”

“No? I’ll work for that. Triple is good.”

“Eh?”

When I agreed, Horai was surprised and blinked, his face showing an expression of disbelief.

Did he somehow receive information that I know Duran?

“It’s fine. I’ll gladly work.”

“Well, thank you for that. Hehehe?”

Horai was so flustered that he took out a handkerchief and started wiping his cheek. His face was full of awkwardness, but he had a forced smile.

“So, when can you start?”

“When should I start? No need to delay. I’ll start today.”

“Really? Thank you so much!”

Horai, having barely recovered his expression, bowed. Taking the chef away was a tough move, but it was still within the bounds of competition.

I shrugged and smiled at Horai.

I expected this when teleporting to the mountain and heading to the restaurant.

“Then, I’ll go ahead and inform the Boss. Are you really coming right away?”

“Yes, right now.”

“Understood!”

Horai seemed unable to believe it and checked a few more times before finally disappearing into the distance.

So, I shifted my steps toward Merli instead of Bissera’s restaurant. I also made sure to inform my companion of the plan.

“Rurin, did you hear? Today, we’re going to that restaurant.”

Of course, my companion remained silent.

It was early morning, and there was no way Rurin would be active at this hour.

I changed her clothes, combed her hair, and woke her up just enough to teleport. After that, she’s been asleep, still carried on my back.

I called out just in case, but all I heard was a sleepy sound, so I continued walking toward Merli.

I had already informed Bissera’s restaurant of my plan.

So there were no issues.

When I arrived in front of Merli, Horai was waiting at the door with the woman I had seen earlier.

“Hello.”

I greeted them. The woman looked at Rurin, who was still on my back, with a bewildered expression and asked a question.

“Who is the woman behind you?”

“This one is not important. Thank you for hiring me.”

“Y-yes! I said I’d pay triple the salary of our chef, right?”

“Yes? Well, it’s a bit different, but that’s right.”

“Well, well, you’ll have to work accordingly.”

“I’m fine with working, but who are you exactly? Please introduce yourself.”

“Oh, I see! I’m sorry. My name is Ricent. I’m the owner here.”

“I’m El. Nice to meet you.”

Ricent appeared to be in her late twenties, with short hair and a round face. Well, it’s not really important.

I gave a slight nod and confidently entered the restaurant. Ricent and Horai followed behind me. So, I boldly asked,

“Don’t you have a bed here? I’d like a place to lay this one down.”

“Well, we do have a staff lounge…”

“Then, could you show me?”

“Uh, this way.”

It seemed like Ricent had something to say, but for now, she led the way. Horai followed behind, and the restaurant staff watched me with suspicious eyes. Their reactions were filled with wariness, which was expected.

The staff lounge Ricent showed me was decent. It had a bed, chairs, and everything that should be there.

“You can use that bed. It’s the place where I rest when I get too tired, so it’s clean.”

“Ah, that’s nice. Thank you.”

I smiled softly and laid Rurin down on the bed.

Gororong, gororong.

It was only 10 a.m. It’s completely normal that she doesn’t plan on waking up yet, so I didn’t bother waking her.

At least she was rubbing her eyes while still asleep on my back, and I had to give her credit for using teleportation despite being half-asleep.

I was a little worried that she might teleport us to some random place while half-asleep, but surprisingly, she teleported us to the exact spot.

“Let’s see… It’ll soon be lunchtime, right?”

“Of course. Since we agreed on triple the salary, I hope you work hard.”

“Hmm, well…lunch. Sorry, but I’ll take a bit of a break.”

I grabbed a neglected chair from the corner, placed it in front of the bed, and sat down, stretching my legs onto the bed.

“What? What kind of nonsense is that? Get to work now!”

“It’s break time right now, so that won’t work. Sorry.”

“What’s wrong now? You’re telling me to leave in such a low position?”

“Boss?”

I continued to smile and spoke clearly to Ricent.

“Shall we go back?”

“Go back? What are you talking about?”

“I mean, go back to Bissera’s restaurant. Speaking of which, I was planning to try another new menu starting today. What do you think?”

“……”

“Shall we go?”

After I attacked her weakness, Ricent trembled with anger but managed to suppress it, glaring at me with a strained expression.

There was no other option. She knew well that unless she used the company’s power to crush Bissera’s restaurant, there was no solution if I just left.

“Fine. Rest. I’ll come back later! But when you’re done resting, you absolutely have to work!”

“Understood. If I feel like it.”

I replied with a smile.

“If I feel like it,”

I said softly. Heh. Anyway, Ricent turned abruptly and walked out with heavy steps.

That was fine, but then she stumbled and fell, crashing to the floor.

“Aaaah!”

She lay there in silence for a while, then got up, scratching her head.

“I was just checking if there was dust on the floor! There’s no dust. I cleaned yesterday!”

She yelled this without me asking and slammed the door as she left.

“Boss!”

Horai followed her out.

As for my thoughts, all I can say is that she’s a very chaotic girl.

Well, that’s it.

She can’t let me go. She knows well that if I return to Bissera’s restaurant, she’ll be the one losing.

So, I’ll observe her for now.

“I don’t want to!”

In the meantime, I heard Rurin’s sleep talk. She was frowning. I have no idea what she’s so upset about.

“What is up with that man! This is unbelievable!”

“Boss, why don’t you just fire him? Why are you tolerating him?”

As Ricent stormed out, Horai asked with a confused face. This was very strange considering Ricent’s usual personality.

“If I let him go, he’ll just return to Bissera like he said!”

“That’s true, but…”

“Do you know how our sales were yesterday? After seeing that, you still say this?”

“That’s true, but…”

Ricent started pacing and tidying up the restaurant. Despite all the chaos, she was ensuring that everything was in order, from basic cleanliness to the employees’ behavior and the manners shown to customers.

And the cleanliness and taste in the kitchen.

She was full of the desire to be recognized by paying attention to every detail, and it was actually going well—until everything collapsed overnight.

This couldn’t go on.

Ricent bit her lip.

For the sake of her unjustly deceased mother, Ricent was determined to make them acknowledge her, and that strong desire consumed her heart—she could never give up.

But the more she felt that way, the more anxious she became.

The more this happened, the more she despised the man who ruined everything. She couldn’t stand him.

“He’s trying to use his situation to blackmail me, but it won’t work. I’ll make him pay triple the salary.”

Muttering to herself in anger, she suddenly shouted,

“Oof!”

She slammed her head into a pillar.

“Aaaah!”

And the impact caused a bucket of water, placed on the second floor to clean the stairs, to fall onto Ricent’s head.

“What…what is this!”

In an instant, Ricent, who looked like a drenched rat, slipped and fell flat on her backside due to the water.

A triple disaster.

Or rather, it was an accident caused by her distracted walking while deep in thought.

“What is this! I really hate this!”

And then she yelled toward the ceiling. It wasn’t a problem yet since it was still before closing time. That yell was calculated.

Afterward, she ran to her small house just nearby the restaurant. When she returned to the restaurant, it was already lunchtime.

However, inside the restaurant, it was unusually empty. Lunchtime was usually when miners came in the most.

Many miners, who have families to go home to after work, would typically eat lunch here, which made this the peak time, and the first floor would usually be packed at this hour.

The first floor was even emptier than yesterday.

“Horai, is that man still taking a break?”

“Yes. He hasn’t left the staff lounge.”

At that answer, Ricent was so frustrated that her eyes welled up with tears. Everything about this situation was unbearable.