NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20 - Chapter 20 Preparation
Chapter 20 Preparation
Returning to the inn, I organize my belongings. I pass the ingredients to Kuro and ask her to cook.
“Thanks for the meal! If you need anything, just call me.”
“Gyagyagya!”
After a while of organizing the bag, Kuro brings two wooden bowls emitting warm steam. It’s a miso soup made with meat, potatoes, and vegetables from the hideout. It’s always nice to have something warm to eat.
“Delicious, delicious.”
“Gyagya gyagya.”
After cleaning up the cooking utensils, I boil water and brew some coffee. I decide to try using the cup and saucer. Since I had lightly rinsed them beforehand and checked, I wasn’t too worried, and indeed, brewing coffee in them poses no problem.
“Wooden ones are surprisingly good.”
“Gyagua gyagua.”
They have a soft touch and are well-insulated, so even without handles, they don’t get too hot and the coffee doesn’t cool down easily. Although their durability may be inferior, they don’t break even if dropped. Come to think of it, they have the same practicality as soup bowls.
I wipe myself with the remaining hot water and lie down early. Kuro rolls over beside me. As a habit since coming here, when it’s time to sleep, I wrap myself in a cloth, whereas Kuro sleeps completely naked. In the darkness, the contours of Kuro’s supple and soft body faintly emerge, making it unsettlingly beautiful. Modestly speaking, it’s a body with too perfect proportions. While usually she’s a cheerful and reliable companion, when sleeping, she’s too quiet, and her beauty stands out too much. Maybe I should buy her some underwear; it’s a feast for the eyes. And her hair, can’t it be fixed somehow? It’s so messy it’s itchy. As I vaguely ponder about Kuro and our future, I find myself asleep before I know it.
“Gyagya gyagya.”
“Hmm, morning already… I’m up. Good morning, Kuro.”
Recently, if I have morning chores, I let Kuro wake me up. Basically, Kuro never oversleeps. In fact, she might not even be sleeping. At any time, when I call out to Kuro with her eyes closed, she immediately opens them and sits up straight. Maybe she’s just imitating me as usual. Instead of sleeping, she might just be pretending to sleep. It’s possible… Well, it’s not a problem even if it’s helpful.
“Alright, let’s get ready and make sure we don’t forget anything.”
“Gyagya!”
I eat the leftovers from yesterday, make hot water, and brew coffee. Once again, I try using the cup and saucer. It’s not as good as freshly ground coffee, but it’s delicious enough.
“Alright, it’s delicious, Kuro.”
“Gyagua!”
It’s slightly acidic, but very fruity and has a lively taste. If this taste isn’t good, then there’s no helping it.
Together with Kuro, I wipe myself with the remaining hot water and tidy up. Then I double-check the items to bring. Half of the weight consists of a water bottle, kettle, and firewood. The rented stall comes with a makeshift stove, but we need to bring our own firewood. The next heaviest items are the ingredients. However, for now, I’m only offering coffee and chocolate. I ground the coffee beans at the hideout. The chocolate has also been prepared in advance, cut into 1 cm squares. I plan to serve two pieces per cup of coffee. That’s a set for 200 people. Well, I’ll be satisfied if half of them sell in three days.
“Still, if they don’t sell at all, I’ll be really disappointed.”
“Gyagya gyagya gyagya!”
“Thanks, Kuro.”
Kuro looks up at me with big eyes, as if to say everything will be fine. What a cute fellow. But even if you prepare yourself once, anxiety keeps creeping back. There may be a struggle in the short term, but in the long term, it’s a fight I’ll definitely win. Let’s be confident. And I plan to use goat milk to adjust the bitterness according to preferences.
Goat’s milk is easily available in the market. Compared to cow’s milk, it has a slightly different taste, but it’s quite delicious. Additionally, it’s quite cheap. Some people may dislike the strong bitterness of coffee and chocolate. For such people, I plan to offer café au lait made with goat’s milk. Sugar production has significantly increased since Kuro arrived, and we have plenty in stock. However, I don’t want the fact that we produce sugar to be known. It’s preferable for sweetness to be perceived as part of the chocolate flavor. If asked about the source of the chocolate, I’ll explain that it’s gathered with life-threatening effort from the depths of hell. That’s not entirely a lie. Then, I’ll pack various small items such as cloth scraps that will be useful.
“Gyagya gyagya?”
“Yeah, let’s go soon!”
“Gyuggya!”
It’s just beginning to get a bit brighter outside. Yet, the market is already bustling with activity. In the cool morning air, everyone is busy bustling around to prepare their stalls. However, there are still plenty of empty spaces in the square. Considering the daytime, only about 60% of the stalls seem to be set up yet. Now… I wonder if that slippery old lady is here at this time. As I look around, before I know it, the old lady is standing in front of me.
“Do you want to rent a stall?”
“Uh, yeah. Can I choose?”
This one should have been an assassin. And naturally, she remembers my face.
“Yes, go ahead.”
“There are quite a few options…”
I choose a stall in a corner of the square. They all look seasoned, but they seem to have been cleaned reasonably well. There’s no unity in color or size. I can’t spend too much time deciding.
Amidst that, one stall catches my eye. It’s about 2 meters wide, painted green overall, with yellow decorations around the edges. Somehow, I like the color scheme. Green, which can help extend the stay, would be nice for relaxation. The yellow trim also catches the eye. It also comes with a small stove-like device. It could probably accommodate about three standing drinkers. However, it doesn’t feel lonely even if you drink alone. Is this one good?
“How much is this?”
“It’s 6000 Rei per day.”
“Okay, I’ll take this one. Can I rent it for about three days for now?”
“It’s 18000 Rei in advance. If there’s any loss or significant damage, it’ll be 200,000 Rei.”
“Okay. Where should I leave it when business is done?”
“Just leave it around here. I’ll take care of the cleanup. Well then, I’ll show you.”
“…Is the location already decided?”
“Well, it’s not officially decided, but to avoid trouble, it’s a tradition for me to decide. Follow me.”
Eventually, I was guided to the back of the market, where there’s the least foot traffic. Well, it has good sunlight, and this way, customers might be able to enjoy their coffee calmly.
“Here it is. Any problem?”
“Hmm… I think it’s fine. By the way, is the lady the head honcho around here?”
Having the authority to decide the location is quite significant. She may be doing small chores, but in reality, she should have quite a bit of influence.
“I just happens to sell firewood in a building near the entrance of this market. Well… various things happened, and before I knew it,I ended up running this market.”
“I see. I’m Bonus. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m Clara. If you value your life, don’t try to cheat me.”
With that, she slipped away like before. Clara… Clara’s scary. As long as I do business here, it’s best not to incur her displeasure. I’ll keep that in mind. Now, I need to buy milk and prepare the shop. For now, I plan to sell a cup for 500 Rei. 500 Rei coins are commonly circulated and widely used in daily life. It also seems less hassle for accounting. Since I can’t write, I drew pictures of coffee, chocolate, and a 500 Rei coin on scrap wood obtained from the carpenter’s shop. For now, this will be the sign. I’ll have Kuro fetch water from the well.
“Now, it’s finally time to open. Let’s do our best, Kuro.”
“Gyagya u!”