Kays Translations

Chapter 49: The Curry Shop Opens

Half a month had passed since the bandit-subjugation quest.

Today was the curry restaurant’s grand opening.

Curry had been served at the Yasuragi Inn for a short time while the new establishment was being prepared. It had immediately become so popular that a line formed outside the restaurant even on opening day.

Drawing on memories of his former life, Tauro introduced a system unknown in this world: customers could add whatever toppings they wanted to their curry.

He also prepared desserts, because sweet foods were perfect after something spicy.

Fruit cakes, crepes filled with fruit and cream, pudding, cookies, and red-bean-paste buns were all on offer. Their precious sugar made them expensive, but the restaurant’s concept differed from that of the Yasuragi Inn and allowed such indulgence.

The desserts were displayed behind glass where they could be seen from outside. Customers waiting in line immediately began pointing through the window and deciding what to order.

“We’re now open.”

When the time arrived, an employee opened the door. The customers, tired of waiting, poured inside, rushed to their seats, and began ordering the instant they opened their menus.

Naturally, curry was popular at a curry restaurant, but the desserts proved just as successful.

Despite their high prices, many customers wanted to try sweets made with rare sugar.

Once they tasted them, the customers forgot everyone around them and exclaimed over the flavor.

Others who witnessed those reactions promptly placed orders of their own.

Pudding, with a texture no one had ever experienced, sold out first despite the large quantity prepared.

The customers quickly realized from one another’s reactions that the remaining desserts were delicious too. Before evening, everything except the red-bean buns had sold out.

“I can’t believe the red-bean buns didn’t sell…!”

Tauro was shocked that his personal favorite had been left behind.

They were unquestionably delicious once eaten, but people found the dark filling unsettling and avoided them, asking, “What’s that black stuff?”

For the moment, he stored the unsold buns in magic storage so they wouldn’t spoil.

He watched sales for several days, but the buns showed no sign of becoming a sudden hit.

One day, he asked Nei for advice.

“Why not advertise them with cookies as portable sweets for adventurers?”

She had a point. Buns and cookies could be wrapped in cloth, carried easily, and eaten by hand.

Tauro therefore arranged to have them stocked at the adventurers’ gathering place, the Yasuragi Inn.

The inn also supplied portable food for quests, so at first he asked the staff to include a bun free of charge as a sample.

That ignited their popularity.

The sweet buns earned a reputation as a delicious way to revive a tired body after a quest.

One hardy adventurer even claimed they were good with alcohol.

Once adventurers became the primary customers, Tauro lowered the price as far as possible to make the buns easier on their purses.

It’s only right to be kind to adventurers, for I too am an adventurer. —Tauro

* Tauro’s poem reflects only his personal opinion.

Tauro was also doing extremely well on quests.

His performance in the bandit operation made other adventurers happy to accept him whenever temporary teams were formed.

Until then, many had recognized him as an adventurer yet still hesitated to work with a ten-year-old child.

He lacked offensive power, but his steady support proved that they could entrust their lives to him.

His ability had finally earned their recognition.

One day amid that satisfying routine, Branch Manager Leo summoned Tauro to his room.

With a serious expression, Leo said, “Viscount Saisi wants to hire you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Thanks to the mithril mining operation, he’s been meeting more high-ranking nobles whenever he visits the royal capital. Your name comes up so often during those meetings that he wants to add you to his household and enhance his own prestige.”

For a reason like that…?

Tauro resolved to refuse at any cost.

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