novelraw Chapter 107
Chapter 107
Chapter 107. Franchise Open (2)
There are three danger zones in Nortaris where one must not carelessly set foot.
The deep levels of the Labyrinth Demon Realm, which makes a habit of swallowing even seasoned adventurers. The slums, where the residents keep robbery, thuggery, and pickpocketing as side occupations. And the CCC queue.
To that extent, eating the Royal Warrant chicken had been something that required one to accept a great deal.
Up until yesterday, that is.
"If you queue up now you can eat in just eight hours!"
"Apparently there are nine locations in Nortaris alone! Which one has the shortest queue?"
"Move! Move!"
The sight of a single great river of people dispersing was a spectacle in its own right.
But as ever, there were those who harbored doubts.
"Branch locations? I'm not going, I'm not going. Don't you know that branch locations can never match even half of the original?"
"I, is that so?"
It was a reasonable doubt that made even those nearby nod along involuntarily.
Dress shops, cobblers, carpentry workshops, goldsmiths, and the like. Apprentices who had worked under accomplished masters would often open branch locations borrowing the master's name.
And what of the quality of such 2nd and 3rd locations?
Generally, not good.
Why? Because a freshly independent apprentice was not the master.
Even having learned the same craft under the same master, the quality of the product was different. The prices, the service — different.
Of course, over time things might develop in a positive direction, but……
"And yet they opened over a dozen branch locations all at once? Nine times out of ten the branches being inferior to the original is simply the reality."
"That's also true."
"The ones who went dashing off are the ones lacking in sense. All we have to do is wait right here. The queue's already been cut in half on our account, too."
"My, thank you for talking us out of it."
The merchant in the queue puffed up with pride, and the people around joined in agreement.
And then, a few hours later.
"It was truly, magnificent……."
"I had it boxed up this much to take home for the family."
"Good thing we ran over right away. Look at this queue here. Still waiting."
People with both arms full of chicken boxes began walking by, chatting noisily.
They looked at the people still steadfastly standing in the original queue with peculiar expressions. The quiet superiority of those who had been a step shrewder than everyone else.
"Hmph, laughable sight — celebrating over an inferior product like that."
The merchant who had earlier been expounding on the branch inferiority theory gave a conspicuous snort.
"Pardon? Why are you starting something all of a sudden?"
"Isn't it laughable? Have you actually eaten at the original? I've eaten there no fewer than three times."
Which was to say he had spent at minimum a dozen or more days in waiting lines. Which was to say he possessed a degree of financial freedom unlike commoners who earned each day's bread on the same day. Which was to say he was above average.
"Is what those of you have in your hands really the sort of thing that deserves the Royal Warrant? Heh heh heh."
The merchant genuinely believed it himself and continued spreading the branch inferiority theory. Inside, there was a tinge of resentment toward those who had eaten the chicken with barely any wait at all.
"Why would you go out of your way to ruin someone's mood?"
"The food was delicious, that's all that matters. Unbelievable."
The people who had just finished a pleasant meal and come out grumbled among themselves, while a seed of doubt began to sprout.
'Is that actually true?'
'That merchant's words don't seem entirely wrong…….'
'It was delicious so that ought to be enough, but somehow I feel unsettled…….'
Just then, a man of imposing build appeared, cradling a chicken box in his arms.
"What're you on about? It tasted exactly the same as the original."
A man who had just unburdened himself at a branch location and was planning a second round at home with Cola, having thoughtfully had it boxed up. It was Thomas.
"I've been to both the original and the branch — they were completely identical. Absolutely brilliant."
"Don't lie!"
The merchant was indignant. The original CCC alone was supposed to be the standard of taste! If it weren't, the meaning of all that time he had spent waiting in this queue would be lost!
The merchant had prepared dozens of arguments with which to shoot down this uncouth man with dazzling rhetoric.
"Why get wound up when someone's telling you? Then go ahead and keep waiting there."
Thomas made an expression of disbelief and turned away.
"……."
Only the merchant, who had alone been burning with the will to fight, remained. Not a single word of debate had been exchanged, yet somehow everyone felt they knew whose words were the truth.
"What was that — all that showing off, and he ended up the only one who lost out."
"Let's go to a branch location too."
"Suffered for nothing standing here."
The merchant shrank under the sideways glances he received, while the people set off in small groups toward the branch locations.
***
CCC's Franchise structure differed from a typical Franchise structure.
In the modern era, a Franchise business means being consumed with selling off operating rights in any way possible to expand. But Y&P Trading Company entered Franchise agreements with only a carefully selected few.
For Jurgen, it had been an unavoidable choice.
Even in the modern era where Franchise is fully established, what they call 'store-by-store variation' appears. Since human hands are involved, variation arises between locations.
But in Britannia of all places, if one were to enter into Franchise agreements with just anyone?
'I think our modified recipe beats the head office recipe…….'
'Hmm, instead of receiving chicken from a supplier, how about I brine it myself?'
'This is beer from my uncle's brewery — let's sell it as a side with the chicken……!'
'Please try our CCC ○○ Branch's special menu, fried pickles!'
It was obvious that stomach-turning developments of that sort would happen.
One must never forget that the most important product of a Franchise is 'consistent service.'
And so the people Penelope had recruited to operate the Franchise locations numbered three in total.
Lady Ashford of the Ashford Marquisate, Lady Coldwell of the Coldwell Viscountcy, Lady Brampton of the Brampton Barony.
Women from families less subject to Rosemore's influence, and capable operators who were already running their own respective businesses excellently. Accordingly, they had grasped the importance of the Franchise business's core principles and its potential in an instant.
'Hmm, this isn't bad, is it? We manage the premises ourselves, while the brand, ingredients, recipe, supply chain, and all other infrastructure is provided in full…… This is innovative.'
'A royalty of 5% of total revenue…… The initial investment cost is a bit steep but the royalty is reasonable.'
'In that case, we simply need to prepare the premises for operation? As it happens, I had a commercial property sitting idle — this works out well.'
A truly radical new venture even by the standards of Britannia's nobility. The three young ladies each opened five locations apiece, evenly distributed across the North.
The results, well……
Were a runaway success that went without saying.
[Chicken Now Sweeps the Entire North — The Miracle of Crispy Crown Chicken]
[On the Royal Warrant, the Highest Short-term Revenue Restaurant, and Northern Icon CCC]
They could no longer claim the front page of the newspaper every time as before, but articles continued to pour out steadily.
Well, the three-night four-day wait had been exceptional enough that it warrants mention, but the sight of at minimum several hundred people drooling as they waited at each CCC location across the North was quite the spectacle.
"I expected the turnover rate to increase but I didn't expect more customers to show up."
Penelope, having come to visit Jurgen's safe house, fanned herself with the settlement statement and clicked her tongue.
"Doesn't the eye naturally go to treasure that seems within reach rather than something impossibly far away? The existing wait times had been excessively long, so the contrast must be quite striking."
Revenue leaping up immediately after the branch openings. The denomination of the figures written here being Crown — even seeing it with both eyes, it was hard to believe.
"You've had a hard time of it, hiding away in a cramped place."
"You've worked hard too."
"Me, well — the Mafia lot happened to fight each other right on cue, so things were considerably easier. They say those foolish creatures went and destroyed each other fighting among themselves. I think you can look for a good moment and make your return now too."
In truth he had not been hiding away in a cramped place at all but had been roaming the night streets with Aiden. And the person who had contributed most greatly to the Gray Council's spectacular downfall was Jurgen himself — but……
There was no particular need to bring that up.
"How are you? Did you manage to gather your thoughts?"
During the Franchise launch preparations, they had needed to put on the appearance of Y&P faltering, so it had been a while since he had seen Penelope's face. They had spoken on the telephone from time to time, however.
The last time he had seen Penelope, she had shown a very fragile side of herself — her life's goal broken.
"How do I look?"
But right now……
"It seems you've steeled your resolve."
"Resolve? Perhaps."
She looked strong. Not the paper-thin bravado of before, but a solidity that comes from the weaker parts of one's heart wearing away. The kind of particular atmosphere that might be described as seasoned composure, or quiet authority.
"If the family won't acknowledge me, I thought I'd make it so they have no choice but to."
"That's the spirit."
But a lingering concern remained in his heart.
Jurgen had seen Penelope crumble. He had seen the proud young woman weep in his arms like a lost child.
Could she really have gathered herself in that short a time and risen by her own strength?
If that weren't the case — if she was simply pretending to be strong. If she had merely learned to package it a little more skillfully.
It was not a grand thing, but he had been prepared to offer her some advice.
Penelope swallowed one breath and continued.
"I thought about it once. What is it that I truly want to protect? And so, I arrived at my own conclusion."
And then she looked straight at Jurgen. When he tilted his head, he found that the tip of a long, slender finger had, at some point, poked him in the chest.
"Your dream."
"……."
"My dream can wait a little longer to be found."
For what was perhaps almost the first time. Jurgen was the one who looked away from Penelope first.
How to put it…… They had been partners well enough up until now, but from the moment of her words, he had an intuition that something between the two of them had changed from before.
"Why? Don't you like it? What's that expression for?"
"No, it's not that I dislike it……."
The corners of Penelope's lips curved slightly.
"You're embarrassed."
If he were being candid……
Precisely so.
***
"Ha, bloody hell."
Bell was in a thoroughly foul mood. Infuriatingly uncomfortable, like a herring bone lodged in her throat.
The strife among the Gray Council that had broken out when Marcus, whom she had so carefully cultivated, was taken. Bell had run herself ragged trying to re-establish her grip on the underworld.
But they had shot at each other without restraint until every last one had been wiped out. The nobles who had burned with similar ambitions and sought to install a new king of the underworld were abruptly left looking like dogs that had chased a chicken only to have it fly away.
The reason Bell was even more irritated was——
"How does a restaurant expand by fifteen locations in a single day."
Because during that brief window of lapsed vigilance, Y&P Trading Company had made an explosive leap. Not only that, but every customer was singing praises. As if that were not enough, Penelope had brought onboard figures who were awkward for Clarisse to openly pick a fight with, and expanded her business through them.
To touch CCC now would mean trespassing on the turf of adversaries she had a difficult relationship with.
"Openly raising the flag of defiance……."
Rosemore may be the king of the North, but interfering with someone else's business without grounds was simply more trouble than it was worth. Even if she forced through with it, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
Penelope would have seen that far ahead too.
"If I can't even handle something of this level properly…… Miss Clarisse will come to resent me……."
Bell, who had been gnawing at her fingertips, made a decision.
She could not neglect her assigned duties. She had to complete them perfectly.
How?
Black smoke seeped from the tattoo etched into Bell's back. The smoke that coiled around her like ink dissolved in water rippled once——
And Bell's face, build, and even voice had transformed completely into those of an entirely different person.
Through the special black magic engraved on Bell's body.
False Familiarity.
This was not a simple magic that merely altered one's appearance. It was a magic that manipulated the perceptions and even the memories of others.
On the minor end, it allowed one to move covertly beyond the threshold of others' awareness; on the greater end, even disguising oneself as someone who had been a close acquaintance since long ago was possible. Just as when Bell had once taken employment as Blyton's lawyer, and Blyton had regarded her as 'a male lawyer who had been with him from the very bottom.'
"If it can't be broken from the outside……. It will have to be broken from within."
From time immemorial, the most fearsome enemy…… had always been the enemy who had infiltrated from inside.
.
.
.
And so, that evening.
"Hello. I'm sorry I'm late. Has everyone arrived?"
"No! You're not late at all! The others haven't arrived yet either! Come inside quickly, Sister Mel!"
Bell had infiltrated the Y&P Trading Company executives' evening gathering. As 'Mel' — a long-standing collaborator of Y&P Trading Company.