novelraw Chapter 17 : Naba (3)
Chapter 17 : Naba (3)
Chapter 17 - Naba (3)
Using Naba as a clerk entails risk.
However,
'What would change if I didn't hire Naba?'
I recall the thug from Derek's gang whom I saw this morning.
His gaze when he met my eyes after beating Naba to death's door.
He looked ready to throw a punch at any moment.
And didn't those bastards collude with Flaco to set a fire at the fence?
In other words,
'Those bastards are already targeting me.'
Once my thoughts reached this point, my hesitation about using Naba as a clerk disappeared.
The probability of clashing with Derek's gang is high anyway, so in that case, I might as well clear the [Quest], right?
“I'm going to hire this kid, Naba, as a clerk.”
< You have hired an employee. >
< Quest [1] Raise the Inn (Step 1) objective achieved. >
< Congratulations. The reward will now be distributed. >
< A new function will be unlocked. >
< A new quest will be added. >
I wanted to open the system window right away, but I couldn't because Jeros was snickering with a strange expression.
“As expected, you're an interesting guy. Heh heh. You're different from the outsiders I've seen until now.”
“Of course I am. Anyway, you're approving my use of this friend, right?”
“Alright. But the hiring cost for that kid will be deducted from your share.”
“What?”
This money-crazy bastard? Shouldn't it be deducted from the shop's operating expenses?
“Didn't you hire him for your own convenience? Heh heh. I can't take a loss.”
He's right, so I have nothing to say.
Jeros, as if his business was done, got up from his seat, waved his hand, and left the shop.
I was staring dumbfounded at the shop door he had left through, when,
“Sir Outsider,” Naba said.
“My salary is fine. Just the fact that you've taken me in, I'm so grateful I don't know what to do.”
“……No. I'll take care of it.”
I know the sorrow of being an unpaid slave better than anyone.
I want to make sure he gets paid, even if it's a small amount.
“No! It's really, truly okay.”
Naba said, horrified.
“Someone like me, receiving a salary? It's unthinkable. Unless I were to pay tribute money……”
They were words that clearly showed how much he must have suffered under Captain Hook Derek, but,
“That's enough. Cut out the depressing talk.”
Now that he's my person, I can't just leave him like that.
I took an inn room key from the cupboard, handed it to him, and said.
“Stay in that room over there for the time being. Focus on recovering your body first.”
“No, I can't! I'm fine sleeping on the kitchen floo—”
“Quiet! From now on, the word 'no' is forbidden in response to what I say. Got it?”
“Ah…… Yes. Understood, Sir.”
“You have to recover quickly so you can help me with my work quickly, right? So for a few days, focus on recovering. While eating everything I give you.”
“……Yes, Sir.”
“And don't call me Sir.”
“Then what should I call you?”
The title to call me by is already decided.
“Call me 'Boss'.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Hmm. This is a little thrilling.
……
Right after sending Naba to his room, with an excited heart, I threw open the system window.
What on earth could have been unlocked.
'Please add meat to the shop.'
But my desperate wish went unheard this time as well.
Because a new tab had been created at the top of the system window.
'What is this now.'
[Inn]
< Grade : A shabby and worn-out inn >
< Recognition : Town-level ( 78/100 ) >
---------(Clerk List)---------
< [1] Nanabas Localio >
└ Grade : ???
└ Buff Application Rate : 50% + 0%
As soon as I saw it, I scratched my head vigorously.
Not only was this [Inn] window not as intuitive as [Quest],
it also wasn't of any immediate, direct help to me.
'In a way, it's kind of like a status window.’
Things like the inn's grade, or its recognition level.
The problem is, what do I use this for,
'Hmm. Is it perhaps related to a quest.'
I immediately pressed the [Quest] tab and checked the new quest I had received.
< [2] Raise the Inn (Step 2) >
└ Objective : Raise the inn's recognition to small city-level. ( Current status : Town-level 78 )
└ Reward : New system unlocked
Just as I thought.
But there's no explanation on how to raise the recognition level.
'The game and my ability are both user-unfriendly, I see.'
Still, if I were to make a guess,
I think the recognition level will probably rise as the shop becomes known as a popular spot and business does well.
If I achieve 100 recognition at the town-level, I can raise it to the next grade, 'small city'.
'And then another new ability will be unlocked, I guess.'
Hah, geez. I was just trying to use the business as a means of survival.
This system, it naturally turns it into the objective.
Ahem. Can't be helped, I guess.
I might have to work a little harder at the business.
And also, under the [Inn] tab.
'A clerk list has also appeared.'
The [Regular Customer] had two slots open from the beginning, but the clerk, unfortunately, only has one.
This too will probably increase one by one as I clear quests.
By the way, that Naba kid.
His full name has a certain ring to it, which reminded me of 'those NPCs'.
'Nanabas Localio.'
Basically, Belkazium is a roguelike game,
So each time you play, the political situation and the state of war on the continent change, and the active main NPCs and enemies also differ.
Like the free mode in the strategy simulation game, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
'This is the reason I roughly skipped the dialogue and event scenes.'
Back then, I just thought the AI was made really well, but to think that wasn't it.
'Because they just copied and pasted the entire world!'
Anyway,
Even in a Belkazium that changes with every playthrough like this,
there were always NPCs who had a high probability of being active every time.
'Like the Archduke of the North, Guilherme Kaischen.'
Impactful NPCs like these are impossible not to remember, no matter how uninterested I was in the story and lore.
'And Nabas and Rio were like that too.’
The Demon King Nabas and the Hero Rio.
Guys who appeared at a very low probability, and if they did appear, you could just consider the game broken.
'Hah. It's dizzying to even think about it now.'
I thought of them as Easter egg-like guys who would appear if you played around in the world without seeing the ending,
But to think that guys like that could pop up in the real world is terror itself.
Because even I, who was so strong in the game, couldn't avoid a tough fight.
Naba's full name contains the names of both of those guys. How strange.
'Huh? Come to think of it…… I think the Hero Rio's hair color was also brown.'
a thought that crossed my mind for a very brief moment, but.
“Nah, no way.”
In my memory, the Hero Rio's hair color was exactly hazelnut.
Naba's hair is a much darker brown than that.
There's no way they're the same person.
'His face. Hmm. The game was dot graphics, so I can't even picture it.'
Furthermore, it's hard to imagine the Naba who tearfully thanked me for saving him becoming one of those monsters.
“Yeah, it's a 'no way', no way.”
I erased the stray thoughts with a hearty laugh and left the shop.
Even though I couldn't do the lunch service, I had to prepare for the dinner service.
And so I arrived at the general store.
“Pardon? You're all out of pumpkins?”
“Yeah. You swept them all away, saying business was good these days!”
What happened to being happy that I was buying a lot.
Still, let's smile. The other party is a business partner.
“All that's left are onions, potatoes, and rock bread. You can buy those if you want.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
I had to at least make and sell potato stew and Fondue Bread, so as I was picking up the ingredients, the general store owner said.
“There aren't many onions and potatoes left either. Keep that in mind.”
“……Yes.”
I am reminded that this is a northern frontier town where it's hard to get food.
And on top of that, it's winter now, so this is to be expected.
“But you still have rock bread, right?”
“Want more?”
“I'll buy it next time. My hands are full right now.”
I wonder where on earth rock bread is made.
……
The office on the 2nd floor of the ‘Widow Usurper', the Adventurers' Guild in the frontier town of Granpn.
“Did you kill him?”
One-armed Derek asked without taking his eyes off the ledger.
“Yes.”
Derek picked up the three copper coins on the desk and tossed them carelessly.
Clink, clank.
The rolling copper coins came to a stop, lightly touching the tip of Milton's foot.
Milton silently picked up the money and left the office.
Creeak.
Milton stood in front of the door and stared at the 3 copper coins in his hand.
Compared to the effort he'd put into finding that brown-haired kid for a week, it was ridiculously insufficient.
“……”
According to his promise with Flaco, he should have earned at least 3 shillings today.
But the money he'd earned was a mere 3 copper coins.
A curse came out naturally.
He had risked danger and even set fire to the fence because of Flaco.
“Fuck.”
He went down to the first floor.
Malcolm, who had helped him kill the kid, was waiting.
Milton tossed a single copper coin to Malcolm, and the expression of Malcolm who received it also soured in an instant.
“The boss is really stingy.”
“Shh. What about Flaco?”
“He wasn't at home.”
That's what he expected.
Because he's a hunter who usually leaves at dawn and returns around evening.
'I want to go complain right now, dammit.'
That outsider bastard was brazenly alive.
Of course, he didn't look completely unscathed.
Since the outsider bastard had a wound on his temple.
'It looks like something happened, could it be that Flaco was beaten?'
Milton started to rack his not-so-great brain.
If, by some chance, Flaco was beaten, it would be because of Jeros.
'That psycho must have intervened.'
Suddenly, he recalled the day their guild had waged war with Jeros.
The memory of his martial prowess, cutting down 5 executives by himself, made him dizzy.
As expected, Jeros sticking to the outsider is the biggest obstacle.
Even if the Guild made a peace treaty with that bastard, you never know what that crazy bastard Jeros will do.
On the other hand,
This meant that as long as Jeros wasn't around, they could strike the outsider at any time.
Furthermore, since they said the outsider's master, Bert, had also left for somewhere, isn't it practically an empty house?
Come to think of it, how long has it been since Bert disappeared?
Hasn't it been almost a month?
Time sure flies.
'By the way, didn't that bastard Bert just drop dead on some roadside? …… Ah!'
His perspective widened, and Milton's eyes grew round.
Until now, his only goal had been the 360 copper coins the outsider had won, but he shouldn't have stopped there.
If the outsider is running the shop all alone without Bert,
And if it's been like that for quite a while.
'I could have taken not just the money, but the entire shop!'
The class of the reward was on a different level.
And on top of that, the popularity of that shabby inn had skyrocketed since the martial arts demonstration.
If he could have it, the profits would be no ordinary amount.
It was time to mobilize all means to take the shop.
'This isn't the time to work with Flaco. Ditch the bastard.'
It was Milton, who began to count how many junior adventurers in the guild would join him.
“Malcolm. Gather the guys.”
“Why?”
“Bert's shop. Let's take it.”
“Hey! What are you going to do about Jeros? I told you it's a no-go!”
“To hell with Jeros, the prize is huge! Just gather the guys for now. I've got a plan.”
In truth, he had no such plan,
But this foolish adventurer was already blinded by greed.
……
I returned to the shop and was lost in thought.
The top two most popular menu items at my shop are the pumpkin soup and the Fondue Bread.
And I had reached a situation where I couldn't make one of them.
'What should I do?'
Just for the lunch service, people were cursing and raising hell because I took a break.
Can I really get through the dinner service safely?
“Haa.”
It can't be helped.
There's no choice but to lower the price of the Fondue Bread and sell that.
Because for an angry public, a sale event is the best.
'……Just don't get caught by Jeros.'
A sale event at a mess hall should be a negotiable line.
'For dinner tonight, I'll have to sell just two menu items: Fondue Bread and potato stew.'
With this plan, I started working in the kitchen.
I bought sugar from the Shop Window to make syrup, poked holes in the bread,
And after this and that, the Fondue Bread was complete.
The potato stew was also complete.
'Perhaps because I didn't make pumpkin soup, I have a lot of time left over.'
Leaning against the sink, I opened the Shop Window.
To think about what would be a good new Korean dish to add from tomorrow.
There's a lot to consider, from the points consumed and how to set the selling price, to how easy it is to make for sales.
'Hmm. What should I try making first?'
As I was contemplating deeply,
Knock, knock.
A polite knocking sound was heard.
“Hmm?”
This is a first.
The medieval bastards here usually try to open the door first and if it doesn't open, they pound on it.
“It's open.”
“……”
What is it? Did they not hear me?
“I said, it's open.”
“……”
What could it be? Does the person who knocked not have hands, or not have arms?
Then what did they knock with?
'How unsettling.'
In the end, I had no choice but to graciously open the door for the customer.
Creeak.
“Welco—”