Ch 7: I Thought About Business

Our diner is quite prosperous.

When I was hired by the couple who owns the diner, there seemed to be a man who worked part-time.

He quit because it was tough and a lot of work. The husband felt frustrated and didn’t feel like hiring another part-timer.

I think it’s better when we’re busy and don’t have much time to breathe when you’re running a shop. In fact, the couple always remembers to have gratitude, “We are protected by God and our customers, our daily life is established.

They’re just a little worry I’m working too hard.

Apparently, there are reasons why we worked from morning to night.

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The couple seemed to be in debt.

They don’t talk about the debt in front of me but after closing the shop, I overheard the couple talking about it. Even though this shop is doing so well, why is there debt? The couple lives in a modest lifestyle and far from being luxurious. Although I could not understand for a while, I got grasp pieces of it after some casual talks with the regulars I finally understood.

It was for their daughter who passed away.

The daughter had a weak body and she was always getting sick. That’s why they needed a lot of money for her medical bills. The daughter passed away at a young age and a lot of time have pass since then. The reason why they are very kind to me is because of the image of the daughter I portray. If not, they wouldn’t have hired a stranger when they’re in debt.

In any case, the amount wasn’t something you can pay off overnight.

The couple is considering expanding the store even if it’ll add more debt.

The shop at the moment is quite narrow and the number of people who can enter at once is fifteen. Some customers give up on entering because the diner is full by noon. However, it is difficult to expand the store as it is.

There are other stores next to it. If they are going to expand the store at this time, they would have to buy the store, destroy the building, and build the expansion.

Well, then let’s move to a bigger location.

There brings on another problem with location. The shop is quite close to the Royal Palace, which is why the soldiers visit at noon as customers.

If the distance from the Royal Palace increases, it is less likely they’ll be willing to walk that far. Then, it will be necessary to develop a new customer base. But it looks like their ideal plot of land isn’t in the residential district.

This is a difficult problem.

Is there a way to increase sales?

It was the casual words a regular who was a soldier said that broke down the situation.

I wish this diner was also in the Royal Palace.

This is one of the praises I hear often in the diner. The diner is delicious no matter what you eat and you’ll never get tired of eating it every day.  As usual, we would say thank you and let it pass. But, it caught my attention this time.

Indeed, that might be a good idea.

No, of course, we can’t build a branch inside the palace. Such things are impossible. But even if we can’t, what if we deliver to the palace?

I used to live in the Royal Palace so I roughly remember the layout.

The training ground for the soldiers should be close to the entrance.

If I remember correctly, the dining hall is also quite a walk away from the training ground. For soldiers who are hungry after training, it’ll be troublesome to go on a daily basis.

Besides, the hours of operation for the cafeteria is limited. For soldiers who cannot go during that time, they’ll have dinner outside the palace.

There is a system for the first-class chefs to deliver food to their rooms but that is only for the upper class.

That is why it’s a good idea to leave the Royal Palace to go to the diner.

That’s right, in this world, there aren’t many options for food here. At most, sandwiches are sold at the diner. In the original world, “bento” with rice and side dish was a special food culture in Asia.

Oh, this is going to be possible, isn’t it?

I consulted with the husband at once.

Originally they were listening to my story with skeptic but it looks like they are gradually accepting this proposal.

“It might be interesting to prepare food and deliver it outside of the diner.” The husband muttered with a serious look.

“It might be good to give it a try. We’ll try ten sets, there’ll hardly be any damage.”

“We’ll need a permit to deliver food but it’ll be completed soon.”

But there was one problem.

“The challenge is to sell food within the Royal Palace. I’ve never heard of such a story before.”

“That’s right…for that we don’t know if we’ll need permission or not,”

“If it comes to entering the grounds, how will we do it?”

I think it is preferable to sell in the Royal Palace and near the training ground.

It is good to sell it in a normal town, but if it is in the city, it is better because there isn’t a good store in the vicinity. And when I start a new service, I think it’s better to start by capturing existing customers if possible.

Well…to tell you the truth.

If we have permission to sell in the training ground, you can also enter the Royal Palace. It also includes my selfish reasons.

I asked the soldiers who are regular customers for advice on the idea.

Everyone’s reaction is better than I expected, it would be successful if we manage to pull it off.

In addition, the dining hall doesn’t have a lot of variety to choose from. It looks like after sweating from training, it’s troublesome to leave for food. Therefore, there are some soldiers who do not go to the dining halls or go out to eat. They just eat the bread they bought earlier in the day.

Yup, the target is those “we give up” soldiers.

I also knew that one of the regulars was the commander-in-chief. He is going to be able to help with the recommendation to enter the Royal Palace.

Thankfully, there are people who can help us in the process. I’m sure it’s because of the virtue of the husband and wife.

And so, a week after it started, I finally got permission to sell bento in the royal palace.

・ ・ ・ ・

That morning, I got up two hours earlier than usual with the husband and wife to prepare.

This season is the same as the end of spring in Japan. Unlike Japan, there is no humidity at all and the temperature doesn’t get too hot. If we’re careful with the ingredients, there shouldn’t be any problems selling it during lunchtime. Well, I think the two professionals are more familiar with this than me.

We prepared fifteen bentos with Japanese style rice and side dishes.

After that, about ten rice balls full with my love so that they can casually buy this instead of snacks. As for drinks, there is a drinking place on the training ground. We decided it’s better to be safe than to force it this time around.

Time to start.

I’m going to the training ground for the first time.

I feel like those children who are often seen selling beer at the ballpark. Yes, the food is unexpectedly balanced and stable. But, it is quite heavy. If this is not sold, it’ll be hard to return home.

“All right Haruka.” (the husband)

“Haru-chan it looks heavy.” (the wife)

“No, if you guys aren’t at the diner, the shop won’t function.”

I ran off, leaving behind the anxious husband and wife. I entered the street heading to the Royal Palace.

It’s a little bit before lunch.

The staff of the Royal Palace who goes out to the town for lunch is still sparse so there isn’t much traffic.

Occasionally, a person passing by glances over at me. Perhaps they think I’m a weak girl who is carrying a large baggage. Maybe he also notices the delicious smell coming from the basket.

I wonder if I can sell them. I hope I can sell them.

When I reached the Royal Palace, my legs were weak.

Oh…now I’m nervous.

The last time I came to the palace, I was treated like a suspicious person and was driven away.

But this time.

The guard at the entrance raised his brow when he recognized me.

“Where is your permit?” “Here it is.”

I awkwardly pull out the permit and hand it over to the guard.

The guard glances at it and immediately open the gate to signal that’s good to go. It was anticlimactic for me. Perhaps some of the soldiers who are regulars mention this to him earlier. I survived.

After two months of returning to this world, I successfully entered the Royal Palace.