"I need to talk to Lulu and Daisy."
""What is it, sir?""
I'll leave you two in the living room when I'm done eating.
They're both wondering what's going on. You don't have to be so hard. I'm a nice guy.
"Actually, I'm thinking of getting more clerks."
"Shopkeepers, sir? But two people are enough for a shop..."
Lulu says that two people are enough for the demon shop, so there is no need for more staff. Daisy nodded her head as if she thought the same thing as Lulu.
"Yeah, I know. So if the new clerk you're hiring is up to snuff, do you two want to go out on your own?"
"...Does that mean I'm fired?"
"Did I do something to offend the owner!"
They thought they were fired, and they had tears in their eyes.
"No, no, you two are doing great, and I'm not going to fire you!"
""Well?""
"I think you misunderstood me, so let me correct you, but you said that you two dreamed of owning your own restaurant, right?"
""Yes.""
"So I thought, why don't I open my own shop?"
"Whose is it?"
"It's just the two of us, kun."
""...""
They freeze.
A young woman with her mouth agape... don't make that face.
"To be precise - I'm saying I'll help the two of you finance the opening of the shop. Of course, you have to pay back the loaned money with interest."
"Sh, but we don't have that much down payment to open a shop yet..."
"You don't have to worry about that. I'm going to buy the shop and you two will pay me the rent, and I'll finance the operation for the first few months of the opening."
The interest on the loan is 0.5% per annum. The purpose of the loan is not to make money, so we charge only token interest.
Now, whether it's Lulu's grocery store or Daisy's restaurant, if you buy as much of the merchandise and ingredients from me as possible, you'll have an excuse for the ostensibly low profits.
"Are you sure you want such good terms?"
"We're happy for you, but there's no guarantee you'll thrive if you open a shop, is there?"
"Yeah, that's why I want you to buy from me. I'll provide you with products and materials that you can't find anywhere else. You don't have to answer right away, just think it over for a while. Oh, I'm sure I'll add more employees, but don't worry, I won't fire you even if you don't start your own business."
This could be a major turning point in your life, so I want you both to think carefully before you answer.
It's nice to be independent, but I don't want to see you two unhappy.
The next day, I asked them to open the shop as usual.
I'll be producing magic items in the morning.
Lethia and Saint-Louve will train in the garden with Braham and any adventuring guards who have time to spare, and Sela will help me with my production.
To tell you the truth, the only skill I have that's suitable for granting is [[Space-time Magic]].
That's why I'm asking Sailor, who is a wise sama and can control multiple attributes of magic, to help me with the final touches, the granting.
I'm trying to make a wand of fire that I destroyed the one time before.
Hollow out the center of an Evil Oak branch and insert a thin wire made of witch's copper. Put a red crystal on the head of the wand and the wand itself is complete.
In order for me to be able to use this wand to activate the Fireball, I need Sailor to channel the magic of the Fireball into me, and I will grant that magic to the wand.
It's truly a joint effort between me and Sailor!
Type: Staff of Fire (National Treasure)
Description: Fireball activator. It consumes 5 to 50 MP. It is powerful enough to kill a rank 4 demon.
Mmm, somehow it becomes high spec.
Put it in storage and repeat the process again. Of course, we degrade the image a little so that it stops at the high or special level.
Type: Staff of Fire (Special Class)
Description: Fireball activator. It consumes 5 to 50 MP. It is powerful enough to kill a rank 3 demon.
Type: Staff of Fire (Advanced)
Description: Fireball activator. It consumes 5 to 50 MP. It is powerful enough to kill a rank 2 demon.
It's powerful enough to kill a rank 2 demon at the high level, but it can kill a rank 1 demon at the intermediate level, and it does less damage at the low level.
Next, you'll need a branch of Old Trent, a mithril wire, and a fire magic crystal, all of which are rank 4 demons.
By the way, it is said that magic crystals are often used for high quality magic items, but it is very difficult to make them.
But I'm at rank D, which means I can make this magic crystal by [[Magic Tool Creation]] . [[Magic Tool Creation]] is becoming a cheat too!
Type: Magic Staff of Hellfire (Legendary Level)
Description: An activator of flame magic. Triples the power of flame spells, increases resistance to fire, and absorbs magic elements.
Yes, I expected this to happen, but I didn't expect it to be legendary.
I'll have to get Sailor to use this one!
"For me?"
"Yeah, I'd like to see Sailor use this."
"Yes! Thank you so much!"
Sela happily cradles the magical staff of hellfire.
"Well, I guess we'd better get some food and get to the Commercial Guild."
"Yes, then I'll go tell everyone that!"
Sailor is so cute as she skips away from the workshop.
I usually think of her as more of a cool beauty, but as I watch her back I realize that Sailor is also a 16 year old girl.
After a quick lunch, we loaded 10,000 sheets of copy paper and 500 ball-point pens into the rear car.
You ask Lethia to pull the cart to the Commercial Guild so that you can make it there before noon, but on the way, you see something that doesn't make you feel good.
It's a scene of children, presumed slaves, being moved through the back door of a slave shop and into the shop.
I neither approve nor disapprove of slavery.
Lethia used to be a slave, and now Braham's my slave.
Since Braham is a criminal slave, I can't free him on my own, so I left him be.
And all Lethia and I see is a bunch of skinny kids, no more than ten years old.
Even I'm disgusted by the sight of those too poorly nourished children.
"Lord, I tell you, don't even think about saving those kids. There are children everywhere who are in the same situation."
"...I know... but it's kind of a bummer."
As I stared at the slave children, Lethia's voice pierced my heart, telling me that even if I saved those children, there would still be children like them all over the world.
I know that. I know it, but I wonder if there is something I can do.
"And it's still better if you're a slave . At least you'll be fed."
"...which means?"
"There are many orphans in this world. They don't have food to eat or a place to sleep."
Mm-hmm, that's true.
...There are orphanages in this world, but the number of orphans they can accept is limited, so there are many orphans who are street children in the city.
It would be hubris to think that I could save such orphans and slave children. But I can't help thinking that there is something I can do.
"Lord, you're going to be late for your appointment with Katherine."
"Oh, yeah, okay, let's go."
With an unsettled mind, I headed to the Commercial Guild.
And when I asked the receptionist at the Commercial Guild to arrange an appointment with Catherine San, he... she came out almost simultaneously.
"I've been waiting for you... It's early, but let's get the delivery done ♡"
A wink pierces me so hard I think I can hear it! I can't move for a while!
I have an interview after this, so I will hand over 10,000 sheets of copy paper and 500 ballpoint pens.
"I checked with Glose-chan, -chan... Here's the payment and the bill of sale, handsome."
"Thank you . I hope to see you again."
"Of course... It's nice to meet you too, handsome."