"Excuse me. My name is Hiraku. Is Michael-san in?"
I bowed politely and addressed the shop employee.
"I’m sorry, but please wait a moment. I’ll go and ask."
The employee headed into the back of the building. I turned to Galf, who was standing beside me.
"This is the right place, isn't it?"
"Yeah. When I came before, I was guided here."
Galf currently had a cloth wrapped around his head and a mantle draped over his shoulders to hide his identity. Apparently, during his last visit to this city, he won a martial arts tournament and became quite famous. Since he hadn't been cautious about it today, the moment we stepped into the city, he was mobbed by residents. We were forced to beat a hasty retreat.
He was incredibly popular. There were people challenging him to fights, and plenty of others trying to pull him into business deals. When we re-entered the city, Galf adopted his current look. He looked incredibly suspicious, but it hadn't caused a commotion like before. I had wondered why, but then I realized there were plenty of people dressed similarly. They seemed to be adventurers. I see.
"Hey. Sorry, but it looks like he’s not here after all."
The employee had searched for him, but reported that he was missing. Michael-san seemed to be running a massive operation, so perhaps he was at another shop. It couldn't be helped. I would have to come back later.
I had left the Village of the Great Tree to visit Shashato City. My purpose was to deliver additional ingredients to the restaurant I had entrusted to Marcos and Paula. A little while ago, Progenitor-san had heard about the shop and visited the city himself. He told me that Marcos and Paula were doing well, but the description of the situation had left me perplexed. It was nothing like what I had imagined.
It was good that the shop was thriving, but a massive number of employees? Was running a restaurant more difficult than I had anticipated? Well, nothing was mechanized here. It was a world with magic, but not everyone could use it. If everything had to be done by hand through raw manpower, then I suppose a lot of people were necessary.
Progenitor-san had brought back a letter from Marcos requesting more ingredients. Since I had been thinking about checking on them anyway, I decided the timing was perfect and prepared for the trip. Since Progenitor-san was providing transport, the preparation of the food was actually more difficult than preparing for the journey itself. I didn't think I needed companions, but Lu and the others insisted, so I relented.
I mean, Shashato City is just a normal port town, right? It should be safe. Ah, wait—monsters appear in the surrounding areas. I see.
We decided on the travel group. Progenitor-san was a given, since he was the one using teleportation magic. For cargo transport, we brought six Minotaurs from Village Two to pull and push three large carts. Six Lizardmen came along to guard them and help with loading and unloading.
I thought that was plenty, but then someone pointed out that I didn't have a personal bodyguard. I was about to say it wasn't necessary, but when I thought about it, I realized I hadn't visited any other cities or villages since coming to this world. The only places I’d been were the Northern Dungeon and the Sun Castle. Aside from those, everywhere else was a place I had built myself. I just hadn't felt the need to go anywhere. In a sense, I was a total novice at visiting human settlements.
I didn't think I needed a bodyguard, but I did want a guide. The condition was someone who had been to Shashato City before. That left Frau, Rusty, Galf, two Lizardmen, and four of the Civil Official Girls. I thought Lu and Tia had been, but apparently not.
"I might have passed through, but I never bothered to learn the names of the cities," Lu admitted.
"That's right," Tia added. "I probably visited once or twice, but I'm not confident I’d remember the way."
Frau, Rusty, and the two Lizardmen had gone there to sell crops to Michael-san. There should have been other Lizardmen who went as well, but they were currently serving as guards for the Minotaurs. Galf had gone by himself once to register at the Adventurer Guild. The four Civil Official Girls had visited Shashato City for shopping a few times when they were young.
Among us, Galf was the only one who could navigate the city on his own, so he was automatically assigned as my bodyguard. I felt a bit bad for putting him to work.
Our group—myself, Galf, Progenitor-san, six Minotaurs, and six Lizardmen—began our journey. Some complained that the escort was too small, but we were going to a civilized city. I wished they wouldn't treat me like such a child.
We teleported near the city using Progenitor-san's magic. Galf and I headed off to greet Michael-san while the others, guided by Progenitor-san, moved the cargo to the restaurant.
Wait. Crap. I had assumed I’d meet Michael-san immediately, so I hadn't asked Progenitor-san for the restaurant's location.
...I really am less capable than a child.
"For now, let's just wander around the areas you know, Galf."
We set off. But first...
"Please give this letter to Michael-san."
"Eh?" The employee looked surprised.
"Galf, leaving a letter when someone is out is normal, right?"
"I'd say it's normal."
Good. I thought I’d made some kind of blunder. I decided to check one more time.
"This is the Goroun Company, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Then there’s no mistake. Please take this letter."
The letter was something Lu and Tia had huddled together to write before we left. I didn't know the contents, but I assumed it was something along the lines of "please look after Marcos and Paula’s shop." I handed the letter to the bewildered employee and started exploring the city.
It was more developed than I expected. That was my honest impression. The roads were paved with stone, and carriages and carts traversed them frequently. As a port town, it was clearly a hub for logistics. It was crowded and bustling with energy. The houses were mostly built of stone or brick, standing two or three stories high. Four stories seemed to be the maximum. Galf mentioned that rooms on higher floors were cheaper. When I asked why, he explained it was because outhouses and water sources were only on the first floor. I see. Without elevators, climbing those stairs all the time would be a pain.
Having been here before, Galf's guidance was efficient, though perhaps a bit too focused on practicality. The inn, cheap eateries, expensive eateries, weapon shops, armor shops, tool shops, training grounds... I understood the utility of those, but I wasn't sure what he expected me to do at the Adventurer Guild. It’s not like I didn't have a slight longing for a life of swords and magic, but I didn't think I was cut out for it. After all this time tilling the earth, I felt my true calling was agriculture. Still, I did learn a bit about how to post requests for adventurers.
By the way, Galf. While I was receiving an explanation from the young man at the reception desk, how many matches did you fight? You didn't forget your job as my guide—and bodyguard—did you?
"They’re the ones who keep picking fights. It’s not my fault."
I continued to stroll through the city with Galf. We walked quite a bit, but we couldn't find the restaurant, and there were still many areas we hadn't seen.
"Do you know where the market is? I want to get a sense of the prices."
"Ah, there are five or six of them. The one to the south is the largest, but I don't think they do retail."
"What’s the next biggest one?"
"The one to the north. You can see it from here, right? That massive building."
"Is that the market?"
"That’s the Arena. The market should be just in front of it."
"Alright, let's head there. Right after we finish eating these."
"Got it."
Every time we found a food stall, we bought something to eat. It was market research. I’m sure Marcos and Paula were doing the same, but I needed to confirm things for myself. The prices were low, but the portions varied wildly from stall to stall. As for the taste... no comment. I was starting to understand why Marcos and Paula’s shop was such a hit.
Just as I was eyeing the next stall, someone called out to me. I thought it was a sales pitch, but I was wrong. It was a familiar face—the employee from the Goroun Company who had taken the letter.
"I-I found you! Thank goodness!"
"Eh?"
The employee suddenly blew a whistle hanging around his neck and bowed deeply before me.
"Please accept my deepest apologies! You are Hiraku-sama, correct? The Chairman is on his way here right now!"
Wait, what? Had the letter reached Michael-san already? That was fine, but he was coming here? Just as the thought crossed my mind, a carriage came racing toward us at a terrifying speed before screeching to a halt. Michael-san practically tumbled out of the door.
"V-Village Head-san! Thank goodness! Truly, thank goodness!"
"Did something happen?" I asked, worried by his frantic demeanor. I wondered if some disaster had occurred.
"Ah, no. Ahem. First, an apology."
Michael-san gave a signal, and the employee who had stopped me bowed again.
"I didn't realize who you were and behaved very rudely. I am truly sorry!"
Beside him, Michael-san bowed his head as well. Wait, rudely? I glanced at Galf to see if he knew what was going on, but he just gave me a look that said he was as clueless as I was.
"Actually, I was at the shop you visited the entire time," Michael-san explained.
The employee continued, "By way of an excuse... the only people who call the Chairman 'Michael-san' are his relatives..."
I finally understood. The employee thought I was looking for a worker named Michael, not the Chairman himself. If there had been an employee with that name, the confusion would have been cleared up quickly, but since there wasn't, he simply told me that "Michael" wasn't there. For Michael-san, it looked as though he had been pretending to be out when an important guest arrived.
I see. It was a bit of a snub. However...
"I was also the one who visited without any prior notice."
I felt the fault lay more with me for showing up without an appointment. I told them not to worry about it, and told the employee he was forgiven as well.
"T-Thank you very much!"
"Michael-san, he made a mistake, but his response was otherwise professional. Please don't be too hard on him."
"I understand."
With that settled, I asked Michael-san to take me to the restaurant.
"Shall we go by carriage?"
"Is it far?"
"No, it's just a bit further, but..."
"Then I’d like to walk and see the city."
"Understood."
Michael-san instructed the driver to take the carriage back and began to lead the way. The employee from before left, but four other men joined us. Michael-san introduced them.
"This is my son, Marlon."
"I have heard much of you from my father, Hiraku-sama. I look forward to our continued partnership with the Goroun Company."
Marlon was a serious-looking man in his late thirties who seemed full of energy. He was the successor to the company. Then there was Tito, the accountant, and Randy, the procurement manager. Both were Michael-san’s nephews and Marlon’s cousins. The final man was Milford, the company’s combat captain. Since travelers are often attacked by monsters or beasts outside the city, guards are essential. Most companies hire adventurers as needed, but the Goroun Company employed a permanent force. Milford was in charge of managing them.
Apparently, all four of them had been scouring the city looking for me. I felt terrible for the trouble I’d caused.
With Milford in the lead, our procession consisted of Michael-san, myself, Galf, Marlon, Tito, and Randy. A long line of middle-aged men walking in single file was a bit embarrassing. I was just about to suggest we break formation when we arrived.
...It was huge. Really, really huge.
My first impression of the building was that it looked like some kind of giant roof-monster. The roof was nearly two stories high, but the interior was a single, vast space. I couldn't believe the scale of it. It was incredible. The back was well-lit thanks to skylights and magic light. And right in the center of it all was a mountain of people.
It was packed. Actually, it looked like a total panic. It didn't look like they were conducting business at all. There were shouts and screams echoing through the air.
"Michael-san, is it always like this?"
"No, it’s usually much quieter than this..."
This was bad. I really hoped our shop wasn't the cause of this chaos. I wanted to grasp the situation, but the crowd made it impossible.
"Is there anything I can do?" a voice asked.
"Hm?"
Progenitor-san was there. I see—if he had arrived earlier, he might know what was happening.
"What’s the cause?"
"Well... I think it started when they ran out of food."
"Ran out?"
"Yeah. They ran out of curry. Then we showed up with the extra ingredients and announced that we’d be making more and asked them to wait. That’s when things turned into this."
So it was our shop. I wanted to put my head in my hands, but there was no time for that. If we were the cause, I had to fix it.
"For now... Progenitor-san, can you make a loud noise?"
"A loud noise?"
"Like an explosion. But don't actually explode anything."
"Ahaha. I've got it. Just the sound. I can do that."
"And can you amplify my voice?"
"That's easy too."
"Then do it."
"Right here?"
"Yeah. Michael-san, everyone, cover your ears and hide in the back. Galf, when I start moving, clear a path. No weapons, and no violence. They’re our customers."
At my signal, Progenitor-san unleashed a massive boom. The entire building rattled.
"Everyone, stay where you are and squat down! You'll get hurt if you move! Please follow our instructions!"
My voice, amplified by Progenitor-san's magic, boomed through the hall. Startled by the sound, the people nearest to me began to slowly crouch down. I was grateful for their cooperation.
"Yes, just like that. Stay down and stay calm. There’s no need to panic! Actually, I have good news for everyone! You’ll regret it if you leave before you hear it!"
While some were still hesitant to crouch, I kept speaking. I spotted the Minotaurs and Lizardmen near the counter. They had been acting as a defensive line to keep customers from vaulting over the counter. I thanked them silently. Behind them, I saw the rest of the staff, along with Marcos and Paula. They looked safe.
I signaled Progenitor-san and Galf and made my way toward Marcos. People were crouching in the way, but I didn't want to risk more chaos by making them stand up, so I just carefully picked my way through.
I reached them. I had Progenitor-san cut the magic and confirmed everyone's safety.
"Village Head, I am so sorry," Marcos said.
"We’ll talk about the details later. For now, stand up and repeat after me."
I had Progenitor-san amplify Marcos’s voice.
"First, an introduc—ah, I am Marcos, the acting shop manager."
I had told him to repeat after me, but he was clearly rattled.
"We are deeply sorry for the crowding and confusion. First, are there any injured among you? If you are hurt, please raise your hand and let us know."
Fortunately, there didn't seem to be any injuries among the customers. That was a relief.
"We are currently out of curry, but a new shipment of ingredients has just arrived. We will begin cooking immediately, so please wait a little longer. Furthermore... as an apology for today’s commotion, all curry served from this moment on will be free of charge!"
At the word "free," cheers erupted from those seated on the floor.
"However, we must manage this crowd. We ask that all current lines be dissolved for the time being."
We cleared the floor. The shop would restart in one hour.
"The free offer stands even for those who aren't here yet. Please invite your friends and come back later. We look forward to seeing you. Again, we are truly sorry for the trouble today."
After having Marcos bow, the entire staff bowed in unison.
"We are very sorry!"
...
"Now then, please stand up starting from the back. Slowly now, don't rush..."
If we could slowly unravel the crowd, the confusion would fade. In the meantime, there was a lot to do. I gave instructions to the Lizardmen and Minotaurs.
"I’m sorry, but please help guide the customers. And keep an eye out for anyone who might be injured."
People only tend to report it when someone has fainted or collapsed. Minor injuries like an aching arm or leg often go unnoticed if the person just tries to endure it. I couldn't let them go home like that.
"Paula, is there anyone here who can use healing magic?"
"Village Head, I can handle that," Progenitor-san offered, raising his hand.
"Thanks. I’m counting on you." This wasn't the time to be modest. "Alright, Paula, check on the employees. Nobody’s hurt, right?"
The employees were even younger than I had imagined—boys and girls who looked like they were in elementary or middle school. No one was injured, and they didn't seem to be hiding any pain. Good.
By the way... is our shop the only thing in this building? Are there no others? It seemed not. I see. Well then...
"Cleaning! This commotion made a mess of the place! Everyone who can move, grab your tools and start cleaning!"
It was just past noon. A long, busy day had only just begun.