The employees were well-versed in their duties, so the interior cleaning was proceeding smoothly. Some of the customers were even pitching in to help. I was truly grateful for the assistance.
Watching the scene unfold, I stood in the kitchen and reflected on my actions. I had screwed up. I had made a massive mistake. In my desperation to calm the chaos, promising that the curry would be free had been a catastrophic blunder.
I had fundamentally misunderstood the scale of the establishment. I had assumed this massive structure was some kind of commercial complex where Marcos and Paula were merely renting a single booth for their business. In reality, every single square inch under this enormous roof belonged to them. It was far too big.
Though bewildered by the scale, I made sure to praise Marcos and Paula for their hard work thus far. Given the size of the place, the large number of employees finally made sense. However, I couldn't help but notice how young most of them were. I supposed there were circumstances behind that.
Out of the four counters arranged in the center of the building, they had cordoned off three because one was the limit of what they could currently manage. I had imagined a small shop that was barely more than a glorified food stall; no wonder they had run out of ingredients.
Switching from rice to bread had been an excellent judgment call. Unless they installed massive industrial pots, they would never be able to keep up with the demand for rice. Apparently, they were commissioning several local bakeries to handle the bread. While they were short on curry ingredients, the supplies I had brought would see them through. It wasn't that they were missing everything; they had simply run out of specific components. They had kept producing what they could, trusting that reinforcements would arrive.
I looked at the row of large pots. Was the number of these things for real? And even with this many, they were still coming up short? I see.
Saying the food was free had been a mistake, but it was too late to take it back now. For now, we just had to survive the day. I looked over at Progenitor-san. He had been busy treating the injured until a moment ago, but he was finished now.
"Progenitor-san, I’m sorry, but could you send me back to the village?"
"What’s this all of a sudden?"
"I need to bring reinforcements."
"Hahaha. I can handle that part myself. Just give me the names of those you want me to bring."
"Wouldn't it be faster if I went back myself?"
"Perhaps, but it would be a problem if the Village Head wasn't here to take command, wouldn't it?"
"Ugh, you have a point."
"I'll bring them back safely. Let's see... there's a room in the back of the kitchen, right? I'll use that as my teleportation anchor this time."
Teleportation etiquette usually dictated not entering directly into towns or buildings, but we were in a crisis.
"I understand. I’m counting on you."
I gave him the names of several people to act as reinforcements. Next, I turned to Michael-san.
"Did you call for me?"
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess."
"Not at all. You settled the situation magnificently. As expected of you."
"Hahaha. Anyway, just to confirm—this entire building is under our management, correct?"
"Yes, it is."
"And I’m allowed to use it however I see fit?"
"Of course."
"I see. In that case, I’m going to need to borrow some of your people. I need individuals who are skilled negotiators and those familiar with the city's laws. I also need help procuring supplies."
"Then my son and I shall assist you personally," Michael-san said, stepping forward with Marlon.
"Is that really okay?"
"We've canceled all of today's appointments. We are entirely at your disposal."
Marlon didn't seem to have any objections either. He immediately roped in Tito, Randy, and Milford. It was a huge help, though I worried if their guild would be alright. Still, this wasn't the time for hesitation.
"I need you to procure several items," I told them. "First, I expect we'll run out of tableware. I need a massive quantity of items similar to what we're currently using. Next, I need chairs and tables. I'm not picky about the design—even barrels that can serve as seating will do. I also need long ropes, timber, boards, and large cloths. The cloths should be roughly three meters square. I need a lot of them. Especially the cloths. Finally, get me oil, wheat, and chicken."
As the entire group, including Michael-san, prepared to move, I stopped him and Marlon.
"Michael-san, I want you to stay by my side and monitor everything I do. If I start doing or saying things that might cause trouble for the city, I need you to warn me. I'm not familiar with the local customs, so there's a high chance I'll slip up."
"I understand," Michael-san replied. I was deeply grateful.
"Marlon, I'm sorry, but I'm giving you the hardest job."
"Eh?"
Sorry, Marlon.
"Village Head, please give us our orders."
Marcos and Paula were standing there, with the employees who had finished cleaning lined up behind them.
"Alright... wait, before that."
I spotted a group of men behind the employees who clearly weren't staff. Most looked like customers, but a few had a dangerous air about them.
"Who are they?"
In response to my question, a man with a particularly frightening face stepped forward. Marcos stepped in to explain.
"Let me introduce him. This is Goldie. He’s been handling our crowd control."
"The earlier commotion happened because our initial response was too slow," Goldie said. "My apologies."
Apparently, a dispute had broken out elsewhere, and while his men were distracted by it, the situation near the counter had spiraled out of control. Goldie had about ten men assigned to crowd control. For a space this size, it was insufficient, but not unmanageable. The problem lay in their placement and organization.
I surveyed the surroundings. The shop was divided into four quadrants: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest. The Southeast area, facing the intersection of the main streets, served as the dining area. The Northeast was the play area, featuring Mini Bowling. The Northwest and Southwest areas were currently empty. Tables and chairs were scattered around the perimeter of the dining area, but they had been placed haphazardly with no thought given to the flow of people.
I gave instructions to the Minotaurs and Lizardmen who had become free, having them rearrange the furniture. I secured clear thoroughfares and divided the tables into blocks of ten. Each block was assigned a supervisor for crowd control. I left it to Goldie to decide the specific placements.
Next, I addressed the employees.
"To survive this surge, we're going to use a special shift system just for today."
"Eh? Um, didn't we already get through the rush?" one of the employees asked innocently.
"I announced that the curry would be free. What do you think the people who heard that are going to do?"
"They'll... come here?"
"And how many people do you think that will be?"
"...A lot?"
"Exactly. The real rush is just beginning. We all need to work as one to handle it."
First, I had to organize the lines. Previously, individual lines had formed in front of each counter staff member. This meant that once customers received their food, they had to weave through the crowd to reach their seats, creating constant bottlenecks. To solve this, I needed to create a dedicated return path, but for now, I prioritized the queue. Since the food was free, there was no need for monetary transactions; we just had to hand it out. I widened the spacing between the counter staff to create gaps between the lines for better flow.
I had Paula select the most suitable employees for various other roles and assigned them to their posts.
"Village Head, I've brought them."
Progenitor-san arrived with the reinforcements via teleportation: five High Ogre Maids, two Dwarves, four High Elves, six Mountain Elves, and ten members of the Beastman Race.
"I'm sorry for calling you all out on such short notice, but I need your help here."
Everyone nodded firmly in response to my request. First, I turned to three of the High Ogre Maids.
"Please assist Marcos and Paula with the curry production."
I tasked the remaining two High Ogre Maids with preparing different dishes. This was a strategy to draw some of the attention away from the free curry. I secured a space at the end of the Southeast counter for them. Next to that, I had the two Dwarves set up to sell sake. We would only offer it by the glass to keep things simple. While anyone could have sold the alcohol, Dwarves were synonymous with a love for fine drink, so their presence would act as a natural draw for customers.
The Beastman Race reinforcements would handle the sales for the High Ogre Maids and the Dwarves, while also acting as a flexible reserve force. If Marcos and Paula's regular staff became overwhelmed, they would step in. I didn't want to force them into the main kitchen from the start, as that might hurt the pride of the local employees. It's often better to offer help once a problem arises rather than assuming they'll fail before they've even started. Such considerations are vital for maintaining long-term morale. Besides, having a surplus force gave everyone much-needed peace of mind.
I asked the four High Elves to construct visual partitions for the quadrants.
"We're defining the Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest areas, correct? Wouldn't it be faster to just build walls?"
"No, that would block movement in case of an emergency. These partitions are just to make the areas visually distinct."
I instructed them to make them floor-standing and movable, and they didn't need to be particularly high. The materials arrived just in time, delivered by Tito and his crew. They had brought about twenty men from the guild to unload the supplies. I had them pile everything in the Northwest area; it would serve as our materials depot for the time being.
I set the Mountain Elves to work on the Northeast play area. Currently, there were ten Mini Bowling lanes, but the space was mostly empty. I had them create new games. They weren't anything complicated—just Ring Toss and a Shooting Gallery. For the Ring Toss, we'd use rope rings. For the Shooting Gallery, we'd use toy bows and arrows since real weapons were too dangerous for amateurs. I told them not to rush; this was for future customer retention, to show the public that the shop would always have something new and exciting to offer.
"Galf, I have a favor to ask."
"?"
"We need prizes for the games. Especially a few high-value items. The things you bought as souvenirs recently would be perfect."
"I see. I'll go buy out the shops."
"You don't need to buy them out, just get a wide variety. And make sure to tell the shopkeepers that they're going to be used as prizes. Only buy from those who are happy to sell under those conditions."
"I don't mind, but... if I'm paying, why does it matter what I do with them?"
"Not everyone is in it just for the money, Galf. Think about that weapon shop you took me to. Don't you think the owner would be upset if he found out a weapon he poured his heart into was being given away as a carnival prize?"
"You're right. I understand. I'll make sure they know before I buy anything."
I gave Galf the money—or rather, I borrowed it from Michael-san first. I really owed him.
"I'm merely giving you an advance on the payments we haven't processed yet," Michael-san said graciously. "More importantly, what is the plan for all this rope and cloth?"
The rope was for line management. I had intended to quickly craft the poles myself, but some of the customers looked like they were itching to help. They were the ones who had helped with the cleaning earlier. When I asked why they were so eager, they admitted they felt bad about the earlier commotion.
"The curry is too good to lose," one said. "We'd be in trouble if this place went under."
"Exactly. If you took the curry away now, there’d be a riot for real!"
I made a sample pole and left the mass production to them. As for the large cloths... if my hunch was right, they would be essential. If not, they wouldn't be needed at all. For now, we didn't need them yet.
People were starting to gather outside. Since the shop was an open-air design, they could have walked in, but they were holding back because of the "under construction" atmosphere we were projecting.
I began laying out the ropes on the floor to define the paths. We would open the Southeast dining area and the Northeast play area while keeping the rest cordoned off. I had the Minotaurs and Lizardmen keep the customers gathered in one spot while we finished the preparations.
"Marcos, Paula, how’s the curry looking?"
"We're ready. We've secured a large supply of bread and have more on the way."
"We'll offer two sizes: regular and large. I'd like to cater to specific requests, but today, we have to prioritize speed and crowd control."
"Understood."
"As for the dish collection staff, have them pick up trays as people finish, but don't rush them. Don't hover the moment they take their last bite."
"Is that not good?"
"It makes people feel pressured and unwelcome. Focus on clearing tables as soon as people stand up. We want to avoid leaving dirty dishes sitting out."
"Got it."
"And about the water..."
"Yes, as you instructed, we are providing it for free."
In the village, free water was a given, but I had realized it wasn't the norm here. However, I couldn't start charging for it now. Instead, I would lean into it. Currently, we were handing out a cup of water with every order of curry.
"I want a separate team to distribute water. I need people who won't be intimidated by the crowds."
Paula selected five youngsters. They were small, but they looked plenty brave. I had them load wagons with water cups to circulate among the tables.
"Hand them out to anyone who asks, and collect the empty cups while you're at it."
"Yes, sir!"
"We'll start selling the High Ogre Maids' food and the Dwarves' alcohol a bit later."
They were already prepping at the edge of the counter. It was a distraction tactic, though I doubted anyone would care about anything but the curry at first.
"It’s almost been an hour. Let them in. Everyone, check your uniforms and get to your positions."
The line poles were finished just in time. Apparently, there were a few professional carpenters among the helpful customers. They did a fantastic job. The partitions were also in place. The play area was still a work in progress, but that was fine for now. I signaled the Minotaurs and Lizardmen to stop holding back the crowd.
At the front of the lines, I placed several people wearing "STAFF" tunics and holding flags. They were the customers who had been helping us all morning. I felt bad for putting them to work, but I promised to pay them in kind with plenty of food.
"Progenitor-san, sorry, but I'll need the voice-amplifying magic again."
"Please move calmly! Do not run! There is plenty of curry for everyone! I repeat, do not run! Please form a single line!"
As I shouted the instructions, I felt a pang of genuine fear at the sheer size of the approaching crowd. I began to wonder if we would need even more ingredients and more reinforcements.
Just as I’d feared, "free" had been a step too far. I couldn't help but reflect on my own impulsiveness.