Just before noon, a carriage rumbled leisurely through the streets of Gimul. Inside sat the leadership of the Commerce Guild—Grisiela, Pioro, and Serge—alongside Branch Master Taylor of the Tamer Guild. Accompanying them were two of Serge’s subordinates: a twin brother and sister who were to be introduced as Ryoma’s new assistants.
"Well now, we should be getting close, shouldn't we?"
"Indeed. It’s just two corners ahead."
The twins, who had been masking their tension and anxiety behind nearly identical features, turned their gaze toward the window at Serge's words.
The situation had begun a few days prior. A directive had reached the Luiam branch where the twins worked, ordering them to finalize their handovers and report to Gimul immediately. The document bore the personal signature of Serge, the company president himself.
Ever since that day, their colleagues had showered them with congratulations on their "promotion" to the main office. Following their orders, they had finished their business in Luiam and arrived in Gimul just that morning.
Weather had delayed their arrival by a single day. Upon reporting straight to headquarters, they were hit with two startling facts: they hadn't been called for a position at the main office, but were being seconded to a third party; and their new employer and manager was an eleven-year-old boy with ties to the Ducal House. Before they could even process this, the two were hurried into a change of clothes and ushered into a carriage bound for the shop’s opening party.
They worried not only about the potential for business failure but also about the delicate social navigation required when dealing with a child of the nobility. They were fully prepared for the possibility that their entire future careers would be decided by how they handled this assignment.
"I see it. That’s the place."
"Ho-ho. The boy has done quite well for himself."
"What a grand-looking shop! He built this in just over a week?"
"Sister, look at this..."
"Yes, I see it."
The shop featured a simple yet pristine exterior—stark white walls punctuated by neat windows, surrounded by a lush, well-tended lawn and vibrant flowerbeds that exuded an air of cleanliness.
As the six passengers stepped out of the carriage and entered the shop, their eyes were immediately drawn to the shelves near the ceiling where four divine statues stood watch. Looking further, they found an interior with a warm, wooden atmosphere, anchored by a polished, L-shaped counter on the right. Serge and the guild masters were impressed by the sheer quality of the construction, while Calm and Carla felt a small glimmer of hope for the future in such a bright, welcoming space.
"Welcome! Welcome to the Bamboo Forest laundry agency!"
Ryoma appeared—the person who was to be their employer and, simultaneously, their greatest source of trepidation. Naturally, their eyes narrowed as they began to size him up.
"Ryoma, thanks for the invite today. I'm real happy you included me too!"
"It’s a fine-looking shop. I have high expectations for this venture."
"Congratulations on the completion of your store."
"Thank you very much, everyone."
As Ryoma greeted them with a smile, he looked like a typical, polite child—the sort who didn't seem particularly cut out for the cutthroat world of commerce. For better or worse, he appeared exactly his age to the twins. If he had been a neighborhood child, they wouldn't have given it a second thought, but knowing he was their boss made them fret over the hardships to come. Even at their young age, their experience in a trading company had taught them that business was no place for the naive.
"Branch Master Taylor, thank you for coming as well."
"Congratulations. I was beginning to wonder why I hadn't heard from you since your registration... but I see why Reinbach went out of his way to introduce you."
Watching the boy exchange lighthearted pleasantries with four individuals who commanded two guilds and two major companies, the twins shared a silent look. The wordless communication reinforced their belief: the boy before them was undoubtedly a high-ranking noble’s child.
"Serge-san, are these the people you mentioned?"
"Ah, forgive the late introduction. These two will be assisting you, Ryoma-sama."
"My name is Carla Norad. Until recently, I worked at the Luiam branch of the Morgan Company alongside my brother."
"I am Calm Norad. We look forward to working with you."
"Thank you for the kind introduction. I am Ryoma Takebayashi. I look forward to working with you as well."
"These two are young," Serge added, "but they were entrusted with the roles of assistant manager and aide at the Luiam branch. They are long-term employees of the Morgan Company and are thoroughly reliable. I am certain they will be an asset to you, Ryoma-sama."
"I see... that is..."
"Is there a problem, sir?" they asked in unison.
At their sudden concern, Ryoma hurriedly waved his hands in explanation.
"No, not at all! I was just surprised because you both seem far more capable than I imagined. I have no concerns regarding your abilities; in fact, it’s a great help to have such talented people. However, the work I intended for this shop isn't particularly difficult, so I was wondering if I’d even have enough to do to utilize your skills properly... I don't mean to imply I don't need you, of course!"
He was essentially worried that over-qualified staff were being wasted on reception work and carrying laundry. However, the twins, already on edge, took his words with a bit more weight than intended.
Sensing the growing awkwardness, Serge spoke up.
"You two, aren't you being a bit too stiff? Ry—"
"Ryoma! We’re here!"
Just as Serge was about to soothe the twins, a loud voice burst through the secondary entrance as eleven men and women crowded into the shop. It was the contingent from the Adventurer Guild.
"Welcome! Welcome to the Bamboo Forest laundry agency! Please, make yourselves comfortable at the counter."
"Yeah, yeah... Gack! What the hell is the shitty old hag doing here?!"
"Who are you calling a shitty old hag? I may be an old hag, but I'm not 'shitty'! Honestly, you’ve been the head of the Adventurer Guild for years, and your mouth is as foul as ever, Wogan. That’s why back in the day, you—"
"Don't go digging up my old failures every time we meet! Seriously, how much longer do you plan on running your guild? You're a stubborn one, old woman... So, why are you here anyway?"
"I was invited, obviously."
"...Whatever. Ryoma, how do we get this started?"
"Yes, coming! Ah, Calm-san, Carla-san. Since you’re here, I’ll explain the workflow. Please step behind the counter. Serge-san and the others, you’re welcome to observe as well."
Ryoma opened a section of the counter and ushered them inside.
"First, customers purchase a dedicated laundry bag. A single-person bag costs 20 Suut. This bag belongs to the customer and can be reused every time they visit, so they only need to buy it once."
"Got it. Give me one, then. I just stuff the clothes in here, right?"
"Yes. And as a thank you for helping us with this trial run, today’s service is free of charge. The bag is also on the house, so please take it with you and bring it back next time."
"That’s a big help."
"Now, Calm-san, Carla-san. When a customer pays, please take one of these dedicated plates corresponding to the price and place it on the rod at the end of the counter."
Ryoma reached under the counter and produced several thin, colored stone plates with holes at the top and bottom. He pointed to a rack at the end of the counter designed to hold the plates on a vertical rod.
"What is the purpose of this?"
"It’s an accounting tool I put together on a whim. Our shop only has three price points based on the bag size: one Medium Copper Coin; one Medium Copper Coin and eight Small Copper Coins; or four Medium Copper Coins. If a customer requests laundry for a single bag, you take one Medium Copper Coin and place one black stone plate onto the black rod. Each rod is marked to hold exactly 100 plates.
Once a rod is full, you write a '1' on the ledger kept beneath the rack, then return the plates to the shelf under the counter. We repeat this throughout the day and calculate the final sales after closing.
For example, if the ledger shows the black rod was filled three times and there are 42 plates left on it, we know we sold 342 individual bag services, totaling 3,420 Suut.
I’ve prepared seven rods in total—for the three laundry tiers, the three bag purchase tiers, and the Full-body Cleaning Service for adventurers. By checking these at the end of the day, it makes totaling profits much easier. It also helps us track which services are popular and which bag sizes are most in demand... though I suppose we won't know for sure until we've tested it for a while."
Having finished his explanation, Ryoma returned to assisting Wogan, but the members of the Commerce Guild were staring at the rack as if it were a holy relic.
Ryoma had simply adapted the colored-plate billing system from the revolving sushi restaurants of his previous life. However, in a world without cash registers, it was a revelation.
Literacy and numeracy rates in this world were significantly lower than in modern Japan, and many people struggled with even basic arithmetic. In rural areas, the problem was even worse. This tool, however, allowed anyone to manage sales accurately as long as they could recognize a price and follow a simple physical procedure.
In the right setting, this meant that people who couldn't even count could become a viable workforce. The five merchants, realizing the potential for their own businesses, watched Ryoma with sharp, calculating eyes while he continued his work.
"Once payment is received, take the laundry bag and attach one of these tally charms kept under the counter. Give the matching half to the customer. When they return, you match the charms to ensure they receive the correct bag."
After explaining the split-tally system to prevent mix-ups, Ryoma tossed the bag into a chute built into the back wall.
"The room beyond this contains the Cleaner Slimes... Ah, as for the slimes—"
"Serge-sama informed us that they are a species that consumes filth," Carla noted.
"Thank you, Carla-san. That saves some time. Do either of you have questions?"
"You mentioned they are a new species," Calm asked quickly, his sister closing her mouth as he beat her to the question. "But can they truly get things clean?"
"It’s hard to believe without seeing it for yourself. Would anyone mind if I opened their bag to show them?"
"Use mine," Jeff offered, tossing his gear over.
Ryoma thanked him and showed the twins the bloodstains on the fabric before tagging the bag and sliding it down the chute.
"I’ve instructed the slimes to clean items immediately and move them to the adjacent room. The process is entirely automated; once cleaned, the bags are moved to the clean storage area. Our job is simply to retrieve them and return them to the customer. That’s the entire operation."
To minimize the risk of loss and allow the staff to focus on customer service, the shop only provided cleaning; they didn't open the bags to fold the laundry.
A few seconds later, Ryoma stepped into the back room and returned with the bag. When he opened it, the stains were gone.
"The dirt is... truly gone. Can they remove any kind of stain?"
"I haven't found a stain they can't handle yet, though it’s best to double-check when returning the items. If it's still dirty, we can just run it through again."
"Does it affect dyes?"
"I've tested it on fabrics dyed with plant extracts, and there was no fading. I'm not entirely sure how the slimes distinguish between 'dye' and 'dirt'—it might be based on age or freshness—so it’s safer to give customers a warning about that. Anything else?"
"Nothing comes to mind for now," they replied in unison.
"Very well. We’ll handle any other issues as they arise. Shall we try dividing the work?"
Ryoma invited Calm and Carla to join him behind the counter. As the three of them processed the laundry for the remaining nine people, Ryoma watched the twins from the corner of his eye. He was relieved to see them handling the tasks flawlessly. As long as they could do the work, the rest didn't matter—he could help them relax over time.
On that day, Ryoma and his new assistants took their first steady steps together as colleagues—even if a few misunderstandings still lingered beneath the surface.