"So, this is the town where Master’s shop is located."
After leaving the Divine Realm, I returned to the Town of Gimul alongside Fei-san and our newest companion, Ox-san. By brute-forcing our way through with Space Magic and our superior physical stamina, we managed to reach the town from Gaunago in the short span of two days.
However, something felt off.
"We’re back, but... the atmosphere of the town seems different than usual. It feels rougher. Are there more people in the streets than before?"
"It really is that different, ne. There is a bit of a restless air, yo. It’s likely because of that thing outside," Fei-san said, glancing back toward the gate we had just passed through.
Outside, construction on the new section of the town was steadily progressing.
"When people are constantly flowing in and out, public safety tends to decline, ne."
"It is usually a calmer place, then? To me, this feels somewhat nostalgic," Ox-san remarked.
"The town where you lived must have been much noisier, Ox-san."
After all, he was a former gladiator. I expected his previous home was a town overflowing with entertainment, high-stakes gambling, and massive amounts of moving capital.
What was being built here would eventually become that kind of town. I knew there had been talk of separating the new construction from the existing town to prevent the deterioration of public safety, but until the project was finished, a massive influx of laborers and others was unavoidable. Looking closely, I noticed the Guard Force frequently patrolling the streets to maintain order.
"I should probably speak with Calm-san and see what’s going on."
"That would be wise, ne."
We quickened our pace and walked through the restless streets. When we arrived at the shop, a line of customers had already formed at the front, so we slipped in through the back entrance to find Calm-san.
We found him in the breakroom. He was drinking tea, but his expression was grim as he pored over some documents. It didn't look like much of a break.
"Calm-san."
"Oh! Manager, welcome back. Fei-san, thank you for your hard work as well."
He had been so focused on the paperwork that he hadn't noticed our approach. He looked quite exhausted.
"And this gentleman is...?"
"Sorry, I'm late with the introductions. This is Mr. Ox Road. He’s a former gladiator and a Level 5 dual wielder. I’ve newly employed him—or rather, I purchased him as a slave."
"He looks like someone we can certainly rely on."
As Calm-san spoke, I didn't miss the way his eyes briefly flickered toward the spot where Ox-san’s left hand used to be.
"I may be in this state, but I have received what is as good as a new arm from Master. I shall certainly prove my worth to you."
"It’s okay. I’ve confirmed his abilities myself. There’s no need to worry, ne," Fei-san added.
"I don't quite understand what you mean by a 'new arm,' but if Fei-san vouches for him, then I am sure everything is fine. My apologies for the rudeness. I look forward to working with you."
I was relieved they seemed to be getting along. Now that the introductions were over, I turned to the others.
"Fei-san, thank you for the escort during our trip. Please show Ox-san to the dormitory and explain how things work here. After that, please get some rest."
"Understood."
"As for Ox-san’s room..."
"It’s already prepared," Calm-san said. "There’s a tag with his name on the door."
"There you have it. It was a hurried journey, Ox-san, so please take the time to rest your body."
"I understand."
"Thank you both for your hard work."
Once they left, I moved to the manager's office with Calm-san.
"You had a very troubled look on your face earlier. Did something happen while we were in Gaunago?"
"Well... as you may have noticed, the massive influx of laborers has caused the town’s security to decline. The Commerce Guild has already issued a warning. Furthermore, according to information I purchased from a reliable informant, there is a strong suspicion that several of the organizations managing these laborers are tied to the Yakuza. They seem to be the primary factor behind the worsening public safety."
"The Yakuza, huh..."
"The town being built will eventually house an arena and become a major tourist destination. The potential for profit there is staggering. These groups likely intend to establish a foothold now so they can exploit those interests later. The Guard Force knows these scoundrels are lurking, but the opponents are professionals. On the surface, they act as legitimate labor brokers and managers, making it very difficult to move against them."
I see. So these organizations were essentially "front companies."
"Have we suffered any damage?"
"At the moment, it’s mostly just ill-mannered individuals nearly causing altercations with our regulars. However, we have also spotted people who seem to be gauging our shop’s response. It’s not just the Yakuza; there are plenty of petty thieves about as well. I was just thinking that we needed to strengthen our security until things settle down. Mr. Road looks incredibly strong, so he should serve as an excellent deterrent. Having more security personnel is a huge help."
As I looked at Calm-san, I realized his expression was one I had seen all too often at my old company—the look of a dedicated employee wearing himself out from overwork.
"Are you sure that’s all? I believe you, but I feel like you aren't telling me everything."
"............You are strangely sharp at times, Manager. It is true that I believe Mr. Road’s physique and aura of a veteran warrior will be a deterrent. However, I also worried that people might look down on him because of his missing left hand. When I first saw him, I found myself feeling a bit uneasy despite his strength."
"He might be missing a hand, but I think you'll feel better once you see him fight. I had my doubts during the initial screening too... How about we have him do a demonstration of his skills in front of everyone?"
"That would be perfect. If neither you nor he minds, could we do it tomorrow or the day after during our busiest hours?"
Calm-san explained that during those hours, the part-time employees would be in, allowing the core staff more freedom. It would also allow the customers to see Ox-san’s face and strength. The goal was to demonstrate to everyone, both inside and outside the company, that he was a new hire and a force to be reckoned with. After that, he planned to spread rumors to discourage any bad actors from targeting the shop.
I’d thought this before, but Calm-san was really skilled at this kind of maneuvering.
"My twin sister has always been the superior leader in terms of negotiations and overt management. Out of frustration, I looked for what I could do and polished those skills. As a result, I became proficient in the behind-the-scenes work, like information gathering and manipulation. Of course, I pride myself on having enough management ability to run the business, just as my sister is capable of using information when she needs to."
"I have no doubts about your abilities. I look forward to your continued support."
I truly relied on him, since I left almost the entire operation in his hands.
"I’m glad there hasn't been any serious damage yet, but if any of those thugs do anything to the shop or the staff, tell me immediately. That goes for if you need more combat power, too. I know several adventurers who would be willing to help, and frankly, I think I’m more useful as muscle than as a negotiator."
I wanted to resolve things through dialogue as much as possible, but I had to be realistic about my own strengths. Being too stubborn and allowing damage to escalate would be a failure. I wanted to keep the damage at zero. I was going to hunt Mad Salamanders in Shikumu in two weeks, but after that, I decided I would avoid long-distance travel until after the New Year.
"Oh, right. I should have mentioned this first, but the 'greetings' to the Ducal House went exceptionally well."
I explained that because our business was expected to reduce the incidence of disease, they had suggested opening a branch in Gaunago. They even offered to help secure land and buildings. Since there were many nobles in Gaunago, they were even willing to dispatch maids from their mansion to serve as employees and etiquette instructors.
That alone was incredible, but the Duke also hinted—rather directly, in his roundabout way—that they would support high-utility projects like the garbage and fertilizer initiatives we had discussed. Conversations with Serge-san and Pioro-san regarding the waterproof cloth factory and mushroom cultivation had also gone perfectly.
We had powerful allies on our side. I explained all this hoping to ease Calm-san’s mental burden, but he suddenly went quiet, lost in thought.
"Is something wrong?"
"Obtaining the Duke’s protection is wonderful and encouraging. However, with such high expectations placed upon us, I worry about what might happen if we were to fail them, even by a hair... No, this won't do. I’m being far too pessimistic."
He shook his head, seemingly forcing himself to snap out of it.
"If we’ve been told to open a shop in Gaunago, then it is a settled matter. We’ll need to send a manager candidate there, of course, but I’d also like to finalize the rest of the staff soon."
"Actually, I have a lead on that."
I pulled a pamphlet out of my Item Box.
"This is... from the Moulton Slave Company?"
"Yes. I received it right before I bought Ox-san and left. It explains a new business venture of theirs."
Oresto-san had started a "temporary staffing" service. To put it simply, it addressed the needs of three parties: the customers who wanted labor but found buying slaves too expensive or only needed them for a few months; the slaves whose prices were too high due to debt and wanted to pay it off quickly; and the trader who had to pay for the living expenses of slaves who weren't selling.
Oresto-san had begun "leasing" slaves for short periods at an hourly wage. His letter mentioned that he had to fight off scorn from peers who thought he should only profit from sales, as well as internal concerns about escape risks, but he had finally made it a reality.
"When I was choosing Ox-san, I interviewed several others. Fei-san said they were more than capable of acting as general shop guards. They weren't quite on Ox-san's level, but using this system to supplement our staff might be a good idea. As it says there, we can hire them temporarily, and if they work out well, we can purchase them later and hire them permanently."
The letter had a note saying, "You can contract with the men you interviewed!" which made me feel like I was being played, but...
"It seems the service is still new, so he’s willing to negotiate on price and conditions if we hire a group. He can be a handful to deal with, but he’s reliable when it comes to business."
"I see. I will look into it."
"Please do. Also, I was thinking about this while I was at the Duke’s mansion, but perhaps we should open two branches in Gaunago instead of one. I’m grateful for customers who travel long distances, but some might avoid us if we're too far away. Gaunago is even bigger than Gimul, after all."
"True. Even here, we have people who only started coming once it got cold and doing their own laundry became a chore."
"I want to acquire more customers, but personally, I just want as many people as possible to find our service convenient. I thought about hiring a carriage and driver for a collection and delivery service, but the costs of the carriage, horse maintenance, and the risks of misdelivery or being targeted seemed high. I figured it might be easier to just have more shops."
Furthermore, by concentrating multiple stores in one town, we could increase our market share. We could implement a "dominant strategy." Even now, our clientele was growing, but if we were going to expand in earnest, I wanted to reach the point where "laundry equals Bamboo Forest" for the entire town. We had the unique advantage of the Cleaner Slimes, and I wanted to maximize it.
"Speaking of which, there were people who tried to imitate us when we first started getting popular, right? I heard most of them quit because they couldn't turn a profit, but are there any left?"
"I haven't heard anything about them lately... shall I investigate?"
"Yes, please."
I had considered a chain expansion as a way to manage the growing population of Cleaner Slimes since the very beginning. If any of those people were running honest businesses, it might be worth buying them out and making them branches.
As I summarized my thoughts, Calm-san asked for a more detailed explanation of chain stores and the dominant strategy. Drawing on my knowledge from my past life as a salaryman who had often dreamed of quitting to start a business, I explained everything I knew.
Calm-san stared at me in surprise.
"What is it?"
"Everything you said was fascinating, but more than that... I realized that you have finally decided to get serious about this, Manager."
What did that mean? His reaction felt like someone watching a shut-in finally get a job. It didn’t exactly make me feel great. Did I really seem like I was slacking off that much to him?
...Well, I did leave the shop entirely to him and only handled a tiny bit of work based on his reports. I couldn't really deny it.
Regardless, Calm-san’s eyes were sparkling. He no longer looked like an exhausted rookie on the verge of collapse, so I counted it as a win.
"I’m sure the investigation will be a lot of work, but I’m counting on you," I said.
With a vibrant voice and a face full of motivation, he practically marched out of the office.
...Maybe I should start working a bit more.