My name is Rorone.
I am a beastman woman—one of the many who migrated to the Village of the Great Tree when I was just a child. Back in the village, I primarily helped with the farm work, mostly focused on tending to the cows and horses.
It was a life without any real complaints. Well, I suppose if I had to name one dissatisfaction, it was that I had not yet been blessed with a child by the Village Head, but I wasn't in any particular hurry. My maternal instincts were more than satisfied by helping care for the children born to Sena-sama and the other beastmen. Still, I did occasionally think it would be nice to have more little ones around—ideally one of my own.
While living my peaceful days like that, I was suddenly appointed as the Acting Shop Manager of the new western confectionery shop in Village Five.
Becoming the Acting Shop Manager of a store in Village Five meant I would have to be stationed there permanently. Was I being kicked out of the Village of the Great Tree? Terrified, I scrambled to find out why this was happening to me.
It turned out the ladies of the Angel Race had been busy behind the scenes. I see. And the person who had recommended me to them? Apparently, it was Sena-sama.
"Sena-sama! Do you really hate me that much!?"
I actually shouted that at her, but Sena-sama didn't get angry. She simply explained her reasoning. She didn't hate me at all; she had recommended me because she considered me a reliable person who could be sent outside the village without any issues.
In other words, it was a gesture of trust! She had chosen me precisely because she had faith in me.
"Oh... I-I'm sorry, Sena-sama."
I felt terrible for jumping to conclusions when she held me in such high regard. I vowed to do my absolute best to live up to that trust. Though, honestly, I would have appreciated a heads-up first.
Also, I had to ask: what exactly was a western confectionery shop? And what kind of things would we be selling?
Apparently, "western confectionery" was a general category for sweets, a classification decided by the Village Head. Cakes, cookies, and pudding fell under western confectionery, while dango and mochi were considered Japanese confectionery. I wasn't entirely sure if there was really a need to separate them, but if the Village Head had decided on it, then it must be important. I figured I would understand the reason eventually.
The shop in Village Five was named Fairy Fairi. This was to be my workplace.
It was huge. And since there was nothing but roads surrounding the area, I worried about whether the shop would actually be okay. Would customers even come all the way out here? Well, regardless, I had to try.
The building was finished, but the shop wasn't open yet. The Village Head’s style was to put everything into the preparations, so the opening was planned for sometime around summer. Yes, summer. Not now. Not tomorrow.
"So please, stop lining up! We’re nowhere near ready to open!"
It seemed my worries about a lack of customers were completely misplaced.
To ensure everything was perfect, I performed checks on the equipment and hygiene standards. This building was packed with luxurious features.
First were the automatic Magic Doors. They opened on their own when they sensed someone in front of them and closed once the person had passed. To prevent people from being startled by the sudden movement, the doors were made of glass.
It was pure luxury. Lu-sama had handled the sensors, while the Mountain Elves had built the mechanical systems.
One of the Mountain Elves who walked me through the facilities looked exhausted but proud when they told me, "Adjusting the opening speed was a nightmare. We broke so many glass doors trying to meet the Village Head’s safety standards..."
Then there were the stairs connecting the floors. They actually moved! You could reach the upper or lower levels automatically just by stepping onto the first stair. It was incredible. I’ll admit, I was a bit terrified the first time I used them, but I’ve gotten used to them now. I heard the Village Head came up with the idea, the Mountain Elves built the mechanism, and Lu-sama and Tia-sama provided the Power Source.
Then there were the boxes for moving between the floors and the basement. They were just like the Floating Garden in Village Four—you simply stepped into the box and were carried up or down. I wasn't scared of those.
We also had magic lighting. One switch could make a room bright or dark, even if the ceiling was high. It was very convenient.
And then there were the Magic Air Conditioning Boxes. These units adjusted the temperature of the rooms, and they were installed everywhere. Even the employee quarters and the Dining Hall had them. The Village Head wanted a comfortable environment for the staff, and I really wanted to work hard to repay that kindness.
Maintaining the temperature was especially critical in the Kitchen, the material Storehouse, and the sales floor, so those areas had extra-large units installed. He’d even provided backup units in case of a breakdown. He was nothing if not thorough.
Beside the sales floor, there was a waiting area for the customers. He’d even put in a Magic Music Box to entertain them. It only played relaxing tunes to keep everyone calm, but it had thirty different songs! We planned to keep it running throughout business hours.
As for the Kitchen equipment... we had Magic Ovens that held a steady heat, refrigerators and freezers, high-speed Magic Mixers, and magic pots that turned water into hot water instantly. Everything was sized perfectly, and we had multiple units of each. Since we had ten people working in shifts, we definitely needed them.
Of course, the building was equipped with a full Water Supply System. Water from a tank on the roof was piped throughout the structure so you could have water whenever you needed it. I was so used to that at the Village Head’s mansion that I almost forgot it was a luxury.
It really was a magnificent building. It was made of brick, but the massive glass windows made it bright and airy inside. Despite the sturdy exterior, it felt very open. You might think glass would be fragile, but these windows were incredibly tough. The Village Head called it Reinforced Glass. It was likely developed as a byproduct of making the Magic Doors.
I heard the bricks had been treated with something as well. The Village Head was always worried about fires, so it was probably a preventative measure. I hoped we’d never have to test it, though.
"...Seriously, are you all still lining up? We won't be open for ages."
They told me they were fine because they’d brought camping gear. That wasn't really what I was worried about. What could possibly drive people to this? We hadn't even announced what we were selling yet.
It turned out they were all associated with the Goroun Company. Even some of the executives were out there. I apologized for my rudeness, but it still didn't make sense. If they were with Goroun, they really didn't need to line up. They were after Chocolate, right? We’d already agreed to give them thirty boxes before the grand opening.
When I asked, they explained that this was precisely the reason they were lining up. They needed evidence that they’d stood in line like everyone else. If they didn't get the goods first, they’d be in trouble, but if they advertised that they’d received special treatment, it would cause even more problems with powerful nobles later on. I see... that makes sense.
The Goroun Company was a major player, but even they struggled when high-ranking nobles made impossible demands. I felt for them. I told them they could use the employee restroom while they waited and pointed out where it was safe to use fires for cooking. A fire at the shop would be a disaster, after all.
The Goroun Company was a key collaborator for the Village Head, so I decided I should bring them some snacks from the kitchen from time to time.