Monster Company Tycoon - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Monster Company Tycoon
Episode 20
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“Choi, table two.”
“Right away!”
Restaurant work turned out to be more manageable than I’d expected.
The village wasn’t large enough to draw much of a crowd, so we had a fairly stable roster of customers.
Most people ate at home, and only travelers passing through for special reasons or temporary residents arriving at the training camp sought out the restaurant.
So it struck me as odd that Ragnar had come in two days running.
We hadn’t even made plans to meet here.
‘He said this is his hometown—surely he has his own place. Why would he insist on eating here?’
Still, since I wanted to pick his brain about the reward problem anyway, it was convenient that he’d shown up without me having to hunt him down.
“Your order is ready.”
I set the plate down on his table and stole a glance at him.
No sign of Theon or the dog today.
“For your first shift, you’re quite skilled.”
“Oh, it’s really just the serving that matters.”
The owners had even complimented my work.
There were twelve tables in the restaurant total.
Curiously, there was a culture where groups didn’t monopolize tables—if there were empty seats, they naturally shared.
As a newcomer to the village, that caught me off guard at first.
The previous worker had been a local and could remember every customer’s face and usual order, but I couldn’t.
So I numbered the tables and implemented an order-ticket system.
Now I just had to write the table number on the order slip and pin it in the kitchen.
Then the owner’s wife would call out the number as each dish finished, and I’d simply pick up the plate and deliver it to the right table.
Finding the fastest, most efficient method for any task—that’s the Korean advantage, isn’t it?
‘Honestly, this is basically the perfect part-time job.’
The lunch rush wound down, and customers thinned out until the restaurant grew quiet.
All the while, Ragnar had remained seated, nursing his tea.
After finishing the last delivery, I casually slid into the seat across from him.
“Are you busy?”
“No, I’m free. I’m unemployed now.”
A former hero, jobless?
“Ah, then could you spare me a moment?”
Ragnar smiled languidly.
“Of course.”
Maybe he was good to me partly because I resembled his dog, but he just seemed naturally kind and good-hearted.
He could’ve refused easily enough.
“Choi, there are no more orders, so take a break until closing.”
Perfect timing—I untied my apron and sat down properly.
“You heard from Ruadis, I assume? They’re adding Dungeon Conquest to the training camp graduation requirements.”
“Yes, that’s a good thing. But I gather it’s still far too early to properly train the students in practical experience.”
“Ugh…”
That day… I’d done the right thing desperately stopping Ragnar’s dungeon conquest.
At least Ruadis had cut me some slack.
“That’s why Ruadis gave me an additional task. I need to prepare appropriate rewards for when the dungeon is successfully conquered.”
“Given the dungeon’s current state, the reward chamber must be completely bare.”
His perception was unnecessarily sharp.
“But you’re saying I have to fill it out of my own pocket? Was that really how the dungeon’s reward chamber was ever supposed to be managed?” “Well, sort of. A dungeon operates much like any other place run by people. Besides, Ruadis promised to help me with the rewards.”
Just then, a plate of warm bread and meat was set before me.
“Oh—!”
“Eat while we talk, Choi.”
My chest swelled with emotion. Work this easy and lunch provided too?
I almost wished I’d fallen into the restaurant instead of the dungeon from the start.
Or maybe a café run by the Demon King would’ve been fun too.
“Go ahead.”
“Ah, I was going to eat after we finished talking…”
“Eat while we talk.”
I glanced at Ragnar before hesitantly picking up my utensils.
Truth was, my stomach had started growling shortly after I arrived in the village, and by now it felt like it was fusing to my spine. Surely he didn’t hear that, did he?
I popped a chunk of meat seasoned with savory sauce into my mouth and chewed, then suddenly felt self-conscious.
My companion had already finished eating and was leisurely enjoying tea time, while I was wafting food odors everywhere—wasn’t I being terribly rude?
When I glanced up, Ragnar was staring at me intently as I ate.
Had I been eating too frantically?
“Well, anyway, the idea I had in mind is this: graduates from the training camp have to pass through Gargas Forest, don’t they? So I was thinking—what if we gave them items in the reward chamber that would actually help them do that?”
“Normally, they’d expect to obtain gold coins, gems, equipment, special items—that sort of thing from the reward chamber.”
Yes, that would be the usual way. It keeps people’s eyes fixed on rewards, so they’d grab what they could and leave without ever bothering to check the sacred chamber.
But if our dungeon fit into that ordinary category, why would we need to go looking for patrons in the first place?
The Demon King went bankrupt, and now I’m running this place on a fairy’s emergency fund the size of my fist. Truly tragic.
“The thing is, my pockets are rather tight, so… instead of filling the rewards with something half-baked, I thought it would be better if we could help improve the survival rate of the graduates, even by a little. Efficiency first!”
“That’s an excellent idea.”
Taking advantage of the lull in conversation, I was about to dab the meat in sauce when Ragnar fetched a seasoning container from the edge of the table and slid it in front of me.
“It tastes better sprinkled on.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Now that I thought about it, everyone else had been sprinkling this—what made it so special?
“So, you’re curious what sort of items would be necessary?”
“Yes! If it were you, what essentials would you make sure to bring when passing through Gargas Forest?”
I posed the question while moving my fork busily.
The seasoning had a peppery flavor to it. It was an excellent choice, drawing out the savory depth of the meat.
Ragnar, who had been rubbing his chin thoughtfully all this time, spoke up.
“I’d definitely bring a special compass. Not an ordinary one, but a special compass that works in a magical realm.”
“How is it different?”
“In a magical realm, ordinary compasses become useless because of the monsters’ abilities and the unique environment. The forest constantly shifts its appearance, and the sky is shrouded in mist, so you can’t even see the stars to judge your location. If you want to escape safely, you need a guide.”
It wouldn’t be uncommon for people to get lost in the forest, wander until exhausted, and starve to death.
I’d already repurposed a used spell scroll as scrap paper for notes. Compass, I wrote.
“Next would be water purification stones, I’d say. They’re essential for securing drinking water. No matter how clean the water sources look within a magical realm, you can’t just drink from them carelessly. You never know what harmful substances might be mixed in.”
“Water purification stones?”
At my words, Ragnar reached into his pocket and pulled out several stones the size of thumbnails, setting them on the table.
They were transparent like glass, glimmering with a soft blue glow.
“Put one in a cup and it purifies the water. You can reuse them up to three times. They’re transparent now, but they become more opaque with each use, so you can decide whether to reuse them based on their clarity.”
“Oh, wow….”
“Would you like to touch one?”
“Is it okay if I do?”
Ragnar nodded, and without hesitation, I reached out and picked up a stone.
The sensation itself wasn’t particularly remarkable. Cold and smooth.
“Is it magic? How fascinating.”
If items like this existed in my world, wouldn’t environmental pollution improve significantly? Water scarcity would disappear too.
Ragnar, who had been watching my hands fidget with the stone, opened his mouth.
“Monsters or those who wield evil power cannot touch a purification stone. They’d feel pain the moment they tried.”
“What?”
“It’s made from the holy water of a temple, solidified.”
“I see….”
An uneasy feeling crept over me, and I set the stone back where it had been.
Could it be… had he just tested whether I could touch it?
“Since I only have a simple contract with the Demon King… um….”
“I wasn’t suspecting you. If I’d truly thought there was danger, I wouldn’t have offered it. You just seemed so fascinated, as though seeing it for the first time.”
“Ah… is a purification stone a common item?”
“Not exactly common, but you can easily find them at general stores. People use them in daily life.”
Suddenly, I realized I was in trouble.
I’d already revealed the secret of my contract with the Demon King, but the fact that I’m from another world is still hidden.
Which means right now, my reaction is exactly like someone from this world seeing a smartphone for the first time and saying, “Oh, what on earth is this thing used for?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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