Our Cafe is Open as Usual - Chapter 35
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Episode 35
“…Mannequin?”
It was closer to a ball-jointed doll.
Its height was similar to mine, but there was nothing particularly special about its appearance.
If there was something special… the outside was translucent while the inside was transparent?
Yet its surface looked very smooth. Seeing how light refracted inside the ball-jointed doll, it was definitely made of a different material than the exterior.
I carefully poked the doll.
“…Oh.”
It felt like touching a slime filled with water. Moist and squishy. Yet also soft.
Hyu’s words were completely right!
I began openly touching the ball-jointed doll with fascination. Like children doing sensory play, I kneaded the doll’s arms freely.
I really liked the cold, squishy feeling.
After touching the ball-jointed doll for a while, I turned my head toward Millen.
“Millen, what is this? Did you make this too?”
“Then who else would have made it.”
“Wow…! You knew how to make something like this too?”
“Nothing is impossible for me. As long as I have the materials, I can make anything.”
Millen’s nose rose sky-high. Seeming pleased with my reaction, he even looked quite satisfied.
He stretched his arm between me and the doll, separating us.
“Stop touching it and listen to the explanation now.”
“You’re explaining this one?”
“You absolutely can’t use it without an explanation.”
“Aha.”
He briefly told me how to use the ball-jointed doll.
First, invisibility.
He said if I tapped its head a couple times, it would change automatically.
And what came after that was important.
“This learns actions. If you input them, it moves accordingly.”
“How do you input them?”
“The user demonstrates. I’ve set it up so that when inputted actions accumulate, it moves automatically.”
So in short, it was a robot.
A robot with its own free will at that.
The fact that this was possible with this era’s technology was simply amazing.
Even in modern times, having robots make coffee is still difficult. Though there are occasionally coffee shops with robots serving coffee at highway rest stops…
‘Those guys aren’t very reliable.’
They just spill everything.
Compared to those, this ball-jointed doll looked very delicate.
It even had all its fingers attached.
As I examined it closely, Millen extended his hand to me. I reflexively took his hand.
“…I’ll input you as the user.”
“Yes!”
He pulled my hand and brought it to the ball-jointed doll. Then my hand slipped right inside it. It felt like cold slime wrapping around part of my arm.
I got goosebumps, but Millen didn’t mind.
He muttered something quietly.
Then light burst out from my hand with a flash! At the same time, the ball-jointed doll began operating.
-Whirr!
Its head moved and its arms rattled.
When my hand came out, it began moving properly.
Yes, it was acting exactly like me.
‘Wow, it’s like I have another body.’
Even when I struck strange poses, it copied me exactly.
“This is fascinating.”
“I just activated it. It’s too early to be amazed. Now let’s go to the kitchen.”
I followed Millen to the kitchen. The ball-jointed doll also stuck close behind me and entered the kitchen.
“When inputting actions, place your hand on its chest.
Then it will stop moving completely, and from that point it will collect the user’s actions. It’s like learning automatically.
When you want to finish inputting, place your hand on its chest like before. You can input actions multiple times, so use it comfortably.”
He explained in detail.
This was the first time Millen’s explanation had been so thorough. But certainly, this was a doll that absolutely couldn’t be used without explanation.
I nodded and placed my hand on the doll’s chest as he had said.
Then with a whirr! sound, the doll stopped operating.
Instead, eyes appeared on its previously empty head.
Those eyes stared at me intently.
“Then…”
‘Let me check if it executes properly.’
I immediately went to the coffee machine and extracted espresso.
After putting the extracted espresso in a cup, I placed my hand on the doll’s chest.
Then the eyes that had appeared on the doll disappeared. Simultaneously, with a whirr! sound, the doll moved.
The doll perfectly repeated the actions I had taken when making espresso. Not only that, it even created its own optimized method.
It was truly amazing.
I looked at Millen with admiration.
“This is really good.”
“Of course.”
“Are there more like this?”
“That’s the only one for now. I barely managed to get the materials.”
“That’s too bad.”
‘If there was one more, I could entrust the hall to it too…’
Since I was so satisfied, one question came to mind. I immediately asked Millen.
“But why is it transparent?”
“Ah, that was Basha’s request.”
“…What?”
“She said it would be bothersome if the doll moved around by itself. So I made it invisible.”
Aha.
Come to think of it, Basha said she worked alone with Hyu. So if something making noise came and went behind her, it would certainly be bothersome.
But.
‘Isn’t being transparent more bothersome?’
It would seem like a ghost and be distracting.
I much preferred the current form where it was moderately visible.
Being visible is the best. Don’t adults always say to have everything in physical form.
Though this is a different situation.
Anyway.
I was smiling with satisfaction when I remembered one fact and opened my mouth.
“There’s a price for this too, right?”
“Of course. Since this is too much to call a tool… I’ll take a monthly rental fee in gold.”
“…How much?”
“40% of monthly net profit.”
‘What?
What are you talking about, Mr. Millen?’
I almost turned serious for a moment.
40% of monthly net profit, what kind of crazy rental fee is this. How am I supposed to make money like this!
Even if money is saved because rent and electricity bills don’t go out.
‘When you think about ingredient costs and labor costs, there’s no money left!’
And in the midst of that, 40%…
I was devastated and let my shoulders droop. I couldn’t give up such a good worker, but 40% was too harsh.
Millen, who had been watching my expression change every second, crossed his arms.
“That’s giving it to you cheaply.”
“…What did you say?”
“Basha gave me rent in diamonds every month. Lailah, can you pay like that too?”
I can’t.
Even if I work my bones off, I can’t do this.
How on earth did Basha give diamonds to Millen… I was only puzzled and resentful.
If he does that, I can’t even negotiate.
Look at that arrogant face… Millen was smiling annoyingly as if foreseeing his victory.
I was so irritated that curses were about to burst out.
I widened my eyes and tried to negotiate with vigor.
“35%!”
“45%.”
“37%!”
“Would you like to use it for 50%?”
‘Eeeeek!’
I trembled while clenching my fists. This is tyranny, this is Millen’s tyranny!
He’s doing this because he knows I can’t easily find people!
Knowing this, Millen’s expression became increasingly arrogant.
But I was afraid that if I kept opposing him here, he might really ask for 50%.
“…40% call!”
“Thank you, customer.”
“Aaaaah!”
…And so I got a transparently expensive part-timer who takes 40% of my monthly net profit.
* * *
The next day.
Iliyana froze on the spot when she encountered the new worker.
“…What is that?”
“A new employee.”
“I mean…”
I did say I was going to find someone, but she probably didn’t expect me to bring something like that.
* * *
Iliyana couldn’t hide her bewilderment.
No matter how she looked at it, it didn’t seem like a living creature. What was even more puzzling was that Hyu, Lailah, and Millen all didn’t find it strange.
Even though she was on the verge of fainting, Lailah smiled brightly and said.
“I’m planning to leave the cafe today.
So work with the new employee, Iliyana!”
“Ah…”
Iliyana found herself missing Frigia terribly.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
