Our Cafe is Open as Usual - Chapter 9

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 9

I’d never seen anything like this in my life.

Millen had pride as a merchant. He had learned from being by Basha’s side, and while selling magical tools, he never did anything that would result in a loss.

Also, while searching for tool materials, he had connections with trading companies from various countries. So he thought he had experienced all kinds of merchants.

But.

“Oh my, little miss! Would you like to try a bite of this? It’ll melt smoothly in your mouth. This big sister made it herself, so give it a try.”

“Wow! Big sister, what is this? I’ve never had this before! It’s sweet and cold and melts smoothly!”

“Right? If you want to eat it again, show the postcard that big sister gives you to your mom and dad and tell them you want to go.”

“Yes!”

Lailah’s actions… he couldn’t understand what she was doing at all.

“Was it from when we left the restaurant yesterday?”

Millen sat on the fountain in the central plaza in front of the temple and looked at Lailah. He suddenly recalled her strange behavior that had started yesterday.

* * *

The beginning was more ordinary than expected.

After leaving the restaurant, Lailah immediately stopped by the grocery store.

There, she carefully examined something, then bought plenty of milk, sugar, and salt.

Lailah was very pleased, saying she bought them cheaper than expected. Then she also stopped by the lumber store.

There, she purchased several planks and nails.

From this point, he started to think it was strange.

‘To prove her abilities, why does she need planks?’

Millen was puzzled but didn’t ask her.

‘She said she’d prove it.’

So until then, he decided to pretend not to know even if he knew, and pretend not to be curious even if he was. Honestly, it was even becoming interesting now.

Leilah Token was the only person who had ever flustered him this much!

So he watched.

She returned to the cafe and diligently sawed and nailed the planks to make something. Then she also gathered several bowls.

He thought that was the end of it, but now she made several sheets of paper with the cafe’s location written on them and Hyu’s paw prints stamped on them!

Up to this point, he was just puzzled.

But his puzzlement changed to amazement starting the next morning.

Lailah, who got up at dawn, headed to Noren with the planks she had roughly assembled yesterday and the materials.

Arriving at the temple square where quite a few people had gathered despite the early hour, she began to act with a sinister smile.

“Mr. Millen, just sit there quietly and watch.”

Telling him not to help, she very skillfully made a stall. What she had been making with the planks yesterday must have been a stall.

Then she placed a large basin on top and filled it with ice from who knows where.

“Now, don’t be surprised and watch carefully, okay?”

She sprinkled salt over the ice, then put milk and sugar in a glass bowl and buried it in the ice. Then she whisked it rapidly with a whisk.

And then.

“…Wow, Master! What is this? It’s so soft and cold!”

“This is called ice cream! Delicious, right?”

She had created something unfamiliar.

Even to Millen’s eyes, having traveled here and there extensively, that was an unfamiliar form.

It wasn’t whipped cream, but it wasn’t meringue either. It wasn’t even sherbet that could only be eaten in the royal court.

Moreover, making something cold enough to freeze without using magic was impossible in the mild climate of the Jenen Kingdom.

But she had done it simply and very easily. So this was an ability he had to acknowledge.

This alone was enough to give her the token. He was already curious about what she could create with magical tools.

‘I thought it was just bluffing when she asked for two days, but it turned out to be real.’

No, even two days was too much.

Just presenting that to nobles or royalty right now would earn big money.

Millen watched her actions with very interested eyes. Then he thought about trying a bite of that ‘ice cream.’

But.

“Hmm, everything’s organized now… shall we start then?”

She suddenly cleared her throat.

“Everyone, try a bite before you go! This is Yonggari Cafe’s special menu that you can’t taste anywhere else! It’s free tasting, so everyone come without burden!

There’s also a cute hamster here!”

Was she really shouting about giving away that precious thing for free?!

“…What the hell is that woman doing?”

Could it be that she didn’t know its value?

No. Looking at that woman’s confident expression, she clearly knew its value well. She was taking it for granted that people would gather here.

As she thought, many people of all ages, men and women, flocked to the stall. Lailah kindly served the people while not missing the opportunity to promote ‘Yonggari Cafe.’

Millen could only stand frozen in place and mutter. He also felt like he’d been hit hard on the back of his head.

“Really… an unfathomable woman.”

It was amazing how she could dodge all of a person’s expectations like this. Even her first impression was different from what he had expected.

Yes, truly an unpredictable woman. At the same time, she stimulated curiosity. Staying by her side would provide quite entertaining sights.

Come to think of it, Hyu had said something like that.

“Master is incredibly amazing! She fixed this building in one day with Mr. Millen’s craftsman hammer!

Hyu guarantees that Mr. Millen will like Master.

Definitely!”

That cute hamster… like master, like hamster.

It was humbling to his pride, but he had to acknowledge Hyu’s words.

Millen touched the corner of his mouth and laughed loudly.

His laughter was so loud that even Lailah, buried among the people, could hear it.

* * *

“…Why is he laughing like that?”

Has he lost his mind or something?

Even amid the chaos of people crowding around, I glanced at Millen and muttered. He shouldn’t be doing that… he should be falling for my abilities right now…

I glared at him for no reason and stretched my lips long. That was brief, as I scooped a little ice cream onto a cracker and gave it to the person who was waiting.

“Here you go! If you have time later, please visit Yonggari Cafe too. We’re opening soon! The location is written on the postcards in front, so if you’re interested, please take one!”

I skillfully delivered my lines and smiled very kindly. The person who received the ice cream nodded enthusiastically, took a postcard, and moved away.

Watching that, I smiled sinisterly inside.

‘I knew this would work.’

‘Free’ works everywhere~!

Of course, strictly speaking, it’s not really ‘free.’

I get an opportunity to effectively promote Yonggari Cafe to people, and people become interested in and remember Yonggari Cafe…

It’s a kind of equivalent exchange.

The place where you can commonly see this is at marts. Marts operate a kind of tasting corner to promote products to people and encourage them to purchase.

Even if you’re not interested in the product, don’t you become curious after trying it for free?

Then the person in charge of the tasting corner enthusiastically explains the product and does sales.

‘But I’ve also worked part-time at mart tasting corners.

I really know how to talk!’

It was a part-time job I often did during holiday breaks because the hourly wage was generous. There really wasn’t a part-time job I hadn’t done to earn money.

One of them helped me even more.

The experiment assistant part-time job at a science festival for children!

This is where I learned how to make ice cream.

Well, when you sprinkle salt on ice, the ice melts and absorbs heat from the surroundings, and you can use this to easily make ice cream, or something like that.

I had explained it so much back then that the explanation stuck in my mouth. Thanks to that, no one could have imagined I’d use it like this.

‘Getting the ingredients was easier than expected, so it was worth trying.’

The most important ice could be obtained from the game store. I got the other things by walking around and finding them cheap.

I became a penniless beggar with not a single coin left, but I don’t regret it.

I continued promoting the cafe while serving people like a machine.

Then.

“Huh? The customer is…”

I came face to face with someone whose appearance was very familiar.

I slowly blinked my eyes while looking at him. Then I opened my eyes wide and clapped my hands.

“Sir Valter! You’re Sir Valter, right? The person who first came to our Yonggari Cafe!”

“Yes, that’s correct. You remember me.”

“Of course, didn’t I tell you back then? You were the first customer to come to our Yonggari Cafe.”

“Ah… that’s right, you did say that.”

“It’s nice to see you again like this!”

It was pleasant to see again someone I had briefly encountered before. I smiled brightly and offered him ice cream as well.

“Sir Valter, please try this too.”

He stared intently at the ice cream, then suddenly grabbed my hand.

“By any chance… do you have coffee available right now?”

His voice sounded extremely desperate.

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