CHAPTER 108: FIRST DAY OF THE FOUNDING FESTIVAL III (1/2)

“Something like this, I guess.” [Ryouma]

Within a room that was turned into something akin to a refrigerator through a combination of Barrier and Ice Magic stood a row of ice sculptures.

“Hmm… Yep. This should do.” [Ryouma]

Looks good, I thought, so I called Prenence-san over to check the sculptures.

“Prenence-san, the ice sculpture is complete. Please take a look.” [Ryouma]

When I entered the room in the dormitory that had been opened up to be used as a dressing room, what greeted me was a pure white robe that was opened up in front. The only decoration on it was an embroidery woven with golden thread, which could be found on the chest part. Prenence-san appeared while wearing such clothing.

Stain would stick out like a sore thumb should it get stained even a little, but without the slightest trace of blemish on it and Perence-san himself being a silver-haired adonis, it gives off a mysterious aura.

“Over here.” [Ryouma]

“Ohh!” [Prenence]

The room was cold to keep the statue from melting, but Prenence-san didn’t seem to mind that at all as he looked at the row of sculptures from an angle.

“A pair of birds, a plate of fruits, a beast running, and my harp. It is exactly as I’ve ordered.” [Prenence]

The leading part of tonight’s program tells the tale of a traveler who defeats a terrifying beast that has struck fear into the hearts of the people. I carved the sculpture with that theme in mind.

The pedestal is made of wood. In order to carry these and set them all atop the stage, I had to use what the people of the troupe had prepared.

“Are we putting these on stage as planned?” [Ryouma]

“Yes. We’ll be able to bring these in after the next performance. I’m sorry for asking you to do something so unreasonable so suddenly.” [Prenence]

“It’s alright. It was in order to design a good stage, after all.” [Ryouma]

“Fufufu… We shall put on a performance that will not lose out to the beauty of the stage. You have my word.” [Prenence]

After smiling that fearless smile and checking a couple of things, he went back to the dressing room. As for me, I went back to the stalls.

“Otsukaresama desu. Do you need help anywhere?” [Ryouma]

“In that case, boss, please help wash the plates used for reemiyen.” [Fei]

“Okay.” [Ryouma]

It’s common practice in this country to use a kind of leaf to wrap food with. And it’s commonly done in stalls, but the leaves aren’t suitable for dealing with liquid, so we had to use wooden tableware.

One of the madams working with us, Mary-san, has a husband who works with wood, so we were able to easily get some. The customers return the tableware after eating to the return window, and then the people in charge divide the trash and the different types of tableware, and then they clean them.

“Tableware and trash received!” [Ryouma]

“Ussu!” [Fei]

After dividing everything into bags, I carry them and bring them to the laundry room within the store.

The return window at the stall is just there to gather the goods. After all, we have professionals to deal with the filthy dishes.

“I’m counting on you.” [Ryouma]

Although the goods we’re talking about are a bit different than the usual stuff we deal with, the cleaner slimes can deal with them all the same. Meanwhile, while they’re working on that, I bring the garbage to the basement for the scavenger slimes to deal. By the time I come back up, the dishes are already done. I then bring those back to the stall. The tableware have already been divided beforehand, so I don’t have to think any further on it after retrieving them from the slimes, and all that’s left now is for me to place them in the appropriate shelves.

“Next!” [Ryuoma]

“Yes!” [Fei]

But there were a lot of customers. And dishes were sold endlessly, causing the used tableware to continuously pile up.

“…This is actually amazing.” [Ryouma]

While I was transporting the dishes like a piston, the line of customers seemed to have actually increased.

“Carm-san! Should I reorganize the lines!?” [Ryouma]

“Yes please! I’ll leave it to you!” [Carm]

Carm-san is usually well dressed with orderly hair, but with how hot and busy the store was, he had no choice but to bundle his hair with a bandanna, making him look exactly like your stereotypical stall onii-san.

I saw something weird. I supposes that just goes to show how busy it is, though.

“Ryouma-sama!” [Serge]

“Ahh, Serge-san. We met just a while ago.” [Ryouma]

“You seem very busy. If you need some help, we have some free hands if you’d like.” [Serge]

“By all means! Please!” [Ryouma]

As I gratefully accepted his offer, I put up the rope for organizing the lines.

“Found him! Boss!” [Employee]

“Yes!? What is it?” [Ryouma]

“A customer who went to the washroom just now told me that the toilet has run out of water.” [Employee]

“Toilet water… Ah, the water for washing hands!? Got it! I’ll fix it immediately!” [Ryouma]

I explained the situation to our reinforcements and left.

“Excuse me, I’m the manager. I need to take a look. Excuse me… Oh, good.” [Ryouma]

If it’s just this, then I’ll be able to fix it in a jiffy. Or rather, this isn’t even really broken.

There’s no water service here, so I just filled the large container inside the water storage tank with water. The water can be refilled using the bucket that’s been provided nearby.

Currently, the container isn’t even half-filled anymore.

In other words, the only reason the water isn’t coming out is because there’s no water left. The public had already used it up.

I quickly went where the tank was and filled it up with water.

“Done! …Ah!” [Ryouma]

The water was fixed now, but it suddenly came to my attention that the soap had been stolen.

I’d put it inside a net woven out of the sticky slime’s threads and connected it with a cord just like the bucket, but someone actually went out of his way to cut the cord with a knife…