The Cat's Perfect Terms (4)
Karif had been feeling down for the past few days.
It wasn’t the homesickness that had been following him since he left home so long ago. Thanks to the lucky break that had landed him at the Levina Inn, he could finally quench that longing.
The real reason for his gloom was work.
‘…No job.’
Karif’s main work had always been guild requests. Find some herbs. Investigate certain information. Deliver specific goods.
As with most mercenary jobs, these gigs weren’t endless. There were plenty of days, and there were slow days. The reasons for the swings were as varied as the demand for requests, the supply, or completely unrelated outside factors.
Even a four-year mercenary like Karif knew all that. But this time, the dip had been brutal. No requests in almost two months.
The catch? It seemed to be hitting him harder than anyone else.
‘No matter how you look at it, this reeks of something.’
There were requests available. But every single client had rejected him outright, citing his bad reputation from the last job.
‘But…! That wasn’t my fault! I was the one who got scammed…!’
Karif was furious.
The fight with the client hadn’t been his fault. He had been tricked into a ridiculous contract. That was why he had been forced to demand insane compensation.
He hadn’t even refused to pay. He just hadn’t paid the full amount they first demanded. That must have been why they were spreading rumors about him.
Still, he had no allies. The client was a hefty merchant with deep ties inside the guild. The only one who looked bad was Karif himself.
‘Real bastards…’
He had spent two months without work. His wallet had been getting thinner every single day, and the stress was eating at him.
Then, one day.
“…You want me to try working at the inn?”
“Yeah. I’ll pay you a ridiculous amount.”
“……”
“How does that sound?”
An odd mage had made an odd proposal.
***
“It’s not that busy, and there’s nothing hard about it. You already know the inn staff—Robert and Chloe are super kind.”
“I know that…”
“No matter what happens, I’ll pay you one gold coin a month no matter what. And if sales go over what I mentioned, I’ll pay you another one on top. Basically, you’d get two gold coins a month.”
“……”
I explained it calmly and watched Karif’s face closely. The way his whiskers curled made it clear he was thinking things over.
“Well, think it through. If you work here, food and lodging are free. So all you have to do is work and save two gold coins a month.”
“…”
“So? Not bad, right?”
“Um……”
Karif frowned and thought hard. Then he shook his head and spoke.
“No way. This feels off…”
“Why?”
Karif answered in a stammer.
“I left home to become an adventurer. My friends from back home did the same thing!”
“So?”
“But if I’m just working at an inn here, I’ll get laughed at. This is women’s or weaklings’ work!”
Um… he was mocking his job as casually as breathing.
It didn’t seem malicious. That was just how things were in this era.
Anyway, I immediately countered.
“Then what about me? I’m working here too. Even after graduating from the academy?”
Even an elite mage like me is doing inn work. Isn’t this enough to change their perception?”
“That’s… that’s not right for you, you weirdo.”
“……”
“You’re the only one, right?”
“……”
…Huh, I hadn’t expected that.
His logic was surprisingly solid.
Okay.
I had to change direction fast.
“Karif. I’m not saying you have to bury your bones here forever. Just work for a year, make some money, and leave.”
“…”
“One year—that’s twenty-four gold coins. Two years, forty-eight. Make a solid lump sum, then you can relax and do something else.”
“……”
Karif gave a tiny nod.
There was a crack in his armor.
“Have you thought about your old age at all?”
“Old age?”
“Can you keep swinging a sword when you’re all wrinkled and gray? Will your body still be healthy then?”
“…”
“No way.”
The look on his face said he had never thought about it.
I kept going softly.
“When you get old, the money you’ve saved can build you a house exactly how you want it. You’ll live comfortably there with the family you’ve made. You can travel to places you’ve always wanted to see. And when your kids are struggling, you can help them financially.”
“……”
Karif’s ears twitched.
Conflict flashed in his eyes.
Time to deliver the final blow.
“All of that can only happen if you have money. You have to save it day by day for that comfortable old age. Working here at the inn will let you make that future real.”
“……”
“So let’s do it together. Just try it for one month. If you hate it that much, you can quit then.”
“…”
His words sounded hesitant, but I knew.
Once he tasted gold, he wouldn’t want to leave. He’d probably aim for an even bigger position.
‘That’s why money is so terrifying.’
I kept that to myself and offered Karif my hand. He took it with obvious reluctance.
Oh right, I had forgotten one thing.
“By the way, one of the benefits is free lunch every single day.”
Karif stared at me with wide eyes, as if I had gone completely mad.
But I saw it.
‘He moved.’
The tail beneath the table was wagging like crazy.
***
Work started smoothly.
The moment Karif decided to try it, Chloe and I gave him training so he could jump right into the real thing.
“Okay, Master Karif. Watch me. Hello~!”
“Uh, hel… hello.”
“Perfect! What about this one~?”
“Uh, what about this one?”
“Yes! Just like that!”
“……”
“Got it? Always smile when you make eye contact, okay?”
“……”
Karif looked awkward, like this was his first time doing service work. But he had no choice. He needed the money.
“Rest for a bit. There’s nothing to do until guests arrive.”
—Thud.
Karif dropped into a chair, looking dazed. He still looked fresh and energetic.
“…Are you sure this is okay, Kyle?”
While Karif rested, Chloe slipped over and whispered quietly. She was asking if he could really do the job well.
“Yes, he’ll be fine.”
I nodded.
Karif would try his hardest. The Myojok tribe didn’t like trouble or crowds, but once they made a promise, they took it seriously. Sure, there might be exceptions, but I didn’t think Karif was one of them.
‘He’ll have a tough time at first… but the pay will be worth it. I’ll make sure he never regrets it. That’s a promise.’
Anyway, a little later.
The quiet afternoon ended, and evening rush hour began.
—Creak.
Just as I thought, the inn door opened and guests poured in. Karif and Chloe started handling the hall together.
“Welcome!”
“Uh, welcome.”
Karif greeted them in a clumsy way, but he was still new. He’d adjust quickly. It wasn’t exactly difficult work.
‘He’s actually doing pretty well.’
He fumbled a little, but every task was done correctly: taking orders, serving, clearing tables, taking more orders…
Chloe and I smiled at the sight. We watched him work with genuine admiration. Didn’t we tell him there was nothing to worry about? He was performing way above expectations.
But first days are always the hardest.
Two hours after the first guests arrived,
‘…Oh no.’
A sudden accident happened.
—Crash!
Dishes and food flew everywhere beneath the table. Karif had bumped into a drunk dwarf. The dwarf stood up, face red with anger.
“What the hell is this?!”
“……”
Karif’s eyes widened. He looked panicked. He tried to clean up, but the dwarf was glaring at him with pure fury.
‘It’s okay, Karif. Just apologize like we practiced.’
Good thing we had already taught him how to handle this earlier.
Karif trembled, then shot me a desperate look. Our eyes met and I gave him an encouraging nod. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
“I-I-I…”
That’s right. Do it.
Apologize and it’ll be fine.
It would be tough for a Myojok, but once he did it once, the next time would be easy. It was just practice. He’d grow from it.
I watched him with that in mind.
But then…
“I-I-I-I-I-I-I…”
…What?
His whole body was shaking like something had broken. He kept repeating “I” like a broken record. I rushed in to stop the situation, but…
“You idiot! You bumped into me!”
Karif’s fur stood straight up as he shouted. His voice was so loud that every table in the inn fell silent and every head turned toward us.
“……”
The entire inn went dead quiet in an instant.
I felt my head spin.
…How do I fix this?