Chapter 147 - The Horse Boss is Born!
"...Kuhk...!"
"Whoa..."
"My goodness..."
Staring at the building right in front of me sent a tsunami of emotion crashing over me, making my body tremble. It was decently sized, but so poorly maintained that the walls were crumbling and it reeked of age, so I'd gotten a referral from the church for a repair crew to handle painting, fixes, and a full remodel. I'd figured it'd take two or three months, but it wrapped up in just 15 days. Curious as hell about how they pulled that off, I came to check it out... and now, standing here, it's so sleek and modern that if I weren't the owner, I'd swear it was brand new.
Where the hell did that rundown '90s eyesore of a building go? Is this the power of construction in a world with magic...? Un-fucking-believable.
I'd thought the estimated 120 gold coins was steep, but now? That doubt's gone. Hell, this feels like a bargain.
Before the remodel, even as the owner, the decrepit vibe hadn't exactly thrilled me... but now? I can barely contain myself—I wanna rush right in!
"Ah, you've arrived, Divine Beast."
The construction boss waiting at the entrance approached us with a smile. Hmm. Even as an Essentia man, he looked kinda frail for a builder, which made me a bit uneasy. Pointless worry on my part. Sorry for doubting you!
"As discussed, the exterior wall repairs and painting, communal area fixes and facility upgrades inside, and full residential conversion of the 8th floor—all completed to perfection."
"Whoa, seriously impressive. It's way better than I imagined. Wait, how'd you transform that warehouse-like rooftop into that?"
"Haha, all in a day's work for us."
There'd been a rickety little shed up there before, but now it's seamlessly integrated into a slanted quadrilateral roofline. Thanks to that, the plain rectangular building's turned into a sleek modern masterpiece. Kyaah... the more I look, the more amazing it gets.
"The rooftop penthouse connects directly from the 8th floor. Use it as storage or, since nothing's taller around here, a killer-view lounge. I'll show you the details inside—let's head in."
"Puhuhu... puhahahahaha!"
After touring the building, we hit the 8th floor—our new home—and there it was: a penthouse straight out of a dream. Furniture costs ran over a bit thanks to the bed, so I shelled out an extra charge on the spot, paying 130 gold coins in full cash. Once the crew left, I danced around like an idiot before stepping into the massive bedroom with its super king bed that could fit 5-6 people easy... and the sheer overwhelm hit me so hard I grabbed Lizbet and Clea in a bear hug, bursting into laughter.
"Pfft. That happy, huh?"
"Seeing you so thrilled makes us happy too. Hehe."
Damn right I'm happy! It's got that weird layout with rooms off a central corridor from all the old offices mashed together, but this is a straight-up penthouse! How many pyeong is this thing!? Over 200, easy!
"Yeah, the bed turned out perfect. We could go wild on top and it wouldn't budge."
"Furniture's just the bedroom, living room, and kitchen for now, so decorating's gonna take a while."
"Puhuhu. We can take it slow. This is our house now. You two, pick any rooms you want. Buy whatever else we need!"
Living room, bedroom, and a gigantic bathroom each the size of a normal house, plus 14 small rooms, 6 shower-equipped bathrooms, and a rooftop lounge as big as the living room! It's so huge I can't even picture how to fill it. What the hell do I do with all this!?
"Hehe. We'd be fine sharing your room♡"
"We'll figure that out later. We've got plenty to do first. Rooms can wait."
Right. We've got a house now, but the to-do pile's still a mountain. Register security magic for the building and this floor, residential declaration, bar operating permit for the 2nd floor, and more... Gotta hustle so the staff waiting on us can start working. I gave 'em some pocket money and told 'em to chill till the remodel finished, but they insisted on jumping into the adult shop for free. The shop next door was clean enough not to touch, and I wanted them resting during construction... but who knew they'd volunteer unpaid? Am I the only one who loves slacking off?
Of course, unpaid's no good, so I threw in daily wages, but 8 bunny girls clocking in at a sex shop? ...Gotta wrap up permits quick, deep-clean the bar, and open ASAP. As the boss now, I gotta feed my staff and my bitches right. Time to blaze through the paperwork.
Five days later, the permits and registrations I'd figured would take one day were finally done. Whoa... I seriously underestimated this shit. Who knew it'd be this labyrinthine? Running a business as an adventurer's way more tangled than I thought—had me glued to a desk for five straight days. And get this: so buried in papers I didn't even get to fuck once on that huge bed overnight!
Sheesh. Who'd guess adventuring business needs to tie into your adventurer gig? After agonizing, Sera—who I'd gifted pricey perfume from the capital—stepped up one-on-one to guide me through, barely scraping by with the registrations. Without her kindness, I'd be screwed... Anyway, with her advice, our bar's becoming a monster Hof: booze plus monster ingredient snacks from hunts. Keeping it simple since we inherited the setup... but damn, a bunny girl beer joint? What were those Viper's Fang idiots thinking?
...Makes sense. The bar was just window dressing. Real moneymaker was loan-sharking girls into whoring. Those Viper's Fang bastards ran the place like shit, so the 2nd floor needed a total gut-and-revamp clean. I couldn't help much with paperwork... They said it was fine, but leaving my two bitches and uncontracted staff to scrub? Felt so guilty I wanted to choke out those jailbirds in the capital right then.
For the sex shop, we fudged it as "promoting adventurers' healthy sex lives." The bar's legit docs smoothed it over—like, "while we're at it..." Whatever, bar's proper, and it's the lord's favor anyway... so the castle clerk grinned like, "Normally no, but oops, permit stamped!" Connections rule the world everywhere. Filthy place!
"Master! All set!"
With registrations done and opening permit for tomorrow in hand, me, my two bitches, and the 8 bunny girl staff gathered in the spotless Hof to toast the new venture. Beer out with simple tomorrow's snacks, everyone crowded around the big table—my bitches and staff. ...Guess I'm the boss now, repping and responsible for these folks.
"Alright, everyone. We start tomorrow."
"I know you'll all hustle~. Master, say a few words." Lizbet and Clea flanked me, chiming in before Lizbet handed over a massive beer mug.
Hmm. Me at the head of the table? Feels weirdly good.
"Uh... everyone. You all busted ass these five days. As the guy, I should've led, but I barely helped—sorry."
"No way, Master!"
"You were swamped with papers?"
"We should've helped more..."
"Sorry we couldn't let you rest, Master."
...Why do even the bunny girls call me Master...? Nah, more like they're over-treating me—kinda heavy.
"Ahem... anyway. From tomorrow, no debt worries—just work easy. I'll bust my ass too so everyone can smile here."
"""Thank you, Master!"""
...What is this? Awkward but kinda nice. My two bitches were blissful, but 8 bunny girls chanting "Master" while staring? Pretty damn exciting.
"Staff don't need the 'Master' thing. Oh, and if the bunny outfits bug you, normal clothes are fine..."
"Hehe, no worries, Master. They wanna do it."
"They just wanna call you Master when it's us~. Right, everyone?"
"""Yes! Lizbet! Clea!"""
...Can't keep up with my staff's heads. My background different? Eh, whatever. If they look that happy, let 'em.
"...Alright then... everyone..."
Shoving deeper thoughts aside, I raised my glass—they matched with theirs. Whatever. My new paradise's ready—the tavern I'll run.
"Horse Hof! Fighting!"
"""Fighting!!!"""
Horse Hof. My bar's new name. Puhuhu. So moving. A Hof, but mine as owner. Duties: management, monster meat supply, boss oversight... Nice. Let's hustle!
"To Master!"
"""To him!"""
...Yeah, hustle... right...