Gacha Is Always Welcome (1)
Gacha Is Always Welcome (1)
The Dessert Research Society's first sale began at lunchtime and didn't wrap up until late in the afternoon.
"Haaaah..."
A collective sigh escaped us all at once. And for good reason—it had been genuinely grueling. Though, almost immediately, a cheer broke out.
"A thousand! We sold so many! I can't believe we actually sold all of that!"
Rina exclaimed, her face radiating pure joy. She must have felt the pressure more than anyone, since she'd been largely responsible for drawing in the customers for our debut sale.
Every time I created a pile of Snow Blossom Fruits, she'd say things like, "Uh, Ian, I don't think I can gather that many people. I'll do my best, of course!" or "I don't really have that many friends." Rina had been sincerely worried, saying things that would've caused a riot if the real outcasts ever heard her.
Sure, the free samples we handed out at first did a lot of the heavy lifting, but Rina's personal network made a brilliant contribution as well.
"To be precise, it was 1,312 units! I, Sister Elena! I sold them with the utmost devotion, as if serving Lord Deus himself, Brother!"
"Wipe that powdered sugar off your mouth before you start talking, nya. I saw you sneaking tomatoes!"
"Th-that was an unavoidable measure due to low blood sugar...!"
Danya and Elena were equally elated with the results.
Well, why wouldn't they be?
A complete sellout like this filled you with an inescapable sense of accomplishment. I'd lost count of how many times I'd burned my mana reserves down to absolute zero over the course of the day. It never would've been possible without Danya's "Snow Greeting Flower."
"Alright, great work, everyone. Danya, Rina, Elena. You all did really well."
"Nyaaang!"
"Hehe, yeah!"
"Indeed we did!"
Their faces were all bright with happiness, but their voices lacked energy. The slight drawl in their tones told me exactly how drained they were.
I chuckled to myself and spoke.
"To celebrate all your hard work today, how about we go for a company dinner? ...Wait, hold on."
Wasn't that the most cliché, boomer-boss line ever?
I surprised myself by saying it. If people are tired, the natural thing is to just go home and rest...
"Company dinner? What's that, nya?"
"I've heard of this! It's a ritual where high-ranking priests feed the lesser priests who have suffered for their art!"
"Whoa—so you're buying us food, Ian? Hehe! I'm so glad I followed such a good boss!"
Hm. Looks like I was worrying for nothing.
"Of course I am. Today, we're going to the most expensive restaurant in Lichten."
"Waaaaaah!"
Amid the mixed cheers, we headed for the academy's east gate.
It was a street lined with luxurious brand-name shops and guild headquarters. Danya, inexplicably shrinking into herself, mumbled quietly.
"This is my first time here, nya..."
Rina chimed in immediately.
"I've been here before, but I only ever window-shopped... It's way too expensive."
East Street in Lichten. "East Street."
As they'd described, it was a place defined by "luxury" and "brands." The primary clientele consisted of the academy's elite students, along with some of Lichten's nobility.
I mean, these were kids who'd buy a ten-Silver Snow Blossom Fruit just because it tasted good, right? The scale of their spending was on a whole different level. With so many rich kids swarming the academy, the prices here defied comprehension.
Danya sidled up to me, grabbed my sleeve, and whispered into my ear.
"B-but aren't you going to go bankrupt buying us dinner? You said the most expensive place."
She glanced sideways at Elena as she spoke. Elena was already salivating.
"Oh, did I say the most expensive place?"
"You did, nya."
"I misspoke. It's the place that will become the most expensive."
"...?"
We walked a long way down East Street. I mean, we actually ducked into the back alleys. Just as the surroundings started to feel distant from anything luxury or high-end.
[ Restaurant Esmé ]
Our destination came into view.
"This is our dinner venue."
"This seems to differ from the description you gave, Brother...! The building is rather old... Are you sure this is really the most expensive place?"
I answered Elena, who was tilting her head in confusion.
"Not the most expensive. The one that will become the most expensive."
"...Eh?"
"The chef here has the highest level of skill in Lichten. And despite how it looks, this is technically a fine-dining restaurant."
Unlike those cheap snack bars.
"Then I am satisfied!"
Elena beamed. For someone so small, she's remarkably fixated on food.
Rina and Danya weren't the type to care much about outward appearances either. That's exactly why I brought them here.
"If you're talking it up that much, Ian, I'm actually getting excited."
"You should be. You can look forward to it as much as you want."
After all, there wouldn't be many chances to eat a chef of this caliber's food without a reservation.
"Restaurant Esmé."
This place would eventually grow into one of the top three restaurants in the Empire. Purely on the merit of skill alone. The owner and head chef, Esmé, possessed an overwhelming talent for cooking.
"So, let's eat to our hearts' content today."
I pushed the door open with confidence.
But I couldn't help but freeze in dismay. There was a painfully unwelcome prior guest already inside.
"Oh my. Ian, it's been a while."
Rich golden hair that looked as if it was spun from pure gold.
Demure movements befitting a young lady of a prestigious house.
A soft, smiling face.
And golden eyes that glinted like coins.
"Emilia Raymond. What are you doing here?"
◆
"Oh my, is there a reason I shouldn't be here?"
Hoho.
Emilia covered her mouth and laughed.
"It's a pleasure to see you after so long, Ian."
A pleasure, she says.
From my perspective, and likely from Pongpongi's, this was hardly a pleasant relationship. One party used the other to the absolute limit and then threw them away. That was the history between Pongpongi and Emilia.
"I was disappointed that you stopped visiting our trading company after all that. You must have been terribly busy."
Even that seemingly endless goodwill wasn't kind at all when you considered the context of their past relationship. If anything, it felt more like a deliberate taunt.
"I came here to eat, so let's save the talk for later."
"Ah, I must be disturbing you. Of course. I'm busy as well."
Unexpectedly, she backed off without a fight. That in itself was actually more unsettling. I had no idea what kind of scheme she might be cooking up inside that head of hers.
By the game's standards, Emilia had a mind sharp enough to be a useful strategist, after all.
I led my group to a table. It was close enough to overhear her conversation.
She was in the middle of a discussion with the owner, Esmé.
— A collaboration would be a great help to your restaurant. If you at least change the building's exterior, you'd feel the immediate effects...
Hmm.
So she came here to invest in this place, too. As expected of a woman who can sniff out gold like a ghost.
— Didn't I tell you? I have no interest in investments. Please leave now.
At the chef's words, I couldn't help the corners of my mouth twitching upward.
"Why are you smiling, Brother?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just keep looking at the menu."
Honestly, even I could admit Emilia's presentation was tempting. The sight of the owner shutting her down without a second glance must have left me feeling unexpectedly refreshed.
— I don't do collaborations unless it's with someone who possesses my level of cooking skill. The same goes for investments.
— Even though you won't be able to expand the restaurant this way?
— What matters to me isn't making the restaurant bigger. It's purely the cooking. Now, please leave. The customers at that table are waiting.
Thanks to the owner suddenly pointing our way, I made direct eye contact with Emilia. I wonder what kind of expression I was wearing. Probably a smile.
— Pardon the intrusion. I'll visit again sometime.
Click.
Emilia left the restaurant, her face expressionless. No, she stopped mid-step and turned.
She walked up to me and whispered softly.
"You, Ian. We seem to be running into each other quite frequently these days."
Without giving me a chance to reply, Emilia swept her gaze over my companions. As if sizing up their fighting strength.
"I'll be expecting this level of performance in the Aether promotion evaluation as well."
With that meaningful remark, Emilia took her leave.
◆
Surprisingly, I didn't feel any particularly strong emotions. Emilia Raymond. The fact that I'd avoided running into her until now was already half the battle won.
It was a bit unnerving that she'd specifically singled out the promotion evaluation, but I could handle whatever she threw at me.
"Besides, I'm pulling for items soon."
As soon as I returned to the club room, I planned to dump all the gold I'd earned into the "Mysterious Box." That would naturally guarantee me a certain degree of gear power. Meaning there was no need to worry too far ahead about the future—even if Emilia was the only heroine talented enough to enter via the Aether Department.
"...Ian, are you okay?"
"Huh?"
I snapped back to my senses at the sound of Danya's voice. Did my expression look that bad? She was staring at me with worried eyes.
"Ah. I was just lost in thought for a second."
"Is something seriously wrong?"
"Nah. Let's just order quickly. The tomato dishes here are delicious. You and Elena should try the pasta, risotto, or lasagna."
This was a world where tomatoes hadn't yet become a widespread cooking ingredient. Restaurant Esmé was one of the few places you could actually taste tomato-based cuisine. That was part of why I'd chosen it for our celebration.
"...We ordered earlier, and the food's already here, nya."
I looked down. A perfectly cooked steak in all its elegant glory sat upon the plate. Elena had already buried her nose in her bowl and was inhaling pasta.
"Ah. I didn't notice."
"What were you thinking about, nya?"
Danya narrowed her eyes at me. I evaded the question smoothly.
"Let's eat. It looks delicious."
Her eyes narrowed even further. Then she pouted her lips slightly.
"You always worry all by yourself."
She mumbled this as she took a spoonful of risotto into her mouth. The pout on her lips immediately brightened.
"...It's delicious!!"
"Right?"
"Yeah! I'm inclined to forgive you just this once, nya!"
"Well, that's a relief."
I sliced into the steak with a smile.
Srrk, srrk—
The juices seeped out richly along the path of the knife. Just as I speared a piece with my fork and was about to take a bite, my field of vision widened, taking in the scene around me.
"Elena! You got it on your nose, too!"
Rina, who had paused mid-bite of her salad, laughed as she wiped the tomato sauce off Elena's nose with her finger.
"Wait—!"
Elena, delighted, eagerly licked Rina's finger.
"Yum!"
Even Danya, with a spoonful of risotto in her mouth, had her eyes squeezed shut in a smile.
Chewing that mouthful of steak with all those scenes as the backdrop, I felt a sudden certainty.
"This is it."
Maybe possession wasn't so bad after all.