Healing at the Academy convenience store

In the main part of the game,

Upon completing the common courses of the first year and deciding the department for the second year, there’s inevitably a character that becomes entwined with you if you choose the Knights department.

A senior, who is unbending, resilient, and wields the sword of belief without faltering.

Being a commoner like the protagonist, she treats them well and greatly assists as a mentor of the Knights department.

She’s such a good character that people question why she isn’t a heroine, even though she isn’t one.

In Jephryn, there’s something called a title.

This, which one can usually only earn with a certain level of grades, honor, or peculiarities, is quite important to one’s family traits, needless to say.

Notably, although Aila has her own efforts, she used the black gem, a family secret skill, so well that it stands out even among the TriStar family, so she received the title of ‘Black Gem’.

The girl I’m talking about now, she has earned ‘The Sword of Belief’, which is said to be the most honorable in the Knights department.

The honor and pride of the second-year Knights department, a commoner who everyone acknowledges, a female knight.

That is Nephtarian.

“Where are you going?”

“It’s time for work, at my convenience store.”

“I see.”

That same girl…

…Is now following a third-rate villain and swearing loyalty for an hourly wage of 10,000 rin.

Is she really okay?

No,

Is she actually okay?

***

Nephti, who followed me, entered the convenience store and looked around.

“Sit down.”

“Yes, yes.”

Upon closer thought, she might be my first employee in a way.

Thinking about it like that, I felt pretty good. I started to feel like a boss.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“···Yes, I would.”

I nodded and brought two glasses of water.

I could have brought out Shake Beans, but it was tastier when cold, and our convenience store doesn’t have a refrigeration system yet.

That thing is pretty expensive.

Anyway, we began to have a conversation over a glass of water.

“Do you see those cooking tools over there?”

“I see them.”

I ordered the cooking tools, including the oven, from Maestro in advance, and there were some leftover stock items, so I was able to buy them at a fairly reasonable price.

“From now on, you’re going to bake bread and cook food as I instruct. Got it?”

“···Yes?”

“Get up, let’s start with making bread dough.”

“······.”

I’ve worked in a bakery before, so I kind of know how to make dough.

Strong flour. Gravity flour. Yeast. Salt. Sugar.

And milk and eggs.

“Now, start kneading.”

“······.”

“I lack the strength, so you have to do the kneading.”

“Ah, I see.”

Looking at my thin arms, Nephti nodded.

After kneading the dough well enough, we started to bake or fry bread.

“···Ugh, ugh.”

A delicious scent filled the air, but the problem was with Nephti.

Not just the drool trickling from her mouth, but she’s reaching out her hand to the fryer. Does she intend to pick it up with bare hands? Has she gone mad?

“You’re going to burn yourself.”

“···If I maintain an unyielding spirit, even boiling oil will not scare me.”

Don’t waste such cool words on something like this.

But whether my advice was helpful or not, Nephti just blankly stared at the fryer after listening to me.

“Now, take it out. Not with your bare hands, use a tool, a tool!”

“···Ah, I know that!”

Nephti faithfully executed my instructions, placing the resulting fried and baked donuts in front of me, and tasked with sugar coating or applying syrup.

In the meantime, I went to the office and began to make cream using beans.

“Uh, ugh. Uh… Hmm.”

From the hallway, the sound of Nephti’s lament, as she extracted and laid out the donuts, and applied the syrup, could be heard.

“It looks so delicious, it has to be delicious, and yet I can’t eat it. Wolfram… The worst villain produced by this academy. Huh huh…”

Excuse me.

“Let’s end this. I will personally eradicate the evil. Such a demon should not exist in this world.”

As she lined up the donuts, Nephti looked at the sword on her waist and muttered something strange.

Just a few steps away, the pitiful cries of someone who might kill me echoed.

Where did the sword of belief I knew go?

“If you pull out that sword now, I can’t pay you.”

“No, that’s not it. I’m not thinking about that. It’s real.”

“Take your hand off the sword.”

“Huh, hmm!”

With that, Nephti removed her hand from the sword. But her movement was faster than her resistance.

“Tsk. Don’t rush. Just watch for a bit.”

“Uh, yes?”

I began to make cream-filled donuts by pushing a pastry bag filled with cream into the holes I had made in the donuts with a fork.

One strawberry. One vanilla. One chocolate.

The sugar-dusted donuts filled with plenty of cream, and soon I had prepared two of each.

Two baked donuts. Two plain sugar donuts. Two each of strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate donuts. A total of five donuts per person were placed in front.

“Oh, wow…”

A small exclamation echoed.

“They’re ready.”

“They’re beautiful. I must say, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life. I’m familiar with baking dark bread, but frying it in so much oil… It feels like a forbidden meal of luxury and decadence.”

“If it’s forbidden, won’t you eat it?”

“No. Sometimes, the greatest virtues are called forbidden. I am witnessing the upheavals of the era and feeling it in my soul. So, what do you call this wonderful bread?”

“It’s a donut.”

Nephti nodded at the word ‘donut.’

Could it be possible that there are no donuts in this world?

Well, to her, a commoner living in a place with underdeveloped infrastructure, a donut might be a new type of bread.

“Although I’m happy to participate in this great endeavor, it’s a shame I can’t taste it. Ah, you said you’d provide a meal today. If it’s okay, I mean, it’s okay if it’s not. One bite. I can’t possibly accept such an expensive treat. Could you give me one? Please.”

She babbled like a broken machine, the words nearly incomprehensible.

It seemed her brain had short-circuited between desire and restraint.

“Now, let’s taste and leave some feedback.”

“Uh, what?”

“What are you doing? Try one.”

“Uh, yes!”

Nephti said ‘I’ll enjoy it!’ and immediately reached for a donut.

Her hand was faster than my eyes.

***

By the time I finished one and sighed due to its sweetness, Nephti had finished all the ones in front of her and glanced at me.

Does she want more? When our eyes met and I nodded, a bright smile appeared on her lips.

“I might have misunderstood you. No, I did misunderstand. Wolfram von Roengreen. You’re a good person who knows how to consider others. The world must have misunderstood and slandered your true worth. If only I had a knighthood, I would have sworn to be your sword and shield.”

“Stop the nonsense and quickly taste and leave some feedback.”

“Yes. I’ll do that.”

If misunderstandings and false accusations could be cleared with a cream donut, donuts would be placed in courts instead of law books, and whipped cream would read the verdict.

Anyway, that’s not the important part.

“So, how were the baked donuts?”

“They were less sweet, but delicious.”

“I see.”

I wrote ‘less sweet, but delicious’ in the scoring section.

“And the sugar donuts?”

“They were sweet and delicious even without anything inside.”

“I see.”

I wrote in the grading column again. It’s plain but delicious.

“What about the strawberry cream donut?”

“It was delicious because it had strawberry cream inside.”

“………”

I stopped mid-sentence while trying to write something in the grading column.

“What about the whipped cream donut?”

“It was delicious because it had whipped cream inside.”

“What about the chocolate cream?”

“It was delicious because it had chocolate cream inside.”

“………”

I narrowed my brows and glared at her, but she simply tilted her head.

“Don’t you have any other feedback?”

“They were all delicious!”

“……Thank you for that. Really, thank you so much.”

“Don’t mention it!”

With that, Nephti straightened her chest and laughed with satisfaction.

“But isn’t there anything else…something a bit more technical or critical? Any suggestions for improvement?”

“I do have one.”

“Oh, what is it? Please, speak freely.”

“I would appreciate it if you could bake one more for me!”

“Other than that.”

“……No, there isn’t.”

Nephti looked disappointed and I felt a headache coming on.

Come to think of it, I had asked a creature that eats grass without hesitation to review a donut. There was no way I could expect proper feedback.

How was I supposed to choose a signature pick for the freshmen from these options? I had no idea which one would be the most competitive. As I pondered, Nephti initiated conversation.

“So, why did you serve me this high-quality meal? Do I have to hunt down a snowman deep in the northern snowfield? Fine. Just leave it to this Nephti, and I will certainly sever his throat…”

“I’m not asking you to do that. This is a snack we’re planning to sell at the freshmen welcoming party.”

“Oh, it was a tasting event for a new product to sell.”

“That’s right.”

“Hmm. Everything was delicious and really good. It seems like it will sell well.”

“You talk as if it’s someone else’s business, but you will be helping out that day.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Why else would I pay you by the hour?”

“…Hmm, you’re right. So, should I bake the bread and help the vendor on the day?”

“Besides baking, you’ll also have to assist in selling. I’m not physically strong, you see.”

“Understood.”

Nephti nodded. It seemed that she had fully grasped her role.

“Your review isn’t helping at all. I might have to revise the strategy for the day.”

“I may be poor, but the taste is truly excellent. I’m sure the nobles will like it.”

“What’s the point if only the nobles eat it?”

“Huh?”

Sheesh. She knows nothing.

“Didn’t I tell you we’re selling at a stall? You’ve experienced a freshmen welcoming party, haven’t you?”

“Ah… It’s restricted to the commoner area.”

“Right. We can only do business in Zone 3, where the commoner freshmen hang out. We’ve already applied and received business permission.”

It would be a problem if only the nobles come to this convenience store. It’s not a place for such marketing.

It’s a place where anyone can come, pick up something light, buy it, and leave.

A place where more people come.

Even with only 5,000 rin in your wallet, it’s the closest place where you can afford a meal.

A place that exists solely for the convenience of customers. That’s the identity of a convenience store.

“How much do you think is a fair price for one of these donuts?”

“…What?”

“How much should a commoner student, who has traveled from their village in each kingdom, paid for warp gate charges, and finally arrived in Jephryn, be willing to pay to enjoy one of these donuts at the freshmen welcoming party, considering their financial situation?”

“………”

“Answer me. You should know well, having experienced last year’s freshmen welcoming party.”

At my words, Nephti opened her eyes wide, then gently smiled and nodded her head.

“Sir Wolfram. It seems… I’ve been misunderstanding you.”

“There’s no need to forcibly change your perception of me. …Anyway, what’s a fair price?”

“Hmm. I think it will be difficult if it exceeds 5,000 rin.”

“How about 4,000? Any lower than that and it won’t be profitable.”

“Not bad, but based on my experience last year, I’m sure there will be students who find it burdensome.”

“Then, what about making mini donuts for 1,000 rin?”

“That’s a good idea. Then…”

We continued to discuss passionately for quite some time.

The discussion didn’t end until sunset, and I ended up having to fry another batch of donuts, while Nephti finished her meal with a bright smile and left.