Let’s Start an Inn on the Dungeon Island!

As I was about to open the store and put up the sign, I noticed a group of three young women I had never seen before gathering around in front of the store.

I think they’ve come because they have saved up some money, but still unsure whether they should go in or not because my restaurant looks like a high-end store.

“Welcome. Tonight we’re going to have a delicious shrimp meal on the menu. We also have chilled beer and white wine, so please drop by if you like.” I gave them my best shopkeeper smile.

“Ah, um, would 5,000 Lehmens enough for one person?”

“If you have that much, it’d be enough for a full meal and a few drinks.”

“W-we’re going in then…”

Each of their reactions was cute and innocent. I feel like giving them a bit more service than I usually do for tonight.

I then lead them to their table and gave them the warm towels.

“You may wipe your hands by using these towels. Shall I take your order for the drink now?”

“Err, a draft beer for me.”

“I heard there’s a kind of drink called Kir, can we order it?”

It seems like these adventurers have heard about these drinks from their friends, since in this world, it can only be found in my restaurant. By the way, Kir is a cocktail made from crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped with white wine. It tastes sweet and sour and is a popular aperitif at the restaurant.

“I’ll have a Kir, too.”

“Understood. No.2, bring one draft beer and two Kirs, please.” I relayed the order to Goku and return to face the customers again.

All three of them were around 20 years old with a youthful look on their faces.

“I take it this is the first time you are visiting this restaurant, dear customers?”

“Ah, yes. We made good money today after defeating some big monsters, so we’re thinking of having something good to restore our adventuring spirit.”

“Allow me to congratulate you on your achievement, then. I’ll be sure to cook you something that will give you a lot of strength for exploring the dungeon, so I hope you’ll leisurely enjoy your time here. What would you like to eat?”

When I showed them the menu board, they looked puzzled. It seems like they didn’t know what to order.

“If you like, I could set up an ‘Omakase’ [1] course, which will be around 2,500 Lehmens each. Would it be fine with you?”

When I told them the set price, they all nodded in agreement. Yes, yes, just leave it to your Onii-san here, I’ll make sure that you will have a wonderful experience.

Oh, and it seems like they are going to eat a lot, so I better make a bigger serving.

——————————————————————————————————————-

While I was serving the appetizer of shrimp and mushroom mousse, a new customer came in.

“Welcome. Oh my, if it isn’t Madam Damas. It’s rare to see you here at this hour.”

Madam Damas seemed to be walking with swaying, heavy steps. She was wiping sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief. That’s weird, I’ve set up magical tools as air conditioner so the temperature here shouldn’t be too hot for her.

“That’s, well, actually… I’d like to, err, ask for a favor from you, Okami-san…”

Hmmm… tonight, Madam Damas doesn’t seem too sharp. She seems troubled somehow.

“Do you have some problem I can help you with?”

Maybe they ran out of liquor in the brothel? Nah, if it’s something like that, there’s no need for Madam to go out of her way and came here herself, it would be enough just to send someone here.

“Well, the truth is… If possible, I would like Okami-san to come to our store… as in, right now.”

Wow. This person. She’s asking something unreasonable again, isn’t she.

I might be flexible with how I run my store, but obviously I can’t do that since I’m having customers right now.

“I’m sorry, but I’m in the middle of doing business right now. As you can see, currently I’m serving customers.”

“I’m well and truly aware of it, and yet I still have to insist on making such request.” Madam Damas clasped her hands together, pleading to me.

“It seems like serious circumstances have transpired.”

“Yes… As a matter of fact… I’m sure you’re aware that currently, a person of high position has come from the capital to this island, right?”

“That’s right. If I remember correctly, she is a countess of some sorts, yes? I heard she came here to safeguard the treasure that has been found.”

“That’s right. Countess Vebbles is currently staying at our resident for tonight.”

Madam’s mansion is the most luxurious one you can find on this island, so it makes sense for a person of such calibre to be staying there.

“And what does it have to do with me?”

“Well, I was thinking that she must be tired from the long voyage, so I offered her drinks and food as a small but cordial welcome. Also, I thought that it would be rather lonely to drink wine without a companion, so I sent Clive to accompany her. However…”

I guess it makes sense to send Clive since he’s to most popular male prostitute in the brothel…          

“Countess Vebbles’ butler has sent Clive away, saying that he’s not suitable as a drinking partner.”

“Why so?”

“Apparently Countess Vebbles got angry and said something along the lines of, ’How dare you sent a low-class prostitute to be my drinking partner! Send someone better instead!’, or so I heard.”

Oh dear, that’s awfully rude towards Clive-san.

“I painfully realize that we don’t have any high-class male prostitutes that may be considered acceptable for aristocrats or their consorts. But then, I suddenly remembered that we have Okami-san here on this island.”

So basically, you just want me to be the drinking partner of some noble, is that it?

“If it’s Okami-san, who has been spending lots of money on books while living on this island, I’m sure you’d be acceptable as a drinking companion.”

Hmmm… what to do now…?

Frankly, I don’t know much about common sense in this world. I have a feeling if I agree to accompany her as drinking partner, I might accidentally do something rude and she might scold me with something like, ‘Insolent fool!’, and then I might get flogged, assaulted, or something strange being done to me.

I don’t really have any great obligation to Madam, so I’m going to refuse here.

“I’m sorry, I think it’s impossible for me after all. On top of having customers at the moment, my knowledge of etiquette is sorely lacking.”

“That’s not true at all. Compared to our boys, you are as different as a rose from horse dung.”

Is that this world’s way of saying “like the difference between the moon and the stars”?

While talking to Madam Damas, I continued to cut up the cockatrice galantine and serve it to the new adventurers. It was still hot, so I’m sure they would appreciate this dish.

“Okami-san, please. Couldn’t you do something about it?”

The madam was quite insistent, but I ultimately refused, so she could do nothing but slumped her shoulders and leave.

Soon the restaurant became busy with the return of Cecily and others from their dungeon exploration, as well as the arrival of other customers.

…

————————————————————————————————————————–

It happened while I was serving the first group of adventurers a platter of three kinds of ice cream as today’s dessert.

The door flew open with a loud bang, and several female soldiers barged inside the store.

“Where is the man called Shirou?” A woman in her thirties, dressed up in fancy clothes, called out firmly. She had a very sharp look in her eyes, and her bob cut seems to suit her appearance very well. [2]

She has the same atmosphere as the bureaucrat of the company where I used to work, Chief Katagiri. Back then, she felt like the type of person that you want to tease a little…

This person, too, I felt like I wanted to tease.

“That would be me. Is something the matter?”

“I am the butler of Countess Vebbles, and my name is Wolfe. We have heard report that you had said some very rude things about my ladyship.”

What? I’m sure I haven’t said anything rude about her, though.

“I can assure you such thing never happened. The only thing that happened was Madam Damas requested of me to become a drinking partner, but I politely declined the offer.”

“Really? Well, according to Madame Damas, you told her that you had no interest to be in the company of a lecherous aristocrat.”

Wait, hol’ up. I only thought that in my mind and never said it out loud, dammit! Or could it be that Madam Damas was saying that to save her own skin.

“Even if you say so, I really have no recollection of it.”

“Stop lying! I’ll have you know that the countess is an honourable woman. To have such ulterior motives is beneath her.”

“I’m sure she is…”

“Therefore, Lady Vebbles hates male prostitute; just the idea of lying together with a man who would sell his dignity is unfathomable to her.”

“I trust that is the case?”

“Umu. That’s why you can rest assured and accompany my Ladyship for drinking.”

However, would a woman of such honour allow a commoner to drink with her? Or maybe she’s just a greenhorn when it comes to romance?

“But the issue still stands; I have a business to run.”

“I’ll pay your recompense, so I’ll have you to come with us.”

That being said, bringing a bunch of soldiers like this, it’s kind of a blackmail, isn’t it? Cecily was about to stand up with bloodlust, but I pressed on her shoulders and made her sit down again. Considering her personality, I think she’s about to cause a huge brawl against the Imperial soldiers.

No matter how strong Cecily is though, there’s no way she can beat seven warships worth of soldiers. Even if I mobilized all my golems here, the only thing that awaits us is a crushing defeat.

“Cecily, don’t worry. Please leave it to me.”

“But, Shirou…”

I calmed Cecily down and then move toward Miina.

“Miina, I want to look more fanciful, so lend me your ring.”

When I said the ring, I was talking about the Invisibility Ring, and it seems Miina understand it. I’m gonna need it as insurance.

“Of course. Here you go, Okami-san.” Miina then continues in whisper, “There is still two more charges.” She also gave me four Balls of Light.

So there’s still two out of three charges, huh. It only took 18 seconds anyway, so I quickly cast [Repair] on it. This way I can become invisible three times, for three minutes.  I can’t be certain of what will happen, but I should at least be able to escape if need be.

Besides, the possibility of Countess Vebbles being within my strike zone is still very real. [3]

It felt like being back in the sales industry for the first time in a long time, the difference is now I had to go out to entertain a drinking party.

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1 Omakase means leaving it to the other party. Which means Shirou will choose the menu for them.

2 Somehow, I have a mental image of her being a Karen dressed in suit. ((MoWNPC: Honestly same.))

3 Meaning that if Shirou finds the Countess attractive enough, he’s going to wilfully offer her his flower… err… staff.