The Waitress and a Secret

Today, Shikina was waiting tables in the dining room.

This disappointing elf had been fully worked into the shift schedule Rokuko made, but could she actually do the job properly? I had my doubts, so I decided to secretly observe her through Menu-san's monitor function.

"Thank you for waiting!"

With a clatter, Shikina slammed a set meal down on the table.

Seeing that, Ichika, who was working alongside her as her instructor, furrowed her brow.

"Oi, Shikina, ya gotta put it down more carefully, yeah? Don't just slap it down however ya like."

"Sir! Understood!"

With that, she placed the next one down carefully.

She spent a good thirty seconds carefully placing the tray of food on the table without making a sound.

"Too slow! Faster! Fast and careful!"

"Sir! Understood!"

And so, alternating between too much and too little several times over, she gradually converged on just the right balance.

"… Alright! That's the ticket, don't forget that feelin'!"

"Sir! Thank you very much, instructor!"

Shikina gave a crisp salute and thanked her.

For some reason, the adventurer patrons broke into applause. Shikina's all-out effort even as a waitress seemed to have won them over.

"Maaan, how cute. Ya got a boyfriend?"

"I-I don't have a boyfriend, but I am Master Kehma's apprentice!"

"An elf huh? Pretty rare around these parts, where'd ya come from?"

"The imperial capital! I came to be Master Kehma's apprentice!"

"You got a nice ass. I wanna smack it."

"The only person who may smack my rear is Master Kehma!"

Shikina fielded the adventurers' questions with the same full force.

"The Village Chief again, eh?"

"I know, right? All of the village's beauties flock to Kehma-san."

"At least share one of them with us…"

And so the hate piled up on me. Look, that disappointing elf is saying all that on her own. Take her if you want, I won't stop you.

Besides, if we're talking beauties, there's the Guild Receptionist-san too. It's not like they all gravitate toward just me.

"Ohhh? Customer, ya sure ya wanna say that? There're female adventurers too, y'know."

"Most of 'em have boyfriends! And the ones who didn't already turned me down!"

"That's the veteran crowd like Roppu and them. This place is getting' a reputation as a great trainin' spot for newbie adventurers, yeah? So if ya gently guide some rookie girls, they'll fall right into yer arms."

"… But even if we offer to help train 'em, they'd still be on guard, right?"

Ichika grinned.

"Which! Is! Why! Ya take a newbie training commission from the guild! If it's through the guild, ya automatically got credibility. Well, ya gotta do the job properly, but that means ya get to be a cool senior adventurer to 'em… get it?"

" !! "

"I'm gonna go sign up for that commission."

"Oi, don't you go getting a head start on me!"

"Thanks for comin'～, see ya next time～"

After listening to Ichika, several adventurers who'd been lingering in their seats despite finishing their food stood up and rushed out.

A certain female adventurer (with a boyfriend) spoke to Ichika.

"Hey, Ichika-san. Those newbie training commissions you mentioned, what are the actual chances they get assigned to a girl?"

"Who knows～? Those commissions are normally assigned to trainers of the same sex, so maybe if the numbers just don't work out? But there's been reeeally a lot of newbies comin' lately～, so the odds might actually be worse than hittin' the jackpot on slots～"

"And how much is the guild paying you in referral fees?"

"That's a se-cret～"

Ichika flashed a toothy grin. Looks like she's been making decent money off of this.

"Instructor, what is this referral fee business about?"

"I worked out a deal where I get a little pocket money for steering people toward the training commissions… Ah, keep this a secret from Goshujin-sama! Got it?"

"Sir! Understood!"

Ichika, when did you set up that advertising deal?

Well, I don't really care about confiscating her pocket money. She's probably blowing it all on slots and food anyway.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

So with all that, it looks like Shikina can actually handle waitress work, but the real question is: can she keep Ichika's secret?

In fact, I'd told Ichika beforehand to share some secret with Shikina and tell her to keep it from me. The content of the secret was entirely up to Ichika.

This is something I need to confirm now that Shikina will be living here.

After all, it directly affects how much I need to hide from her regarding the dungeon.

Well, even if she passes the test, I have no intention of telling her any secrets. But it'll determine things like whether I need to avoid using the menu in the inn hallways. And it'll factor into how we handle things if she ever finds out.

I called Shikina to the reception room and heard her report on today's work.

"Hey, Shikina. Is there something you're hiding from me?"

"Something that I'm hiding?"

Shikina inclined her head and put her fingers to her lips.

"Umm, not really… oh, right. Today's panties are white! Want to see?"

Saying that, Shikina flipped up her skirt without the slightest hesitation.

Yep, white. Put those away, you disappointing elf.

"That's not what I mean. For example, like if Ichika were secretly doing something behind my back…"

"Oh, come to think of it, she did tell me it was a secret so I hadn't reported it, but she was talking about referral fees!"

Shikina spilled the beans instantly.

She didn't even try to hide it. What a loose mouth.

"… Didn't Ichika tell you to not say anything?"

"She did, but it's common sense not to defy a superior's orders."

"Isn't Ichika your superior?"

"I've been informed that the one who holds authority here is Master Kehma. Therefore, Master Kehma's word takes highest priority."

I see, that logic does track.

In Shikina's mind, there's a clear hierarchy, and you obey whoever ranks higher.

She's like a dog.

"By that standard, who is the topmost rank for you?"

"Sir! I have sworn my loyalty to my country, so that would be the Emperor!"

"So if I told you a secret… and the Emperor ordered you to reveal it, you would?"

"Sir! Precisely so!"

"If the Emperor told you to kill civilians, would you?"

"Sir! I would kill them!"

Seriously? She didn't even hesitate for a second.

Even I have to recoil at that.

"Incidentally, every knight in the imperial knight orders shares this resolve! An imperial knight places orders above even friends and family."

"… Heeh? Well, you're not exactly a knight right now."

"M-my heart is still that of a knight!"

Got it. In other words, I absolutely must keep everything dungeon-related hidden from Shikina.

By the way, I know there was once an imperial knight who violated orders and tried to destroy a Dungeon Core. He was dealt with, sure, but the knight orders can't possibly be as perfectly unified as Shikina claims.

… At the very least, I need to train her enough to keep secrets from her superiors.

Right now, she's no better than a mindless golem. No, a golem is actually better since it wouldn't blurt out things better left unsaid.

Right… I should at least teach her enough shame and discretion to develop some sex appeal.

Enough that some noble would take her in even if she can't return to the knight order.

I settled on my educational plan for Shikina.