Fresh Start. Time to Earn.

The world-freezing winter gradually passed as the days went by.

I no longer needed to shovel snow early in the morning, and the ground stopped freezing.

This became especially noticeable around the time of Kassad's New Year festival.

It was just a gathering in the city plaza where people brought preserved foods to share, but it made me feel winter was ending.

All the more so since the festival had been shrinking ever since the previous lord took to his bed.

The thought of what would have happened if his son had become lord instead sent shivers down my spine.

There's no way we could have held a leisurely festival like this.

The bitter cold gradually softened, and I began to feel warmth in the sunlight.

"Nice weather. The laundry should dry well."

Azu said this while holding a laundry basket in both hands and hanging items to dry in the backyard.

Including Yohane's, that was five people's worth.

Even in a fairly spacious backyard, the laundry took up considerable space.

"Not long ago it was so cold I needed Alexia-san to do something about it."

Azu said that with an "ehehe" laugh while moving efficiently.

Having been cooped up at home during winter, she'd improved considerably at housework.

The current Azu would earn passing marks as a maidservant.

That's not why I was keeping her around, but it still helped.

After hanging the laundry, she took out a water flask.

"Would you like some too, Master?"

"I'll have some."

When I put it to my lips, an herbal flavor spread through my mouth.

Yet it wasn't bitter.

I returned the flask.

"Tasty."

"Really? I got some leftover dried herbs, so I'm glad it turned out well."

She smiled frequently now.

The dead look in her eyes from those early days felt like a distant memory.

I'd heard that people change with their environment, and seeing it firsthand, I truly believed it.

Signs of spring became increasingly visible.

First, the shop's sales recovered.

The renovations, expanded inventory, and new products had kept winter sales from dropping as much as usual, but the paralyzed logistics still had an effect.

As temperatures rose and the blizzards stopped, trade routes reopened and foot traffic returned.

That said, rising procurement costs were unavoidable.

We could no longer source from the relatively cheap Solar Union, and the Empire was still in turmoil, so supply was unstable.

So I started buying from other countries, but my connections were weak there.

Buying in bulk meant going through the Merchant's Guild for introductions, which inevitably raised prices.

I'd heard Alexia's hometown of Aquarius was recovering, so I was considering whether to source from there.

I also wanted to pay my respects to the Empire's duke.

If I could do business with them, things would get a bit easier.

Next, Kazusa and her group became fully active.

Apparently they'd been thinking up various ideas for the inn during winter, and with furniture deliveries starting, it was finally beginning to look like one.

I was surprised to learn that she and her brother Leo had studied arithmetic and could now keep basic ledgers.

"In the end, Kazusa, the share you turned down ended up being invested into this inn."

"Is that so? I'm just happy to be entrusted with it."

"I'm counting on you. The inn is entirely your responsibility. If you need more people, you can consult me or recruit on your own. Keep proper ledgers, and you're free to run it however you like."

"Understood. I'll come to you when I need help."

The inn would be called the Cat's Paw Inn.

Apparently Kazusa liked cats.

All supplies for the inn would come from our shop.

I'd already told Kaimol, so things should run smoothly.

We decided to start taking guests slowly from spring.

The main clientele would likely be adventurers.

With the partnership with the shop, even a modest flow of customers would turn a profit.

Kazusa was used to dealing with adventurers as a former porter and wasn't easily intimidated.

She could defend herself too, so in a way, she was perfect for the job.

It was also time to get Azu and the others moving as adventurers.

With warmer weather, monsters became active too.

Extermination quests increased, and some started coming our way.

Now that they were officially treated as upper-intermediate rank, attractive quests became available.

They were now literally the main fighting force among the city's adventurers.

I'd hoped things would turn out this way, but it had gone far more smoothly than expected, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

The investment in Azu and the others had been fully recovered. From here on, earnings would only grow.

Of course, as quest difficulty increased, so did preparation costs and expenses, but the rewards now matched them.

"Aren't you going to buy any new slaves?"

"Give me a break. I've got my hands full with just you lot. Finn joining up was a big help, but I can't handle any more than this."

"Hehe, is that so? Love is finite, after all. It would be a problem if our share decreased."

"Don't phrase it like that. Though it's true, I'd lose track of everyone if the numbers grew."

When I said that, Elza clung to me. I tried to peel her off, but she wouldn't budge, so I gave up.

Originally I'd planned to gather more slaves, but that proved difficult.

Even with just three, there had been so many problems.

Sometimes I managed to handle things on my end, and other times I had no choice but to leave things entirely to them.

And that was with capable people like Alexia and Elza in the group.

What would happen if I blindly increased the numbers? Even a moment's thought made it obvious I'd be overwhelmed.

I'd had hopes for scouting talent from the orphanage too, but given how that turned out…

Rather than increasing risk, it was more efficient to develop Azu and the others further.

The business was expanding too. Recklessness was forbidden.

For now, I'd focus on meeting the gracious princess's expectations in Luido.

After all, failure might literally cost me my head.