Cat's Paw Inn, Thriving

"Here you go."

"Thanks."

I received the soup from Kazusa.

Taking a sip, it was piping hot with good saltiness and delicious.

The stock was well-made too.

Perhaps because she cooked large quantities every day, Kazusa's skills had improved considerably. It was easy to understand why many customers now came specifically for her cooking.

Cat's Paw Inn's dining hall had all three qualities covered: fast, cheap, and delicious. Combined with the reputation that the staff sisters and Kazusa were cute, it had become a popular establishment.

The cramped interior had been cleared of clutter and was now considerably more spacious.

As for the incident in the Royal Capital, it had only reached them as distant rumors and apparently had almost no impact.

I ate bacon fried until crispy, mixed with boiled pasta and sprinkled with cheese.

She said it was today's recommendation, and it was very delicious.

Even though I'd asked for a large portion, I finished it in no time.

Even with a salad included, the price was kept relatively low.

This was surely the result of Kazusa's efforts. It also helped that much of the ingredients were sourced from our shop.

Apparently pasta was cheap this time, so she'd bought a large quantity.

She was as good at managing as ever.

I'd come to check on Kazusa, and the place was thriving better than many establishments.

Even now, during prep time before opening, ingredients were piled up like a mountain.

There was more than before. If this was all for one day, that was quite a crowd.

I could see the children hired for the kitchen diligently doing prep work.

It seemed Kazusa had a good eye for people.

Since we were sponsoring, we also advertised our shop on the walls, so the shop's strong sales were likely influenced by Cat's Paw Inn's success.

"It's really popular, isn't it? Seems like there's nothing to worry about anymore. At this rate, it'll be a long-lasting business."

"You think so? That would make me happy, but…"

"Customers never stop coming, right? People only come out of novelty at first. If it continues, that means it's the real deal."

"Thank you so much!"

When she understood it wasn't flattery, she thanked me loudly.

Since she was managing the inn I'd entrusted to her so well, I should be the one giving thanks.

Azu and the others were eating happily too, so she must be making food that suited many people's tastes.

When I told Kazusa about the customer handling techniques I'd seen at a shop in the Empire, she listened with great interest.

With many customers, managing them must be quite difficult.

I hoped it would help.

"I see. So there are methods like that. With our staffing it wouldn't work exactly the same way, but… if customers could do their own ordering and payment, it would be incredibly easier. Right, Lina?"

Kazusa directed the question to the older sister who was cleaning the shop.

"Owner, thanks for your hard work. It really is like that. Some customers take forever deciding what to order, and many don't have their money ready. Each one doesn't take that much time, but it adds up and a line forms and we run out of breathing room. Because of that, we sometimes can't close even after closing time…"

"That is a problem. Turnover rate is directly tied to profit."

Unit prices are fixed, and when customers don't stop coming, sales are determined by how much you can sell.

It's a difficult area to improve, but the effect when solved would also be significant.

Plus, making people wait is a source of complaints.

"Then how about something like this?"

The younger sister joined us, apparently finished cleaning outside.

Her suggestion was essentially introducing a prepaid ticket system.

Have customers choose from the menu upon entry, receive payment, and give them a tally or something in exchange.

Then exchange that when serving the food, she said.

"That might work. It makes it easy to see what was ordered."

"When it's busy, we sometimes serve the wrong dishes."

"That's really not good, but…"

Ahaha, the younger sister Rena laughed.

Mistakes are inevitable to some extent, but if you can prevent them, just that alone would be effective.

We wouldn't know the details without actually trying it.

They said they would implement it on a trial basis.

Yohane was the owner, but Kazusa was the one running the floor.

I would trust and leave it to her as I had been.

When we finished eating and it was nearly opening time, we left through the back door, and customers waiting for opening had already gathered.

When Lina's energetic voice announced the opening, customers filed in as if being drawn inside.

Then I took Azu and Alexia with me to bring the box of magic stones to Ramiza-san's shop.

The shop was as usual without a single customer.

Ramiza-san was slumped over at the shopkeeper's desk, asleep.

Perhaps her skirt had ridden up while she slept, as she was in a somewhat improper position.

Careless as always, or rather, unguarded.

What would she do if a male customer came and attacked her?

… If that happened, the moment they attacked, they'd just be eaten by a nearby carnivorous plant or beaten to a pulp by fairies.

"Nn? Ahh, good morning."

I gently shook her shoulder several times to wake her.

Ramiza-san slowly got up and stretched wide while yawning greatly.

In doing so, her ample chest was emphasized.

"So, what's your business today, young Yohane?"

"Please don't call me 'young.' I'm a full-fledged adult now."

"From my perspective, you're still a youngster. Hmm?"

"Ah!"

Ramiza-san suddenly got close and sniffed at my neck.

I was startled by the sudden action.

By the way, it was Azu who cried out in surprise.

Alexia also looked like she wanted to say something.

"You went to a Red Moon, didn't you. It's amazing you came back safely."

"You know about it?"

"Oh, I don't know the details. I've just been to a place where a Red Moon occurred before. You have the same scent."

"The potions you gave me were very helpful."

"Then I'm glad."

The potions had been invaluable for treating injuries and hydrating.

They literally helped keep us alive.

"So, did you come to thank me? You're as dutiful as always."

"That's part of it, but… bring them out."

I had Azu and Alexia take out the magic stones.

These were the magic stones I'd received.

I brought some of them here to have Ramiza-san buy them.

Our shop could sell some of them, but it would take time to sell everything.

"We don't deal in that here."

"But you use a lot of them for experiments, don't you?"

"Where did you hear… ah, asking a merchant that would be crude."

"Well, I can sort of tell."

"Can't be helped. But it does save me the trouble."

She readily agreed.

I kept finding myself relying on her.

When she learned that the Imperial tea I'd brought as a gift had a stimulant effect, she ordered a large quantity.

Not for drinking, but for using in alchemy, she said.

By the way, Ramiza-san had been sleeping soundly during the Royal Capital incident.

This person was truly at her own pace.