In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 4 Read online

◇　◇　◇

  “So this is the workshop... is it.”

  “...Don’t irritate me now, yessir!” Leen made her disappointment immediately obvious, receiving a menacing glare from Rosetta in return.

  “This place is far more useful than the garden, yessir it is! That place is only good for looking pretty.”

  “Excuse me? The garden is a place of healing, a place to help regain peace of mind, a place of moral support for our master! How dare you misunderstand its use.” I sensed that this might go beyond glaring, so I stood between the two gynoids.

  “That aside, can we link the garden and the workshop?”

  “Yep. Now that master owns the workshop as well, it’ll be a good idea.”

  “We can lower the barrier and link to the garden. We can even combine the control systems of both facilities now, yessir.” There was a terminal monolith, much like the one in the garden, situated in the corner of the workshop. Rosetta led Cesca over to it.

  “What shall we do, Master?”

  “Let’s send the garden to Belfast. We can move the workshop there, as well. After that, we can start docking while we’re there.”

  “Docking...?” The two gynoids seemed confused.

  What? Did I say something weird? Why are you staring at me like that?

  “H-How indecent...”

  “Just do it already!” Great, we have another troublesome person in the crew now... This is one of the reasons why I didn’t want to do this in the first place! These two are probably similar to the old doctor as far as personality goes.

  《Massster? The garden appearssss to be inexplicably moving.》 Kokuyou sent me a telepathic message. Oh, almost forgot about them.

  《Don’t worry. We’re moving it to Belfast from here. We found the workshop.》

  I opened a [Gate] and everyone moved to the garden. It looked like both facilities were making their way toward Belfast with no trouble, so I opened another portal, picked up my familiars, and took everyone back home to the mansion.

  We went across the terrace and entered the living room. Rebecca, Logan, and Will were there. The moment they saw us, they leaped up from their seats and kneeled before us.

  “Hey, don’t do that! That’s enough!”

  “No, no! We heard everything from Miss Cecile! Please forgive our rudeness. Please ask that the king forgives us!” Just what did that maid tell them, exactly... I looked over at Cecile and she stuck out her tongue at me. Plus, she gave me a wicked little smile, too. Don’t think I’ll forgive you for this!

  “Really, don’t worry so much about it. Formalities aren’t necessary here.”

  “But...” The three of them hesitantly stood up. I told them to sit back down on their chairs, and they did so.

  “Well, we’ll take a bath.” Elze and the other girls went off to their respective rooms. Leen and Paula had returned to the royal palace to report about the Phrase and other matters. I did make sure to tell her that any mention of Babylon was forbidden, however.

  Cesca and Rosetta headed toward my bedroom. That reminded me, I wasn’t sure whether Rosetta would become one of our maids now or not.

  “Where are the former slaves?

  “Th-They are erm, very-ly... tired, yes. So they indeed-ly, went to rest and... recuperate themselves.”

  “Rebecca, I’m not a noble or anything. You don’t need to force yourself to speak formally or anything like that.” Rebecca clearly looked strained and uncomfortable due to her low social status, so she gave a wry smile and gulped down the water that Renne had brought.

  “That right? Then I won’t worry about it.”

  “H-Hey, y’sure that’s alright...?”

  “He said it was fine, didn’t he? There’s no problem here, Logan.” Rebecca disregarded Logan’s remark and gave me a grin. I didn’t mind so much since I was sure he’d come around eventually.

  “So, what’s next for you guys? You three can easily work with the guild, but what about the girls?”

  “Well, that’s the thing... these girls are originally from poor villages. They have no specialized skills to speak of, and their combat ability is minimal. We won’t leave them behind until we’re all working and stable, I know that much, but...”

  “Hm... I understand.” Work, eh... I considered mass-producing bikes in the workshop and having the girls sell them, but that would be a little difficult...

  I preferred to keep the workshop a secret anyway, and I’d rather have asked a professional about distribution and sales instead of doing it myself. That merchant from Mismede, Olba. He was Olga’s father, as I recalled. The fox beastman.

  When it came to work other than that, I considered running some kind of food stall, but there was the cost of ingredients to take into account. Plus, it wouldn’t generate much revenue for seven people.

  Hmph, I can’t really think of anything good. Business is harder than you might expect...

  I wondered what to do.

  Chapter II: Moon Reader, The Reading Cafe

  I decided I wanted to start a business. But to start a business, I needed funds. I considered selling some more mithril, but it was proving itself to be pretty handy, so I left it be.

  Instead, I took some iron, some rubber, and mass-produced about a hundred bicycles in the workshop. Then, I went to Mismede and worked out a trade deal for a considerable sum with Olba, the father of Olga and Arma.

  In all honesty, I felt a little guilty for gaining so much just from iron and rubber. But Olba was a merchant, so I was sure he had good business sense. He’d probably profit more off the bicycles than I ever could have anyway, so it was a worthy investment. I tried not to think about it too hard, since business dealings were confusing and all.

  Either way, that helped me acquire the necessary funds. I decided to check out a bookstore in Mismede while I was in the area. I made a point to pick up most of their major literary works. I bought several full-length series as well.

  I only bought completed works, though. I made sure to avoid any ongoing ones. This world didn’t have things like release schedules, so whether or not the next book came was entirely down to the author’s discretion. I couldn’t be bothered to wait and keep an eye on stuff like that. All-in-all, I bought about five hundred books.

  Then I went to Eashen, stopping by Oedo to buy some books there as well. I was a little disappointed, because I expected something like traditional Japanese scrolls and brush-strokes, but they just seemed to be standard books. I focused on books based on folklore and legend. Eashen had a lot of mythological fairy-tale type stories. I bought about three hundred books there and stashed them with [Storage].

  Yumina had shared her memories with me, so I was able to head to Bern, the Imperial City, which was right in the middle of the Refreese Imperium. I bought about four hundred books there. It was my first time in Bern, but I decided to save the sightseeing for another time.

  Rebecca gave me memories of Sandora’s capital, Kyuray. Then, Lapis gave me memories of Gallaria, Heart of the Regulus Empire. I used these to go to those places and get some books there as well.

  By the time I arrived at Belfast’s bookstore, I had quite the collection.

  “Why did you pick up so many books?” Linze looked at the mountain of books I had brought back with me. When I noticed one that caught my interest, I’d thumb through it briefly. But not too much. After all, they were my merchandise.

  I enchanted all of my chosen books with [Protection]. That would prevent the books from being dirtied, and made them resistant to damp air along with general wear and tear. It also prevented them from being burned by fire. Though I wasn’t sure if fire magic could bypass it or not.

  Elze opened the door and walked inside.

  “I was looking for properties, like you asked. Found a pretty good one, actually. It’s on the end of of the main street in the south district. It’s a decent size, and the place seems in good condition, too.”

  “Sure thing, we’ll look over and buy it if it’s pro
mising, then.”

  “Still, I never thought you’d be starting a bookstore.”

  Close, but no cigar. It’s not a bookstore I want to run here.

  “No, I’m not making a bookstore. I’m thinking more of a cafe, actually. You’ll pay money to enter for a certain period of time, and then you get free access to as many books as you want.” Similar to a manga cafe, basically. Stories were pretty expensive in this world. Commonfolk typically didn’t have access to literature. Basic educational texts like the ones that taught you letters through pictures were pretty accessible, though.

  This kingdom didn’t have anything in the way of public libraries, either. The only library was the one found within the Royal Palace, and obviously not everyone could just stroll on up in there.

  After I considered that, I figured a place where you could freely read would be a good idea. Not just books from Belfast, either. Books from all around. Plus, with the cafe idea, people wouldn’t even have to buy them. That was why my idea was ultimately a “Reading Cafe” of sorts.

  “I see... Read as many books as you want... and have a bite to eat, too. The idea is lovely. Honestly, I’d spend all my time at a place like that.” Linze muttered something as she stared at the mountain of books.

  “So you plan on letting the slave girls run the place?”

  “That’s the plan, at first anyway. If they find better jobs or something they’d prefer, they can leave, of course. I can just hire replacement staff.” The girls from Sandora were pretty good in the kitchen, so I felt they’d be right at home working in a cafe. I didn’t see any issues with them all working together on foodstuff, at any rate. I figured they’d be able to make a decent living based on customers in the place.

  “Let’s go check the place out.” I took Elze and Linze along with me, and we teleported to the southern district.

  The property wasn’t too shabby at all. It was a broad building, probably an inn originally. The first floor looked like it was formerly a bar. It could definitely have been made more appealing with some redecoration. The second and third floors had private rooms, which I thought would be great for people who wanted to read in peace and quiet. I decided to set the rate of pay on the private rooms to be a little bit higher, though.

  “Looks good to me. Let’s get this place.” I contacted the agent and signed the deed. The place was mine. Buying it definitely wasn’t cheap, but I had a good feeling.

  Alright, now to refurbish the place. Let’s do our best.

  I called over Wendy and the other slave girls from the mansion. Will also showed up, though I hadn’t asked him over. I asked all of the girls to clean the upper floor.

  I started using [Modeling] to transform the seating into soft, fluffy sofas.

  I decided on where to put the reception counter, and where beverages could be ordered. Hmm... should I make it self-serve for first floor customers? Maybe just water or tea, free of charge...? That can come out of the entry fee. Decorative plants... I can’t really make those, so maybe I should grab some at the garden and bring them over... And let’s put various bookshelves on this wall here...

  After that, I made some recliner chairs. I made some little tables, too. Yup, looks good.

  I started taking all of the books out of [Storage], then got Will and Wendy to stack and arrange them on the shelving.

  “Sir... I have a question.” Wendy spoke up while she arranged the books. I really wished she wouldn’t address me like that, but she seemed adamant about it.

  “What if some customers come and take the books away with them?”

  “Ah, I actually thought about that. You mean what if someone enters a private room, stuffs a book into his backpack, and wanders off, right? You’re wondering what happens then?”

  In short, she was concerned about shoplifting. Books were quite valuable around these parts, which I knew would lead to thieving, so I had already accounted for that. Measures had been put in place!

  “Well then, how about we have Will perform a demonstration? Take a book and put it under your clothes or something.”

  “A-Ah... Me?” Will looked concerned, but did as I asked. He took a book, stuffed it under his clothes, and headed out the door. And then...

  “Ahwgh!!!”

  “Will?!” Will made a weird noise and collapsed like a damp rag. Great, it works! I had set it up so the books emitted a [Paralyze] burst when they were taken out of the building.

  In addition to that, books that moved more than ten meters from the building automatically teleported back to the front counter. That way, even if someone used a magic-blocking talisman, the book would still come back home.

  I restored Will using [Recovery].

  “W-Wow... Thieves d-definitely won’t get away from that...”

  “We’ll hand over the perpetrators to the guards, and they’ll be banned from the establishment. Still, there might be issues every now and then, so I have a proposition. I’d like to ask Rebecca, Logan, and you, Will, to work security for the place. It’d be better to have people we’re familiar with working here, after all. But if you can’t, I’ll try and find trustworthy people through the guild.”

  “No, that sounds good to me! I think I can work here three days a week, and another three for the guild.”

  That made sense. Wait, actually... what about the last day? Is he planning on taking a day off? I tried asking, but Will started blushing uncontrollably and his eyes darted around. Wendy started blushing too, for some reason.

  I was confused by their behavior, when suddenly someone smacked me in the back of the head. I turned around and saw that Elze was staring at me like I was an idiot.

  “You absolute bonehead! Think about it! It’s a date, obviously. It’s good to clear up one day to be with the one you love, isn’t it?!”

  “A-Ah... you shouldn’t say it so boldly like that...” Linze seemed flustered, but that was nothing compared to the beet red color overtaking Wendy and Will. Seemed she was right. Well, that definitely made sense to me.

  I figured it was best to leave their feelings be. No reason for me to poke my nose in there anymore.

  I left those two to quietly finish stacking the shelves, then whipped up another recliner chair with [Modeling]. Elze hopped on and adjusted it until she was comfortable enough.

  “Y-Your Null spells are incredible, sir. I don’t have any spell aptitude, so I’m quite jealous...” Will stopped working for a moment to comment on my abilities. I really wished he wouldn’t call me that, though.

  “My late grandpa could use Null magic. But I can’t... Magic doesn’t really run in the family, so it’s not too strange.” Will let out a small sigh as he continued his work.

  So that’s how it is? I’d always figured magic had nothing to do with family. Elze and Linze were twins, after all, and their magic aptitude was pretty different. Linze could use three conventional elements, while Elze could only make use of Null.

  “What kind of Null magic did your grandpa have?” Null magic was personal magic, of course. People who could use the exact same Null spells were rare as a result, so it was less of a treasure trove of magic, and more of a bunch of mildly uninteresting spells. Like, a spell that made water a little more salty. Just add more salt and save yourself the bother.

  But I was still interested in hearing more. Even if it didn’t have an immediate use, there might have been an unconventional way to make use of it.

  “Grandpa’s magic wasn’t anything special, so please don’t be too excited. It was a spell that made things he touched become slightly heavier.”

  “Heavier...?”

  “Yes, it just added a little bit of weight to things. It wasn’t a very useful spell at all.

  The spell was named [Gravity].” ...Wait a minute. I’ve got it!

  “Will, do you think you could teach me more about it?”

  “H-Hm? Sure...?” If that spell can do what I think it can, then the potential could be huge! Well, that’s only if it has something to do w
ith gravitational force, as the name suggests.

  I decided to deal with the spell later, anyway. For the time being, there were more recliners to create.

  I haven’t thought up the menu yet, either. Something light and easy to pick at would be best, I think. Cakes, sweets, that kind of thing... Parfaits would probably be a good choice.

  ◇　◇　◇

  With our preparations all sorted out, it was time to practice and review the workload in anticipation of the grand opening.

  As for who worked where, I assigned two girls to the front counter. Their names were Suras and Belle.

  They both had light brown hair. Suras had short hair, while Belle’s was wavy and long. They were both bright and cheery, so assigning them to the front desk was the natural choice.

  Shea and Mea were working in the kitchen. They were sisters with black hair. Their cooking skills were pretty decent from the start, and Crea showed them even more techniques, so they had basic kitchen training sorted.

  Then there were the waitresses. Sylvie, Wendy, and Marica.

  Sylvie was the oldest amongst the seven of them, but she was only twenty-one herself. She was the confident type who kept everyone together. She gave off an air of aloofness, but she was quickly proving herself to be hard-working and reliable.

  Marica was the second-youngest, after Wendy. An energetic young girl with a lot of spirit. Sometimes that energy backfired a little and she failed at her tasks, but she always worked hard to make it back.

  Wendy was the youngest of them all, but she was an excellent worker. I worried a little about how docile and quiet she behaved, but she didn’t seem to be having any trouble. Lapis had taught them all a little about the basics of customer service, so I felt they’d manage just fine.

  I asked Zanac to take care of everyone’s uniforms. I looked up various outfits online, but the girls all gravitated toward ones similar to the protagonist from Haikara-san ga Toru. They said that the other outfits were a little too seedy around the bust and skirts... I didn’t think so, but I wasn’t going to argue with them.

  For the time being, our schedule seemed to be in order. We’d be closed on Wednesdays and Sundays. Business hours would be from 9 AM to 7 PM. All customers would receive a membership card that would record their stay times. Cafe time would be pre-paid, but if someone stayed longer, then they could pay for the extra time at the door on the way out. People in private rooms would pay additional charges, too. Also, customers could pay for their food and drink as they left.