Chapter 39

The next morning.

"Alright, everyone! Let's split up according to the roles I mentioned earlier! Let's work hard until we open!"

And so, our store setup began. The store was, of course, larger than our house. But it was only about twice the size. We considered the layout we had designed, including staff rooms and storage areas, and added a few small rooms. Since I could roughly envision the workflow in my head, I gave instructions as the site supervisor. The 18 Beowulfs and Garai took the lead, while Mawr and the women and children handled the miscellaneous tasks.

"It's pretty hot, so make sure to stay hydrated!"

"Ooh!"

...However...

I glanced outside the site. Naturally, with construction work going on, quite a few passersby were watching. The area had a lot of traffic, so the attention was significant. And, of course, the fact that we were beastmen drew even more attention. Some of the gazes directed at the Beowulfs, Mawr, and Meala were not exactly friendly. However, everyone seemed to be enduring or ignoring it, continuing their work without showing any particular concern. I hoped nothing would happen...

"Hey."

Just then, I heard a rather unpleasant voice. I turned around. Three young men were standing outside the site, wearing what looked like uniforms.

"Yes, how may I assist you?"

I immediately switched to business mode.

"We are from the nearby restaurant, 'Kourin-tei.'"

By "restaurant," they probably meant a high-end dining establishment, not a Japanese-style place. A somewhat hostile atmosphere was palpable. Honestly, I had a vague idea of why they were here...

As if to confirm my thoughts, the leader of the group said:

"Why are there beastmen in the capital? This is a place for humans to live."

His words made the Beowulfs pause.

"There is no rule that beastmen cannot enter the capital, as far as I know."

I replied in a formal tone.

"Hah, you have the nerve to speak so insolently in the heart of the king's domain. But, moving on..."

He pointed to the Beowulfs behind me, as if to get to the main point.

"What are you doing here?"

"We are constructing the store we plan to open."

"Wait a minute, this is where the new produce store of the Weeble family is supposed to be built, right?"

The man sighed, looking exasperated.

"We have always been well-supplied with high-quality vegetables from the Weeble family. That's why we are here to properly enforce the law against you troublemakers."

I see, so the Weeble family's produce is also sold to restaurants. I nodded in understanding, while the man continued with a stern expression.

"Don't you dare build a store here, you filthy beastmen. I will report you to the city guard."

"I have the necessary permits."

I immediately responded.

"What?"

"Here is the certificate."

I showed them the document I had shown to the gatekeepers when we entered the capital. The men, who had looked skeptical, were now wide-eyed with surprise.

"...Hmph, the head of the Weeble family must be quite generous..."

The leader, showing a bit of unease, tried to cover it up.

"Opening a store in the capital as a beastman is bound to fail. Do you really think you will be welcomed?"

He pointed at me.

"Why are you, a human, associating with beastmen?"

"Is it that unusual?"

"Of course it is. I'm not saying this to be mean, but whatever your reasons are, it's better not to associate with beastmen. Running a store is not easy, either."

He spread his arms expansively.

"This is a prime location in the capital, where popular stores abound. There's no way a newcomer like you can survive here."

He lowered his voice and added a threatening tone.

"Besides, you never know what might happen with radicals around."

"Are you threatening us?"

"It's a warning. The prejudice against beastmen is deeply rooted among the royal family and the upper class. This is the capital, the residence of the king and the nobles. Do you really think you can be safe in such a place?"

"I think we will be fine."

I then opened the letter I had received from Iksa.

"Prince Iksa is supporting our store."

"Prince Iksa?"

The man's tone became mocking.

"Well, he is technically a royal heir. I don't mean to be rude, but he is known as a dissolute prince who indulges in frivolous activities using the royal family's resources."

No, that's quite rude.

"Compared to him, the third princess, Antimishka, has a higher loyalty to the current king..."

"Hey, hey."

One of his companions interrupted him, looking worried.

"Apparently, Prince Iksa has defeated Princess Antimishka and taken over most of her power."

"What?"

The leader's expression froze.

"H-How can that be? Prince Iksa..."

"He is now seriously competing for the throne. I heard he made an example of Princess Antimishka as a greeting."

He made an example of her.

Well, it wasn't that cruel...

"So, he now holds the third position in the line of succession."

"..."

Cold sweat dripped from the leader's forehead. A moment of silence followed. Then, he quickly turned to me.

"Well, good luck."

He tried to leave, but I called out to him.

"By the way, we'll visit again later."

I added with a smile.

"Huh?"

"We know the name of your restaurant."

I remembered they had mentioned it earlier. The men's faces turned pale.

"We'll come for lunch."

"..."

The men left without a word.

"Phew..."

I sighed. Then,

"...So, we really are disliked, huh?"

One of the Beowulfs, Bagoz, muttered. He had been the most worried about this from the start. The others, including Mawr and Meala, also looked anxious.

"You don't need to try to make people like you if they don't like you."

I told them.

"Out of 100 people, you don't need to deal with 95 of them. If you can build a good relationship with the remaining 5, life won't be too difficult. Out of 100 people, at least 5 will understand you. In business, too, if just a few people pay, the business can still succeed."

So, you don't need to worry, I smiled at them.

"Right... That's true."

The Beowulfs looked up.

"Instead of dealing with people who dislike you, it's better to work for those who like you."

"Right."

"At least, work hard for those you like."

They all looked at me.

"Huh?"

"Alright, let's work hard!"

The Beowulfs started working more efficiently. I was glad they were motivated. The construction progressed smoothly, and the framework began to take shape. Using my Alchemy, I consecutively created scaffolding materials and assembled them, making it possible to work at heights. This should have improved the work efficiency.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Later, as promised, we visited the restaurant where the men worked—'Kourin-tei.' It was a well-established place. The food quality was quite good. However, the staff seemed a bit nervous.

"By the way, what happened with that incident?"

We were having a meal when I overheard a conversation between two men sitting nearby.

"Recently, farms and ranches near the capital have been attacked by a pack of 'black wolves.'"

...'Black wolves'?

I perked up at this.

"Yeah, it started suddenly. The farmers and ranchers are really struggling."

"Hmm, shouldn't they consult the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Yeah, they finally did. But even the adventurers who took on the mission are being defeated one after another."

"Probably just low-ranking adventurers. S or A-class adventurers wouldn't bother with such a task."

"Yeah, they are really in trouble."

...Hmm.