Chapter 67

The store I decided to rent is located on the border with the slums, on a street that, until recently, was said to be so dangerous that you had to be prepared to be stripped naked if you walked alone at night. The property became difficult to rent due to the large number of people sneaking into the store.

Thanks to the joint operation by the knights, adventurers' guild, and the temple, this area is expected to gradually stabilize. However, there is a lingering suspicion that the initial troubles were pushed onto outsider adventurers. I might need to think of some countermeasures for a while.

- Synchronize the opening period with the surrounding stores.

- Hire a bodyguard.

These are the only things that come to mind.

In addition to the free dormitories that will be built to accept the people from the slums, a guard post will be constructed. The knights who have been temporarily assigned to patrol the street stalls will be officially stationed at this post. The guild master said that patrols will be intensified to prevent the construction sites from being vandalized, so there's no need to worry about being disturbed during the renovation. Well, is that so?

The temple plans to set up a branch to introduce jobs and provide counseling to the poor people in the area to prevent them from turning to crime. For the time being, they will provide a daily meal service, but since too many people become dependent on free meals, they plan to gradually reduce it once employment opportunities are secured.

I agree that the meal service is not a permanent solution, but I understand that it might save a few lives in the current situation. After all, I picked up two people who were on the brink of starvation.

So, I handed over a large amount of offal to Ekaterina, saying, "Please cook it up." It's not meant to be a hassle, really. I could have given her tripe and other dishes, but I didn't have the time. Yes, it couldn't be helped.

There are other stores along the street, but this one was recommended as having good conditions. The walls and ceiling are quite damaged, but the pillars and beams are thick and undamaged. By the way, there's no mold or insects.

I was also shown a corner property that connects to the street with the stalls, but it would require a lot of money for renovation and the rent would be high. I'll leave that to the production experts.

Quero introduced me to a builder and carpenter named Trin, and we confirmed the positions of the immovable pillars and walls that cannot be removed, while I conveyed my preferences.

It's fun to think about the layout and furniture! The width is narrow, and considering the stairs and immovable walls, the freedom is limited, but it's like a puzzle and enjoyable. The restrictions are much looser than in the real world.

Earthquakes are almost non-existent in this country, and it's common for buildings to be used for generations, so they are built to be sturdy. By the way, this house has a back door, or rather, it used to have one.

Trin found a door that had been plastered over while examining the walls. It's not in a state where it can be opened, and the plaster is peeling off in some places. Normally, the back of this house should be as close to the neighboring houses as the east and west walls, with no gaps for entry.

"Probably, there used to be a road behind these stores," Trin said. I thought it might be something creepy, but apparently not.

According to Trin, in the past, when there was still room on the land, the front doors faced a relatively wide street, and the back doors faced narrow alleys. As the population increased, the area was redeveloped, and the streets behind the houses disappeared. Occasionally, old houses have doors that were no longer used and plastered over.

Even now, stores facing the square and major streets have back doors. During business hours, they use the back door for moving goods and employee access to avoid showing these activities to customers. The redevelopment, including the recent slum, seems to start from areas with little money or status.

"Well, in any case, we'll have to remove the surrounding walls, so let's remove the door and make it a regular wall," Trin suggested.

"Sure, thanks."

I want a back door, but it would just be a wall if opened. I heard that a transfer array can be set up only with the temple, but it's extremely expensive. However, if I use the front door, it will be obvious that I'm related to the temple. It would be nice if I could rent the building behind, but there's a limit of one store per tenant. By the way, the guild master said "in Zears," so it might be possible to expand to other countries.

I think individual production won't be enough, but according to Ochazuke, some clans have specialized in production, so it's possible that some will have branches in other countries. With the transfer, the demand might not be that high.

After that, I conveyed my general layout preferences. I realized that unlike armor and weapons, potions and alchemy, food, and accessories don't take up much space. I should have chosen a south-facing store to get sunlight, but the buildings are so close together that the only large window is on the south side, and the sunlight is very bright.

There's an immovable wall slightly north of the center of the building, so I decided to use the area south of it as the store, and the back as a stockyard and a small kitchen and break room for the salespeople.

While adding the break room to the simple diagram, I thought, "I ended up getting involved with orphans because of Ekaterina."

I can't say I wasn't concerned about the orphans I picked up, but I prefer fighting and wandering around freely. I wouldn't take them with me, and dealing with dependent children who might get clingy about return times and future plans would be a burden and a hindrance. I had no intention of meeting them.

Oh, I welcome requests from people I like or invitations from compatible friends. In fact, I'd be lonely without them. I know I'm selfish, but that's me.

Ekaterina saw through my preferences and taught the children jobs I find troublesome or annoying, and even prepared a place to send them. She must have trained them enough to handle things even if I only visit occasionally. I don't know why she wants to push those two onto me so much, but it feels like she's digging a moat around me.

At the guild, when Ekaterina said, "Instead of giving them money that might be used for anything, giving them food ensures they will eat," I was speechless.

I wasn't thinking that deeply when I gave them the fried fish, but now that she mentioned it, maybe that was the case.

Well, I lost this time and couldn't argue back. I'll just accept it. If it gets too much, I can always stop renting the store.

But I doubt it will come to that. Ekaterina is good at reading people, which I don't like.

The orphans probably get along well with me, which is why I didn't want to meet them.

The break room will be at the end of the stairs that run along the east wall, which might be a bit cramped, so I'll make it a bit wider.

The store layout will have F-shaped shelves that reach the ceiling along the west wall, without blocking the south window, and a counter extending from the shelf near the entrance.

On the east side, there will be similar ceiling-high shelves along the wall, with an additional double-sided shelf in the middle. I plan to display something visible from outside where the sunlight hits and use the back of the shelf for storing potions.

Next to the counter on the east side, there will be a small room for negotiations. It will have access to both the inside and outside of the counter and the break room. Since it's small, I'll have a sliding door made, which won't be visible when closed and will disappear into the wall when open, creating an open feel.

On the second floor, there will be a potion preparation area, a separate cooking area, and a storage room. I'll place a storage magic device from the commercial guild in the stockyard on the first floor, so items can be accessed from the storage room. I'll request this from the commercial guild's magic device shop, which will be an additional cost.

On the third floor, there will be production equipment for potion preparation, alchemy, and decoration, along with a bathroom and my room. The third floor has a high ceiling and a attic-like feel, which I like. There are two skylights, and with new glass, I should be able to see the stars from bed.

However, I like the inn Ruba introduced me to, so I'll probably stay there only occasionally. I'm looking forward to seeing how the innkeepers' cooking skills improve!

It's fun to draw the layout, but I feel a bit overwhelmed by the three-story building. I decided on the second floor quite loosely, and I think a two-story building would have been enough. But in this city, properties with fewer than two floors are rare. Well, a larger storage area is better.

Since I can carry items in a pouch or access them through storage, I decided to put the production facilities on the upper floors. I'll request reinforced floors to prevent them from collapsing.

While removing unnecessary items, we'll have several meetings to complete the renovation.

The renovation cost is low, but the magic devices for the sales counter and transfer plate are extremely expensive. They are convenient, but can be managed without them. With rent and the high costs, it might be difficult to recover the investment with half-day operations. Well, I can always hunt and sell materials if needed. I want to explore the deeper levels of the dungeon soon.

Even with a store, if I'm just pushed into customer service, it's not much different from consignment sales with relaxed restrictions. It's expensive monthly, but that's the case.

Some people might choose the merchant profession at the unauthorized bazaar in the square and enjoy the business negotiations, growing their stores.

I'm only half-serious about production and have no intention of taking business seriously. I'm ready to cover any losses by defeating monsters. I got the store before people who have the means and the desire to work hard.

...Thank you, Panty God! Hooray for the mask!

I'll hide even more secretly!

HAHAHA!

I pray to the Panty God with renewed determination, hoping that the next time we meet, the butt is properly hidden.

No, I mean, I, Rengard, will hide it.

No, both should be hidden.