14 – I brought in a small potted plant (4)
“Master! Are you okay?”
Ael looked at Einer leaning on the railing and asked anxiously.
Instead of saying, “This is all because of you,” He shook her head.
“It’s okay. And the things you just said won’t happen, so don’t talk nonsense and use a room on the second floor.”
“Yeah… I see.”
“Once again, I didn’t buy you to be a real slave. I’m going to run the restaurant for you and set you free if you earn 100 gold coins. So know that.”
“Yes, yes! I know that well. Then when did the restaurant start…”
“Okay.”
Einer scratched her chin as she leaned against the railing and looked out over her bay.
“There’s a lot to prepare. It’s a restaurant seat right now. If we renovate this house, there won’t be much of a problem. If we bring more tables to the first floor, we can do business as they are. That’s why I asked you to come up to the room on the second floor. “
“Nenep.”
“I have to buy furniture, register with the management office, do market research, and develop menus. But the most important thing is the skill of the chef.”
“That’s right…”
Ael shrugged her shoulders and answered in a crawling voice.
“Did you say you were hungry as a corps cook?”
“Yes. It was an integrated kitchen in the rear.”
“You mean the meals sent to the frontline units? It’s not the commanding department or that side.”
“That’s right.”
“Then you must have done a lot of cooking in bulk. What is the composition of your corps?”
“Okay, what about the composition…? Ehh… Our corps were all demons. There were no other monsters.”
“Where exactly would you say your activity area is east?”
As Ael explained the geography, he thought of something while wiggling his finger, then he asked.
“Then, did you source the food ingredients locally? Or did you ask the demons separately?”
“At first, demons were in charge of supply, but they all died in the second half of the war, so from then on, we procured locally.”
“Hmm. Yes. Then you must have a knack for cooking on the eastern side of the continent.”
“It’s not just a skill, it’s just a basic recipe…? After the supply was cut off, I didn’t know what to do with the ingredients from the East right away, so I brought the locals there to learn.”
I didn’t bring her, she must have been kidnapped. Anyway.
“Then let’s do this. Let’s organize a menu with dishes from the eastern part of the continent.”
“Are you saying we want to sell Eastern cuisine? Hmm, but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to succeed…. Maybe Eastern food isn’t very popular…”
Daham is the center of continental maritime trade, and people from all over the country form a long line.
How many restaurants serve those people?
Restaurants that focus on menus in the northwestern part of the continent with the largest population are the mainstream, and southern menu restaurants serving locals are also popular.
However, there aren’t that many places that offer menus from the eastern part of the continent.
The eastern part of the continent is very far from Daham, and for some reason, the eastern part of the continent is not very active in trade with the outside world.
That’s why there aren’t many people who are good at Eastern cuisine, so there are fewer restaurants.
But Einer knows.
Even though Eastern food is unique and difficult to try, the taste alone is amazing.
Those who show resistance to Eastern cuisine do so because they ‘haven’t been to good restaurants’.
Ael agreed with that.
“That’s right. Eastern cuisine is really delicious. But wouldn’t it be a bit of a gamble? I’m honestly not confident because I work at a mass-cooking place that increases the quantity as much as possible with insufficient ingredients.”
“It’s okay. I’ll let you know.”
Because the baron Einer served in Brechnert liked Eastern cuisine, so I studied a lot about their cuisine.
To satisfy the taste of the baron, my mother was good at Eastern cuisine, and Einer, who grew up watching it from a young age, is also quite good.
“We’ll never be successful here with a menu that’s as small as it is. If we can’t overwhelm established restaurants with our skills, we have no choice but to dig into a niche market.”
“The owner is right. If I can get word of mouth for Eastern cuisine, I think it’ll be fine. Eastern cuisine is really delicious. Sweep.”
With that, Ael swallowed his saliva.
Are you sure you just ate ten sandwiches?
“Anyway, if the owner takes that direction, I’ll think about the menu too. However, I think it wouldn’t be bad to mix it little by little according to the situation here rather than making it completely eastern style. It is.”
“That’s right. If we bring the sailors right away and tell them to eat Seonjiguk, they’ll run away in a panic.”
“Oh, I’m going crazy…”
“What?”
“It’s Seongjitguk…
Seeing Ael licking his lips, Einer burst out laughing in exasperation.
“You really just ate, right? But I can’t make good soup. If I go around here to get cow’s blood, I might be accused of being a devil worshiper and get arrested.”
“Sorry…”
“Let’s think about the menu. And about our lives.”
Ainer explained his work schedule to Ael.
Foreign managers and above are classified as executives and commute to and from work, but night shifts return periodically and depending on circumstances, there are many cases where they work overtime.
So basically, we eat together, but if you come late, just eat first.
There is no such thing as an unbalanced diet, so the choice of meal menu is voluntary.
When I am not asked to do anything else, I do basic housework such as cleaning and laundry, and the rest of the time is free time.
Go out to play or do whatever you want, but never go hungry.
It is the owner’s command to eat three meals a day unconditionally.
“I tried to eat only one meal a day to not burden the owner…”
“No!
And on the weekend, I bake bread for next week in advance, so keep that in mind.
“But do you know how to make bread?”
“I know. I don’t know if you’ll like what I made…”
“Good, good.”
The cost of living is paid every Monday morning and I will give you some pocket money as well.
No matter what you do with your pocket money, I will never interfere, so spend it comfortably.
“Hey… Thank you…”
Lastly, I often call the crew to feed them at home, so I have to help them then.
“The crew members?”
“These are the security guards I always go with. There are four of us, so it won’t be too much of a burden. I live in the security barracks and eat fish porridge from the kitchen every day.”
“Then we should definitely invite them and treat them! Don’t worry! By the way… Do the members of the group look like this?”
As Ael explained the appearance of the members, Einer was a little surprised and asked how he knew.
“I was at home alone today, and they came to my house. I thought they were the ones who came to catch me because the documents were wrong… So I got scared and hid in the kitchen shelf. The master’s crew members If I had known, I would have come out and said hello.”
“Hidden on a shelf…?”
I guess that’s why the crew said they couldn’t find him and ran away.
As Ainor laughed loudly, Ael laughed briskly, not knowing why.
Anyway, if the master is happy, the slave is happy too.
* * * * *
Ael was given a room right next to the master’s bedroom.
A small space that fits just a bed and a desk.
Although it was empty now without any furniture, Ael was happy nonetheless.
For a subject who became a slave to have his own room.
Furthermore, a large window pierced toward the sea.
In addition, the master even gave me silver coins so that I could go to the market tomorrow and buy things I needed!
If this is the case, isn’t it almost like a free person, even if only the status is a slave?
Perhaps I would be happier living as a slave to a kind and kind master than living alone as a freedman.
“Thank you, master.”
Ael muttered as she put her forehead against the wall on the side of Einer’s bedroom.
“What are you doing?”
Einer, who entered the room with a blanket and a pillow, looked at Ael and asked.
“Oops! You didn’t do anything?!”
“Use this. I’ll put the bed in as soon as possible. Please bear with it even if it’s uncomfortable.”
“Yes…! I slept on a pile of straw for months.”
“You have such a positive personality. I like it.”
Einer, who threw the blanket into Ael’s arms, lightly stroked Ael’s head.
“Go to the storage room next door and bring it if you need anything. I can’t remember what it is.”
“Yes, I understand!”
Ener left the room, but Ael, who was left alone, spread out the blanket and laughed.
The owner complimented me saying he liked it and even stroked his head….
Ael went to the storage room and got a round chair without a back.
I placed it by the window overlooking the sea and sat down, so the height was perfect for watching the sea.
This was only possible because Daham was so benign that the windows were so wide that they took up half of the walls.
Ael rested his chin on the window and took in the night scenery of Daham.
The night sky surrounded by the Milky Way, the warm and crowded yellow port, and the beach shining blue on an uninhabited island in the middle of the sea.
The wind in the Southern Ocean was lukewarm, and as the sun went down, the ships entering the harbor looked as calm as birds seeking their nests.
Looking at all of those scenes, Ael thought.
As expected, I was good at running away.
If he hadn’t run away, he would have been sleeping in the filthy cargo bay by now, pessimistic about his situation in the middle of him.
He carves his own destiny, and heaven helps those who help themselves.
Einer shouted from the room across the street.
“Sleep well, Ael!”
“Good night, master!”
The owner is very kind and thankful.
You have to do your best.
That’s why the owner and I are making a happy house.
* * * * *
In this way, Ael began to live as a slave in earnest.
The first thing that officially started was to force toast into the master’s mouth as he left for work early in the morning.
“Wow! Don’t keep putting it in!”
“You should eat at least a little!”