Chapter 26-Settling In
1k 6 29
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.

“So how do you normally get food?” I asked Minerva after she finished lecturing an incompetent clerk. 

“I buy premade food from a restaurant,” Minerva answered. “It’s quite good considering the price.”

“Still, do you have a kitchen by chance?” I persisted.

“Yeah it’s on the first floor,” Minerva told me. “I was told that they used to use it to serve food along with the drinks. But it’s currently unprofitable to hire a chef, since most of our clients have no desire to order food. They only order alcohol.”

“I guess booze are just perpetually profitable,” I remarked. “If it’s fine with you, I’d like to check out the kitchen.”

“Sounds good,” Minerva responded. “Let me know if anything doesn’t work. My latest report on the kitchen indicates that everything works, but that might have changed.”

“So do you want a written report or just verbal?” I questioned.

“I’d be grateful if you can write it and document the date,” Minerva replied.

After our exchange, I headed to the first floor of the Bureau building. Although the designated dining area was the second floor, the kitchen was placed on the first. However, this made sense because the kitchen was an extended part of the first floor with nothing above it. This allowed for the smoke from cooking to travel out of the building through a short chimney. Still, this meant that previous workers were required to carry food up and down the stairs. 

The kitchen in question was actually quite impressive, albeit a bit dusty. It had multiple stovetops and ovens as well as a few worktables and chopping blocks. Additionally, there were pantries for grain and meat. The cornerstone of the kitchen was a large fireplace that could accommodate pots, grills, and a roasting spit, though not all at the same time. In truth, the facilities provided were worthy of a restaurant. Probably because it was intended to function as a restaurant. 

Once I was finished admiring the various cooking apparatuses, I began to inspect each piece for functionality. After a fair amount of time poking around, I discerned that everything was still working. However, a lot of the cookware needed to be cleaned and the whole place needed to be dusted. 

“Here’s the report,” I said to Minerva as I handed her a document with the information I gathered. “Everything is fine as you said, but we’ll have to clean things up before we can use it.”

“Thanks, I really appreciate it,” Minerva replied. “But it’s already getting late, so I think you should hold off on cleaning the kitchen until tomorrow.”

“In that case, you want to go out to a restaurant with me and Sekh?” I asked.

“That sounds good,” Minerva answered. “I think it’s a good opportunity to celebrate your employment anyways.”

“Thanks, let me know when you’re ready to go,” I said as I went off to do some minor jobs.

“I’ll be ready once I finish closing down,” Minerva told me. 

Currently my workload wasn’t anything significant. Although I could stand around and do nothing, while still getting paid, I had decided to help the clerks with their tasks. In particular, the orcish clerk that I had helped out previously introduced himself to me. His name was Edwin and he told me that he had worked in the Labor Bureau back in Aeolia, but had been transferred here recently. Oddly enough, he was actually one of the more experienced clerks at this location. The main reason that he was not more forceful in the prior incidence was his fear of anti-orc sentiments, something along the lines of orcs being violent brutes. But now that I’m here, I can just strong arm obnoxious clients for him. Though I might end up further developing the crude and militant image of Marchers. 

While I supervised the clerks and intimidated the clients, Sekh was busy cleaning the rooms on the fifth floor. Apparently most of the rooms were dusty and disorganized, though still functional. Unfortunately, Sekh did not have a maid outfit, so our plans were set back by quite a bit. 

The Bureau’s operating hours ended around sunset. Around the time of closing, clients could no longer enter the building and the clerks helped the remaining clients finish up. Once it was mostly staff left in the Bureau, they would begin to clean up then leave. However, Minerva and I had longer shifts since our job was to clean up after them. This was done to ensure that there were no dangerous mistakes made by staff that were in a rush to go home. It was nearly another hour after closing when Minerva and I had finished up. 

“It’s really nice having extra help here,” Minerva remarked as she sat down for a breather. 

“You don’t trust the clerks to help you out?” I inquired. “I think some of them are certainly capable of doing the level of work that I’m doing right now.”

“Sorry but I can’t really put my faith in them,” Minerva answered. “I just don’t think that any of them are ready for the responsibilities yet.”

“So when will they be ready?” I shot back in response.

“I’m...not sure,” Minerva said awkwardly. 

“Have you tried training them then?” I continued.

“A little, but I don’t think it did much good,” Minerva responded. 

“Well I’m not sure of the specifics,” I sighed. “But it’s in your best interest to get your staff ready when the time comes. You’re going to die from overworking if otherwise.”

“Fair enough,” Minerva replied with a smile. “Now grab your girlfriend so we can get some food. I’ll get changed in the meantime.”

It wasn’t as though Minerva was changing out of the Bureau uniform into regular clothes. In fact, Bureau members actually lack a true uniform. The only thing distinguishing staff from people seeking services was a badge that could be pinned onto clothing. 

The two of us headed up the stairs, parting ways near Minerva’s room. Just like I suspected, Sekh was peacefully lying down on her bed. It was actually our bed now, since Sekh had moved the two beds together. 

“Hey, we’re going out for food now,” I told the reclining leopard girl as I began to change into more comfortable clothes. “Minverva is coming as well.”

“So you’re already trying to make a harem?” Sekh joked. “Well I have to admit that she is attractive. Are you a breast guy by chance?”

“We’re just getting dinner,” I said with a smile. “I’m not seducing her, not yet at least.” 

“In that case, let me know when you start,” Sekh answered with a lazy smile. 

“I’ll be sure to put on a show just for you then,” I replied wryly. “So how much did you get done today?”

“I’ve finished dusting most of the fifth floor,” Sekh informed me. “I still need to organize a lot of things up here. After that, I’ll start taking care of the other floors.”

“Can you start cleaning the kitchen tomorrow?” I requested. “It’s the extended part of the first floor and I would like to start using it as soon as possible.”

“Sure,” Sekh responded. “Most of the rooms I have left on the fifth floor aren’t high priority anyways.”

Once I had finished changing into a non sellsword outfit, the two of us left our room. Sekh had already changed prior, since her previous clothes were soaked with sweat from cleaning. Shortly after, we found Minerva waiting outside her room. The dark elf was wearing a very casual winter dress made of green wool. 

“Funny how I’m the one that takes the most time to get changed,” I observed. 

“Well that’s your choice,” Minerva remarked. “You could have just gone in the clothes you wore before.”

“But then I’d look like I might rob the restaurant,” I joked. 

“Even if he doesn’t do anything, we might have to testify for him,” Sekh added.

“You two are just overreacting,” Minerva sighed. “Anyways, I have a good place in mind. I think you’ll like it.”

Thus, Minerva led Sekh and I out of the Bureau building. The destination was a reasonably sized two-story establishment in a middle class district. It had the bearings of a proper family restaurant, since the second floor was actually where the family lived. After entering, we were led to a table in the lower right corner by a young man. Once we sat down, we were provided cups of boiled water. Sekh and I sat side by side while Minerva sat opposite of me. 

In contrast to high end restaurants, the menu was not provided on sheets of paper. Instead, the available dishes were listed on three large black slates in the middle of the dining area. Due to Damask’s status as a trade center, the menus were listed in multiple languages. I would even say that the translations for Farsi were spot on. On the other hand, I have no clue how to read the eastern orcish script. I just know that it had diverged quite a bit from its sister script in the west. 

“So how are we going to split the bill?” Minerva inquired. 

“Thanks for addressing the elephant in the room,” I said with a smile. “First off, I think you should pay for your own portion. Sekh and I will pay for ourselves.”

“That sounds good,” Minerva answered. “I can pay for drinks if you want.”

“I highly recommend against that,” I informed her. “It’s not going to be fun for either of us.”

“Fair enough,” Minerva replied with a shrug. “But can I ask why you’re not paying for Sekh? It seems a bit unusual in my opinion.”

“I already owe him a lot,” Sekh replied. “Anymore and I might end up as his actual servant. Besides, I have my own pay.”

The three of us continued to trade small talk while we decided what to order. It seemed that Minerva was fairly accustomed with this restaurant since she was able to inform us about the best dishes. However, an issue came up along the way. 

Due to the nature of the dishes, it was nearly inevitable that we would end up sharing certain dishes, particularly the soup and vegetables. In the end, Minerva decided to pay for all of the vegetable sides, while I would pay for soup. 

Fortunately for the waiter, the three of us were fairly quick when it came to deciding what we wanted. Minerva ordered half a chicken roasted with fresh herbs, rice and sweet red wine. I got a side of spiced rice, stir fried prawns with chili peppers and lemon leaves, and palm wine. Once again, Sekh ordered a grilled fish with rice and lemonade. As for the shared dishes, we got a side of steamed leafy greens, garlic stir fried green beans, and a large clam soup.

“So are you ever going to be adventurous and order something that isn’t fish?” I teased Sekh when the waiter left.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I got rice instead of bread this time,” Sekh replied with a cute smile. “Besides, I end up exploring new food whenever you cook. And your food is pretty much guaranteed to taste good.”

"That’s a lot of pressure that you’re putting on me,” I answered wryly. 

“I’m sure that you can handle it,” Sekh said as her tail brushed my hand. 

Meanwhile, Minerva sat on the side like an awkward third wheel. Before I could start a conversation with Minerva, Sekh redirected the flow towards Minerva.

“Hey Minerva, you want to tell us your life's story?” Sekh prompted Minerva. "After all, we are working together."

“I’m not entirely sure where to begin,” Minerva said as she put her hand on her chin. “Well I guess I’ll start by talking about my family and birth place.”

“I'm from a noble house that holds a hereditary post in the Lycian government,” Minerva continued. “My family resides in the Lycian capital of Tyros, where I was born. We were quickly integrated into the Iasor administration ever since Lycia was vassalized twelve years ago.”

“What was it like when the Iasor empire took over?” Sekh asked.

“It’s a lot less dramatic than some people would make it out to be,” Minerva answered. “The Lycian government still holds a high degree of autonomy, though we have been working in tandem with the Iasor more and more.”

While we were talking, the food and drinks began to arrive. In particular, all of us started off by mixing the clam soup with rice. The salty flavor of the clam broth was expertly offset by the addition of herbs and tomatoes. Afterwards, the three of us began to dig into our separate courses as we continued our talk.

“Not to sound rude, but was your family given preferential treatment when the Iasor government took over?” I asked Minerva.

“You’re a sharp one, Iblis,” Minerva remarked. “Maybe the Iasor officials trusted us because we’re elves or because we were cooperative. Personally, I think it was a combination of both.”

“Your guess is probably right,” I replied. “Sorry if this is rude, but how old are you? You seem quite young for someone working as a Bureau manager in a large city”

“I’m 22 years old,” Minerva answered with a friendly smile. “I was meaning to tell you anyways, since I know both of your ages from the Bureau records.”

“That really is young,” Sekh commented after she was finished chewing a bite of fish. “By the way, how come elves look so different from each other. I’ve seen a lot of elves like you in Fars, but most of the elves I’ve met in the north are all pale with golden hair. Is there a regional divide?”

“Oh that has to do with the elvish diaspora,” Minerva informed Sekh. “Two thousand years ago following the great war instigated by Ahriman, there was widespread elven persecution. This happened because of the chaos caused by the introduction of battlemages to the battlefields. Because most of the mages were elves at the time, the other races began to persecute us. While some stayed in the northern lands, my ancestors fled south to Fars where we established our own distinct communities. After living apart for so long and intermixing with the people of Fars, we began to diverge in appearance from our brethren.”

“That makes sense,” Sekh replied while scratching her chin. “But how did you get silver hair? I’ve never seen a human from Fars with silver hair.”

“Most scholars believe that prolonged exposure to harsh sunlight caused that trait to manifest among southern elves,” Minerva said in response. "But that means that elven hair is different in nature."

“Let's go with that theory” I commented. “Though it would have been nice if I got silver hair from being outside so much.”

"Oh, what's it like to grow up in an elven family?" Sekh asked curiously.

“Pretty normal compared to most families,” Minerva answered with a shrug. “Then again, I'm from a noble family so my experience might not be the best representation. Maybe I should talk about my education for comparison. I was tutored by an elven court official so that I could follow my father’s footsteps as an administrator. Apart from that, I was also educated by a renowned elven swordsman.”

“You didn’t learn how to do housework?” Sekh inquired.

“I know a bit,” Minerva replied. “But my parents believe that I could just get servants to rectify that shortcoming.”

“Pretty similar to my childhood then,” I informed Minerva. "So do you have any hobbies? Or do you just work and train?"

“Of course I have a life outside of work,” Minerva responded with joking indignation. “If you can’t tell already, I like to read. That’s why I don’t always wear my glasses. I only use them for reading, otherwise my vision is fine.”

“Interesting, what’s your favorite genre?” I continued. 

“My favorite genre?” Minerva wondered aloud. “I would say that I enjoy adventure stories. Mostly the one where a hero goes on a quest to save the world and such.”

“I like those too, but I can’t say that they’re my favorite,” I responded. “What do you like about those stories though? The idea of exploring fantastical new places, the action, or maybe the philosophical debate on the concept of good and evil?”

“Yeah I like all of those,” Minerva said in an almost startled fashion. 

“You read it for the romance, don’t you?” I teased her. 

“No, not at all,” Minerva stuttered as her face reddened.

“It’s ok to admit it,” Sekh assured Minerva. “We swear we won’t tell the rest of the staff.”

“Sekh you’re making it sound suspicious,” I jokingly chided. “If it makes you feel any better Minerva, my favorite genre is philosophy. I am in fact, very smart.”

“You just reminded me of somewhat back home,” Minerva almost snorted. “Iblis, do you also have experience with the pseudo-intellectual philosophers?”

I just flashed Minerva a thumbs-up while smiling. In response, Minerva began to lightly giggle, her previous embarrassment now gone. Meanwhile, Sekh just looked at the two of us with curiosity. 

The three of us continued chatting while we finished eating. Once we were done, we paid the bill and went back home. My portion of the bill amounted to 4 nummi, which was a reasonable price for the amount. Compared to when I ate with Sekh in Amorium, the price was much lower. However, I had only ordered ordinary alcohol this time, instead of drinking multiple bottles of the best stock. 

Because we had work the next day, the three of us went straight home. Once we arrived home, the three of us began to make preparation for the next day’s tasks. This was mostly light paperwork, while Sekh cleaned out the various facilities used by the staff and clients. 

Once Sekh and I had finished with our tasks, the two of us went to sleep. Thus the two of us fell asleep in the sweet embrace of one another. Well, that was the case until I woke up in the middle of the night with the urge to use the bathroom. Fortunately, the bathrooms in the Bureau utilize a plumbing system that whisk waste away through a sewage canal, which meant that I didn’t have to use a chamber pot. 

However, I noticed that there was still light radiating from Minerva’s room. When I walked to her room, I realized that there was a distinct lack of noise coming from her room. So I guess I won’t be able to engage in voyeurism tonight. Upon slowly opening her door, I saw Minerva slumped over on her desk, evidently asleep. 

“Good grief,” I sighed as I carried the sleeping elf to her bed.

Once I had carefully laid her down, I covered her with a blanket and prepared to blow out the candle. But when I went over to her desk, I noticed a small pile of documents that she had been sleeping on. Said documents were freshly written, some of the letters even having been slightly smeared by Minerva’s arms. The contents of the papers discussed teaching methods and how they could be used to pass on skills to the Bureau clerks. 

I was certainly surprised by the development, since I hadn’t expected Minerva to consider my advice so seriously. Although her ideas were good for a first draft, they still need a fair amount of refinement. Even if I wasn’t hired for something like this, I think that this project would be a worthwhile investment of my effort. 

This is unimportant, but if anyone reading watches anime, I highly recommend that you start watching Tokyo Revengers if you haven't already. It's looking to be a gem for this season.

29