- Silas -
The money brought by the two people from the Totsuki Academy came at the right time.
After buying the house and renovating everything, I was a bit short on cash. With this, I could pay Rimuru and Ainz and even have something left with me to buy ingredients.
While my System only had limited abilities and I didn't even know how to level it up, it did give me the ability to buy anything which could be used as ingredients.
The only catch was money.
If I wanted to buy pricey ingredients and practise more, I would need to use money from my side.
This always left me in need of money if I wanted to improve my cooking skills and make different types of dishes.
"Why don't you start a business?" Ainz said, while he played his game.
Saitama had won the previous Pokemon challenge and this time Ainz and Rimuru were giving it their all to win.
"I am already running a Restaurant." I replied. "In fact, with the number of customers increasing, I don't have enough time to do anything, let alone start another business."
Starting a business was not as easy as speaking.
"Moreover, the last mess makes it difficult for me to go around. People are on the lookout for some Devil from what Lavinia has told me about and while things have calmed down, it has not completely settled down. Zeref's last attack had really cleaned out everyone in that organisation in the entire country."
All three of us shivered at the sudden reminder of the day.
Seriously, Zeref was something else.
"Me suddenly appearing in the area would cause many eyes to turn in my direction."
"Hmm, that's indeed a problem." Ainz turned a page of the magazine.
"You could always get someone to manage the business for you. Maybe, have Lavinia do it for you? As for the staff. I think this area is controlled by the Youkai." He asked.
"The nearby area. This one is neutral but yes." I corrected.
"I can send some Kijin under your command. They would just be happy to help you out. They can set up a territory in this area. In this way, this will be established as a territory of the youkai and people wouldn't try to look for a Devil here. Oni are a type of Youkai, right?"
"They are." I answered, thinking about the plan.
"The Youkai can act as a cover for your business. As for what business you can do?
"Hmm, how about getting manga, anime and games from other worlds and selling them here? You can easily make a successful entertainment business. It wouldn't even be that hard. And both worlds will get amazing sources of entertainment too. Sorry to say this but your world's entertainment….it's severely lacking. It will be a win for everyone."
"Moreover, it's not a business relating to supernatural things so it will be relatively safe."
"I have no idea how to set it all up." I only knew things about the Restaurant business because my dad had one.
"That's fine. We can figure things out."
"That would be taking advantage of all of you. You have already done too much for me."
"Don't mind it. This will also help us considering that some of the things from the modern world will be very convenient for our worlds. And without you, it wouldn't have been possible anyways. You help just by existing. To be honest, this was our original plan and it would be kinda sad to not see it fulfilled."
"Hmm. I wouldn't mind some funds to buy games and other stuff from the modern world. If you are worried about taking advantage of us, we could always become shareholders. For example, there is a comic convention in a month. We can lay a foundation for our business there." Ainz pointed out in the magazine.
The idea did sound good.
At this time, the door to the Restaurant opened and a little girl who looked around ten walked in. She was wearing a military cosplay uniform and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Now, the military cosplay part might have been a bit doubtful because of the all too real rifle she was carrying. To be honest, she looked like a fantasy nazi.
I noticed that her steps were measured and too much like a real soldier.
Her eyes turned around the place, widening as she looked at us. She immediately jumped back and brought out her gun and light flashed on the tip of her gun but before she could fire, the shop neutralised the magic.
She looked with shock at her rifle and shot from her place with the knife on the rifle raised towards us but Rimuru shot a string of spider silk, tying her to the spot.
She struggled, even when she was bound on the ground.
"So, what's the case with her?" Rimuru asked.
"Ah, Ainz must have scared her." Out of all us Saitama replied, making the skeleton look abashed, if skeletons could even look like that.
"I forgot to wear the mask. Wasn't expecting anyone to come at this late hour."
I got down in front of the girl. "I will remove the cover from your mouth but I need you to be quiet and listen to me, alright? Nod if you understand."
She looked at me with anger enough to burn a hole through my skull but nodded nonetheless.
"This place is a restaurant between worlds. Not exactly a part of any world but a space connecting them. Do you understand?"
She looked unimpressed but nodded nonetheless.
"This guy might look like a skeleton from a B Grade horror movie. "Hey!" But, he is not a bad guy. He is a human or rather was a human who got transferred to a different word but got stuck in a skeleton body. Reincarnation if you will call it or in this case, transmigration."
"I was reincarnated in a slime body. I was dying and heard a voice which asked me questions and the next thing I knew, I was in a cave with a giant dragon." Rimuru raised a hand and offered.
"Well yeah." I shrugged. I did notice the widening of her eyes at this point. "So, before you start trying to kill anyone, do understand that I will kick you out of the restaurant and ban you forever if you do so. Are we clear till here?"
She nodded.
"Good." I removed the string covering her mouth and she became relaxed or rather composed herself better than before.
"Now, who are you and would you like to eat something?" I smiled.
She however sat down on a chair and stared at us for a while and then picked up the menu. "A Ramen."
"Sure."
I went inside to make a bowl of ramen while keeping an ear out to listen in on the conversation.
"So, why did you attack us, kid? Was big bad Ainz really that scary?"
"You say that you were reincarnated, what did you do before that? What kind of voices did you hear?" She asked, I assume Rimuru.
"I was a salaryman. Had a run in with a mugger and got killed. The voice was asking what I wished for."
"Hmm, it does sound like him. Did he appear in front of you? I mean, did he talk through other people?"
"Don't know, I was blacking out so I could only hear voices. Wait, are you?"
"Tanya Degurechaff. Former Japanese resident, a salaryman. Do you think I can go back home from this world?" She introduced herself, although I could still hear a tinge of suspicion in her voice.
Another isekai character.
What's my shop? A gathering place of isekai characters?
"Well… there are several Japan's in the world. Ainz was from a far future version of Japan, another guy Hayato comes from a completely different version of Japan. In fact, Silas, the owner, is also from a different version of Japan. So, I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you."
"Hmm, thought so. It really isn't easy."
"Wait, you said him. Do you know the guy who reincarnates people?" Ainz asked.
"Really? Do you think he can be the same guy who reincarnated me?" Rimuru asked.
Even my ears perked up at this. I mean I was reincarnated as well.
"I call him Being X. He's…"
We didn't get to listen to anything else as I felt a presence enter the shop, I left the ramen and came out quickly to see the figure of a man walking in, almost like a zombie. That said, the aura around the zombie was strong.
"So your faithlessness has even attracted the attention of devils and monsters? Are you still going to oppose me even at the cost of condemning your soul to demons?" A voice, completely foreign to the one expected of a zombie, sounded as it started at Tanya.
Seriously, what's up with today?
"You wanna bet against it?" The girl mocked.
I mean the guy was supposedly a God or something similar, right?
Stop mocking it.
"It is all futile. You must be guided towards the path of a believer. Let me show you how even demons or monsters cannot help you with this."
The aura thickened and I sensed an attack forming..
Okay, time to stop this.
The Restaurant crushed the aura in the very next moment.
The Zombie looked confused.
"Guest, what would you like to eat? If you don't have anything to order, I suggest that you leave and not cause trouble within the premises. This is private property and I will be forced to take action if you do so."
"A creature seeped in demonic power. Your soul is irredeemable. I feel sorry for you."
….
"Oi, are you the guy who reincarnates people in different worlds?" Rimuru got up from the seat and asked the zombie but I don't know why a very strange silence fell over the room.
"It is but a mere part of my power. Rejoice at being able to witness my presence monster. Do not fear for I shall grant mercy to your souls and purge you right now."
The next moment, the zombie was blasted to the side of the Restaurant, against a wall. "Return my dick, you crazy bastard!"
….
I don't think anyone expected that. Not even the zombie guy. Not even when he was devoured by Rimuru.
It was only after a minute that he stopped. "Oh!"
"What?"
He looked around sheepishly. "According to Great Sage, it was not this guy."
….
Did you just accidentally kill the wrong guy? Also, don't act like you don't remember what you just shouted. I thought to myself but didn't say out loud.
"Also, it was only a possession. The one it was possessing was already dead. I got some Skills from devouring it."
I let out a sigh and just went back to finish cooking the Ramen. I should have accepted such a life when I got this System in the first place.