This is Part 13, Chapter 8.
Currently, the Amamiya Tower Management Layer sees frequent comings and goings not only from Kousuke and his wife’s group but also from others.
Among the most prominent are the six summoners, including Wahid, who have retired (?) from Crown’s various divisions.
They are now freely traveling the world at their own whim.
However, the reason they do this is to gather information so that Kousuke can travel the world as he pleases at any time.
Next in line is the investigation of locations related to the establishment of Crown Branches.
Riku, the current overseer, smiles wryly at Wahid and the others, who clearly declare such intentions, but he does not try to stop them.
He knows it would be futile to try.
Everyone involved understands the fact that Wahid and the others prioritize Kousuke above all else.
Even more active than the frequently traveling Wahid and his group are the members of the slave group who run the food stall in the town on the Fifth Floor.
Their food stall, now famous enough that no one in the town on the Fifth Floor is unaware of it, is a popular spot with a constant stream of customers.
While the size and number of food stalls have not changed, they have increased the number of people involved in preparation behind the scenes. As a result, their sales are incomparable to when they first started.
The profits generated by a single food stall are so high that it has become an object of admiration for aspiring merchants.
Although Floria is nominally in charge of managing these food stalls, the actual operations have been managed by the slaves who have long supported Kousuke from the shadows.
One of these slaves passed by Kousuke as he was walking down the corridor of the management layer.
“Oh, Eri. You’re here today?”
“No, I’m here to report this month’s results to Lady Floria.”
“Ah, I see.”
Floria, who often wanders around with Kousuke, has been able to successfully manage the popular food stalls because she receives regular reports from Eri and the others.
As the food stalls are operating smoothly, there is no need for them to take any major risks, and unless something extraordinary happens, their business is unlikely to falter.
Of course, if more dining establishments open, sales might stagnate, but for now, there seems to be no danger of that.
Eri is one of the slaves who effectively controls the operations of the food stall.
“Ah, that’s right. If Eri and the others are here, perhaps we can discuss that matter too?”
Kousuke muttered, and Eri tilted her head.
“Ah, no. I’ve been thinking about something for a while now… well, never mind. Let’s talk about it with Floria.”
“Eh, ah, yes.”
Eri, prompted by Kousuke, began to walk towards the meeting room she had been heading for, albeit with some hesitation.
Kousuke followed along with her.
***
When Kousuke entered the meeting room, Floria looked somewhat surprised.
“What is it, Kousuke? It’s rare for you to come to this meeting.”
Recently, the management has been completely left to Floria, so it was unusual for Kousuke to attend this meeting.
It was natural for Floria to react that way.
Kousuke nodded and replied to Floria.
“Yes, I remembered something I wanted to confirm.”
“Something you want to confirm?”
“Yes. Although it will be a long time from now, I was wondering about the succession of management.”
The Igirid and Vampires working at the food stalls are rotated depending on the situation.
However, the management team, including Eri and Sarasa, has been working continuously without change.
While this is perfectly fine for now, if they intend to keep the food stalls running in the future, they will need to find replacements for Eri and Sarasa.
Kousuke had been slightly concerned about this for some time.
Eri and Sarasa, being slaves, might normally be anxious about being dismissed, but in reality, they had no such worries.
They knew very well that Kousuke was not that kind of person, and they believed that even if they were removed from managing the food stalls, they would receive other jobs.
That’s how much trust they placed in Kousuke.
In fact, it might be better described as faith rather than trust, but Kousuke tried not to dwell on that.
Regardless, management was the priority for now.
“It’s fine if it ends with Eri and Sarasa, but if you intend to continue, don’t you think it’s time to start thinking about it?”
“Ah, that’s true.”
Floria nodded in agreement with Kousuke’s explanation.
Floria had also been thinking about that.
However, like Kousuke, she didn’t believe that anything would happen to them immediately, so she had put it off.
Sarasa’s face took on a thoughtful expression at Kousuke and Floria’s discussion.
“Successors, you say? It’s true that it would be better to train them from now on… but would they also be slaves?”
Since Eri and Sarasa are slaves, it would undoubtedly be easier if they taught their know-how to other slaves.
However, it would be a gamble whether they could find talents as capable as Eri and Sarasa.
Knowing this, Kousuke shook his head.
“No, I was actually thinking of hiring from elsewhere.”
“Oh? What a coincidence. Me too.”
Floria looked at Kousuke and grinned as she said that.
Eri tilted her head, watching Kousuke and Floria understand each other.
“Do you have someone in mind?”
“Yes. Well, it’s not so much striking a chord, but rather… anticipating their future, perhaps?”
Eri made an “Ah” face at Kousuke’s deliberately vague statement.
Looking at Sarasa next to her, she had the same expression.
Eri and Sarasa, who had simultaneously figured out who Kousuke and Floria were referring to, were met with a nod from Kousuke as he continued.
“Well, since that’s the case, why don’t you both go to the orphanage sometime?”
That’s right. Kousuke and Floria were suggesting that there might be suitable talent among the orphans at the orphanage.
The orphanage primarily teaches combat skills, but they also teach reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Furthermore, there are children who are not particularly skilled in combat, and it is not inconceivable that some of them might have a talent for management.
Therefore, they considered allowing them to be involved in the management of the food stalls.
Eri and Sarasa nodded simultaneously at Kousuke’s proposal.
Then, after observing the education provided at the orphanage, they were satisfied, believing that talented individuals capable of managing the food stalls would eventually emerge, and they returned.
New chapter begins!
