#975 The Café Barista’s Secret

I’m Clemon.

I’m a vibrant and lively young girl living in the Demon Capital!

However, my life plan is set in stone.

My dream is to become a bureaucrat and work for the Demon Kingdom. So right now, I’m studying hard at school!

But before I can dream long-term, I have to deal with reality.

To live healthily and with a bit of excitement every day, I need money more than anything!

The allowance from my parents in the countryside wasn’t enough, so I decided to get a part-time job that I could do between my studies.

Even students need money, and the experience from part-time work will surely be valuable in the future!!!

So, I started searching for job ads, but finding a job that fits perfectly is tough.

Working as a maid in a mansion means being on call all day, and if the lord takes a fancy to me, that could be trouble.

This part-time job doesn’t fit my schedule...

That one has the right hours, but it’s too far, and the daily commute costs as much as the hourly wage!

And this one pays too little!!!

After being picky about various options, I finally found a part-time job that was neither great nor terrible.

I couldn’t afford to be too choosy, so I decided to go for it.

Luckily, I went for the interview and got hired smoothly.

They told me to start the next day if I was available.

It seems like a pretty flexible workplace.

Since I would get a decent salary, I had no complaints and decided to start the next day.

Huh?

You want to know what kind of job it is?

Oh, I haven’t mentioned the crucial part yet.

I got a job at a newly opened café.

My job is to serve drinks and dishes to the customers.

For some reason, young women seem to be more popular for this job.

Recently, cafés have been popping up all over the Demon Capital, and the demand for waitresses has increased equally.

...Ah, by the way, a waitress is a woman who takes the menu to the customers.

Many women at my university also work as waitresses. They often talk about which uniforms are cute, which staff meals are delicious, and which cafés attract high-ranking officials with their magic tablets.

I also aspire to be a high-ranking official in my country, so I admire such sophisticated cafés...

But those places have such complex orders that I don’t feel confident I can handle them!

So, the place I got hired is far from being a large chain with spell-like orders. It’s a small, privately-owned café.

Moreover, it’s off the busy main street, tucked away in an obvious back alley.

Is this a dud of a café?

Did I pick the wrong place to work?

I was horrified after getting hired.

What makes it worse is the café’s owner.

He’s called Master, but...

This Master is so unreliable and hard to pin down.

For example, one day at work...

***

“Master! You messed up the order again! We got coconuts instead of nuts!”

“Huh? Really? My mistake.”

The café’s barista is named Gray Silva.

He’s always smiling carelessly and is a bit of an enigma.

“Well, it’s fine, right? Most customers just order coffee and don’t ask for snacks. Even if we run out of nuts, no one will complain.”

“That’s why we don’t get more customers!”

“Instead, why don’t we offer coconut drinks? They might sell well. Do we have anything to make a hole in the coconuts?”

“Please take this more seriously!”

This café is run in a very slapdash manner.

I’m amazed it’s still in business.

But this place... while it’s not exactly bustling, it’s not completely empty either.

There are always two or three customers who seem to be well-dressed nobles or wealthy merchants.

Cling-a-ling.

...The doorbell chimes.

Oh, we’ve got another customer.

“Hey there, Gray Silva. I came to hang out.”

“Drink your coffee and leave quickly.”

Master!!!

How can you say that to a customer who just walked in?!

“I don’t say this to other customers. But this guy is just here to slack off.”

“That’s a misunderstanding. I’m taking a voluntary break during work hours.”

“You spend most of your work hours on breaks, don’t you? You have important decisions only you can make, so at least stay in your office.”

“It’s fine. If it’s something only I can decide, I can just bring it to the Demon King, and he’ll handle it.”

“That defeats the purpose of the Demon King giving you full authority.”

“I just wanted to live peacefully in a low-key position. Being in a responsible position isn’t worth it.”

Huh? Who is this person...?

Could he be someone important?

“I’m just a humble commander of the army. Honestly, I’d love to hand the job to Mamoru right now.”

Army commander... isn’t that the top position in the Demon King’s Army?

So, could this person be one of the Heavenly Four, Belphgamilia, entrusted by the Demon King to lead the army?!

...No way, right?

This must be one of those guys you see in bars who spin tall tales to make themselves look big.

But still, pretending to be Lord Belphgamilia could get him in serious trouble, right?

Is it really okay for someone like this to be hanging around this shop?

What if we get caught up in something bad?

“Well, Gray Silva, you knew I was slacking off and didn’t immediately kick me out, so you’re just as guilty.”

“A slacker’s still a customer. We have to keep the business running, or we’ll go under. So, how about you drink your coffee and scram?”

“Is that really the best compromise you can come up with?”

I think I might have ended up in a much sketchier job than I thought...

Master is always smiling and unreliable, and as a businessman, he’s so careless that I wouldn’t be surprised if this place goes under any day now.

Well, as a part-timer, I just need to hold on until I finish my studies and become a proper bureaucrat.

Maybe for about a year or two... will this place even last that long?

With customers who speak in such strange dialects, I’m sure this shop does a lot of careless things.

What if we get into trouble with the authorities, and it affects me too...?

...That’s it.

I should find another job.

Whether I become a bureaucrat or not depends on these few years as a student.

I can’t let my precious time be wasted!!!

I need a job that’s more peaceful, safer, and preferably one that pays a bit more!

So, I started looking for job ads again and found something good.

Beginners welcome! No qualifications or experience needed!

Work hours, as much as you like, whenever you like!

Pay, as much as your ability allows!

Plus, free transportation! Meals included! Possibility of full-time employment! Friendly environment!!!

Wow, is there really such a great job?

It looks like a recent listing, so I missed it before, but it’s not too late now!

I’ll apply for the interview, and if it goes well, I’ll quit the coffee shop.

The business there is so random that they probably won’t mind if one part-timer leaves!

I am Clemon! The future bureaucrat of the Demon Kingdom!

I can’t afford to stumble at this stage of my student life!

***

And so, on the day of the interview...

My future is looking not just bleak but outright dark.

“Is this all the girls lured in by those ridiculous job conditions?”

“Yeah! We got quite a haul this time!”

In a dimly lit, warehouse-like place, about ten young women, including me, are surrounded by even more men.

Um... is this the interview venue?

“We’ve got a clueless one here. You’re all being sold. As our merchandise, that is,” says the shadiest-looking man in the middle of the group. “This is our business. We kidnap cute girls from the Demon Capital and sell them to corrupt lords in the provinces. It’s a lot of money for a bit of effort, right? Great job, isn’t it?”

For you, maybe!

For me, it’s a disaster!

What’s happening?! I got tricked by a sweet job offer and ended up targeted by criminals!

If this continues, my bureaucratic dreams are over!

Someone, please save me from this mess!!!