#578 The Barista Scout

Yes, it’s me.

We’re continuing our café arc.

Mr. Shax informed me that he had found a site to be opened in the capital, so I decided to check it out in person.

I have to see the important things with my own eyes, you know.

And so, I teleported to the Demon Capital and arrived at the place with Mr. Shax’s guidance.

“Oh, I’m already loving the atmosphere here...!”

In front of us is a lovely old Western-style building.

Inside is a counter, and the interior is decorated like a restaurant.

“It looks like we can start the business immediately without rebuilding. The orcs won’t be so happy about this, though...”

They’re construction fanatics, so they love to build whenever they get the chance.

Ah, but a little renovation is still needed.

I’ll ask Mieral to build us some nice chairs and tables.

“It’s located in a back alley, but that will allow you to spend quiet time away from the hustle and bustle. I believe it meets your requirement of ‘preserving the atmosphere.’”

“I like it!”

As expected of Mr. Shax.

He found an affordable place that fits my needs perfectly in this short time!

“It’s a very nice property! I bet it’s very popular!”

It’s fully furnished with everything I need, including countertops and such.

How fortunate that such an excellent property has remained unsold so far!

What about the lease fee?

“Haha...That’s the thing, Lord Saint.”

Mr. Shaks let out a dry laugh.

“This used to be a bar run by a businessman. He had the whole place decorated to his liking, including the menu.”

So the counter is what’s left of it?

But the fact that it’s for sale now means...

“He prioritized his own preferences that he could not gain the understanding of his customers. As a result, the restaurant closed due to poor profits. Since then, the property has remained vacant with zero buyers.”

This place has a more complicated history than I e

“As I mentioned earlier, it’s off the main street, so not many people pass by, and it’s a delicate location in that sense as well. Not to mention, the owner put his heart and soul into building the bar, particular about every detail, so it would be difficult to renovate from scratch...!”

There have been multiple instances in the past when restaurants have used the entire building to start a new business, but in the end, they didn’t do well and had to shut down.

It seems we’ve stumbled upon such a place.

“There are other potential sites, so I suggest you decide after we have looked at all of them, Lord Saint.”

“I’ll get this place.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”

I’m a man of swift decisions.

I like that it’s off the main street, which makes it feel like a hideout. And come on, the vibe this whole place gives!

It’s perfect for a café.

I’ll show them I can overcome the disadvantage of a little bit of pedestrian traffic.

My coffee holds that much power!

“A-Are you sure, Lord Saint? Of course, I’ll give you a discount since it’s not in the best location.”

“I’ll be paying in full.”

“Oh wow!”

We have saved up a lot of money from our various projects.

Platy told me to save up for Junior and our second child, but we have the budget, so it’s all right!

“You really are like a divine figure, Lord Saint...! But what about the workers and other necessary preparations...?”

“We’ll take care of everything.”

“Right, I thought so, haha...!”

Even if it’s a well-made building, it will still rot without proper maintenance, so our orc team will handle any minor alteration.

They might not be happy about the fact that they can’t build from scratch, but they might learn and even appreciate the opportunity to inspect a good building up close.

The furniture, tableware, and cookware will be handled by Mieral, Poel, and Aileron’s groups, respectively. 

...There’s a chance they won’t bother much because they’re so engrossed in their tea project, though. 

“I greatly appreciate the upfront payment, but since you’re doing everything, you won’t be spending an extra gold coin, huh...! You’re a tough customer to crack, Lord Saint...!”

I-I’m sorry...?

I’ll pay extra aside from what was discussed as an apology if that’s okay with you...!

“However! I am still a merchant! I don’t let business opportunities pass me by so easily!”

“You weren’t done?!”

“You’ll need employees when running a business! Our firm shall provide them!” says Mr. Shax as he draws closer.  “We already have the Izakaya Guild’s support, and they have prepared 3,000 experienced staff on standby!”

“That’s way too many!!!”

“As soon as we receive the go signal, they will come here and serve you. Guildmaster Samjirah and I both endorse their abilities! Surely, they’d be of help to you!”

No, we can’t do that right now because we have to do some refurbishing first.

Besides...

“We’ve already appointed someone to be the barista...!”

“What?!”

I’m sorry I haven’t introduced him to you yet. 

Please, come in.

“This is Mr. Gray Silva, who will be our café’s barista.”

“Pleasure to meet you.”

A middle-aged man appears—lean body and sharp eyes reminiscent of someone who has fought many battles.

It’s easy to tell at first glance that he is not to be messed with.

After all, he is an ex-mercenary who has been through many rough patches.

“H-He’s the barista, sir...?”

As expected, Mr. Shax trembles as he senses Gray Silva’s intimidating aura.

“Um... I don’t mean to be rude, but he doesn’t seem that respectable of a person. And by the looks of it, he’s a human! Won’t he be conspicuous working in the capital like this?”

“Times are going global, Mr. Shax.”

What’s wrong with a human making coffee in the Demon Capital?

This all started with Velesares’ request to protect a certain someone.

As the god of war, he also concerns himself with postwar situations, and apparently, he paid a great deal of attention to Mr. Gray Silva.  

Mr. Gray Silva, who was cracking down on criminals, had undoubtedly contributed significantly to the postwar chaos.

However, Velesares foresaw that he’d be conspired to death by a criminal organization that held a grudge against him if things continued as they were, so he entrusted me to deal with the situation, as he couldn’t directly interfere.

“To think a god was keeping a close eye on me this whole time...!”

Ever since I told him that story, Mr. Gray Silva would shed tears of joy at every opportunity.

Is this one of those flashback moments that happens after one has returned from the war?

“His Mightiness offered me a helping hand and even prepared a new stage of life for me...! All I can do now is do my utmost to repay the kindness shown by God and Lord Saint. I must work hard to make coffee and not be so naive as to say that I’m only born to slay people...!”

It’s reassuring to see Mr. Gray Silva motivated.

“Um, pardon me, but why him as the barista...? I understand the general flow of events, but not the connection between protecting him and recruiting him as café personnel...!” timidly says Mr. Shax. 

You misunderstand, Mr. Shax!

“There is no one better suited for this position than Mr. Gray Silva.”

“Is that so? But shouldn’t they at least have some customer service experience to qualify?”

You really don’t get it, do you, Mr. Shax?

“He’s a former mercenary, remember?”

“Yes, and...?”

“An ex-mercenary for a café barista sounds pretty cool, don’t you think?!”

You know, it’s one of those tropes where the mercenary who has been through hell is chosen to be the café barista for the rest of his life after retiring from the battlefield!

He may not be the friendliest, but just when he thinks his days will continue peacefully as he warmly interacts with his regulars, he meets a long-lost comrade from the war! 

“...Get it?!”

“Not at all, I’m afraid!”

“Anyway, for our café’s barista, being an ex-mercenary is a status symbol. He’s the perfect fit for that role.”

I’m just glad finding a barista, which proved quite difficult, was done so easily.

That’s the god Velesares for you, all right.

Bringing people together is what gods like him are good at!