It's been a few days since the Day of Souls. Everything is gently settled back into its usual pace, and so have we.
Right now, all of us are gathered for breakfast, and today's menu is anpan, another small invention from Earth, with a warm Heiligeichen's green tea. Everyone seems to like it, and Puck also gets its own tiny piece.
"Mmm! This bun is so soft, Motegi-chan!"
"This red bean stuff is so good, Motegi-kun! I could eat five of these!"
"The sweetness… the warmth… it pairs… really well… with tea, Motegi-sama…"
"Mmm~ It's sooo sweet. I love it, darling~!"
"By the flame of mine ancient scales… this is verily the finest bread mine tongue hath tasted, mine king!"
"Mmmhh~… what is this? It's so delicious, like a sin, honey~..."
"Soft texture with a stable gluten network. The filling provides balanced sweetness and slow-burning energy. Conclusion: it's satisfactory, Master."
"Kyuu!"
I finally take a bite myself. The warm, familiar taste spreads across my tongue, and I let out a small laugh.
"Hehehe… this really tastes just like the ones back home."
Anpan was my go-to back in Japan. Also, since I worked at the konbini, I'd bring home extra anpan almost every shift, usually with a cup of instant noodles and a can of beer. And honestly, that trio was like a blessing throughout my college days.
Speaking of konbini... I just remembered that my house right now is eight times the size of a konbini, as is the store downstairs that can accommodate eight sections. Seven of them are filled with toiletries, kitchenware, ceramics, furnitures and board games, masonry supplies, weapons and armor, and gemstones… and there's still one space left.
And I can't help but wonder... this isn't just a soap shop anymore, right?
Just as I'm lost in that thought, Salacia's question suddenly jolts me back to reality.
"Oh, darling? What about the octopus?"
"Ah! You're right, I think it's done already!"
I rush into the kitchen immediately. Once I lift the lid, the octopuses are curled up perfectly. Tender, not overcooked, just the way I wanted them. I fish them out, rinse them under cool water, and set them aside.
Earlier this morning when the girls returned from their usual cross-country teleport errands, Salacia had handed me a bundle of fresh, medium-sized octopus from Oserin. So, I'd started boiling them while prepping the anpan, and I'm so lucky that she reminded me just now.
Then, I turn to the marinade as I use both the juice and zest of orange, lemon, and lime. Olive oil, diced garlic, chili flakes, cumin, and oregano come next with salt and pepper. After that, I slice the heads from the tentacles, then place everything into the bowl, gently folding them through the marinade until they're well coated.
Finally, I slide the whole bowl into the fridge. But just before I shut the door, I raise my hand to cast a certain spell.
"Time Slow."
Since the octopus is for lunch, and we've already got the store's first shift to manage, I'd never have time to boil and marinate everything from scratch later. Doing this now means I can just cook them right away at lunch.
Still, there's a problem... I went heavy on the acid in the marinade. So if I leave the octopus in for too long, it'll toughen up by noon. And that's why Time Slow is needed because by the time we finish the first shift, which is a few hours from now, the marinade will have only passed about 30 minutes from its perspective.
With that, I close the fridge and return to the dining room. After the last bites are eaten, we let our stomachs settle, and then I speak up.
"I'm heading to the Adventurer Guild and Merchant Guild. I'll be back before we open the store."
And everyone has no problem with it.
"Okay, Motegi-chan!"
"Go ahead, Motegi-kun!"
"We await... for your... return, Motegi-sama..."
"Acknowledged, Master."
"Be safe, darling~..."
"Return swiftly, mine king."
"Don't make me wait, honey~..."
"Kyuu!"
With that, I head downstairs, and I step outside through the streets of Remantia. Along the way, I curiously open my status to see how much I've leveled up.
"Status Open."
Motegi Sekino
Age: 21
Race: Human
Level 72
HP: 74000/74000
MP: 74000/74000
Strength: 23000
Durability: 23000
Speed: 23000
Agility: 23000
Intelligence: 23000
Charisma: 23000
Willpower: 23000
Perception: 23000
Luck: 10000
Elements:
Fire
Earth
Lightning
Wind
Water
Cosmic
Light
Dark
Skills:
[Appraisal]
[Language Comprehension]
[Storage]
[Copier]
[Resistance]
[Hygienics]
[Blacksmithing]
[Carpentry]
[Pottery]
[Lapidary]
[Temporary Boost]
[Elemental Combo]
[Seedless]
[Fluffmaster]
[Infertile]
[Tailoring]
[Milky Touch]
[Aftercare]
"Great! Level 72 this time!"
The familiar status screen popped up in front of me, showing that I'm at level 72 now and all my stats have upgraded again. Also, thanks to my continuous daily consumption of the duplicated Fruit of Luck from the Hairloom, my luck stat keeps jumping impressively.
The moment I push open the Adventurer's Guild doors, Freddy greets me with his usual grin. I reach into my dimensional inventory and place everything out neatly on the counter.
"Ah, soap guy! Selling items again?"
"Yup, here you go."
"Thank you, wait a second..."
As usual, he counts the amount for a while and returns with a tray of coins.
"Okay, so you got 40 Green Coil's roots and 40 Poison Spider's spices. Each item has the same price, 2 large bronze coins. So that's 1 large silver coins and 6 silver coins in total."
"Thank you, Freddy."
Then, Freddy lets out a short laugh as he says something shocking.
"Hahaha! I still can't believe it, soap guy. You're a B-rank now. And on top of that, you've reached the second loop of the labyrinth. No adventurer's ever done that in Remantia."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. The furthest any human party's ever made it is the forty-eighth floor. That's the record."
"I see..."
Yeah, after we defeated the Ushabti Witch back on the sixty-third floor, I received another promotion to B-rank. And right now, we're already past floor seventy-one, which means… we've crossed into the second loop.
So if what Freddy says about humans dropping out before floor forty-eight is true, then the beastkin elders from Misdaras and the demis elders from Heiligeichen were absolute maniacs.
"Thanks for the info, Freddy."
I turn to leave, but I've barely taken two steps when he calls out to me, and I have to turn back.
"Oi, soap guy."
"Yeah?"
"If your party makes it to the eightieth floor. Bring those two A-ranks with you. I'll process their promotions to S rank."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"But don't they have to go back to Misdaras for that? I mean... isn't promotion tied to where you registered?"
"No. It doesn't matter what country or race. As long as their achievements are verified, any Adventurer Guild branch can handle the promotion process."
"Huh, got it..."
I can't help but smile at that news.
If we really manage to conquer floor eighty, then Yomogi and Chantal, the two A-ranks in our party, will finally join Kimberly and Pinna at the very top.
S-rank, or the highest rank any adventurer can reach.
They're my first two companions in this world, after all. They've been with me since early on, giving everything they've got as A-ranks, and I think they deserve to step up for all they've done so far. So honestly, I think they deserve it.
"Alright then, see you later, Freddy!"
"Later, soap guy."
After I finish my business there, I walk back to the streets and head towards my next destination, which is a local boutique I usually visit to sell labyrinth items.
"Ah, welcome back, sir! Here to sell more items?"
"Yes. Here you go."
"Thank you, sir. Let me process these quickly. Just give me a moment."
"Sure."
After I pull out the usual items from my dimensional inventory, the owner heads out to the back and returns with a tray and coin pouch soon after.
"Okay, so you have 80 Split Caterpillar threads, 80 Blitz Sheep wool, 80 Trull leathers, 80 Hando nails, and 80 Bitter Glider vairs. That brings you to 4 gold coins in total, sir."
"Thank you!"
I take the pouch and step back into the street for my next destination, which is a local jewelry store, and this is also my go-to place to cash out a specific drop item.
I step into a local boutique, and the owner immediately welcomes me with a wide smile.
"Good morning, sir! Here to sell the Super Scarab wings?"
"Yes, just as usual."
When Kimberly said the jewelry store would pay better for the Super Scarab wings than the guild back then, I didn't waste time to find this place.
"Here you go."
"Thank you, sir. Let me process for you for a moment."
"Sure."
A few minutes later, the jeweler returns with a tray and coin pouch.
"Okay, so you have 80 Super Scarab wings, and that brings you to 8 large silver coins in total, sir."
"Thank you!"
I take the pouch and step back into the street again for my last destination of the morning.
"Ah, Mr. Soap, welcome!"
The moment I enter the Merchant Guild, I see Tiffania welcomes me as usual.
"Morning, Tiffania."
"Good morning, Mr. Soap! Here to pay your taxes today?"
"Of course."
"Very well then, that will be two gold and five large silver coins."
I place the coins onto the counter, and she collects them.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
Since I'm currently a Class One merchant now, which is a person who owns the store outright, I'm obligated to pay taxes. And the system is very simple, as they average your daily income over the month, and then your tax is half that monthly figure.
Thinking back, during that first month after we moved into the new home, it was just the four of us back then: Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, and Pinna. But we were already pulling in five gold coins a day, which was 500,000 yen.
So, two gold and five large silver coins for tax is basically 250,000 yen. Honestly, considering that we're now earning over one million yen in daily sales lately, this tax rate isn't a problem for me.
Aside from that, there's also one major advantage I have over every other merchant. Not just in Remantia or Acrusse, but even compared to Earth's top businessmen, too.
[Copier].
With that skill, I never run out of anything. I always duplicate my finished products before the girls put them on shelves, and I don't even have to scramble for raw materials because I can just make copies of them anytime I want. That one little skill makes my entire operation nearly limitless with infinite resources.
So, I'm very grateful to have that skill.
"Alright then. Thank you, Tiffania."
"Keep up the great work at the store, Mr. Soap!"
"Of course!"
After that, I step outside and head home. Arriving there, I push open the front door, and the thing that awaits me is...
"I'm home."
"Welcome home!"
"Kyuu!"
Yomogi, Chantal, Kimberly, Pinna, Salacia, Manas, and Lilith are already dressed in their sexy clerk outfits, and Puck is chirping delightfully on the floor.
With that, I scoop Puck up and rest it on my shoulder, then I take my usual spot behind the counter. Then, the girls move to the front and swing open the doors, stepping outside and saying in unison.
"Welcome to the store! Please enjoy your visit!"
Once the customers pour in like a flood, another busy day begins until the first shift ends at noon.
LUNCH TIME
When the last of the customers filter out, the girls lock the doors, and we all head upstairs. As the girls and Puck take their seats at the table, I immediately rush into the kitchen.
I take the octopus out of the fridge along with some potatoes. Setting the octopus aside, I begin peeling and chopping the potatoes into even cubes before boiling them in salted water until tender.
Then, I fire up the grill and put the marinated octopus over it. I keep brushing the marinade over them as they cook, and by the time I'm done, the octopus looks perfect already.
At the same time, the potatoes finish cooking right, so I drain them and let them cool for a while. I melt butter in a small pan, then add diced garlic and freshly chopped parsley. Once it's ready, I pour the butter mixture over the potatoes and toss them gently until every piece shines.
Finally, I plate the octopus and potatoes into eight equal portions, then I head out of the kitchen and carry everything on a large tray.
"Lunch is ready, everyone!"
Their reactions hit me immediately once I set each plate on the table and slide a tiny bowl for Puck with just boiled, chilled octopus and a modest scoop of buttered potatoes.
"Mmm! It smells so good already, Motegi-chan!"
"My stomach's seriously growling right now, Motegi-kun…"
"It looks… so mouthwatering… Motegi-sama…"
"Visual harmony is high, aroma suggests balanced acidity, and ingredient distribution is optimal. Probability of a satisfactory meal… exceeds ninety-seven percent, Master."
"Ooh~... I love octopus, darling~..."
"Let us tarry not. 'Tis time we partook, mine king."
"I really can't wait anymore~. This looks amazing, honey~…"
"Kyuu!"
As I take my seat and speak...
"Alright, let's dig in then."
Nobody wastes even a second, and reactions burst one after another as they take a bite.
"Mmm! I can't believe this marinade works on octopus too, Motegi-chan! It's so good… and a little spicier!"
Yes, Yomogi's right, though.
That citrus-spiced marinade was actually a Misdaras classic for chicken, and she'd made it before. So when Salacia returned with fresh octopus, I knew the basic lemon–olive oil combo wouldn't satisfy me. That's why I chose the Misdaras recipe... with one twist from chili flakes, the ingredients can only be found in my terrace garden.
Chantal, Kimberly, Manas, Lilith, and Pinna give their own commentary as Puck nibbles its plain portion.
"This is incredible! I seriously can't stop eating, Motegi-kun!"
"I can taste… so much citrus inside. It's so refreshing, Motegi-sama…"
"Not over-spiced… yet it pleaseth me… exceedingly, mine king."
"Mmh~! It's so chewy… and the potatoes are delicious too. You really spoil us, honey~…"
"Octopus protein structure is firm but yielding. Marinade acidity enhances tenderness. Buttered starch provides contrast in both texture and caloric profile. Flavor synergy is optimal. The dish is fully satisfactory, Master."
"Kyuu!"
And then, Salacia sighs dramatically between bites.
"Why must my kin be so weak and delicious~? It feels unfair, darling~…"
Honestly, Salacia's comment reminds me of something.
Through [Fluffmaster], Yomogi pants like a puppy from my headpats, and Chantal mewls like a kitten when I scratch her chin. But with Manas and Salacia, their charm shows in how they eat their own kin... Manas declaring lindworm and wyvern meat weak, and Salacia acting mock-tragic about squid and octopus being too delicious. So, watching these four beastwomen express themselves differently somehow makes them unique for me.
Then, I finally take my own bite, savoring the flavors in my mouth.
"Oh yeah, this is really just incredible..."
And just like that, we continue enjoying our lunch together and reopen the store soon after.