Hideout in Another World: I Tried Building a Secret Base in the Middle of Nowhere

Chapter 90: Resumption of Outdoor Stalls and Customers

It’s been five days since I started going to Savoia.

Hajiramu still hasn’t returned.

Seems like Menas’ assessment was correct after all.

According to the staff at the mercenary agency, the situation around the Tamir Mountains is quite dire.

Monster extermination isn’t going well either.

Thinking ahead to the next move, he intends to hold out as long as possible until establishing a base.

However, it seems the morale of the mercenary forces is reaching its limit, and it’s expected that they’ll return to Savoia soon.

On the other hand, the street stalls are doing remarkably well.

I raised the prices significantly as Melanie suggested, and surprisingly, there was hardly any resistance.

Perhaps I was overthinking it a bit.

It seems that price fluctuations from day to day in the Savoia market are not uncommon.

However, only Master Oscar seemed a bit lonely.

“Oh, if only I could have two cups a day… with my earnings…”

“Well, I’m also considering various new products, so look forward to them. Anyway, about that package…”

“Oh, those are the boxes and cups and saucers you requested. They’ve been ready for a while!”

“My apologies. By the way, what about the payment…?”

“We received payment in advance for the boxes, and Marie took care of the cups and saucers. Oh, Kuro! Mine with extra strength, please!”

“Gyau-gyau, gyau-gyau!”

As Kuro was about to start preparing coffee, he called out to her.

Kuro, being used to this, understood and waved him away.

But Marie had already settled the payment before heading to the capital.

Not just Oscar, but there’s more than just him loitering around the stall since its reopening.

In fact, more than half of the ten or so seats I prepared are occupied by customers who similarly occupy them for long periods.

However, these people, annoying as they may seem, surprisingly don’t cause much trouble. They call in acquaintances passing by or even help Kuro for some reason.

Of course, these lingering customers are mostly regulars who have been coming to the stall for a while, but overall, there seems to be quite a few elderly customers with both money and time to spare.

In fact, Oscar seems to be the only one clearly lacking in funds, while the others are decently dressed and exude a sense of composure.

Among them, the one who stays the longest is the old man from the fabric store, who also happens to be the owner of the shop I asked Thomas to make fabric for Elizabeth.

Since Thomas wouldn’t talk, he stuck to Thomas’ shop himself to learn about my relationship with him.

He immediately gathered information about us, stormed into the stall that same day, and started bombarding us with questions.

Initially, I managed to dodge his inquiries, but it gradually became tedious, so when I mentioned Kidanakemo’s fur, he seemed satisfied and quietly drank his coffee before leaving.

I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with this noisy old man again, but for some reason, he started coming to the shop every day after that.

According to him, he comes up with business ideas while drinking coffee and watching Shiro, Gisella, and Kuro.

It’s a pretty dubious reason, but every time he comes, he brings a lot of fabric scraps for them, which is quietly helpful.

Seeing Kuro jumping with joy at the scraps is like watching a grandfather dote on his grandchild, but his gaze at Gisella’s chest seems slightly suspicious.

“Hey, you pervy old man! Put a cushion on this chair I made!”

“It’s annoying, Oscar! I’ve already arranged for those things!”

In addition, there are people who seem to have a certain amount of money and time to spare, joining the conversation with coffee in hand and leaving casually afterward.

During these four days, such scenes have gradually become familiar as part of the new daily landscape.

However――, the woman wandering in front of me seems to be a bit different from the usual customers.

She’s wearing a navy blue robe that clearly denotes high status, and she’s been pacing around the stall, discreetly observing us from a distance.

Though she probably thinks she’s hiding, with the hood pulled down low over her eyes and her strange movements, she stands out quite a bit.

A little distance away from the suspicious woman, the mercenaries observing from behind are undoubtedly her escorts.

After wandering around the shop restlessly for a while like that, the woman clenches her hands tightly as if making a decision and heads straight toward us.

“Um, excuse me!”

“Gyau-gyau!”

“Huh, what? Gyau?”

However, despite approaching with determination, she seems completely confused by Kuro’s unexpected response.

Since it’s clear that she holds some degree of status, I debated whether to use the respectful language I’ve recently started using, but I decided to respond in my usual manner.

“You’re a first-time customer, right? At this stall, we sell a drink called coffee for enjoying its aroma and bitterness, along with a snack called chocolate.”

“I see. Um… so…”

“The price includes the seat, so it’s a bit expensive, but it’s quite delicious. If you’d like, give it a try.”

“Then… may I have one, please?”

“Sure thing, thank you for your purchase! Will you wait at that seat over there? Also, this one’s name is Kuro. She’s my important partner and, well, a sort of imp.”

“Gyau-gyau!”

“Yes! …Huh? Imp? Uh… Gyau…?”

After successfully placing her order and showing a little relief, she repeatedly tilts her head while looking at Kuro out of the corner of her eye and walks over to her seat.

Her golden hair peeking out from the blue robe and her rare fair skin in Savoia attract attention.

“Bonus, you’re staring too much.”

“The guards seem worried.”

Shiro and Gisella, who were just discussing accessories with Melanie, have somehow ended up standing behind me.

“Gisella, do you know who she is?”

“Nope, no idea~. But she doesn’t seem like an ordinary person.”

“True… well, for now, she doesn’t seem harmful, so let’s not pry too much. Oh, Kuro. I’ll take this.”

“Gyau-uu?”

“This is for that lady, right? Please handle the boss’ order.”

Kuro and I carry the cups over to the customers.

Oscar, in his usual manner, shamelessly boasts about the chairs, tables, and coffee sets he made.

The woman who was a customer earlier seemed a bit taken aback, but she seems to be having a surprisingly normal conversation.

The regular customers who were quietly observing also subtly join the conversation.

“Gyau-uu!”

“Here you go, sorry for the wait~. This is your coffee. If you’re not a fan of bitterness, would you like some goat’s milk in it? How about that?”

“Um, well… I don’t particularly dislike bitterness, but… um, it’s a bit scary, so could you please put some in?”

“Of course! Today’s goat’s milk should be especially delicious, so I actually recommend adding it.”

“Oh! That occasionally exquisite goat’s milk! Put a little in mine too!”

“Alright, alright.”

“Oh my! What a lovely scent…”

With graceful movements, the woman lifts the cup with the saucer and takes a small sip, letting out a soft voice as she touches her lips to the cup.