“Fifty cookies!”
“Me too!”
“Fifty for me as well!”
“R-right away! P-please, wait a moment!”
A few hours have passed since starting cookie sales. And things are unfolding as I anticipated.
There’s currently a long line for the cookie stall, with every customer ordering a max of fifty cookies. Why did this happen? It’s thanks to people networking, of course.
Initially, it was just customers buying out of curiosity, but after buying, they spread word of mouth, and others tried the cookies by getting some from buyers, letting them know the value of cookies as food.
Naturally, if it’s something valuable, you want to obtain it for yourself. Moreover, all the more so if it’s affordable – no commoner would pass it up.
Even without SNS, the mechanisms for useful information to propagate in this world are the same, only done word of mouth instead. News of a stall selling sweet cookies spread in a flash, and to ascertain the truth of that information, a long line formed at the stall.
According to the owner of a nearby stall, the line stretches uninterrupted all the way to the entrance of the outdoor market section – an unprecedented spectacle.
With twenty of us operating the swamped stall, since there’s only one stove at the stall, the cooking team can’t bake cookies fast enough to keep up with the customers’ orders, leaving them waiting.
While it’s generally not considered rude to make customers wait in this world, waiting can still be annoying.
“Oi, what’s taking so long!”
“Hurry it up!”
Naturally, some customers start complaining. That’s why I prepared the guard team adept at physical tasks.
“Sorry ’bout that. Just wait a little longer.”
“You’re a guy, right? Then stand there patiently. No woman will want an impatient guy.”
“Tch…”
“Ugh…”
The slaves I hired for the guard team basically look villainous. Led by deputy head slave Carifa, you can tell they’re rough characters at a glance.
Even as women, ordinary people would likely falter under their intimidation. But the other party isn’t necessarily an ordinary person.
“Hey, when can I order already!”
“Hm?”
The next complainer is a brawny adventurer-looking man in light armor. Undeterred by Carifa and the others’ glares, he scowls back.
As if flaunting his physique, he deliberately flexes his pectorals as if trying to intimidate us.
“You think you can look down on me! I’m B-Rank Adventurer [Barbarian Fighter] Bagan!”
“Sorry, Bagan-sama. As you can see, everyone is properly lining up. You’re welcome to not buy any if you have complaints.”
“Tch…”
There’s no relation whatsoever between lining up and being an adventurer. Perhaps sensing Carifa’s unspoken message that she’ll face him if needed, he quietly backs down.
Reaching B-Rank means he’s attained considerable status. But that also comes with a greater risk of losing that status.
Complaining about waiting and being denied would cost him his adventurer rank, defeating the purpose. That must be why Bagarn backed down.
“Cheeky slave wench… I’ll remember you…”
While withdrawing with snarling complaints, the leering smile the man is wearing gives me a bad feeling, but then I spot a familiar face tapping the man’s shoulder.
“Yo Bagan, fancy seeing you here. You heard of this stall too?”
“Well, I’ll be, if it ain’t Sir Gyrmzak. You here to buy some too?”
“Yeah.”
The one calling out to Bagan was Gyrmzak. We had reported our safety to the Adventurer’s Guild once, back when we had an incident in the demon realm.
As I absentmindedly watched the two, Gyrmzak seemed to sense my presence and our eyes met. Immediately, he approached with a refreshing smile.
“Master, long time no see!”
“You’re as lively as ever.”
“More importantly, you should drop by the adventurer’s guild once in a while. Seems like you haven’t been taking on any requests at all.”
“I’ve been busy lately.”
While Gyrmzak and I exchanged words, Bagan watched with blinking eyes. Gyrmzak, realizing that Bagan hadn’t met me before, introduced me.
“Ah right, this is your first time meeting him huh Bagan? He’s an A-rank adventurer like me and also my master.”
“I’m Rolando. Sorry about my slave earlier.”
“N-no, not at all! I’m the one who caused trouble! To think it was the stall run by Sir Gyrmzak’s master…”
“Hm? Did you cause some trouble for my master?”
Hearing Bagan’s apology, Gyrmzak’s demeanor instantly changes. When I say it’s no big deal, the dark air disappears and he reverts to normal, but Bagan seems rattled after sensing that in person.
“Come to think of it, what about the others?”
“They were returning from a faraway request yesterday, so I bet those three are still passed out at the inn.”
“I see. Here, take these to them.”
I take four servings of the commoner cookies sold at the stall out of storage and hand them to Gyrmzak. I even gave some to Bagan.
“Are you sure, Master?”
“I can have some too?”
“I don’t mind. Just don’t cause any unnecessary trouble for my slaves, okay?”
“I’d never trouble Sir Gyrmzak’s master!”
While I just meant to avoid potential hassles by giving them cookies, since I’m acquainted with Gyrmzak, Bagan seems to have lost any intentions of antagonizing Carifa.
After that, promising to visit the adventurer’s guild again, Bagan left with Gyrmzak. Gyrmzak was likely questioning him about what Bagan had planned to do, and wouldn’t stay silent if it involved causing me trouble.
“That smell is nice.”
“That sweet smell…”
“Is that the rumored cookies?”
After that, word of mouth grew, allured by the smell of baking cookies and word from customers who actually bought them, forming a huge line in no time. We hastily increased the number of stoves to deal with it, but still couldn’t keep up with the endless customers seeking cookies, leaving the slaves in chaos.
In the end, the craze showed no signs of abating even into the evening, but we ran out of the prepared ingredients and were forced to close up shop.
“Fifty cookies!”
“Me too!”
“Fifty for me as well!”
“R-right away! P-please, wait a moment!”
A few hours have passed since starting cookie sales. And things are unfolding as I anticipated.
There’s currently a long line for the cookie stall, with every customer ordering a max of fifty cookies. Why did this happen? It’s thanks to people networking, of course.
Initially, it was just customers buying out of curiosity, but after buying, they spread word of mouth, and others tried the cookies by getting some from buyers, letting them know the value of cookies as food.
Naturally, if it’s something valuable, you want to obtain it for yourself. Moreover, all the more so if it’s affordable – no commoner would pass it up.
Even without SNS, the mechanisms for useful information to propagate in this world are the same, only done word of mouth instead. News of a stall selling sweet cookies spread in a flash, and to ascertain the truth of that information, a long line formed at the stall.
According to the owner of a nearby stall, the line stretches uninterrupted all the way to the entrance of the outdoor market section – an unprecedented spectacle.
With twenty of us operating the swamped stall, since there’s only one stove at the stall, the cooking team can’t bake cookies fast enough to keep up with the customers’ orders, leaving them waiting.
While it’s generally not considered rude to make customers wait in this world, waiting can still be annoying.
“Oi, what’s taking so long!”
“Hurry it up!”
Naturally, some customers start complaining. That’s why I prepared the guard team adept at physical tasks.
“Sorry ’bout that. Just wait a little longer.”
“You’re a guy, right? Then stand there patiently. No woman will want an impatient guy.”
“Tch…”
“Ugh…”
The slaves I hired for the guard team basically look villainous. Led by deputy head slave Carifa, you can tell they’re rough characters at a glance.
Even as women, ordinary people would likely falter under their intimidation. But the other party isn’t necessarily an ordinary person.
“Hey, when can I order already!”
“Hm?”
The next complainer is a brawny adventurer-looking man in light armor. Undeterred by Carifa and the others’ glares, he scowls back.
As if flaunting his physique, he deliberately flexes his pectorals as if trying to intimidate us.
“You think you can look down on me! I’m B-Rank Adventurer [Barbarian Fighter] Bagan!”
“Sorry, Bagan-sama. As you can see, everyone is properly lining up. You’re welcome to not buy any if you have complaints.”
“Tch…”
There’s no relation whatsoever between lining up and being an adventurer. Perhaps sensing Carifa’s unspoken message that she’ll face him if needed, he quietly backs down.
Reaching B-Rank means he’s attained considerable status. But that also comes with a greater risk of losing that status.
Complaining about waiting and being denied would cost him his adventurer rank, defeating the purpose. That must be why Bagarn backed down.
“Cheeky slave wench… I’ll remember you…”
While withdrawing with snarling complaints, the leering smile the man is wearing gives me a bad feeling, but then I spot a familiar face tapping the man’s shoulder.
“Yo Bagan, fancy seeing you here. You heard of this stall too?”
“Well, I’ll be, if it ain’t Sir Gyrmzak. You here to buy some too?”
“Yeah.”
The one calling out to Bagan was Gyrmzak. We had reported our safety to the Adventurer’s Guild once, back when we had an incident in the demon realm.
As I absentmindedly watched the two, Gyrmzak seemed to sense my presence and our eyes met. Immediately, he approached with a refreshing smile.
“Master, long time no see!”
“You’re as lively as ever.”
“More importantly, you should drop by the adventurer’s guild once in a while. Seems like you haven’t been taking on any requests at all.”
“I’ve been busy lately.”
While Gyrmzak and I exchanged words, Bagan watched with blinking eyes. Gyrmzak, realizing that Bagan hadn’t met me before, introduced me.
“Ah right, this is your first time meeting him huh Bagan? He’s an A-rank adventurer like me and also my master.”
“I’m Rolando. Sorry about my slave earlier.”
“N-no, not at all! I’m the one who caused trouble! To think it was the stall run by Sir Gyrmzak’s master…”
“Hm? Did you cause some trouble for my master?”
Hearing Bagan’s apology, Gyrmzak’s demeanor instantly changes. When I say it’s no big deal, the dark air disappears and he reverts to normal, but Bagan seems rattled after sensing that in person.
“Come to think of it, what about the others?”
“They were returning from a faraway request yesterday, so I bet those three are still passed out at the inn.”
“I see. Here, take these to them.”
I take four servings of the commoner cookies sold at the stall out of storage and hand them to Gyrmzak. I even gave some to Bagan.
“Are you sure, Master?”
“I can have some too?”
“I don’t mind. Just don’t cause any unnecessary trouble for my slaves, okay?”
“I’d never trouble Sir Gyrmzak’s master!”
While I just meant to avoid potential hassles by giving them cookies, since I’m acquainted with Gyrmzak, Bagan seems to have lost any intentions of antagonizing Carifa.
After that, promising to visit the adventurer’s guild again, Bagan left with Gyrmzak. Gyrmzak was likely questioning him about what Bagan had planned to do, and wouldn’t stay silent if it involved causing me trouble.
“That smell is nice.”
“That sweet smell…”
“Is that the rumored cookies?”
After that, word of mouth grew, allured by the smell of baking cookies and word from customers who actually bought them, forming a huge line in no time. We hastily increased the number of stoves to deal with it, but still couldn’t keep up with the endless customers seeking cookies, leaving the slaves in chaos.
In the end, the craze showed no signs of abating even into the evening, but we ran out of the prepared ingredients and were forced to close up shop.
