Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou Zero - Volume 5 - Chapter SS3

In Search of My Beloved Synergist — Part 4

In Damdrak, the capital of Uldea and the beautiful city of water, was a small, unassuming restaurant.

“Welcome to the Water Fairy!” a cheerful young girl’s voice said as another group of customers walked in. You could tell she truly enjoyed her job.

“Asha-chan, can we order some more?”

“Seconds here as well, please!”

“He he he, you all eat so much! I’m impressed!”

The young waitress had her short indigo hair in a ponytail, which bobbed back and forth as she ran from table to table. Her large breasts also bounced up and down underneath her apron as she worked. This was, of course, the same Asha—age sixteen—who’d worked at a restaurant in Velnika that Oscar used to frequent. She’d left Velnika in search of Oscar, and her love for him was so great that she had begun calling herself his wife everywhere she went. Of course, the adventurers she’d once hired as guards—the broom-headed Bibitori and the bald Hetarei—were still with her as well.

“Man, I thought I’d have to close up shop, but business is booming again thanks to you, Asha. In fact, you should just take over the restaurant.”

“Do go on, Boss,” Bibitori said, suddenly interested.

“Give it up, Bibitori. Even if Asha takes over, there’s no way she’ll run the restaurant with and marry you. If you hope for too much, you’ll just be disappointed again,” Hetarei said.

“Shut up! What’s the point of being an adventurer if you don’t dream big?!”

Until recently, the group had been traveling with a certain pirate crew, but after they’d heard tales of Oscar’s various sexual exploits—none of which were true—from a bunny girl innkeeper who liked to fantasize a little too much, Asha had declared that this was no time to be having fun on the high seas and set off in search of Oscar once more. But by the time they reached Damdrak, the group had run out of money and were now working at this restaurant to earn some more.

“Now, now, Hetarei-kun, there’s no need to be so pessimistic. I’m getting on in years and Asha-chan really does know how to run a business, so I wouldn’t mind handing over the restaurant to her.”

“Well, she is the only daughter of a popular restaurant’s owner back home, so it stands to reason she’s a good manager.”

“Though back home, everyone talks about how she uses underhanded means to keep customers coming back.”

Those words had real weight coming from an adventurer Asha had tricked with her feminine wiles and who ended up joining her on a year-long trip around the world to find her crush. Still, Hetarei found it pathetic that Bibitori had gone back to pining for Asha after the pirate crew’s catgirl had turned him down. Though, he couldn’t deny that Asha had been born to wait tables.

Her smile had everyone, young and old, falling head over heels for her, and the way her skirt twirled as she danced between the tables bewitched the patrons. Even her voice made people like her, and just a short conversation was enough to make them think she cared about them. She was quite agile as well, catching cups before they fell off of tables and preventing spills ahead of time. She could also tell when someone was full and engaged them in conversation long enough for them to digest before they were ready to order more. In a way, she was also the ally of maidens in love everywhere. Whenever she heard a man badmouthing his girlfriend, she’d give him a squeeze of lemon in the eye and comfort their poor girlfriends. Last but not least, she made sure to win the patronage of everyone who was hesitant about whether or not they wanted to eat at this restaurant. She’d run outside at mach speed whenever an unsure customer passed by and used a variety of tricks to lure them inside.

“She’s become superhuman. I know they say journeys change people, but...”

“She’s evolved more than she’s changed.”

“Splendid! Absolutely splendid! I suppose leaving the restaurant to her is the right choice after all,” the owner said, tears of emotion streaming down his eyes. Asha walked over, looking perfectly content despite how busy she was.

“Boss, we’ve got another order.”

“That can wait! Asha-chan, please take over my store!”

The customers glared at him, as did Bibitori and Hetarei. Asha just looked at him in surprise. He took her hands and gave her a pleading look. Sensing that he was serious, Asha, too, put on a serious expression and shook her head.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid I can’t.”

“But why not? Do you not like this restaurant? Or is the capital itself not to your liking?”

The customers gulped, waiting for her answer. It had been only half a month since Asha had started working here, but the regulars that had drifted away were all back now, and most of the new customers came here specifically for Asha. They cared a lot more about where Asha was going than the restaurant itself.

“Oh no, this city is wonderful. All the customers are good people and the restaurant is just adorable. That’s why I applied here in the first place, you know?”

The patrons blushed and the owner trembled with joy. Meanwhile, Bibitori and Hetarei shivered at how deftly she’d won everyone over.

“But I’m afraid I’ll have to leave soon,” Asha said.

“Why?! And where to?!”

Asha disentangled her hands from the owner’s and turned her back to him. She then looked wistfully out the door, making the customers watch on with even greater interest.

“Is it me or is she laying it on even thicker than usual?” Bibitori asked.

“I can easily tell where this is going,” Hetarei replied.

Asha flourished her skirt, then spread her arms out like a stage actor.

“I must go to him!”

There was a series of scrapes as the men in the restaurant slid back their chairs and fell to their knees in despair.

“I see. So there’s someone you’ve set your heart on, Asha-chan,” the owner muttered.

“That’s right. My husband is waiting for me.”

“He’s not your husband,” Bibitori retorted.

“Please don’t say his name, Asha-chan. I’m begging you,” Hetarei added.

They both knew how dangerous Oscar Orcus’s name had become. Hopefully, Asha remembered that as well.

“That’s why, Boss, I—“

“It’s fine, say no more. I understand completely.”

The owner went over to his safe and pulled out a heavy bag of gold, which he handed to Asha.

“Take it.”

“I could never take such a large sum!”

The male customers cheered her on through their tears, while the female ones talked excitedly about who her husband might be.

“Thank you so much, everyone. Your kindness makes me so happy.”

Bibitori and Hetarei stared off into the distance, their eyes dead. Just then, there was a loud rumbling, and the earth shook. Everyone ran outside to see a huge ship rising out of Ur Lake. Cascading waterfalls streamed from its deck as the black ship rose toward the heavens. The onlookers doubted their eyes.

After a few seconds of shocked silence, everyone, including Asha, shouted, “What the heck is thaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”

The unbelievable sight brought the restaurant owner back to his senses, so he decided against giving his entire fortune to Asha, meaning she had to continue working there for a while longer, never realizing that she’d been this close to her beloved synergist.