By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 3

Chapter 7 Episode 3: Carme’s Concerns, Part 1

~Carme Norad’s Story~

I was awakened by a pleasant aroma—breakfast prepared by Chelma... But there was a brand new scent in the air this morning. It was pleasant, but I was eager to know what it was. This calming morning routine had been going on for over half a year, and I had grown accustomed to it.

With a few guesses as to the morning’s menu, I got dressed and headed down to the dining room of the dormitory.

“Oh, good morning!”

For some reason, my boss was helping prepare breakfast.

“Good morning,” I answered. “You’ve made it early today.” He also managed the north mines, so he usually commuted from there; he was seldom around here this early in the morning. I asked him what had happened.

“I stopped by Serge’s shop before going home, and we got carried away. We went straight to the Merchant’s Guild to see the guildmaster where he got carried away... Before I knew it, it had gotten quite late. The guildmaster was kind enough to let me sleep in the breakroom of the guild.”

“That explains it...” So he’d never gone home in the first place. If he rested well with that sleeping arrangement, it wasn’t my place to question it, but there was one thing I was curious about.

“What were you talking about with Master Serge and the guildmaster?”

“That’s right. It shouldn’t affect the business at the laundry shop, but I wanted to let everyone know that—”

“Good morning!”

Jane and the others had arrived.

“Chief?!”

“There he is, in the flesh.”

“Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning. Oh, Carme, I’ll tell you the specifics after breakfast.”

“Yes, sir.”

He went back to the kitchen to help prepare breakfast. He had been out late last night discussing whatever it was he was discussing, and now he was helping out in the kitchen from the crack of dawn... I wondered if he was getting enough rest.

In the meantime, the other employees poured into the dining hall. Soon breakfast was served, and our boss told us that ridiculous story like it was an everyday occurrence.

“So you’re diversifying into other industries?”

“To me, it’s a bit of preparation for my return to the Sea of Trees of Syrus and an investment in myself so I can accumulate more knowledge and better techniques. To that end, I suppose I will be diversifying.”

I understood what he was saying about preparations. While he could use space magic, which allowed him to carry much more cargo than others and have a safe space to sleep at night, I had heard that adventurers were often put into situations where the only resource they could rely on was themselves. And here he was, about to venture into a place that would make the top five list of most dangerous places in the nation. It was entirely plausible that he’d find himself in a situation where he would want to stock up on magical energy or would find himself unable to cast magic at all. If such a situation were to arise, he needed a different solution than magic. Of course, he would want to set up as high-quality camping gear and food as he could get to ensure that he could rest his mind and body well under those circumstances.

Even I remembered how I camped along the way to Gimul and ate preserved food that didn’t taste good by any stretch of the imagination; I was exhausted after I arrived. I had learned the hard way that traveling, even for a non-adventurer under the protection of guard, could wear you down fast. It only seemed natural that an adventurer who regularly traveled and camped, and who had money to spend, would want to pack the best quality goods.

But in what world does an adventurer jump to the solution of developing preserved food on his own...? Only in this one, I suppose. What’s more, he apparently has many more ideas that he wants to accomplish. Evidently, his long conversation last night involved discussion of how much he was going to diversify, how much contact, groundwork, and money would be required to do so. Plus, he had written letters for the guildmasters of the other guilds and the duke, landing him a spot on the guildmasters’ conference scheduled for three days from now...

“Hey, how much of that was real?” Hudom, the new hire, asked me. “I’m having a hard time believing all of that.”

“It’s all as real as my hand in front of my eyes.”

In fact, the rest of the staff were surprised but understanding; this wasn’t our first rodeo. Of course, the ‘normal’ reaction belonged to Hudom.

Starting with the boss’ itinerary from last night, a guildmaster tended not to accommodate last-minute visitors, let alone talk late into the night, with how busy they usually were. For such a well-known merchant as Master Serge, it was plausible that the guild would accommodate him, especially for urgent matters, but any guild would have had one of their men take a message and pass it along to the guildmaster at a later date. He was treated better than anyone could have expected, but one explanation made sense, considering the array of issues plaguing the city with the influx of workers.

“Job creation...” I muttered.

“You too, Carme...? Serge and Glissela said the same thing. I’ve been telling everyone that isn’t something I can just do on my own. I’m just investing in my future. I won’t deny that there’ll be a few extra jobs to go around at the end of the day.”

I couldn’t quite believe that he would do all of that solely for his own benefit. He always claimed that the laundry shop was a sort of insurance policy—that is, a source of steady income. Still, all he ever worries about is how the employees and slimes are treated, as well as our working conditions. Granted, that does net him satisfied employees, myself included, and high morale... But customers are next in line, and he always puts himself on the back burner.

This was something I was told to keep in mind when I was first sent to this shop by Master Serge, but I still would have been concerned about it without him having to tell me. Our boss just liked people a little too much. It was a virtue, certainly, but a precarious one for a businessman. I had a feeling that his selfless nature was what my sister and I were sent here to help him out with.

“Well, you definitely have a lot of preparations to make.”

“Exactly. I’d want to be prepared heading into a dangerous area like that.”

While true, it sounded like an excuse to create those jobs, to me. As far as I could see, the other employees seemed to share my sentiment. No one would say anything, but no one was buying our boss’s excuse either. As for Hudom, he was still doubting whether his new boss was being serious... I couldn’t blame him.

Of course, he does seem to have more than enough capital for the new business. If it was too risky of a venture, Master Serge or one of the guildmasters would have stopped him. If they’re willing to move forward with this, the endeavor was worth it. All I can do is continue to run the shop as best I can, and maybe eventually...

“Oh, speaking of... You asked me to look into other laundry shops that have appeared.”

“I did, right before I left for Fatoma. Did you find out anything?”

“More than nine in ten of the shops have folded. Without any cleaner slimes, and the need to rely on manpower to perform the laundry, I don’t think they were able to compete with us in terms of speed, quality, or price...but surprisingly, there is one shop that is still in business.”

“Really? What sort of shop is it?”

“A shop in the west end, run by a mother of two young children out of her home and former workshop.”

“How is their business doing?”

“Terribly. They seemed to be just getting by with the support of their friends and neighbors; her husband, who passed away last year, was very well respected.”

“I see... We’re on the east end, so having a branch in the west would make it more convenient for customers over there. I remember we do have many clients from the west since the refinery and a lot of workshops are over that way. It’s a good location, and it would be great to have someone already established in the community to help us start up. Of course, she may have her own thoughts on the matter; we can’t leave her out of the discussion. We should present our intentions for a buyout to her and explain the structure of management if she accepts.”

“That sounds reasonable. That would be a task too daunting for me, and some people may consider it a lack of respect if the actual owner is absent in the negotiations. I will help prepare for it, of course, and can accompany you to assist in the details of the contact.”

“Absolutely. Could you run me through the process of a buyout and the etiquette surrounding them? It’s all new to me.”

“Certainly, sir. Let us finish our breakfast first.”

After breakfast, we promptly moved to the office of the shop. We spent the day running through the process of a buyout, creating the necessary documents and contacting the business in the west end, as well as taking care of the necessary mountains of paperwork. Were these tasks so urgent that they had to all be completed in one day? His bad habit seemed to be rearing its head again.

Speaking with Master Serge must have had some sort of influence, but my boss always surpassed my expectations. He was the kind of person to spend too much time thinking about how to make things as optimal as possible and pile onto his backlog of work.

“Chief?”

“Whoa?! Oh, Hudom... You startled me.”

“Sorry, I did knock. Deep in thought, were you? Oh, did the boss go home already? Chelma asked me to bring over tea and snacks for you two.”

“Yes, we finished our work for the day. He said he wanted to get back home today.”

“Got it. Do you mind if I take the extra serving of these, then?”

“Go ahead. Waste not, want not.”

“Thanks.”

As soon as he said so, Hudom started noshing on the food. While he gave off a nonchalant attitude. I didn’t find it rude.

“You guys really finished all that paperwork together?”

“Yes. What of it?”

“How’s a kid his age able to do business paperwork? I couldn’t have powered through even one sheet of that at his age. I could barely even sit through school.”

“That’s your concern?”

Still, it did make me curious. Where did he learn how to do all that paperwork? He did ask me how to fill out some parts of it, and I had gotten the impression that he wasn’t used to the conventions of official paperwork when he filled some documents out for the guild, but he seemed comfortable, even skilled with the task.

“I did start learning it when I was about his age. I suppose it depends on the individual.”

My workload had been quite a bit less than the average worker, but it seemed plausible that our boss, who had been through a lot, seemed capable of these things.

“I do understand that kids can be talented in different things. But as far as I can see, I don’t think our boss fits that case... He’s not very childlike.” Hudom suddenly flashed a serious look, dramatically pausing for my input.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You ain’t wrong, that’s for sure.”

“Right? I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but something’s been on my mind.”

“What might that be?”

“It’d be great if I was imagining it, but hasn’t he been on edge for a while?”

“How so?”

“I mean, he seemed really nervous when we first met. I was told he’s a fairly chill individual, so I thought he was someone else at first. Today, it looked like he was overcompensating for his stress by forcing this cheerful demeanor...”

I was starting to understand his approach.

“What do you think?” Hudom asked.

“I didn’t get the same impression as you, per se, but he seemed more focused on work today. Like he wanted to finish everything as quickly as possible, considering how busy he’s going to be soon...”

“That’s another thing... He went to see the president of the Morgan company, right? How did they go from him checking on the aftermath of the arson to talking about a new business venture?”

“It may take some getting used to, but his thoughts can be sporadic sometimes.”

“Must be a sign of a genius. Isn’t it tough talking to someone like that?”

“It can be overwhelming at times. But he’s always happy to explain his thought process whenever I ask. I feel like that’s a common trait among scientists... He’s much better than the scientist client I knew from my old job, actually.”

“I think I know the type; they rattle on about stuff no one else can understand and wonder why you’re not following their logic. I guess our boss isn’t that bad, relatively speaking.”

That sounded quite specific...

“Do you know somebody like that, Hudom?”

He chuckled. “I’ve traveled all over the land looking for a challenge, so I had the chance to meet all sorts of people. Not that they aren’t nice, but it can be exhausting.”

We shared a laugh about that.

“Now that I think about it...” I started.

“What is it?”

“About him being on edge and not being childlike... Whenever a problem comes up, he tends to hit the ground running looking for a solution.”

“What do you mean?”

“He doesn’t ever get upset like a child. He handles his emotions like an adult... I dunno, it’s hard to explain.” I fell silent for a moment, and Hudom simply waited for me to speak again. I was beginning to see a glimpse of his seriousness in these moments.

“For example... Regarding talk of a new business at Master Serge’s, it seems like a natural progression, if you consider his position as a businessman.”

“Go on.”

“Bluntly speaking, words of concern aren’t going to put a single sute in Master Serge’s pockets.”

“Blunt, but true.”

Of course, it must have been nice to have a friend be concerned for his safety.

“Meanwhile, there’s the matter of losses he suffered from the arson—damaged merchandise and property, lost revenue during the closure, and the cost of hiring added security. There’s no sense in our boss droning on about personnel and security, especially if Master Serge has already dealt with the problem at hand. That is to say, his only problem now is finances. In that sense, I think he was more grateful for a single business opportunity than a thousand words of friendship and concern.”

Our boss had told us that he had inherited a great amount of money from his grandparents, and part of the new business was a slime-based factory co-sponsored by the Morgan company. Would that not include financial backing for the Morgan company on our boss’s part? Master Serge wouldn’t let a bit of arson kill his business, but surely it helped a lot to gain all that money when he needed it most. Even if the financial backing came in the form of a loan, our boss wouldn’t try to take over the business by force. As far as loans went, Master Serge could not have hoped for a better lender, and building a factory to produce more popular products would lead to more profits down the road.

“I think I get it. Kids might cry when they face a challenge, but that won’t solve anything. So he jumps straight to figuring out a solution. Guess you could say he’s a logical, pragmatic sort of person.”

It sounded like Hudom was catching on.

“He can be a bit strange when he’s always trying to bring up his slimes or talking about things he learned from who knows where. But he always tries to solve problems right away and takes the business seriously, and I find that reassuring. Ultimately, his age is irrelevant. Whatever shortcomings he may have, he makes up for them through his employees, like me.”

“You really do trust him.”

“I just worry that he puts too many of his eggs into one basket, so to speak.”

“Now that’s something I can’t relate to at all. I won’t do any more work than I absolutely have to... And on that note, now is one of those times, so I’ll see myself out. Thanks for the chat.”

“Oh, no problem.”

Hudom swiftly took his cup and plate out of the office.

“At least he finished eating first.”

The part about our boss being on edge was still on his mind, though. Hudom seemed more observant about people than one would assume. I’ll have to keep an eye on the boss going forward for sure.