TL Note: Let’s reverse Laundry Agency Bamboo Forest to Bamboo Forest Laundry Agency. The former just sounds so bad in my opinion. Actually I think I'll just leave it like that for the store's t.i.tle, and just change it when he's welcoming people. It rolls of better as Laundry Agency Bamboo Forest as a t.i.tle for me, but in a conversation it just feels off... yeah, let's go with this.

Also no chapter tomorrow just as I mentioned yesterday, I have some errands to run.

Volume 2 Chapter 10 Part 1

Day 12

Since morning, Ryouma had been strenuously working to prepare for the store and the party.

At a time right before noon, a carriage was heading towards Ryouma’s store. Inside this carriage were five people.

They were the members of the merchant guild, Grisela, Pioro, and Serge. And along with this three members, Serge also brought his subordinates, Karma Norad and Karla Norad.

These two, Karma and Karla, are twins. Today, Serge brought them for the purpose of introducing them to Ryouma as his future a.s.sistants. But what Serge doesn’t know is that these two are actually stressed out and anxious over what’s to come.

Although these two twins are young, they’ve been picked up by Serge and have been serving him as his right-hand men for a long time.

This kind of people, who could be said to be experts, have been ordered to go to Ryouma’s store to help him out as his a.s.sistants. But while it may be true that these two are happy that they are being trusted with work, at the same time they can’t help but feel worried when the store that they have been told to go to is a laundromat whose future prospects for profit normally aren’t bright. On top of that, they aren’t being told to handle the store. They are being told to support the manager who happens to be an 11 year old kid.

When you think about it, it’s only natural for an 11 year old kid to need a.s.sistance in managing a store. There’s no way that an 11 year old could possibly handle a store by himself. The life of a merchant isn’t that easy.

Actually, in order for Serge to get the trust of these two, he informed them of Ryouma’s close relationship with the duke. But it was because of that, that these two misunderstood and has a.s.sumed that Ryouma opened the store as a n.o.ble child’s toy.

“Yeah. Just two more corners.” [Serge]

Hearing the words of their superior, the two children couldn’t help but think about how close they are to what might become their graveyards as merchants. Because of that their hearts sank and their countenance visibly darkened. They hung their heads down, and like that they continued to wait until the carriage stopped. But when Serge spoke up another time, they steeled their hearts and looked out the window. What they saw shocked them.

“I can see it! Over there!” [Serge]

“Wow! What a splendid store! He was actually able to make this in one week? Amazing~” [Pioro]

“Yeah…” [One of the twins]

What spread before their eyes may have simply been a white square building with some windows here and there, but the surroundings were covered by a bright green lush along with some flower beds here and there, giving off a strong sense of cleanliness. As the splendor of that scenery unwrapped itself before the eyes of the guild members, they couldn’t help but leave their mouths agape. While Karma and Karla suddenly felt as if a ray of hope had just thrust itself into their dark and dreary future.

When they entered the store, the first thing that caught their eyes were the four statues of the G.o.ds on the shelf near the ceiling.

The warm atmosphere the wooden interior exudes along with the simple but lovely reverse L shaped counter, complemented by other furniture, struck the five with admiration. But as Karma and Karla felt their future getting brighter, the next instant crushed their hopes.

“Welcome to the Bamboo Forest Laundry Agency!”

As soon as they had entered, Ryouma quickly came out from inside.

Karma and Karla’s first impression of Ryouma was that of a normal kid with an honest and a decent face. Unfortunately, though this might be poorly put, Ryouma also looked like he had no ambition, and his docile impression wasn’t the kind that suited merchants. If it was just one of the neighboring kids they wouldn’t care, but as they thought that this kid was going to be their boss, they couldn’t help but grimace in fear of their future troubles.

“Thank you for inviting me today, Ryouma. I’m really happy to have been invited.” [Pioro]

“You’ve finally completed your store, congratulations.” [Serge]

“Karma Norad.” [Karma]

“Thank you for your courtesy. My name is Ryouma Takebayashi. Please take care of me as well.” [Ryouma]

The two breathe a sigh of relief in their hearts as they noticed that Ryouma didn’t act haughtily. Unfortunately though, while it did not show on their faces, anxiety continued to stir within their hearts.

But in the next instant they couldn’t help but let some of their anxiety show when Ryouma acted rather vaguely in response to Serge’s introduction.

“Even amongst my subordinates these two are quite exceptional. You could consider them my right hand men. I believe they will be able to serve Ryouma-sama well.” [Serge]

At that the two let it slip.

“If there’s anything, then please let us know. After all Ryouma-sama will be our superior from now on.” [Karla]

“Aren’t these two misunderstanding something?” [Pioro]

Serge, having just realized, quickly went to the twins to explain. He then explained that Ryouma’s store isn’t a n.o.ble’s toy, and is in fact a business endeavor expected to make a huge profit. So much so that even the head of the merchant guild, Grisela, and the president of another large store, Pioro, were interested. As the twins came to understand the situation, they couldn’t help but shiver at the honor of working here and the amelioration it will bring to their future. As Serge-san finished explaining to them, they turned towards Ryouma, and with great vigor, apologized.

“Please excuse our previous behavior!” [Karma & Karla]

“I'm truly sorry for my behavior until now.” [Karma]

“There’s no need to be like that, it’s not like you’ve done anything rude in particular. Besides I understand just how unusual it is for a child my age to hold a store. Also, I too know just how absurd the n.o.bles’ children can be.” [Ryouma]

“Understood!” [Karma & Karla]

When he saw that enthusiasm, Ryouma chuckled.

“But no matter how enthusiastic you are… just like I said a while ago it’s really not that big of a job, you know?” [Ryouma]

“We can also take care of the account book and manage the expenses.” [Karma]

But even if they say that, to someone like Ryouma who knows a little of j.a.pan’s ridiculous earning calls and accounting, such things didn’t seem complicated at all.

Moreover, though Ryouma’s store may have plenty of income, the only expenditures his store really has are the bags and daily necessities bought from Serge’s store. Compared to other stores, the accounting here is far simpler.

While he was thinking that, the surrounding were suddenly filled with chattering as 11 people entered the store from two different entrances. They were the members of the adventurer's guild.