I Was Reincarnated as a Commoner. I Can’t Stand Living Like This, so I’ll Become an Aristocrat! C145 Part2

145, Shop tour

The problem with the food stall was resolved, and the next week passed peacefully. 

It seems that Salim was expelled from the royal school and works as a servant at the duke's mansion. But I've never seen it. It seems like he's being very careful not to meet me at all. 

I was told that I would be able to have normal conversations after my education, but...I wonder what kind of education they would provide. I'm a little scared so I can't ask. Well, since he's Alban, I don't think he would do anything terrible... 

And today I'm going to take a look at potential stores. I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of stores there are. 

A while ago, I had a pleasant chat with Richard-sama with Ronnie and Joanne, and now that's over, I left the Duke's house in a carriage. The first store seems to be located quite close to the royal castle in the center of town, so I think it's a good location if you want to make it a store completely aimed at aristocrats. 

``Ronnie, Yoan, there are only three of us right now, but let's do our best to make the store more exciting.''

"Yeah!"

“We will do our best to develop sweets!”

"Thank you. That's right, I couldn't introduce myself properly earlier, so I'll do it now."

Today is the first time Ronnie and Joanne met, but as soon as they arrived at the Duke's house, they started chatting with Richard, so they didn't introduce each other. 

"Ronnie, this is Joanne. Up until now, I've been doing research on sweets at Baron Darrigard's house, but from now on, I'll have you do research on sweets at the shop. I'd also like you to be the head chef once the shop opens. ”

“Yoan-san, thank you very much.”

"Thank you very much."

The two of them, still looking nervous, bowed their heads in greeting. 

"Yoan, this is Ronnie. He's a classmate of mine at the Royal School and a friend of mine. He's currently working at a crepe stall. I'm planning on having him work as a manager at the new shop."

“Ronnie-san, thank you very much.”

"Thank you very much."

The two greeted each other with the same lines as before and bowed their heads. Hmm, it's really solid. I wish we could open up more. I wonder if it would be easier to open up to people if we didn't use honorifics and titles? 

``Why don't we both get rid of honorifics and honorifics in order to become closer? Since we are the initial members of the store, we will be working hard together from now on, so let's open up more! So, between the two of us, No honorifics. Also, Yoan doesn't need to use honorifics with me. We're both commoners."

"No, no! Leave it as is with Leon-sama! However, I think I'll open up more to Ronnie-san."

After saying that, Ioan turned his body towards Ronnie. 

"Can I call you Ronnie?"

Hearing those words, Ronnie seemed a little nervous before, but he relaxed a little. And he replies with a smile. 

"Yes, no, yes! Can I call you Yoan too?"

"Of course. Nice to meet you, Ronnie."

“Nice to meet you, Yoan.”

Yeah, I feel like the atmosphere is softer than before. If we continue to work together after this, I'm sure we'll become even better friends. 

When I was thinking that and feeling relieved, Ronnie asked Yoan, looking a little uncomfortable. 

"I have one favor to ask of Yoan..."

"What?"

"Would you be willing to teach me how to make new sweets? I don't know if I'll be making sweets at a store, but I like cooking, so I'd like you to teach me."

"I see! Of course it's fine. Once the store is open, I'll tell you about it during breaks or after work."

"Really!? Thank you!"

Ronnie looked really happy at Yoan's words. 

Come to think of it, I had decided to open a store, but I hadn't decided who would do what work. I wonder if Ronnie wants to be a chef too? 

``Ronnie, I haven't decided what kind of work I'm going to do when the restaurant opens, but do you want to be a chef too?''

Honestly, I would be happy if Ronnie could manage staff, procure ingredients, manage sales, etc. as the store manager, but if he wants to be a chef, I won't force him to do that. You can just hire another person to do that job. 

"Well, as a store manager, I'll be doing a lot of miscellaneous work. I think I'm probably better suited for that. I like cooking, but I can do it as a hobby. It's better to do what you're good at."

“I see, then Ronnie, please take care of me as the store manager.”

"Yeah! Leave it to me!"

"Reliable."

In fact, there is no one more suitable to be a store manager than Ronnie. He is completely trustworthy, and his abilities are not only impeccable, but even worse than being the manager of a single store. If he eventually manages to have multiple stores, I would like him to be in a position to oversee them. 

“Is it okay for Yoan to be the head chef?”

"Of course! I'm happy to be making sweets. However, I would be happy if I had time to research sweets."

That's certainly true. I'll have him serve as the head chef for a while, but I think it would be better to hire another chef and have Yoan do some research. 

There are many other things I would like to create, and research is essential in order to release new products. With that in mind, I think we should hire some cooks. 

``I certainly want Yoan to continue his research, so I'm going to hire another cook.Then, I'll leave the day-to-day making of sweets to that chef so that Yoan can do his research.''

"Leon-sama... thank you!! Meeting Leon-sama is the greatest luck of my life!!"

“Yoan is always exaggerating.”

"I'm not exaggerating! This is my true feelings and it's true!"

Yoan is truly amazing when it comes to sweets. I'm grateful that you're doing research with that kind of energy. 

"Thank you. I look forward to your continued support."

"Yes! First, I'll show you my current research!"

While we were talking like that, the carriage slowed down and stopped as it seemed to have arrived at the first store. 

It seems that during normal viewings, someone like a real estate agent will explain the store to you, but this time it was Roger who was supposed to explain it to you, probably because he thought you wouldn't be able to take your time to look around. It seems like they have all the information in advance. After all, Roger is really talented. 

So this time, there was no one to greet me, and Roger unlocked the store. 

“Mr. Leon, this store used to be a decoration store, but it was also a residence and a store, so it seems that the kitchen and other facilities are fully equipped.However, since it is just a kitchen, the problem is that it is a little small for a kitchen. The best part is the location near the royal castle.”

Roger explained this to me once he entered the store. Basically, in the city center, the closer you are to the royal castle, the more high-class shops are lined up, so it seems that some aristocrats only shop near the royal castle. 

So if you're looking to do business with aristocrats, this is the perfect location, but the purchase price is quite high. Basically, in this country, stores are not rented, and renting is just housing, and that's in units of rooms, so when you start a store, you have to buy it. 

Well, it's fine because I have the money, but having a small kitchen is fatal. 

When you enter the store, the first thing you'll notice is a spacious space. There's almost nothing there now, just some shelves on the wall, but this was probably the sales space. 

There is a door in the back, and when you go inside, there is a short hallway with two rooms on each side and a staircase. The door on the left is the toilet and bath, and the door on the right is the kitchen and storage room. 

Climbing the stairs, there were three rooms on the second floor, all of which were just large rooms. This was probably the living space. 

"Hmm, it's surprisingly not that big."

"Yes. Nobles generally invite merchants to their mansions when purchasing ornaments, so I guess they don't need such a large store."

Is that true? When buying clothes or accessories, it's normal to call a merchant to the mansion. However, it seems that the aristocrats of this world often go to stores themselves. 

Hmm, I think this store is a little too small. If you build a counter in the back and set up a showcase there, there will be almost no cafe space left. There will probably only be room for two tables. 

"What do you both think about this place?"

"Hmm, basically it's going to be a shop where you can take home sweets, and there's going to be a cafe attached, right? Isn't that too small?"

“I guess so.”

"Also, I think the kitchen is a little too small. It's fine if I'm cooking by myself, but if I'm going to hire other cooks, I'd like a little more space."

"That's right. I also think it's a little different here. Well then, let's go see the next one."

When I said that, Roger nodded as if he understood. 

"Okay. Now, I'll take you to the next store."