Chapter 139
We, who have left the『Silver Thread』has been brought by Rebecca-san to the next store .
「A bakery?」
「Yes, that’s right」
The destination was an ordinary bakery .
「…… Ermm?」
A noble lady Rebecca-san and a bakery in the town are very ill-matched .
But, Rebecca-san seems to have a business in this store .
「「Smells nice~!」」
Following after Rebecca-san and entering the store, the nice smell of freshly baked bread tickled my nose .
「Welcome! ――Ah!」
A male shop assistant of around thirty years noticed us and rushed over in a hurry .
「Rebecca-sama, what is the matter today?」
「I have come to look how the things are going」
The shop assistant has clearly recognized Rebecca-san .
I also had a feeling that Rebecca-san was somehow accustomed to this store .
「My, my, the sales seem to be going well~」
「Yes, those were sold out as soon as we put them out to sale」
「?」
When I looked where Rebecca-san was looking, there were many kinds of bread lined up .
Sold out…… it means that the part of those shelves has been emptied out .
「…… Huh?」
「「Nniyu?」」
Looking carefully, isn’t there written Cream bread and Anpan at the emptied places!
「Ahh! Is this perhaps-!」
「Oh my, have you realized?」
This bakery must be the store of the senior-apprentice brother of the castle’s baker Sid-san .
Sid-san sought a permission from me to sell the Cream bread and Anpan in his senior-apprentice brother’s store, and I have approved . And so it wouldn’t become Road-san’s『Gold Wheat’s Shop』in Shirin all over again, I have requested the Ruven House to back them .
I see, so it was like that . It wouldn’t be strange for Rebecca-san to recognize this store since I was the one who made the request~
「Rebecca-sama, who might this person be?」
「This is Takumi-san . Would you understand if I said that?」
「! It’s an honor to meet you . I am this store’s shopkeeper, Jake . Thank you very much for allowing me to sell the Cream bread and Anpan! My store has been saved thanks to you!!」
The moment Rebecca-san said my name, the shop assistant turned towards me and lowered his head .
Moreover, I thought of him to be the shop assistant, but he was actually the shopkeeper .
「Eh? Then, you are Sid-san’s senior-apprentice brother……?」
Since he’s the shopkeeper, he must be Sid-san’s senior-apprentice brother himself .
My first impression was “young” . I mean, Sid-san is in the middle of thirties . The shopkeeper――Jake, looks much younger . When I secretly used【Appraisal】on him, it wasn’t that he had a young face, he really was younger than Sid-san .
Sid-san said that his senior-apprentice brother runs a store, so I thought it would be an older person, but it was a younger senior-apprentice brother .
「Sid-san said something like that again……」
Jake-san made a troubled expression when at my words “senior-apprentice brother” .
「Huh? It’s not wrong though, is it?」
When it comes to apprentices, the one who became an apprentice first becomes the senior-apprentice brother or senior-apprentice sister, so the age itself is irrelevant . Hence, being a younger senior-apprentice brother is possible . Well, it’s surprising though~
「No, what do I say…… I have indeed begun learning from Boss first . However, it was when I was young and in the sense of childhood friend’s Father teaching me a little here and there……」
Ahh, so it’s like that .
「However, when Sid-san became an apprentice, you were already quite able at making bread, no?」
「Yes, that’s true, but…… it was just a hobby for me in those days…… my genuine apprenticeship began after Sid-san’s」
「So that’s why you feel complicated when Sid-san treats you as the senior-apprentice disciple?」
「Yes……」
I see, I can understand why the troubled face then .
「I’m happy for Sid-san’s concern . This store is Boss’ store, so I couldn’t endure its decline……」
「N?」
This is the Boss’ store and Jake-san is the current shopkeeper, so that means…… has the Boss already passed away? It’s also possible that he just retired…… either way, wasn’t Jake-san’s childhood friend going to succeed after the Boss? And yet, it wasn’t him but Jake-san who succeeded……――
「Was that childhood friend of yours a girl? So, perhaps……」
「Hoho~u」
Ohh! A marriage between childhood friends! How template~
………… Huh?
「N? Decline?」
「Oh my, Takumi-san, were you not aware of the state of this store?」
Rebecca-san made a wondering expression when I shook my head at the word “decline” .
「Eh, yes . Sid-san was the one who brought it up and since I found no problems with Sid-san’s character, I thought that a senior-apprentice brother of such a person would be all right too……」
「Oh my~」
Yes, I gave my consent without thinking about it much . Sorry .
「Honestly speaking, this store was on the brink of cessation of business, you see?」
「Ehh!?」
Rebecca-san informed me of this store’s situation .
「Well, as Takumi-san said, there was no problem in the character department~ But, make sure to give your permission only after inquiring about the business conditions and connections next time, okay?」
「………… Yes . I’m sorry」
It really is as Rebecca-san said…… I’m ashamed .
Come to think of it, Jake-san did say that I「Saved」him just a bit ago……
「…… Err, would it be all right to assume that the crisis has been averted?」
「Yes, correct . The customer traffic increased with the sales of Cream bread and Anpan, so the business has recovered by now?」
「Is that so? I’m glad to hear that」
The details aside, I am really glad that the cessation of business has been avoided .
「「Onii~chan」」
At that moment, Allen and Elena tugged on my clothes .
「N? What’s the matter, Allen, Elena?」
「「The bread is~?」」
And they wanted to eat bread .
「My, my . Indeed, it smells really nice here . I will buy it for you, so please choose whatever you like」
「「Yaay~」」
「Thank you, Rebecca-san」
「My, it’s fine to want more expensive stuff, you know?」
「No, that we can’t do as expected . ――Allen, Elena, let’s give our thanks properly, okay?」
「「Un! ――Thank you~ Obaa~sama!」」
「Eh!? Wha!」
When I urged Allen and Elena to say thanks, they let out the frightening “Obaasama” word .
But, Rebecca-san was delighted . Well, she wanted to be called like that herself, so~
「Fufu . Now then, come here」
「「Un!」」
Rebecca-san joined hands with the children in a good mood and started choosing the bread right away .