The Flying Emporium

‘Not really an issue for me to begin with, though.’

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Like some new molds for the potions. So once they solidified, they’ll have the store’s initials S.E. engraved into them. Stuff like that. There is also…>>

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<> Severin repeated his promise a last time and left his [Employees] to their work. Emily didn’t even reply; to Severin, that detail emphasized the urgency of the matter more than any of Bandur’s words had.

With the intention of returning to his room as soon as possible, he quickly finalized what he originally came to do here in the first place.

In less than a minute’s time, using the System’s map editor, he had properly aligned the counterpart of the portal terminal waiting back home.

He confirmed the purchase and realized that his new balance still amounted to quite the sum of gold; no matter how much Bandur and Emily complained about their work-even if rightly so- it most certainly came with tangible benefits.

In fact, now that he took a closer look at it, he projected that if business kept running like this, then in just a few weeks he might be able to realize his original plan of building his own inn, after all. But though the prospect was tempting, he realized he was getting ahead of himself.

Severin double-checked everything one last time and turned his attention back to the onlooking pair.

“I’m done. Everything looks good.”

“Good. But what exactly does that mean? When will you, or your people, start the construction?”

“Tomorrow.”

…

After excusing himself, Severin returned directly to his room. He had a lot on his mind as he threw himself onto the bed. For the next couple of hours, he kept staring at either a semi-transparent screen floating above him or at the wooden ceiling behind it.

The most pressing matter was to ease Emily’s burden and while by tomorrow he probably would be able to help her out personally, he was hoping to find a different, more sustainable solution.

Like maybe that one thing he spotted in the System’s store, which he figured, or rather hoped, was a largely automated crafting station- an upgrade to the so called advanced alchemy station they were using right now. Sadly, the item was still grayed out for him, which meant he not only couldn’t access its description to actually make sure, he couldn’t even see its unlock requirements, or check its, even at this point, undoubtedly prohibitive price.

‘Either way, I should be looking into hiring more [Employees]. Too mad I only have one slot left.’

But he soon realized even filling just that one slot and hiring a single person would not prove to be easy. Not if he didn’t want to rely on others once again. And given that in this context other people translated into his contract partners, he was very much disinclined to do so.

‘Maybe I can go downstairs and ask Milly’s boy’, but this thought was also quickly dismissed. Trying to rob this small, friendly family business of half their manpower didn’t seem right to him.

‘And people might get the wrong impression if I only hire people that are at least four heads smaller than me. But... maybe it doesn’t have to be actual [Employees]. Can’t have them do any of the crafting work, sure, but working as regular servers and cashiers…’

Seriously considering this option, Severin didn’t notice that it was already in the middle of the night by now.

Similarly, he also didn’t notice the ruckus outside. Only the three heavy knocks on his door and the blowing open of the same brought him back to the present.

“You. Come out. And tell us what’s the meaning of this.”

Confused, Severin found himself faced with an unamused Sir Singerton and a very unprincesslike-looking princess Jasmin.