As A Result of Trying To Live An Erotic Slow-Life, I Have Become The Underground Ruler of This Upside-Down Otherworld - Chapter 40: How to Obtain a Treasure

Chapter 39: How to Claim a Treasure

It’s been a little while since Shuri-chan’s lightning-fast arrival at Ronnyan.

“So, discounts for ‘ugly’ folks who bring in their own ingredients, huh? I mean, it’s not surprising, but you guys are really putting in a lot of creative effort… Anything else?”

“Well, it’s pretty standard, but points accumulate with each visit, which can be redeemed for a free dish or a menu request, things like that.”

I got a response from Ririeru-san confirming that we’ve officially signed a sister restaurant contract.

We’ll work out the specifics going forward, but out of goodwill or trust, she wanted to introduce me to Rongrong first, so now I’m being shown around by Luuri.

“G-Good work!”

“H-Hello there!”

“Yeah, good work, hello. I know this is sudden and probably surprising, but I’m Arius. Nice to meet you.”

“N-No, the pleasure’s ours!”

After the greetings, they let out a “kyaa!” and bolted. Huh?

“I-I’m so sorry. It’s not that they’re rejecting you or anything—it’s more like they’re nervous, or, um, they feel it’s too much of an honor.”

“Like I said, what am I supposed to be, some kind of big shot…?”

I don’t get it—some are even staring at me from a distance. I’d understand if they’re just thrown off by the sudden visit, but what’s this about?

“Uh, um, it’s absolutely not that we’re not welcoming you, so, um…”

“Oh, yeah, no worries. I’m sure they’ll get used to me eventually.”

It’s kind of a weird vibe, but oh well.

At any rate, Rongrong is, as expected, a renowned establishment lighting up the capital.

The clever strategies and business efforts they explained made me nod in admiration, and they’ve got the manpower to actually pull it all off consistently.

Take that ingredient-bringing discount, for example.

Anyone, regardless of their job, who brings in ingredients gets a dish made from them at a bargain price.

There are monsters out there that even non-adventurers can take down, but most of them have little value as ingredients, and cooking them yourself is tough.

But bring those ingredients here, and they’ll turn them into something edible. For “ugly” folks with unstable incomes, that’s a reason to smile.

From the shop’s perspective, they don’t need to source raw materials—just charge for the cooking skill, making it easy to hit profit margins.

I don’t know if they’re consciously doing this, but it’s a contract built on trust.

If they charged exorbitant prices for the ingredients brought in, the whole thing would fall apart, and it wouldn’t work without the premise that they can reliably deliver edible dishes.

The fact that it’s working smoothly is proof of a solid trust bond between the shop and its customers.

“Luuri.”

“Eh, ah, yes?”

“This place is really something.”

I mean that without exaggeration.

The point card system, probably designed with “beautiful” customers in mind, is another smart move.

Every five points gets you a free dish, thirty points lets you request a custom dish, and fifty points gets your suggestion added to the menu.

It’s about status, I guess—beautiful people in this world tend to have an inflated sense of entitlement.

They expect special treatment, so they won’t bite without some kind of perk.

A free dish is easy to reach, so even less wealthy beautiful folks can use it. The higher-tier rewards, like custom dishes, become bragging rights—“That’s my dish!”—especially at a thriving place like Rongrong.

“Yeah, it’s good. Really, really good.”

“Arius-san…”

The customers are happy. The employees seem satisfied with their work.

It’s the ideal restaurant. And once again, I have mad respect for Ririeru-san for bringing it to this level.

That said, it makes me rack my brain about what I can even contribute.

Honestly, the whole “you might get closer to me” thing—what’s that supposed to mean? I can’t possibly say it’s worth more than the scene in front of me.

Maybe I’m the one who should be serving Ririeru-san? I can’t help but feel skeptical.

“Thank you very much.”

“Huh?”

She suddenly thanked me.

When I turn to her voice, Luuri looks incredibly happy.

“To me, Ririeru-sama is someone… someone of immense value.”

“Value?”

“Ah, no… I mean, there’s no need to hide anything from you, Arius-san, is there?”

As she says this, Luuri’s smile shifts slightly.

It’s still joyful, but there’s a hint of satisfaction, maybe even pride.

“All of us Rab—employees, we all admire Ririeru-sama. We follow her because it’s her.”

“Uh, whoa. Did I do something bad?”

Oh no, is this some roundabout jab at me?

For real, Luuri’s cunning? Is she gonna try to take me down next?

“N-no, no!? That’s not what I meant at all! Ugh, ugh… I-I bit my tongue…”

“Oh, uh, okay? So, you really admire Ririeru-san, huh? And then?”

Looks like I got it wrong. Phew, that’s a relief.

“…Ririeru-sama doesn’t see any value in herself. So, no matter how much we tell her she’s wonderful, she won’t believe us.”

“Sorry about that.”

So it is my fault! Yep, I’m the jerk who only saw Ririeru-san as some hairy brute!

“W-w-w-what!? No, that’s not it! I mean, it’s just…! I’m happy to keep working with someone I love! And I love that you’re trying to give Ririeru-sama value herself!”

“Uh, oh, okay.”

“When the day comes that Ririeru-sama finally believes in her own worth! I’m sure she’ll acknowledge our loyalty and affection! I’m so excited for that moment, and I’m full of desire to help you, who’ll make that happen!!”

H-Hey, Luuri? We’re in the middle of the shop—don’t yell such embarrassing stuff so loud… huh?

“So! Even if it’s through Ririeru-sama! I want to give you my utmost—”

“—Luuri?”

“Hyo!?”

Hyo? What kind of yelp is that…?

With a creaky, robotic turn, her face screaming I messed up, she looks toward…

“Thank you for the tour, good job… But could you come over here for a moment?”

“Eh, eh, ehh?”

Ririeru-san appears, grabbing Luuri by the scruff of her neck and dragging her off zuruzuru.

Man, what can I say?

“Um, excuse me… Would you like a drink or something?”

“Thanks. But, uh, take a look at that—what do you think?”

“Uh, well… it’s really, really pitiful.”

Yeah, pitiful.

Luuri’s not a klutz—she’s a pitiful girl.

Well, Ririeru-san will probably be back soon.

Wishing Luuri all the luck in the world, I decide to wait.

※

“My apologies for showing you such an embarrassing scene.”

I laugh and tell her it’s fine, but Ririeru-san’s half-elf ears, peeking through her hair, are still red at the tips.

Honestly, it was kind of endearing, and I wish she wouldn’t worry about it, but rather than keep talking about this, it’s probably better to shift to business.

“It’s weird to keep you apologizing like that, so how about we talk about the sister restaurant contract?”

“…Yes. Let’s do that.”

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and when she opens them, her gaze is sharp and intellectual.

Yeah, that’s the face of a businesswoman. No wonder she scaled Rongrong to this level in such a short time—she’s got this capable, powerhouse vibe radiating off her.

“Let me start by saying, from our side, we can offer Mia’s magic stone maintenance, Serika’s ingredient sourcing, and, well, my body, I guess.”

This was already discussed and agreed upon back at Ronnyan.

Mia and Serika were totally on board, and I’ve got no issues either.

Honestly, it feels like we’re offering so little it’s almost embarrassing.

“I’m well aware that those three points are of exceptionally high quality… How about fifty gold coins a month?”

Whoa!? Hold up, Ririeru-san, isn’t that a few zeros too many?

And is it really okay to shell out that much? Is Rongrong that profitable?

“Let’s calm down for a sec. Where’d the fifty gold coins figure come from, and is Rongrong’s business really okay with spending that much? That’s my question.”

“…In terms of my feelings, I’d want to offer even more, but it’s essentially a tribute.”

“Tribute? What’s that supposed to mean… Alright, five gold coins a month. That covers regular magic stone maintenance, Serika’s ingredient sourcing, and a discount on sexual services with me.”

I lock eyes with her, signaling I’m not budging, and Ririeru-san gives me a troubled look.

But I’m the one who’s kinda troubled here too.

“Honestly, Rongrong’s already got most of this covered, right? You’ve got a team of employees handling ingredient sourcing, and magic stone maintenance too. Having Mia and Serika assist sounds nice, but it might end up taking work away from your staff. The only unique thing is me, but you don’t exactly have people here desperate for a guy, given their looks. So, even five gold coins feels like too much.”

“No, if Mia-sama handles magic stone maintenance, we can reassign our current maintenance staff to the kitchen. And if Serika-sama joins our sourcing team, we could secure ingredients one… no, two ranks higher. Those are just examples, but there are countless other ways to utilize their skills.”

Maybe I’m just not thinking hard enough.

Ririeru-san, resting a finger on her well-shaped chin and mulling it over with a “hm,” looks lively in a way.

“Um, my dear?”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you smiling like that? If I’ve done something foolish or rude, please tell me.”

Her sharp, intelligent expression flips to one of anxiety.

For a moment, I wonder if we should skip the sister restaurant thing, merge outright, make Ririeru-san the manager, and let me retire.

“Ririeru-san, you know…”

“Y-Yes?”

She straightens her back sharply, her eyes trembling with unease.

“You should carry yourself with more confidence.”

I don’t want her worrying about what I think.

If anything, the confident face she had when we reunited at Ronnyan suits her so much better.

I know there are a lot of reasons she’s lost that confidence, and I’m aware I’m one of them.

But, if…

If I could ever come to love someone like Ririeru-san…

“You’ve got every right to be proud of yourself, I’m sure of it.”

Sure, there’s a fundamental clash in our sensibilities.

But a Ririeru-san who holds her head high, brimming with confidence, would surely be beautiful.

“I…”

She bites her lower lip hard and looks down.

I know I’m saying some irresponsible stuff. I probably don’t understand a lot of her feelings or logic.

“There’s nothing for me to be proud of.”

“Nothing to be proud of?”

“I was born both beautiful and ugly. I had many powers serving me without even realizing it. I can’t recall ever grasping anything with my own strength. My feelings for you… they’re still here in my heart. But back then, when I had to choose between you and my employees, the scales were balanced. All I had to do was say your name, but I couldn’t.”

Able to take on both beautiful and ugly forms, cloaked in the title of Master’s daughter, she was adored.

Ririeru-san probably never needed to seize anything herself—everything she wished for came to her.

“How could someone like me shout my feelings for you, or be proud? I wished and yearned to claim you, endured countless sleepless nights… and yet, I—”

“That’s good enough, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

In the end…

Ririeru-san treasures so many things, far more than she realizes.

“Caring about this and that, feeling you can’t be proud because it’s not the most important thing, thinking you won’t be loved because you can’t prove it’s the top priority—that’s not for you to decide, Ririeru-san.”

“—”

“It’s up to the person you’re yearning for to decide. Whether a guy’s got the capacity to accept a Ririeru-san who holds so many things dear, that’s his problem. Don’t underestimate us like that. If I’m counted among your treasures, whether I try to become the most important one… that’s not your call to make.”

I got caught up deciding what love and affection should be, falling in love with my own idea of love.

It feels familiar.

At our core, Ririeru-san and I are just trying to live by our own rules.

“All we can do is work hard to have our true selves accepted by others. ‘Follow me, accept me’—all we can do is bust our asses to make that happen.”

“…I tried to drag you in, decided on my own that you wouldn’t accept me. Oh, yes, yes, that’s it, isn’t it?”

—Nobody would accept something that calls itself worthless.

That’s what it comes down to.

You’ve got no choice but to fake it till you make it.

Just like I have to believe I’m necessary to Towa, Mia, and Serika.

Ririeru-san has to believe she’s someone I could come to love.

“My dear…”

“Yeah?”

“I really… I really do love you.”

That’s a nice thing to hear. Being loved by a beauty feels damn good.

“As you said, it seems I had many things dear to me… fufu, is it the dragon blood making me do this? I must have been collecting treasures without even realizing it.”

“Come on, harem vibes are so out of style these days.”

“Kufufu, you’re one to talk, my dear? Fufufu.”

Yeah, fair enough.

But if that’s what you still want, then all the more reason.

“Suu… haa…”

After we share a little laugh, Ririeru-san takes a deep breath.

“I still want to claim you, my dear. So, once again… please, fall for me.”

“Uh, wait…?”

Her eyes shift, like she’s made up her mind about something.

“…Ha, ah… Please, behold my feelings.”

She stands, the sound of rustling clothes accompanying her.