Chapter 153: Chapter 139: A Date? Part 2

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 at how 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 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......”

“Yes, she’s my wife now.”

“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?”

“Yes! It’s just as you say!”

“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?”

“”Yea! ――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.”

“”Yeah!””

Rebecca-san joined hands with the children in a good mood and started choosing the bread right away.