Chapter 04
“They could’ve just put it straight into my inventory. So annoying.”
It seemed this reward wasn’t given automatically like the first one.
Without hesitating, I pressed the [Accept] button.
Jingle!
With a clear sound, a small pouch appeared on my palm.
“They actually give it properly…”
After making such a big fuss telling me to accept the reward.
I immediately opened the pouch and checked what was inside.
Transparent gems filled the pouch, softly glowing with a brilliant light.
“So these are diamonds.”
Where should I use them to get the best value?
As I carefully picked up one diamond and muttered to myself, Hugh, who had been sitting quietly on my shoulder, gasped in shock.
“G-gasp! B-be careful, Master! That’s extremely valuable! With that, you can buy tools from the tool craftsman! He only accepts diamonds…!”
“A tool craftsman? You mean the person who made the hammer?”
“Yes! He’s an incredible person. He even ran this café together with Lady Basha. He’s away right now gathering materials, but he’ll be back soon!”
Hugh clenched his tiny fists and nodded seriously. His restless expression, clearly telling me to put the diamond away quickly, was pretty cute.
‘Ah, I see.’
So diamonds are for the tool craftsman.
I nodded slowly.
Just then—
Energy remaining: 15%.
Please recover energy through sleep.
A system message suddenly appeared in front of me.
There was no flashy light or loud sound this time.
Tilting my head slightly, I read the message carefully.
“…Energy?”
Now that I think about it, that was mentioned in the [TIP!] during the loading screen.
In games like this, energy usually means the amount of actions the player can take. In other words, stamina forced on the player by the game.
Once you run out of energy, you can’t do anything anymore.
So in these games, how efficiently you use energy determines how well you play.
‘No waste allowed.’
That’s just how Koreans are.
I slightly raised one corner of my lips and rolled my eyes.
“Since I have 15% left… I’ll keep working until it drops to about 5%.”
Honestly, I wanted to keep going until it hit 1%.
Like using your phone battery until it reaches 1% before finally charging it.
But today was my first day after possessing the game.
‘I still need to understand how the system works.’
I brushed away the status window with my hand and picked up the hammer again.
“I should at least make a place to rest.”
But at that moment—
“Oh! Are you open for business?”
A voice sent chills down my spine.
It was scarier than a ghost crying.
“…I must’ve heard wrong.”
Yeah, no way.
My whole body shuddered as I tried to ignore the voice.
‘I didn’t see a single person pass by while fixing the building. There’s no way someone’s voice would suddenly appear.’
Hugh was sitting innocently on the second-floor stairs, looking completely clueless. I was just about to sigh in relief.
But—
“Hello? I heard someone talking inside.”
“Right? So you are open?”
Two voices.
Not one, but two.
“…Ah.”
Now I understood why they came to this newly repaired building.
‘I shouldn’t have fixed the sign!’
I covered my face and squeezed my eyes shut.
It was my fault for casually fixing the broken sign hanging at the entrance. Even if the inside was a mess, the outside clearly looked like a café.
“Haa…”
I dragged my hands down my face and put on a determined expression.
I wanted to pretend I didn’t notice them. But I couldn’t just turn away customers who came on their own before opening.
This was a perfect chance to make regulars. At the very least, I should tell them to come back after the grand opening.
Taking a deep breath, I turned around.
In the yard, I saw a man and a woman peeking around the building. They were wearing silver armor, as if they had just finished training nearby.
‘…Armor?’
Would armored customers really appear in a peaceful café game?
‘Well, it’s a romance fantasy world. Knights probably exist.’
I nodded to myself and walked toward the arched window they were peeking into.
Then I raised my voice.
“We’re not open y— mmm, mmph!!”
Suddenly, it felt like someone forcibly covered my mouth, and my words wouldn’t come out properly.
At the same time—
Ding!
***
<Welcome, Customer!>
Your first customer has arrived.
You can’t send your first customer away empty-handed!
- Serve your first customer
- Give your first customer their first drink
Reward: 100 Gold
If you fail, you will return to the beginning.
A system window appeared in front of me as usual.
“…Wow.”
A hollow laugh escaped at the ridiculous quest.
‘You want me to serve customers at a construction site?’
There weren’t even chairs or tables they could use. I didn’t even have ingredients to make drinks!
I clenched my teeth and glared at the system window.
Starting a business from nothing is one thing, but this was asking me to create something out of absolute nothing.
And—
‘…If I fail, I go back to the beginning?’
This is insane.
I couldn’t even skip it. I had to serve the first customer.
I pressed my lips together and took a deep breath.
Hugh, who had rushed over when he heard the customers’ voices, started watching my reaction nervously.
“M-Master…! What do we do? Should Hugh bring whatever tools are left in the café?”
“…Are there even any left?”
Everything inside was destroyed.
When I muttered weakly, Hugh jumped up.
“Hugh saw earlier—there are still some usable things! Lady Basha’s main tools were sent to the tool craftsman for repairs, but still! Hugh will go get them right now!”
P-please wait just a moment!
With that, Hugh dashed into what used to be the kitchen. I watched him disappear, then turned my head back.
‘Stay calm.’
Hugh said he’d bring something usable. All I needed to do now was handle the customers.
‘Let’s just take their order first and think later.’
The game wouldn’t force me to serve customers if there were absolutely no way to get ingredients.
I couldn’t keep customers waiting outside any longer.
I put on the friendliest smile I could manage.
It wasn’t my original face, so I thought it might feel awkward, but controlling my expression was surprisingly easy. I also adjusted my voice to sound as pleasant as possible.
After muttering softly a few times, I saw Hugh running out of the kitchen.
Everything was ready.
I opened the mini-bar window, smiled as brightly and kindly as I could, and called out.
“Welcome, customers!”
It was time to greet my first guests.
***
In front of a red-roofed building with faint light spilling out.
Two people paced back and forth anxiously.
“At this point, it’s obvious they’re not open, Rev.”
“No… my gut says they are open, Walter.”
“You’re really being stubborn all the way out here?”
“It’s not stubbornness.”
Rev narrowed his eyes and glared at Walter.
‘Do you know whose fault it is that we’re standing here like this?’
It was because Walter suddenly complained that his throat was unbearably dry, forcing them to stop while returning to the capital.
Still, surprisingly—
“Oh! Look over there. There’s a café.”
“…Here? Isn’t this area still dangerous?”
There really was a café.
As if inviting them inside.
They headed toward it like travelers finding an oasis in the desert. The faint light suggested it was open.
But when they arrived, the café was strangely quiet.
The exterior looked fine, but the interior… didn’t feel like a place doing business.
Even so, Rev had a strange feeling that it was open.
And his instincts were usually right.
So he ignored Walter’s suggestion to leave and waited.
“Welcome, customers.”
The mini-bar window opened, and a gentle, friendly voice greeted them. Through the window, they could clearly see the café owner and the messy interior behind her.
Rev was genuinely startled.
‘They’re really operating with the inside in that condition?’
So he asked,
“Did we come by mistake while you’re not actually open?”
The café owner answered brightly.
“No! Our café is open as usual. So please feel free to order.”
Her tone was cheerful, but somehow, it sounded like she was gritting her teeth as she spoke.
