First Job
In the morning of the third day of training, Felice once again suffered from muscular pain and received a massage from Olivia.
Felice talked about yesterday while receiving the massage.
“And in the end, Al broke the iron boards to pieces. What a waste, right~”
“Does he really possess the strength of an A-class adventurer? You can’t normally do that.”
“That shouldn’t be it? It was an explosive feat of strength! It seems he accumulated quite a lot of stress from the Whack-a-monster.”
“Explosive feat of strength has different uses, I believe…… well, I understand what you want to say. Nevertheless, Austin-sama and Blake-sama too……”
“Is something wrong with the two?”
“…… No. Well, let’s change and head for breakfast.”
“Yes~ Thank you for the massage, Olivia.”
Felice tried asking Olivia because she found her pondering behavior after listening to her story about the practice strange, but the mind of Felice who heard the word “breakfast” has completely deviated from the matter and she went for breakfast after changing her clothes.
In the dining room, Albert was having a chat about yesterday with Claude and Samantha.
Felice took a seat and started eating.
“Feli, is the place you hit all right?”
“It’s fine, Okaasama.”
“I’m sorry, Feli.”
“Feli was tired from the training as well, so you weren’t able to stand firmly, right?”
“It’s as Otousama says. That’s why you shouldn’t mind it, Al.”
“Un. I will properly support you next time!”
(Is there no choice of not getting embraced?)
Claude inwardly inserted a tsukkomi to Albert’s words as usual.
Finishing the meal, Felice and Albert went towards the classroom and after they have entered the room for a short while, the president of Malaika Company, Robert, has entered.
“Good morning, I will be in charge of you today.”
“”Good morning. We will be in your care.””
“We will study about business today. How do you two decide on a store you are going to shop in?”
Felice answered Robert’s question after thinking for a while.
“Hmm~…… a store I have been in before or a store I heard about from acquaintance.”
“And why is that?”
“If it’s a store I have been in before then I more or less know the store’s atmosphere and the stock of goods. The same reason when introduced by an acquaintance.”
“Indeed, you can feel uneasy entering a store for the first time while feeling welcomed in a store you utilize all the time.”
Albert added, agreeing with Felice’s answer.
“I enter after appraising the shop assistant and goods.”
“Why is that?”
“I might get scammed because I don’t know the value of the goods and I also don’t want to buy forgeries or defective products. Well, it’s not like the stores do it on purpose most of the times though.”
“Certainly, they are stores that sell such things intentionally. Of course, they will be punished in case they do it on purpose.”
“”Hee~””
Robert then asked the next question.
“Then, what kind of atmosphere are you looking for in a store?”
“It would be a bright and clean shop. Same with the shop assistant. Also…… polite reception would be good.”
“Indeed, I would dislike entering a store with a gloomy atmosphere. Besides, if the shop assistant is rude, you wouldn’t want to come again, right?”
“That’s right. In my company, I always have the newbies receive training for three months first. After the training is finished, I would talk about the newbie with the person who was in charge of him and employ him. My employees also receive training regularly even after getting employed”
(Hee~ they have a proper induction course.)
While Felice was surprised by the induction course, Albert asked a question.
“What are you doing in the training?”
“Mainly teaching customer service, but also developing the Powers of observation.”
“Powers of observation?”
“Observing the customers, memorizing their faces and grasping their character and favorites. Of course, making sure that the customers don’t realize they are being observed. Being stared at doesn’t feel nice after all.”
“But, can you remember so many customers?”
“As expected remembering them all wouldn’t be possible, so we have people in charge of customers. That still makes a lot of people, but everyone has their methods of memorizing.”
“That sounds difficult, doesn’t it?”
“Of course, I will have you two study it as well, so please do your best.”
“Uu…… I will work hard.”
“I want to try it! …… It sounds useful.”
(Al is fully motivated, isn’t he~)
When Robert answered Felice’s words of admiration with a smiling face, Albert replied cheerfully.
However, Felice and Robert didn’t hear the last words Albert muttered.
After being taught the basic greetings and customer service, the lesson came to an end.
They had lunch together with Robert and went to the store in order to practice at the store for their afternoon lesson.
The store they are practicing today is a store of Robert’s friend who sells fruits and vegetables.
The man has a bit of a scary face with a large body.
Felice and Albert who were sure they would be training at Robert’s store ended up unintentionally staring at the man.
The man who saw the two spoke to Robert with exhaustion.
“Robert, did you perhaps not explain it to them?”
“Oh my, I carelessly forgot. Albert-sama, Felice-sama, this man is my friend Parker.”
“Carelessly? You did it on purpose.”
“How do you do, I’m Albert.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Felice.”
“Ah….. I’m Parker. Best regards.”
When Robert introduced them, the two greeted and bowed their heads.
Parker who was unpleasantly looking at Robert opened his eyes wide for a moment and introduced himself while loosening his lips a little.
However, the two looked at Robert again to clear up the things.
“My store is aimed towards the nobility, so you two can’t work there and that’s why I asked Parker.”
“No nobles come here after all. However, can these pipsqueaks really work?”
“That’s right. Listen well Albert-sama, Felice-sama. Please serve the customers while Observing them just like we talked in the class, alright?”
“”Yes!””
“Well then, I will come pick you up in the evening, so do your best”
“Ah! Hey, wait a moment! Explain it properly to me as well!”
Parker yelled at Robert who was waving his hand to Albert and Felice, but his figure disappeared with unexpected speed in no time.
The three people who were left behind stared at each other in silence, but Parker spoke up after sighing.
“Ah~…… I just heard that Claude, -sama’s children are being trained for their future reference, is that correct?”
“Yes, is Parker-san an acquaintance of Otousama’s too?”
“Yeah. We were in junior high together.”
“You didn’t go to senior high school?”
“I had no money, you see. But, I’m glad I didn’t go.”
“Why is that?”
“Just look at Robert. Even though he was so hesitantly asking “Can I become a merchant?” in the past, he has been brainwashed by “those people,” totally unrecognizable!”
“Parker-san, you have suffered.”
Parker who was talking with agitation noticed the two watching him with lukewarm eyes, so he cleared his throat and spoke to the two.
“Cough! …… Well, we are not that busy, so slowly learn the to work.”
“”We will be in your care.””
After hearing about the goods, an elderly couple came over.
“Hey there Parker, can you choose a few fruits for us?”
“I don’t mind, but what about your business?”
“Our neighbor’s condition is not good, so we are going for a visit.”
“Then, I will put it in a basket.”
“Yes, please do so.”
“Ou! It’s accounting~”
Parker called out to the depths of the store while putting fruits in the basket.
Then, Felice and Albert came out while giving a cheerful reply.
“”Yes~!””
“Oh?”
“Oh my?”
Seeing the two elders looking at him and the two children, Parker tried to explain with a wry smile, but the elderly couple interrupted him.
“”Illegitimate children!?””
“That’s not it!”
“Feli, figure out the total. I will calculate the change.”
“Yeah!”
“You guys deny it too!”
“Hello, I’m Felice.”
“Hello, I’m Albert.”
“No, not the greeting!”
“Yes, hello. I’m Sam.”
“Hello, my name is Martha. How admirable, are you helping out your Otousan?”
Parker was sweating because of the elderly couple’s words, but Felice and Albert who saw such Parker grinned at each other and answered.
“”…… Yes!””
“Yes! …… Not!”
“We are just joking~ The total sum is 1 silver and 3 coppers.”
“My, to be able to do calculations, how amazing. We will pay with 2 silvers.”
“The change is…… 7 copper coins… please, confirm it.”
“Kusu…… yes, there are 7 copper coins indeed.”
“”Thank you very much!””
“”Good luck helping your Otousan.””
“”Yes~!””
“The.re.fore…… I’m not their Otousan!”
“”Calm down, calm down.””
“Am I a horse!?”
Robert came after such exchange repeated several times.
“You two, how was it?”
“Oy……”
“It was fun (in various ways).”
“It was fun (in various ways).”
“Oy, Robert.”
“I see, it was fun (in various ways) huh.”
“………………”
“Have you memorized the faces and names of today’s customers?”
“I still don’t understand their favorites yet.”
“You will have to see them several times to understand the customer’s favorites. You have just begun.”
“”Yes~””
“By the way, what are you doing, Parker?”
“He seems tired because he was yelling all this time.”
“He yelled even when customers were here. Everyone was surprised.”
“That’s not good. Merchants have to deal with every situation calmly.”
“Whose fault do you think it is……”
“””Yes?”””
“Whose fault do you think it is! Robert didn’t properly explain the situation, the pipsqueaks wouldn’t deny that they are my “illegitimate children,” their calculations are faster than mine, and the customers were surprised but were laughing instead!”
“Thanks to that, we were able to talk with the customers too.”
“It encouraged conversation, didn’t it~”
The agitated Parker who found the situation absurd hung his head in dejection after seeing the nonchalant Felice and Albert.
“Enough…… I should have refused when I heard they are that fellow’s children. Haa~…… here, today’s reward.”
“Eh? But……”
“We are being trained, so we can’t receive money.”
Felice and Albert looked at the money Parker was handing them with a troubled face, but Parker said with his eyebrows frowning.
“Brats shouldn’t be reserved. I decided to pay you after watching you two work. Quickly accept it.”
“Parker has decided that you are deserving of reward after seeing you work, please take it”
“”Thank you very much!””
The two received the wage of 6 coppers after being told by Parker and Robert and restlessly looked inside the store.
Robert and Parker watched the two who found what they were searching for and started moving in wonder.
Then, the two each brought a fruit.
“”I will take this!””
“If you want it, I will give you a few?”
“No, it’s our first salary so we will give it to Otousama and Okaasama!”
“Feli picked Otousama’s favorite and I picked Okaasama’s~”
Parker was moved to tears by Felice’s and Albert’s actions.
“You guys! …… Sorry, I thought you guys were “super S” like that fellow.”
“S…… Al is――”
“Fe~li~?”
“Ha!? I didn’t say anything!”
Felice’s mouth unconsciously moved after hearing the super-sadistic remark, but Albert clearly heard her.
Robert who was watching Albert sidling up to Felice, Felice who retreated in fright, and Parker who was holding back his tears said with a grin.
“I will properly report your “S” remark.”
If Parker heard such words, he would surely run away at full speed.