Becoming a Swordmaster by Reading

Chapter 84. Operation Meatball (3)

Vinchih, as a commercial city, was bustling with energy today as well.

“Buy shoes! We have sturdy shoes made of leather!”

“We brought big, delicious fruits! Come and get them!”

“We have fresh meat over here! Meat so good that if two people are eating it and one drops dead, the other won’t even notice!”

The merchants in the market all raising their voices was proof of this.

And that wasn't all.

“Just a little! Just a little discount! I’ll come again tomorrow!”

“Are you really not going to give me one more? Huh?”

“What’s with you today? Haven’t we known each other for a long time?”

The people who came to buy things were also chattering loudly, bargaining.

However, Vinchih, which was always lively, seemed even more energetic than usual today, and the reason was none other than a certain stall.

A long line of people was stretched out in front of the stall.

The line was so long that one side of the market was filled entirely with people waiting.

Someone passing by, intrigued by the long line, asked.

“Why is everyone lining up here like this?”

Then a man, who was anxiously glancing towards the front, answered his question.

“Huh? You don't know about the Billem meatballs that are all the rage in Vinchih these days?”

“Billem meatballs?”

“Yeah. If you haven't tried them, you'd better get in line. Even if you get in line now, you'll have to wait for over an hour. If you're unlucky, the food will run out and you won't get to eat any.”

That was right.

The cause that was making the already lively Vinchih even more energetic.

That cause was the meatballs that Roden and the Infantry Platoon had decided to sell.

This dish was now known throughout Vinchih as the Billem meatballs, sold by the Billem Caravan.

“Here you go.”

Two customers who had just received their food from an Infantry Platoon soldier tasted the Billem meatballs and exclaimed in admiration.

“Wow! This is really delicious! So delicious! And it only costs 3 coppers?”

“That’s why it’s a huge hit! It’s the price of ordinary street food, but the taste is on par with a decent high-end restaurant!”

How delicious could it be?

Even those who had thought this completely changed their minds after tasting the Billem meatballs.

They didn't just change their minds; they praised the Billem meatballs.

The taste was simply not on the level of street food.

Moreover, the meatballs were so large that just one was enough to make you feel full, so there was no reason not to eat Billem meatballs.

For that reason, Billem meatballs were famous for the fact that while there were people who had tried them once, there were no people who had eaten them only once.

However, the Billem meatballs were not this popular from the very beginning.

At first, people paid little attention to the unfamiliar food from an unfamiliar stall.

While meatballs themselves were a well-known dish throughout the continent, they were rarely sold on the streets.

For that reason, people ignored the Billem meatballs and walked towards the food they usually ate.

In fact, at this rate, the food business was bound to fail.

But Zailo had already predicted this situation and took a drastic measure.

He decided to sell the Billem meatballs for 1 copper as a special opening price.

That wasn't the end of it.

The Infantry Platoon had an abundance of personnel to promote the fact that Billem meatballs were being sold for 1 copper.

Therefore, Zailo did not spare this manpower and assigned all of them to promotion.

“Buy meatballs! Delicious meatballs are here! You can also sample them before you eat!”

“As an opening special, we're selling them for just 1 copper!”

“Just try one! If it's not delicious, we'll give you a refund!”

As a result, one or two people started to take an interest in the Billem meatballs that only cost 1 copper.

And those who tasted them couldn't help but fall in love with the Billem meatballs.

A week later.

Even though the price of Billem meatballs had returned to 3 coppers, the number of people lining up in front of the stall had increased.

The Billem meatballs had gone completely viral.

“Since it's come to this, I think it would be a good idea to increase the number of stalls.”

“Will that be possible? Isn't this kitchen too small to handle the volume?”

Roden countered Zailo’s opinion.

Then Hansen, who was listening to their conversation, chimed in.

“How about turning the entire first floor of this inn into a kitchen? Then it should be possible to increase the number of stalls.” Google seaʀᴄh novel★fire.net

Hansen, who had been anxiously worrying that the Billem Caravan might go bankrupt, was now very happy and surprised by the current result.

At the same time, he smelled a huge amount of money.

It seemed that he could gain a tremendous profit if he could get a hand in this food business.

“Instead, if we remodel the entire first floor of the inn like this, I'll have to get a little share of the profits. It's not like I'm just letting you use the original kitchen anymore.”

Hansen cautiously suggested, glancing around, and Zailo's gaze naturally turned to Roden.

When Roden nodded, Zailo immediately started bargaining.

“We'll give you 3% of the net profit.”

“3% is too little. I should get at least 10%.”

“We'll be the ones remodeling this place, and we'll be the ones making and selling all the food, and you want 10%? Isn't that too greedy?”

“Then 7%!”

“Don't be ridiculous. 5%.”

“6%!”

“4%. You don't want us to move to another inn, do you?”

“……Alright. I surrender. Please raise it back to 5%.”

“Good. Then we'll agree on 5%.”

Hansen looked crestfallen at the unexpected result.

In fact, he had thought that the Billem Caravan, being mere passersby, would just give him a 10% share of the profits.

But that was a huge misunderstanding on Hansen's part, and as a result, Roden and the Infantry Platoon were able to easily increase the number of their stalls to three.

The surprising fact was that all three stalls, from the 1st to the 3rd, were doing well.

***

If they put their minds to it, they could have increased the number to five stalls.

It was entirely possible if Roden and the Infantry Platoon made meatballs from morning to night.

It was even possible to hire a suitable number of employees to handle this work.

But Roden didn't do this.

After all, the profit from the food business was not the main objective for Roden and the Infantry Platoon.

Above all, hiring employees would create the risk of their identities being exposed.

“Ah, why! The business is doing so well, why aren't you increasing the number of stalls!”

For that reason, even when Hansen shouted like this, no one answered.

One of the soldiers who was quietly listening just called Hansen out and gave him a warning.

“I don't think we have to worry about running out of money anymore, how is the atmosphere around here? Are there still people who are suspicious of us?”

At Roden’s question, Zailo answered.

“The food business is doing so well that there are some people who are jealous of the Billem Caravan, but there's no problem. The ones who are jealous of us are all nobodies.”

“So you're saying there's no problem because the caravans that originally sold food were all so small. Still, just in case, keep a close watch.”

“Yes. I've already assigned a few people to keep an eye on them.”

“Good job.”

Roden, who had praised Zailo, turned his head towards Nedhab.

“How's the training? Is everyone receiving it well?”

“As per the Caravan Leader's orders, they are training in shifts in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The Rapid Deep Sleep and Progressive Overload that the Caravan Leader taught us have been a great help.”

Roden had this time spread the secrets of Rapid Deep Sleep and Progressive Overload to the Infantry Platoon.

Thanks to this, the Infantry Platoon was training for 5 hours per squad and making meatballs for the rest of the time, yet they were maintaining the same level of aura absorption as usual.

In fact, thanks to Rapid Deep Sleep, it felt like their aura absorption had increased significantly.

For reference, the training was being conducted in the remodeled basement of the inn.

It had a lot of useless junk, but after clearing it all out, it became a decent training space.

“I'm glad the training is going well. Keep managing it well, as an emergency situation could arise.”

“Yes. I will be mindful.”

Next, Roden's gaze turned to Chevalier.

“How is the information gathering going?”

“According to what I've found out, it seems the Imperial Army will soon launch a large-scale transport operation. They seem to be gathering troops requisitioned from other corps and food collected from all over near Velia Castle.”

As Chevalier answered in a lowered voice, the expressions of everyone present darkened.

It was understandable, because if the Imperial Army succeeded in resupplying, the fall of Velia Castle could be delayed much longer than it was now.

After all, a siege was an operation to make the enemy surrender by cutting off their supplies.

But if they succeeded in resupplying, this period would naturally be prolonged.

“Don't worry. We'll report this news to our allies, and then the command will launch an operation to stop the resupply somehow.”

Roden tried to reassure the Infantry Platoon.

In the first place, this was the only thing they could do while on this undercover operation.

After offering a word of comfort, Roden asked Chevalier an additional question.

“Any other information?”

“There's no particularly significant information. However, one strange thing is that some unexpected people are also gathering at the place where the troops and food are being collected.”

“Unexpected people?”

“Yes. People like bards, actors, and strongmen.”

“……Why them?”

It was when Roden reflexively asked this question.

With a loud bang, the old door of the Strutzen Inn suddenly opened.

At the same time, the gazes of not only Roden and the soldiers sitting with him, but also the soldiers who were making meatballs, turned towards the door.

The people standing in front of the door.

They were, surprisingly, what appeared to be soldiers of the Imperial Army.

‘Have we been discovered?’

This thought immediately popped into Roden's head.

Roden was not the only one.

The soldiers also looked at the suddenly appeared Imperial Army with tense expressions.

Naturally, the hands of the Infantry Platoon soldiers moved towards their hidden weapons.

In the meantime, a man who appeared to be the leader of the Imperial Army soldiers who had appeared, broke the silence and spoke.

“Is this the place? The inn where the Billem Caravan is staying?”