Okonomiyaki Chain Store – 14 – This Auntie Is Not Interested in Your Promotion

Part 3 – Osaka’s Auntie, Rescue the Beastmen

Chapter 14 – This Auntie is Not Interested in Your Promotion

 

The magic stones collected on that day were exchanged for 60 gold coins. Loofa the Guild Receptionist gulped a little. Normally, when people turned up to make such large claims, she would have to make a report on suspicion of illegal activities.

“Ah, Miss Haruna, may I respectfully borrow some of your time…?”

“Sure, but you’ll have to return it to me later~”

“Of course- no wait, time can’t be returned, right, right!?”

“Your tsukkomi level is pretty average, ma…”

Haruna entered a separate discussion room with Loofa.

“These are the magic stones collected today, and they’re all from around the Level 35 floor, right…? Well, I haven’t actually seen magic stones like these before, but we do have a reference book I can refer to…”

Loofa was actually a fairly new staff member of the guild. Thanks to Haruna, she was able to have all kinds of interesting first experiences.

“Yes, yes, that certainly looks like the monsters I got those stones from, wa…”

“Muu, Miss Haruna seems more like a monster compared to them…”

“Sorry, yana. Well, that’s fine with me, wa. Here, have a salty konbu candy.”

For some reason, the chances of getting salty konbu candy was always higher whenever she was in this private meeting room compared to other types of candy.

“Well, that’s it for now. Actually, we have some news from the Guild Headquarters. Miss Haruna, you have just been promoted to Platinum Rank, congratulations!”

The adventurer’s ranks in this world are split into: Brass, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Generally, Platinum ranked adventurers tended to serve the royal palace.

“Is that so?”

Though Loofa was clearly brimming with happiness for Haruna, the Super Adventurer herself barely reacted to the news.

“Um, this is really great news for us in the Old Saxon Guild, s-shouldn’t you show a little more reaction to this great promotion…?”

“But I don’t really need any special promotions from the guild.”

“This one is really unique. Most Gold ranked adventurers would have difficulty even reaching down to Level 35… Thus far, the Old Saxon Dungeon Challenge record is set at Level 37. No one has ever managed to go deeper.”

“Well now, it’s still safer than walking around the streets of Osaka with all those reckless old farts on their speeding bicycles. Those tend to hit people at full speed, mon!”

Actually, while Haruna was still in her old world, she had been hit not once, but twice by such bicycle riding old men. Once, in front of Fuse Station [1], and another time on her way to Kobe near JR’s Motomachi Station.

That matter infuriated her to the point where she dropped the more polite ‘old uncles’ and opted for ‘old farts’ to describe these dangerous cycling maniacs.

At any rate, Haruna showed no sign of being too impressed about being named the Strongest Adventurer.

“A-also, there’s word that the Royal Kingdom wishes to bestow a knighthood.”

“Ah~ I’ll give that a pass, wa.”

There was no hesitation as Haruna waved her hand dismissively, completely rejecting the offer.

“Knights are all nobility and aristocratic types, right? Those people look like they don’t have a lot of free time, yan. I want to stay as an adventurer all the time, ya.”

 

Generally, most of the Osakan merchants have always been a bit rebellious against authority at the best of times.

 

It really did not matter to Haruna whether she became a knight or not. It’s not like her options in this life was going to increase or anything with the added prestige.

“Well, that’s what I thought anyway…”

There was a sigh and Haruna looked up to see Loofa’s bright little face.

The truth was that Loofa really did understand Haruna’s true nature.

“If that’s what Miss Haruna had decided, then that’s that. Please continue to shine as a person as always.”

“Those are really nice words, na. Here, have another candy~ This time it’s pineapple flavour, na.”

“No, no, please allow me to treat you this time, I’ll bring in some tea and snacks.”

 

Please read this at kitchennovel dot com nen ~

 

Subsequently, the dungeon trips continued. And thanks to Haruna’s instant-kill techniques, monsters were quickly destroyed and their magic stones were exchanged for money. The two weeks passed fairly quickly.

Meanwhile, the cat-eared magic user Natalia was slowly getting better at tending to the store.

“Y-yes, one medicinal herb is one silver piece…thank you very much!”

“Two leek Okonomiyaki! That will be six bronze coins. Thank you for your patronage.”

Though her smile was a little awkward, she did not have any trouble dealing with customers.

On top of that, Natalia really did try her best to serve her customers properly. A lot of the adventurers were people who had been displaced from their countries due to one reason or another. Some were even forced into the life of an adventurer thanks to unexpected circumstances. For Natalia, these were people whose pain she understood.

“One Okonomiyaki, please. Ham.”

“Yes, please wait a mo- ah…”

Natalia’s face stiffened.

The one who made the order was a giant of a man. It was the same large man she had picked a fight with before. Today, he stood in front of her without his party members.

If she said that this situation was not hard for her, it would have been a lie. However, she was a storekeeper now. Moreover, the shop did not belong to her, and therefore she could not act wilfully under these circumstances.

Would he pick a fight? If he caused trouble here, it would be her fault, not to mention it would be troubling for the other customers…

However, her fears were unfounded.

“Here, bronze coins.”

The giant man just paid normally, as though there was never any weird history between them.

“Th- thank you very much…”

Once the Okonomiyaki was done, the giant man accepted the food a little awkwardly.

“Ah, yes, then…um…”

The man stammered, before clearing his throat and continuing in a low voice.

“Since you’re trying to earn money for your brother’s sake, this is the best and fastest way of doing so.”

“H-how did you know this?!”

“The last time our party came down to the dungeon, we encountered Haruna who told us about your situation.”

“That woman, how could she just talk about other people’s private stuff…”

Aunties of Osaka have no concept of privacy, or sensitivity, or tact. Her status also reflected this; [Modesty: 3].

 

However, it could be said that aunties all over the world also behaved more or less the same way. Though this meddlesome behaviour mostly lasted up until their child is in middle school. There are some mothers who would take this habit all the way to their children’s university years and take an interest in the lives of their children’s course mates.

 

“Haruna didn’t mean any harm by telling us your story, even a strong man would break under the burdens you are carrying. You’re a stranger to this town, so you might not know this. Ever since that woman stormed in here, even the very air seemed charged with vitality. It’s like her very existence exudes a powerful magical force.”

The man smiled to himself.

“It’s possible that Haruna came from a merchant driven world, which explains her knack for business and making money. If you want money, following Haruna is a good idea.”

“Could it be that you have fallen in love with Haruna?”

In order to trip the guy up a little, Natalia deliberately asked this question.

“That- that’s none of your business!”

It looked like she had hit the nail right on the head.

“L-look… Haruna was hit by a fireball, right? I mean, sure she had recovery magic, but… anyway, she got in between a quarrel that has nothing to do with her, and… Look, I’m just a being a concerned citizen!”

As soon as Natalia heard this, guilt suffused her person.

That’s right, Haruna had suffered from her fireball after sticking her nose to where it didn’t belong. Though Natalia knew that Haruna barely felt it, she could have suffered terrible injuries, or even die from such a powerful attack.

Helping those who were in trouble just because she could, that kind of simple, straightforward thinking was Haruna’s way of life.

Though it may prove difficult to follow, Natalia had resolved to follow Haruna’s way of life. She had already suffered through all kinds of hardships, and knew how hard life could kick you when you’re down.

As she thought of that, she smiled.

“How silly, in the end you’re still won over by feminine charms.”

“No, that’s wrong! Feminine charms have little to do with her fascinating nature. It’s more like looking like a panther roaming in the wild, filled with wild, arrogant beauty. A kind of strange other worldly being that you can’t help but feel relieved because she’s on your side. Like a protector, that’s all.”

“I guess, I could understand that.”

Natalia laughed in agreement.

If she thought about it, it had been a long time since she had laughed so freely like that. Certainly not since the start of her wandering journeys to help her brother.

 

[Gumihou: Aahhh, how heartfelt~]