As the villagers gathered around him, Erik felt the weight of their expectations. He had to admit, the thought of letting them down was terrifying. The project had to work; their lives depended on it. But as he surveyed the system, he had a gut feeling that it would. Countless hours designing industrial assembly manufacturing lines and managing logistics back on Earth had paid off in this unexpected way.

"Alright," Erik began, taking a deep breath, "Let's test this out."

The villagers looked at him expectantly. He gestured for them to stand back and approached the water pump. His heart raced as he hoped that his knowledge from his past life would serve him well in this new world. He pulled the lever, and with a groan, the wooden contraption began to move. Water started to flow into the wooden troughs they had built, which led to the burger shack and eventually to the rest of the village.

Erik watched the water flow, his eyes scanning for any leaks or issues. To his relief, everything appeared to be working perfectly. The villagers watched in amazement as the water filled the troughs. He could see their expressions shift from doubt to excitement.

"It's a miracle!" One of the villagers exclaimed. "The water flows like it's alive!"

A small devious grin slowly bloomed across Erik's face. With the near completion of the water system, the water amusement park itself was getting closer to reality. The villagers had proven to be more capable than he had ever given them credit for, which opened up more paths for Erik to venture into.

He turned back to the villagers, a triumphant grin on his face as he splayed his arms out wide.

"This is just the beginning," Erik announced, his voice carrying over the sound of the gushing water. "We're going to turn this village into a thriving tourist destination!"

The villagers looked at each other in confusion, whispering among themselves about what a 'tourist destination' could possibly mean.

"Never mind," Erik scratched the back of his head. "Let's go grab dinner at my burger shack."

The villagers nodded eagerly, the promise of food more appealing than the abstract concept of 'tourist destinations'. As they walked back, Erik couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. He had turned a simple burger shack into a hub of activity, and now they were one step closer to creating something even more grand.

While he wondered how Talia and Alyssa were doing, managing his burger shack, Erik turned his focus back to the water system. He had to ensure it would be capable of handling the demand of the growing village and the future water park. The villagers had worked tirelessly, and the result was a marvel of engineering and magic, combining the knowledge of his old world with the magic of this new one.

"What the–"

Erik froze in place, staring at the scene before him. Behind him, the villagers all surged past Erik to order their meals at the counter of the outdoor kitchen.

After what happened last night, Erik was expecting to see a similar scene, with more villagers and outsiders enjoying themselves underneath the cool pavilion while Talia and Alyssa managed the workers in their new uniforms. But what he saw was something entirely different. The burger shack was indeed bustling with customers, but there was something... off about the way the villagers were behaving.

The air was electric with excitement, and the chatter of the villagers was punctuated by bursts of laughter. Erik felt his stomach drop as he saw a few of the men leering at something behind the counter. He quickened his pace, pushing through the crowd. His heart raced as he reached the kitchen area, and what he saw made him do a double-take.

Alyssa was standing there, her apron tied tightly around her waist, a look of pure exasperation on her face. But she wasn't the focus of the crowd's attention. It was Talia. Dressed in a makeshift bikini, she was flipping burgers with a grace that seemed to defy the laws of physics. The twine that held the cloth in place looked as if it might snap at any moment, and the men of the village were taking full advantage of the view.

"Hey! I thought we agreed on you not stripping for money!?" Erik shouted over the cacophony of the crowd, his eyes wide with shock and embarrassment.

Talia rolled her eyes. "I'm not stripping, I'm cooking. And if you must know, I'm not getting paid extra for this."

Several of the village men dropped handfuls of coin into what looked like a medium glass tip jar, nearly filled to the top already. Erik silently turned his gaze back to Talia, who avoided his accusing eyes and acted as if nothing was wrong.

"Look," she said, flipping a burger with a flourish. "This is just a little...promotional work. Besides, it's not like I'm actually naked. I just thought that with my expertise and reputation, I could use it to my advantage. And what's the harm of me having a little less clothing when working in the heat of the kitchen?"

"You can literally cast a self-regulating temperature spell."

"That eats up precious mana," Talia dismissed Erik's remark with a wave of her hand. "And it's not like anyone's complaining."

"I... guess," Erik relented. "But, I don't want the burger shack to become known as a... I don't know, a bikini cafe!"

"Relax, Erik Park. I just spontaneously decided to wear this to help boost morale. Besides, it's not like I'm serving in just this," Talia said with a smug smile, gesturing to her attire. "I've got my apron on."

Erik wanted to argue that that wasn't helping at all, but with the surge in success from Talia's impromptu fashion choice, he bit his tongue. The customers were all smiles and full wallets, and business was booming.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Fine. But try not to do this again, okay? I'll let you slide for tonight." Erik sighed as he prepared himself to start working.

"Thank you, Erik." Talia suddenly hesitated for a moment, catching his attention. She fidgeted nervously, causing Erik to feel a sense of apprehension.

"...What?" He quietly asked her.

"Would you... also let it slide for the others?"

Erik took a second to process what she said. "The others?" He questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Princess Taliana! We've finished changing!" The eager voice of a village girl rang out from the back of the burger shack. Erik whirled around, his jaw dropping as several of the female waitresses strutted out, each wearing their own makeshift bikinis. The twine and fabric barely covered them, leaving little to the imagination.

Erik looked at Talia again, who had the audacity to nod her head with approval. He fought the urge to scream and instead took a deep breath. "Only for tonight."

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of orders and ogling. Erik tried to focus on the job at hand, but it was hard to ignore the commotion that Talia's wardrobe choice had caused. Despite his misgiving, he couldn't deny that the burger shack had never been so busy. The villagers were lining up, and even some of the more conservative ones were cracking smiles at the sight of the bustling eatery.

At some point, the single tip jar had multiplied, and Erik was disappointingly amazed to see five tip jars filled. Alyssa seemed to share his sentiment, as she and a few other women were still in the original crop top and black skirt uniform. She had given him a sympathetic look earlier, but he was too busy to address it. The night grew later, and the crowd grew rowdier. Alyssa approached him, her voice barely audible over the din. "Erik, I think we might need to hire more staff. We're getting swamped."

Erik let out an exasperated sigh. "Yeah, you're probably right." He couldn't believe the chaos a simple change in attire had brought. "Let's talk about it tomorrow. For now, let's just keep the customers happy."

The night grew later, and the burger shack was still packed. The sight of the tip jars brought a bit of a grin to Erik's face. Despite his initial reluctance, the bikini-clad servers had indeed brought in more business. He couldn't help but feel a mix of pride and embarrassment.

Rutaminuar came to relieve Erik of his position, but they were so busy that Erik couldn't afford to take a break. Even Alyssa didn't seem insistent on making him stop, as she was busy handling the drink orders. Erik felt his face flush under the scrutiny of the male customers, and he was acutely aware of the coins clinking into the tip jars. It was an odd feeling, to be both the manager and the subject of this peculiar spectacle.

As the moon rose high in the sky, the crowd finally began to thin out. Erik took a moment to catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. He glanced over at Talia, who was still serving customers with surprising enthusiasm despite her scant attire. Her smile was as radiant as ever, and the men in the crowd hadn't ceased their ogling.

"Alright, boss, you've done enough," Alyssa said, placing a gentle hand on Erik's shoulder. "Why don't you take the rest of the night off?"

Erik nodded, feeling a mix of exhaustion and disbelief. He stepped away from the grill, watching as Alyssa took his place without missing a beat. Despite the chaos, she had maintained her composure, a stark contrast to the frenzied energy that had gripped the rest of the burger shack.

"Thanks, Alyssa." He murmured, his eyes lingering on the tip jars. He had no idea how many coins the six jars contained, but it was definitely more than ten times the amount last night. In fact, glancing back over to the pavilion, Erik was both elated and surprised to see it still so packed.

The cool night air caressed his skin as he stepped out from behind the grill, the heat of the kitchen dissipating as he moved away. He took a moment to appreciate the tranquility of the night, the stars shining brightly above him, and the distant sounds of the forest animals that provided a gentle soundtrack to the otherwise hectic evening.

"Erik!"

He turned to see a familiar face approaching him.

"Ger... Gerrymander, right?" Erik asked the clothing shopkeep.

"N-no, it's Geritara..." Geritara corrected, his eyes glancing over Erik's toned form glistening from sweat before darting away in embarrassment. "I, uh, I heard about your...unique approach to advertising tonight."

"That wasn't-! It was Talia's idea," Erik sputtered, feeling his cheeks redden. "I had no idea that this would happen."

Geritara chuckled, his eyes still flickering over to the tip jars. "Well, it certainly seems to be working. Your little burger shack is the talk of the village. Dare I say, outside the village as well?"

Erik groaned. "I can't believe this. It's like we're running a... a... burlesque fast food joint."

"Even so, you've managed to accomplish quite a lot since you've arrived here. Certainly nothing along the likes of previous Travelers who came before you, but still pretty impressive," Geritara nodded his approval.

Erik made a face, understanding that the clothing shopkeeper referred to his duties to slay the Demon King. "Look, I'll get back on track with that as soon as I become rich- er, I mean, when I have more resources to help the village."

Geritara didn't look convinced, but shrugged it away. "Anyway, I'm just so intrigued by the uniforms I've seen your employees wear; they're absolutely fabulous. Did you design them yourself?"

"Well, most of them. The uniforms for the burger shack were completely Talia's idea. I'm honestly not even sure where she got the ideas for the bikinis." Erik admitted, embarrassed.

"Oh? That's what they're called? I heard rumors from some of the men in the village that your upcoming water park would feature these types of swimwear," Geritara continued, an excited spark in his eyes. "By any chance, would you happen to have a need for a fashion designer in any of your future endeavors?"

Erik hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. As an industrial engineering graduate, he knew nothing about fashion design, but the success of the burger shack's new look was undeniable. He couldn't just ignore the potential this could have for his water park.

"Sure," Erik said with a sigh. "I guess I could use someone with a good eye for design. Just keep in mind that the pay will be low for right now."

"Pay?" Geritara seemed taken aback. "You're already paying me? You are definitely from another world, Erik. You're much kinder and more thoughtful than some people in the royal capital."

Erik blinked, surprised by the man's reaction. "What do you mean?"

"In this world, we do not always receive monetary compensation for our efforts. Rather, those that cooperate with the business of the royal capital often go unpaid for long periods of time before they are granted a boon or favor," Geritara explained, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "But I am happy to offer my services to you in exchange for friendship and the opportunity to learn from your unique perspective."

"It's fine, I'll pay you when you start working with me," Erik hurriedly declined, feeling slightly bad for how things worked here. He didn't want to take advantage of the kindness of these people, even if they were from another world.