Ryuji got another early start the next day. After finishing his morning routine, he went downstairs to the common room and it was a bit more occupied than the previous morning. He went over an sat at the bar and Karen came out to greet him. he couldn’t resist a quiet little jab. “Aww, No kiss this morning?”
That got the desired blush and after a glance around to see if anybody was watching, she even leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “You know, I’m still mad that you know how to clean better than me. What kind of noble elf lord knows how to clean like that? Oh well, I’ll be right back. I already put the loaf of bread in the oven when I saw you coming down and I’m sure it’s warm by now. I even put butter on it.”
Karen sat the Loaf between them and began to cut it. Just then one of the customers called for her and she had to go wait their table. When she came back, she wore a grin. “One of the customers wanted to know how much they would have to pay to get a loaf of bread like that. I told him that he could try buying a bakery for a baker!”
Karen was right on the brink of bursting out in laughter at her little joke. Ryuji just rolled his eyes with a light chuckle then yelled to the guy in the back. “I paid her a large copper to make some bread with either berries or nuts in it. I think the berries are out of season but you can always ask the young lady that sells the bread in the nearest plaza”
Karen almost burst out laughing at that comment. She could just imagine the guy looking for some young girl selling bread in the plaza instead of old Lizbet! After she calmed down a bit, they chatted a bit about his plans for businesses as they ate and he had a question for her. “Where do you bathe? I know that most of the people in the city either wash using basin and rag or they go to the river. I saw plenty of them there yesterday.”
Karen got a slightly peeved look on her face. “Why would you go to the river? We provide HOT water every morning! Do you go there to watch women bathe?”
He looked her in the eye with a smirk. “Oh, but of course! I actually go there to wash my hair. It would have too much soap in it to get it all out in a basin. I don’t like my hair to be heavy and oily.”
The moment he said it, Karen looked away with an aggrieved expression and began feeling of her hair. “I see. That’s why your hair always looks so good and mine is… like this. I just use a basin and I wash my hair without any soap. I actually don’t have any soap at all.”
Ryuji was almost certain that if he weren’t an elf he wouldn’t have heard her last comment. “I had an idea. I was thinking about opening a bunch of bathhouses that commoners could use and a nicer one for the nobles. I also noticed that there was a large open space beside the inn that currently only has firewood in it. I thought I might see if Teresa was interested in having a bathhouse attached to the inn. I would pay for it, of course. I think I’ll talk to her about it later.”
At first, Karen was in a daze but then she brightened up so much that Ryuji could tell she really liked the idea. Ryuji left a bit after that and took the last of the berry loaf with him for Dorn to try. However, when he got near the plaza, Lizbet came walking over to him and she was carrying a pair of fresh baked Nut loaves. Thanking her profusely, Ryuji then suggested using the base dough to make rings and twists and serving them with dried, grated garlic or a dry grated cheese on them. She didn’t understand grating so he suggested finely crumbled and she looked at him like he was a food wizard.
After parting ways with Lizbet, he went to the magic shop and discovered Dorn still fast asleep. He decided to pull out the fresh loaves and was going to use his dagger to cut a slice when he made a startling discovery. His dagger was rusted. A cursory examination showed him his sword was also. He instead pulled Dorn’s kitchen knife out of the butcher’s block and cut a slice of the fresh loaf for himself and one for Dorn.
After taking a bite, Ryuji got a great idea. He got out his quill and inkwell then pulled a page from his tome for writing practice and proceeded to do just that. He tried several times to compose a letter to Dorn. On the sixth try, he managed to write a letter to the old dwarf explaining that the slices of bread were his for breakfast if he wanted them and he would be back in a bit. He had an errand to run.
Ryuji then set about slicing the hardly touched nut loaf into many small slices. He didn’t have any butter and lamented that it would be much better with butter. He then wrapped the whole thing up and took out the other to get the same treatment. He left half of that one for his, Karen’s, and Teresa’s breakfast tomorrow.
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He then made a quick jaunt a few blocks over to where his employees were just getting things set out in the general store. He spotted Varon at roughly the same time he was spotted and waved him over to the side counter. He grabbed a wax paper-wrapped stick of butter on his way. When Varon saw what he had in his hand he was rather puzzled till Ryuji pulled out the loaves and he got a big grin.
Varon sent a young boy to the apartments to tell the residents that their boss had brought a treat and it was first come first served. Ryuji told him to also go fetch the cat beastfolk family. The boy seemed hesitant at first and looked at Varon. “Well? You heard him. Get going or it may be you that doesn’t get any!”
After the boy took off, Ryuji asked about the business and found that word had already spread about the changes to the business. Varon told him that even though they took a slight hit in farmers coming in to get credit on their crops yield, the bartering was making money at every turn! He told Ryuji that all of the old accounts had been happily reinstated after he paid them off and they discovered that the business was under new ownership.
As Ryuji was getting the good news about the business and how well it was doing, the first of the workers came to see what the new boss was treating them to. None of them expected to get a slice of buttered nut bread, however thin. After a bit, the cats all slinked in and the bread was just about gone. The older cats pushed the children to the front in hopes that at least they would get a treat. Ryuji just grinned as he opened the second loaf and saw everyone just arriving brighten considerably. Ryuji was surprised to find the messenger boy was the last one in line and gave him one of the thicker slices with just a little extra butter on it.
Turning to Varon, he held out a slice of the fragrant bread and enjoyed hearing all the exclamations about how good it was from everyone. Varon thanked him and savored a big bite of the still-warm bread. Ryuji was just about to put up the rest of the bread when he heard a little boy wailing about not getting any bread if they didn’t hurry.
After a few seconds, the bleary-eyed little sun-elf boy and his emaciated mother made it through the door. He smiled and buttered two more slices while shooting a questioning look at Varon. “Why does she look like that?” He practically hissed.
Varon was worried at first that he was about to be in deep trouble for something before he recognized the pattern from before. The new owner wasn’t mad at him, he was mad at the former owner. “She’s been sick for the last two eightdays. *The young manager lowered his voice so Ryuji was the only one who could hear before he went on.* She has elven blight. It’s not deadly unless you can’t afford the medicine and nobody has been able to get paid until you showed up, sir.”
Ryuji was so livid that he wanted to go to the dungeon and kill the former owner himself. He had heard that the duke was reviewing the case and if he ruled that the merchant was guilty, the man would be publicly executed. He shook his head and looked back at Varon. “How much is the medicine? Are there any more of my employees sick for lack of simple needs being met? *He didn’t wait for Varon to answer and slammed a large gold coin down on the counter.* Treat those who are ill and the rest is to go into fixing the tenements. I’m sick of hearing about that vile bastard!”
“Varon, I need you to get my people healthy. I’m serious about the increased pay too for anybody who deserves it. I’m sure that’s probably everyone here. *Ryuji turned to the crowd of his employees who were all either staring at him or the gold coin with wide eyes.* I will take care of everyone who works for me and I can already tell that you are all doing the same for me! Without somebody telling them, the people of the town wouldn’t know that the barters and tabs were back. Oh, one thing before I forget. Once it opens, go to the bakery a couple blocks over. Another one of my employees runs it and she’s the one who made the bread. I’ll make sure that you’re all paid enough to enjoy it.”
The cheering was so loud that Ryuji had to cover his ears with a grin and all the elves and cats did too. He then beckoned to the cats to follow him to one side. “How’s the search for a construction crew going?”
They all had their faces down looking between each other until one of the husbands spoke up. “Milord, we are terribly sorry but we haven’t been able to figure out how to get any workers. We were hesitant to bother the lady of the tax office until we ran out of any other options. I’m terribly sorry milord Sir.”
Ryuji wanted to scowl but then he caught sight of the younger girl with butter smeared over her whiskers and couldn’t help but smile. After wiping the butter off she grabbed his hand and proceeded to lick it off his finger just like a cat, complete with waving tail. After that, he couldn’t stay angry and looked at them with a sidelong glance. “Fine, be at the tax office at lunch. I will go in with you but I won’t do your talking for you. And Aleen will have to be paid for her services so bring the money with you. We’ll eat after that. Now, I have to go. I have training, so can I have my finger back?” the little girl looked abashed but then immediately hugged his leg and began purring and rubbing her cheek on it before running off. Time to get to the shop.