The abandoned tavern stood at the edge of the village, right where the dirt road curved into a cluster of trees.
And it was, in a word, horrifying.
Ryo stared at the broken windows, the rotting wooden door hanging off its hinges, and the overgrown weeds creeping into the foundation. The once-proud sign above the entrance, which probably bore the tavern’s name long ago, now barely clung to the wall, swaying in the wind with an ominous creak.
“…Well,” Ryo said after a long pause. “It has character.”
Anna, standing beside him, looked one second away from fainting.
“This is not a tavern! This is a haunted ruin!”
Giles, the burly village man who had led them here, laughed heartily. “Hah! Yeah, it’s been closed for nearly ten years. The old owner, Geralt, left after his wife passed, and no one’s touched it since.”
Ryo nodded thoughtfully. “So, it’s available?”
Anna grabbed his sleeve. “Young Master, please. A noble like you can’t possibly live in a place like this!”
Ryo shrugged. “I’m not a noble anymore.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to move into a disaster zone!”
But Ryo wasn’t listening. His eyes scanned the interior through the broken doorway. Dust blanketed every surface, cobwebs stretched between the wooden beams, and a few old barrels lay toppled in the corner. The scent of aged wood and stale ale lingered in the air.
It was, by all accounts, a complete wreck.
Perfect.
“So, how much?” Ryo asked, turning back to Giles.
The burly man scratched his beard. “Well, considering the state it’s in… if you’re willing to clean it up yourself, I’m sure the mayor would sell it for one gold coin.”
Anna nearly choked. “That cheap!?”
Giles chuckled. “Not many people want to buy a tavern in this condition, lass.”
Ryo casually pulled out a gold coin and flipped it to Giles. “Deal.”
Anna stared at him in sheer disbelief. “You… you actually bought it?”
Ryo grinned. “Yep. Welcome to The Lazy Bear Tavern.”
Anna’s eye twitched.
“The—what? You just made that up on the spot, didn’t you!?”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“Maybe.”
The moment they stepped inside, a thick cloud of dust billowed up from the floor.
Anna coughed violently. “Young Master, this place is filthy!”
Ryo, meanwhile, had already grabbed an old broom from the corner.
“Well, time to clean up.”
“…You’re actually going to clean this yourself?”
“Obviously.”
Anna frowned. “Shouldn’t we at least hire some help?”
Ryo waved a hand. “That sounds like too much effort.”
“Cleaning the entire tavern is less effort than hiring help!?”
Ignoring her protests, Ryo started sweeping.
At first, nothing seemed unusual. But then—
Ding!
[Skill Acquired: Basic Cleaning → Proficiency Increased!]
[Passive XP Growth Activated: Cleaning Skill Progress +200%]
Ryo blinked. “Huh.”
Anna noticed his pause. “What’s wrong?”
“…Nothing.”
Shrugging, he continued sweeping.
Ding!
[Basic Cleaning → Intermediate Cleaning!]
[Passive XP Growth Multiplier Applied: Skill Rank Increased!]
The broom suddenly felt lighter in his hands. The dust, which should have taken hours to clear, vanished almost instantly. His sweeping movements became unnaturally smooth and efficient.
Anna’s jaw dropped.
“W-What’s happening? How are you cleaning so fast!?”
Ryo paused to look at the broom in his hands.
‘I barely even moved, and the whole floor is spotless…’
“…I guess I’m just talented?” he said vaguely.
Anna narrowed her eyes. “Liar.”
Once the floors were spotless, Ryo moved on to wiping down the bar counters.
Ding!
[Skill Acquired: Basic Maintenance → Proficiency Increased!]
[Passive XP Growth Activated: Skill Rank Increased Instantly!]
Suddenly, the cracked wooden bar smoothed itself out as if it had been freshly polished. Even the faint ale stains from years ago vanished.
Ryo frowned. “Huh. That’s convenient.”
Anna pointed at him in horror. “You did not just say ‘that’s convenient’ after breaking the laws of reality!”
Next, Ryo found the old cooking station. The pots were rusted, the oven was in poor shape, and the knives were blunt.
“Well, let’s see if I remember how to cook.”
He picked up a knife and started chopping an old vegetable he had found in storage.
Ding!
[Skill Acquired: Basic Cooking → Proficiency Increased!]
[Passive XP Growth Activated: Skill Rank Maxed Out Instantly!]
Ryo looked down.
In the span of a single second, the vegetable he had barely touched was now perfectly sliced into thin, even pieces.
“…Huh.”
Anna, who had been watching closely, screamed.
By the time night fell, the once-abandoned tavern looked brand new.
The dust was gone. The counters gleamed. The furniture had been repaired. Even the kitchen, which should have taken days to clean and restock, was fully operational.
Anna stood in the doorway, trembling.
“Young Master.”
“Hm?” Ryo replied, casually stretching.
“Are you actually a legendary hero in disguise?”
Ryo blinked. “No?”
Anna grabbed her head. “T-Then how did you do all this in a single day!?”
Ryo thought about telling her the truth—about his system and how his passive skill maxed everything out.
Then he decided that was way too much effort.
“I’m just naturally gifted, I guess.”
Anna glared.
“Liar.”
Before they could argue further, the door suddenly swung open.
A group of young adventurers stood outside, looking hesitant.
“Uh… is this place open?”
Ryo tilted his head. “Yeah?”
The adventurers exchanged glances. “Already? But wasn’t this place abandoned this morning?”
Another villager chimed in from behind them. “Wait, that noble guy actually restored the tavern!?”
More and more people started gathering outside.
“Is this for real?”
“What’s the menu like?”
“Does he actually know how to cook?”
Ryo smiled.
“Well,” he said, tying an apron around his waist. “Might as well serve our first customers.”
Anna, still in complete disbelief, sighed and rubbed her temples.
“This is going to be a long, long life…”
And just like that, The Lazy Bear Tavern was open for business.