"Tohru, please seat your friends and ask what they'd like to eat. As for your tardiness, we'll discuss that later when I'm done here," Yuto said while making sandwiches for Reiko.
In the front hall, Tohru initially brightened at Yuto's first sentence, but her energy drained away when she heard the second half.
Even her lively tail drooped listlessly.
"Alright..." Tohru replied dejectedly, turning to her friends. "Kanna, Quetzalcoatl, Fafnir, please sit here."
Despite her disappointment, she regained her composure and resumed her professional demeanor as an employee.
'If I start working diligently right away, maybe he will show me some leniency,' Tohru thought.
Seeing the bar crowded with patrons, she led her friends to an empty table.
As the three settled in, Tohru smiled warmly at them.
"Oh... ah—a skeleton and a slime!" Kanna, a cute and dazed-looking girl, turned her head and stared at Rimuru and Ainz with a blank expression of surprise.
Though her words were meant to convey astonishment, Kanna delivered them in a flat tone.
"Oh! I'm Rimuru!" Rimuru replied cheerfully.
"My name is Ainz Ooal Gown..."
"Just call him Bony, Kanna," Tohru interrupted with a smile as Ainz lowered his voice to introduce himself.
Ainz slammed his bony hand on the table. "Damn you, dragon! If not for Kamisaka's sake, I'd obliterate you today!"
Ainz's eyes glowed crimson like laser beams when he said that!
Tohru simply smiled back at Ainz, not uttering a word.
This was a new technique she had learned: the silent, mocking smile.
Ainz, furious, immediately activated his 'Forced Calm' skill.
"Hmph." Tohru hummed with a smile before turning to her friends.
"What does everyone want to eat? Let me tell you, the Boss's cooking is delicious!" Her words were filled with adoration for Yuto.
Kanna and Fafnir reacted differently to her enthusiasm.
"Really?" Kanna's eyes sparkled.
Tohru nodded vigorously.
"Then I want roasted centaur meat!"
Tohru's smile faltered. "That's not on the menu, Kanna. They only serve human cuisine here."
Kanna's face fell. "Oh... okay. Then I don't know what to order. Tohru, can you pick for me?"
She rested her head on the table, her expression were innocent and adorable, like a clueless little girl.
"Human cuisine, huh... hmm, do they have alcohol here?" Quetzalcoatl asked.
She was an exceptionally mature woman with golden hair and heterochromatic eyes—her left eye was green, while her right eye was a mix of dark and yellow.
But these features weren't her most striking.
What truly caught the eye was Quetzalcoatl's figure.
It was world-class!
Quetzalcoatl tapped her cheek thoughtfully. "So, what kind of food do they serve here?"
"The Boss only serve Human food here," Tohru said.
A smile spread across Quetzalcoatl's face. "Then bring me some wine and grilled meat."
Tohru nodded to acknowledge the order before turning to Fafnir.
He was a cold, aloof man dressed in a black butler's uniform, wearing glasses and boasting blood-red pupils.
An aura of world-weariness and indifference radiated from him.
"Fafnir, what do you want?"
"I require nothing," Fafnir replied icily. "I will never eat human food."
He crossed his arms, obscuring the lower half of his face. His expression remained serious and detached.
"Fafnir! The Boss's cooking is genuinely delicious!" Tohru felt exasperated by her friend's stubbornness.
She understood Fafnir's personality well—he was suspicious and deeply hostile toward humans, always fearing they would steal his treasure.
So, she wasn't surprised by his words.
Still, she wished he would at least try Yuto's cooking.
"I won't eat it." Even after Tohru tried persuading him again, Fafnir calmly refused.
Tohru sighed in resignation. "Fine, but don't come crying to me when you regret it."
She gazed at Fafnir's impassive face and a mischievous grin spreading across her features.
"Hmph, mere humans food? I'll never regret it," Fafnir declared.
Tohru stopped trying to convince him and cheerfully walked over to the bar. "Boss, make a dessert for Kanna! And Quetzalcoatl wants wine and grilled meat!"
The dragon girl was brimming with excitement and joy.
Though she was just an employee at the restaurant, she felt happy here.
This genuine, heartfelt joy was something Tohru had never experienced back in her own world.
"Okay, just a moment." Yuto had already prepared one sandwich in the kitchen.
He was now making Yuyuko's order, which would be ready soon.
"Mm-hmm!" Tohru replied cheerfully and returned to her friends. "It'll be ready in just a moment."
"I never expected to see you working here, Tohru," Quetzalcoatl said with a gentle smile.
Her voice was soft and soothing.
"Mm-hmm! The Boss is a wonderful person. I'm very happy here," Tohru replied with a nod.
"He's just a human, Tohru. Have you forgotten?" Fafnir's unspoken implication was clear: the long history of conflict between dragons and humans.
In their world, humans were enemies and any encounter between them ended in mutual slaughter.
"I haven't forgotten that, but Fafnir! The Boss is different! He's a very special human! He's nothing like those other humans!" Tohru was furious at her friend's doubts, her voice rising as she spoke!
Even Yuto, who was in the kitchen, could hear her shouting.
He felt a twinge of satisfaction!
'This feeling of my own employee defending me... tsk, it's actually quite nice.'
'However, this couldn't excuse her tardiness!'
...
Yuto emerged carrying two sandwiches, handing one each to Reiko and Yuyuko.
"Here you go. Sorry for the wait," he said with a smile to Reiko.
Yuyuko, who was sitting beside Reiko, had already finished her sandwich the moment Yuto handed it over.
It took her only two bites.
After finishing, the ghost girl sat with perfect composure and elegance.
This demeanor was a stark contrast to her earlier ravenous eating, making her seem like two different people.
"It's alright," Reiko replied with a warm smile, feeling no resentment.
Though the food had arrived a bit late, chatting with Yakumo Yukari and the others was quite enjoyable.
Yuto noticed Shoko's unusual behavior.
The little girl seemed to be secretly watching something.
Following her gaze, Yuto saw another adorable little girl across the room: Kanna.
Kanna appeared to be daydreaming.
Yuto chuckled inwardly, already guessing why Shoko was acting this way.
Children naturally prefer making friends with their peers, much like adults. In the restaurant, the youngest person besides Shoko was a high school student.
It was difficult for a young child to blend in with older teenagers.
"Shoko, do you want to play with Kanna?" Yuto asked softly, leaning closer to her.
Shoko startled as a faint blush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
Her secret were exposed and she pressed her lips together.
Her gaze darted nervously around the room, unsure where to settle.
She never had any friends.
For her, actively trying to approach someone was a difficult task.
"Um..." After a moment of hesitation, Shoko nodded softly.
Her voice was barely audible, but thankfully, Yuto could hear her.
Yuto smiled and gently patted her head.
He was happy to help her make friends.
"Here's what we'll do, Shoko. I'll fry up some meat skewers for you in a bit. Why don't you go find Kanna and share them with her?" He affectionately stroked her hair.
With children, simple sharing was often enough to forge friendships, making it much easier than the complex social dynamics between adults.
Shoko's eyes lit up with delight as she looked at him, and she nodded vigorously.
After speaking with Shoko, Yuto glanced casually at Utaha.
The girl's expression was serene as she stared at her phone, seemingly oblivious to his presence beside her.
'She looks calm enough,' he thought.
"Kamisaka-kun, why are you staring at me?"
Just as he was feeling relieved, Utaha turned her gaze directly toward him.
"Oh, it's nothing," Yuto said, shaking his head slightly.
"Is that so? Good then." Utaha nodded calmly and returned to her phone.
Despite her composed demeanor, Yuto still sensed something was off.
'Now wasn't the right time to talk to her, though.'
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