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An emergency meeting was being held!

Because of my decision as the generalissimo, the entire Evil God Army was in chaos. I’m not sure what exactly Pervert (Nielsen) said to the others but the officers of the Evil God Army all rushed into the meeting room.

Did everyone want to play with me that badly?

Technically I’m the leader of this whole group, but since coming to the Capital I haven’t joined a meeting even once. I guess it can’t be helped that they’re so excited. Ah, the training from the other day was a different matter of course.

Still, sorry to all these guys, but right now isn’t the time for games. We can’t always be shouting “Dispatch the troops!” and “Leave nobody alive!” can we. The store’s existence depends on this. I hope they’ll take this seriously.

Just the lunch coupons aren’t enough. I need other ideas besides― so fast!?

In just the short while that I was thinking to myself, the entirety of the EGA’s leadership lined up in front of me. It hadn’t even been five minutes yet. Why is it that you guys are only this enthusiastic when it comes to games. Well, sorry to disappoint you though.

At any rate, they were all standing there. Waiting for my orders, presumably. And they were all looking expectantly at me too. I’ll bet they were imagining it was time for me to shout “Spread our banner across the lands!” or something.

Originally Timu and the others would invite me to the war councils. I was so busy with the store though, that I never had time for that. That’s why I told them that I would entrust them with everything instead. Right now Timu was looking at me with this face like, ‘finally, elder sister wants to play’.

I’m sorry, Timu. Right now your sis is in a huge pinch. If she screws this up it’s bankruptcy. We’ll invade the Manamana country some other time, okay?

“Everyone, please sit.”
““Milady,”” they acknowledged together.

It feels a bit like a real army.

“Ahem. I’ve called you all here today to discuss the matter of the store on the surface.”
“Might you be referring to the restaurant that you run, Lady Tilea?”
“That’s right. So you see, right now I’m kind of in a bit of a pickle. The place is about to shut down, so I’d like some ideas on how to get out of this mess.”

Everyone’s eyes were wide. It must have felt really out of the blue for them.

“Lady Tilea, with all due respect, I was led to believe that Ortissio was regularly supplying you money, but…”
“That’s true, but it brings me shame to say that I’m not making a profit.”

Hearing it come out of my own mouth made me hang my head. He gave me that much money and I’m still in the red.

“Ortissio! Lady Tilea is obviously upset and yet you withhold money!?”
“I-I dare not. I have already told Lady Tilea that it would be no problem to increase the amount of money.”
“I care not for your excuses, Ortissio. You have wasted elder sister’s time. I trust you are prepared for the consequences.”
“Hiiek…! B-But Lady Tilea was…”

Whoa whoa. How does it make any sense to blame Ortissio for this? I’m the one responsible.

“C’mon guys, enough of that. Orty isn’t in the wrong here. This isn’t a problem about how much money he gives me. It’s true that his money is what’s been keeping it afloat so far, but what I really want to know is why we’re not turning a profit.”
“I understand now, Lady Tilea. In other words, this is a matter of pride.”

Dryas is a smart cookie as always. That’s exactly right. I can’t just keep taking advantage of Orty’s money here. And to begin with, it’s really weird that my food isn’t making money.

“Sharp as always, Dryas. You understand my feelings.”
“I am honored.”
“That’s right. To be frank, I have complete faith in my abilities as a cook. It’s impossible for me to be getting so few customers.”
“It is incomprehensible, elder sister. How could anybody not understand the value of the best food in history.”
“Yupyup, I’m definitely better than our competitors.”

Even I have enough sense to scout out our rivals. I went to the more bustling restaurants in the Capital to try their food, and I was one or two levels higher than everyone out there. I can’t say they were bad. It’s just that they were B-rank cooks at best.

“Mere cooking though it may be, it is unacceptable for anybody to defeat Lady Tilea,” Pervert (Nielsen) exclaimed indignantly. It seems like agreement at first but…

Hey, Pervert (Nielsen). What did you say just now? MERE COOKING!?

You’re supposed to be an employee at our restaurant! What the f̲u̲c̲k̲ are you saying!?

Pervert (Nielsen) is my subordinate, okay? Not just in some make-believe army, but in an honest to god work environment Pervert (Nielsen) is my subordinate. But despite that, despite being in the culinary industry, he goes and spouts outrageous crap like that. Is that how an employee is supposed to act?

“Niel!”
“Milady.”
“Minus ten points!”
“HEBSH-!”

I pegged a pencil-thing hard at him, like a teacher throwing chalk at her bad student.

Pervert (Nielsen) staggered a bit before collapsing. Guess it was a critical hit. He was just laying there.

Hm, did I take things a bit far? Ah, that’s no good. No matter how badly the management of the store is going, it’s never an excuse to throw things at people.

“Sorry, Niel. Are you okay?”
“Uguhg. Hahh, hahh, I-, I am f-fine…”

He put up a strong front but his legs were still trembling. Ah geez, I shouldn’t have used violence on somebody so fragile. Let’s wait for him to recover.

A few minutes later…

Pervert (Nielsen) was finally able to sit back in his chair.

“You okay now, Niel?”
“There is no issue, Milady. So what mistake did I make?”

What mistake!? You don’t even understand!? Hahh~ This guy really lacks self-awareness about his job at Berum Restaurant.

“Niel. You’re my subordinate. DUU YUU ANDASTAN?”
“Certainly. I am your faithful servant, Lady Tilea.”
“Then be a bit more aware of that fact. You’re working at my restaurant, and yet you’d say something like ‘mere food’. If our employees aren’t taking their jobs seriously, do you really think we can turn this store around!”
“M-, My deepest apologies. My words certainly were counter to your desires.”
“Huu~ Think about this carefully next time, okay?”
“As you wish.”

I sighed.

Does anybody else have any ideas? I looked around. Mn? Edim looked like she was fidgeting for some reason. Before long…

“U-, Umm, Lady Tilea.”
“My, Edim. Do you have anything to say?”
“Yes. What if I turned all the humans into my kin and ordered them to come to the restaurant?”

Edim, please don’t say such scary things so casually. I hope this is a joke, but when it comes to Edim it’s a terrifyingly real possibility. And she’s hurt my pride by saying something like that.

“Edim, are you looking down on me?”
“Never, I would never do such a thing.”
“You know, by suggesting a plan to force people to come you’re basically saying that my cooking isn’t enough to do it! Do you get that? “Honestly, even you’re saying stupid things like Niel. Next time I’ll hit you with a laminariales, okay?”
“Y-Yes…”

After that, Timu and the others continued suggesting violent and outrageous plans. One guy even suggested massacring the ‘foolish townsfolk who fail to understand the greatness of (my) cooking!’

Huu, I swear these guys have a one-track mind…

Is it actually impossible to talk seriously with a chuunibyou? I can’t believe I’m wondering this just now.

“Hey, does anybody have any serious ideas?”
“Lady Tilea, may I?” asked the previously silent Dryas as he raised a hand. The star of the show is finally here.
“Sure, sure. Tell me what you’ve got.”
“Milady. In my humble opinion, your cooking is perfection itself. The deficit the restaurant is experiencing has another cause. The position of the store, the lack of advertising, and finally the pricing of the menu appear to be the problems.”

As expected of Dryas, finally a serious answer. A chuunibyou though you may be, you’ve really shown how different you are to the others.

“Mn, mn, continue.”
“Yes, Milady. This restaurant is located at the very end of Western Street, in a place beyond notice. Furthermore, due to the lack of advertisement, I presume that many have not even heard of its existence.”
“I see. I guess this is pretty out of the way.”
“Finally, our position means that few pedestrians on Western Street would come as far as here. They tend to congregate towards the center.”

Could it mean that he wants us to move the store? But that’s impossible. There’s the issue of money for one thing, but Orty and Edim are still wanted suspects. We need the underground housing because they need to lay low until the heat dies down.

“But moving is impossible, Dryas.”
“Indeed. This is the best position to avoid revealing our headquarters. Moving the store would be undesirable.”
“I thought so too. Then I guess we just have to try harder with advertising? Also, you said there was an issue with the pricing?”
“Yes. To put it simply, the prices are entirely too cheap. Far from making a profit, we struggle to even break even.”
“I thought the ingredients would have been cheaper, but they were so expensive that I didn’t think any customers would come. That’s why I thought I’d focus on making a lot of small profits instead, but…”

“Lady Tilea, what if we change the target demographic to the wealthy? At this pricing, even a thousand customers a day would not bring a profit.”
“I-IT’S THAT BAD!? Mmmn, but wringing the rich for their money is a bit… I’d prefer it if more people could taste my cooking.”
“I understand. Everything is for the sake of your desires. In that case, we will adjust the prices more conservatively and order Edim’s kin to promote the store.”
“I see! GUDDO AIDEA!”

I knew I was right to believe in him. Next time I should just talk alone with him. That way I won’t waste so much time.

“Beyond that, we can shave down the cost of the ingredients a little, and order the troops to gather ingredients.”
“Yeah, I guess there are the middleman fees if we keep buying from the market, huh.”

If we were on the internet I’d be spamming the Like button right now.

“In that case the ingredients shall be gathered by sending the Second Division on expeditions.”
“W-Wait a moment. My Second Division has been working non-stop at suppressing the neighboring settlements. It would be impossible to take on the job of ingredient gathering as well,” Orty interjected.

He tried to convey just how busy he was but Dryas was having none of it.

“Enough whining! Ortissio, this is not a request. As Chief of General Staff, I am ordering you to do so.”
“H-, However…”
“Ortissio, I thought you were supposed to be demonstrating your loyalty!” roared Pervert (Nielsen).
“Ortissio, know that if you continue your excuses I will personally tear your mouth off,” added Timu.

You guys are a bit too harsh…

“Y-Yes, h-hic, I un-understand… Then I sh-shall… hic, accept this… mission.”

Orty was really starting to cry now. Aah, not this again. I’ve told them so many times to stop picking on Orty already…

“That’s enough, everyone.”
“H-However, damned Ortissio is being too―”
“Enough!”

Everyone went silent, and Orty looked up at me with his tear-stained face.

“H-, Hic, L-Lady Tilea…”
“Orty, I know that you take the occasional trip out of the capital. When you’re out there, if you happen to come across any good ingredients then I’d like it if you brought them back with you.”
“Hic, i-ingredients…?”
“Mn, if you say it’s impossible, then I won’t force you. We’re done discussing it, and I won’t let anybody say otherwise.”
“Lady Tilea… Just how far does your compassion and greatness go…”
“Huhu, your flattery is really over-the-top.”
“Not at all. I am not praising you enough.”

With that, Orty was back to normal. I guess he’s done crying.

“So Orty, think you can do it?”
“Yes, Milady! I, lowly Ortissio, profoundly apologize for complaining over merely accepting two tasks. Please leave it to me. I shall accomplish this without fail.”
“Okay. I’ll look forward to it then. Ah, but enough about the subjugation of the villages or whatever. You don’t need to feel pressured over something like that.”
“Please be at ease. I will prioritize the gathering of ingredients. The likes of those settlements will not take up our time. If it takes too long then we can simply exterminate them all.”
“I-, I see… Don’t go too crazy with your games, okay?”
“Huhu, games indeed. I understand. I will calmly deal with it all.”