“Honestly, not just Lilia, but you too, Tetsuya—you really seem like the shy type~ You just have to casually ask, ‘Want to go on a date today?’ and that’s it, you know?”

“That one phrase isn’t so easy to say… And besides, if she rejects me, being alone together afterward would be super awkward…”

Including my previous life, I’ve never had a girlfriend, let alone gone on a one-on-one date with a girl. That alone is a huge hurdle for me. I can talk to women just fine in a group, regardless of gender, but that’s not a date…

If she rejects me, considering we live together with her acting as my bodyguard, life afterward would definitely get really uncomfortable. I mean, asking someone out on a date is basically the same as confessing your feelings, right? Or is that just me?

…Since coming to this world, I’ve learned all sorts of things about running a business, but when it comes to understanding a woman’s heart, I’m still totally clueless.

“Well, in your case with Lilia, since you’ve been living together as bodyguard and client from the start, it’s a bit tricky. Hmm, maybe I’ll try to come up with a few things to help create the right mood between you two.”

“Thanks, Mr. Lange!”

As expected of Mr. Lange—he’s really reliable when it comes to romance! May I call you my master?

“I’d be happy if you and Lilia ended up together too. I’ll try thinking of a few things.”

Looks like Mr. Lange will be coming up with something for us. Honestly, I really appreciate that.

“Either way, this week we’ll be busy with launching the new product and also with renting a bigger shop than this one, so it’s going to get hectic for a while.”

“So in the end, you’ve decided to rent a new shop.”

“Yeah. That way, we can significantly increase the variety of products we offer, including size and color variations that we couldn’t carry in this shop.”

I want to buy the Full Potion for Lilia, but it’s quite expensive, so I need to make more money. That’s why I judged that investing in expanding the shop would be worth it in the long run.

I also have a few other things in mind, but there are several preparations that need to be taken care of in advance.

“If you’re relocating the store, there’ll probably be a bit of downtime. Maybe I’ll take the opportunity to visit the royal capital. This time I want to properly greet Lord Ruhail, the Adventurer’s Guild Master.”

Come to think of it, Mr. Lange had mentioned wanting to meet Lord Ruhail of the royal capital’s Adventurer’s Guild.

“That’s right. I was already planning to go back to the royal capital when we move the shop, so I’ll ask Miss Berna and Miss Ferry if they can accompany us again.”

“That would definitely be faster. I really didn’t expect to get to the capital so quickly last time.”

If what I’m planning to try next works out, there are still other things I’d like to request while in the capital. In any case, when relocating the shop, I’ll need to make all the preparations and take a break from business, so I’ll be heading back to the capital then.

Well, it’s good to think about what’s ahead, but first we need to focus on launching tomorrow’s new product.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

“Thank you very much for coming to our outdoor shop so early this morning!”

Two days of break passed, and the week began anew. Today marks the reopening of the outdoor shop, and since we’re launching a new product, many customers have already lined up outside the store.

That said, since we announced ahead of time that today’s product isn’t food-related, we don’t have as large a crowd as we did two weeks ago. …Our shop is technically for selling gear useful to beginner adventurers, but the instant-type food products are way more popular, honestly.

Today, we’re releasing two new products from the selection available when the outdoor shop reaches level 5.

“Alright, first up on today’s featured items is this: the ‘Dry Shampoo’!”

As I announced the product name to the customers, our shop’s poster girl and mascot employee, Fia-chan, held up the product for everyone to see like she always does.

“...What’s that, some kind of powder?”

“Didn’t they say today’s item isn’t food?”

“Is it some kind of blinding powder to use against monsters?”

The product Fia-chan held up was a wooden cylinder filled with powder, the same container we always use. Of course, with just this, customers won’t have any idea how to use it, so this time I’ll skip the usual quiz and just give the explanation right away.

“When you haven’t washed your hair in a while, doesn’t it get greasy or start to smell weird? In those times, just take a small amount of this dry shampoo powder, rub it thoroughly into your scalp, and it will help suppress the greasiness and odor.”