Home/How to Survive in a Good Small Guild/ch 85

Chapter 85

Warehouse part-time work is, by nature, a labor space equally open to everyone—regardless of experience, age, or gender.

As soon as I applied for warehouse part-time work on everyone's behalf, they gave us permission to start within minutes.

"This is insane..."

Susanna, new to warehouse work, looked devastated.

"This is hell."

Morian, unsurprisingly, seemed to have experience already.

"Faster, faster!"

"Just throw it!"

Under the strict supervision of the site foreman, we began working.

Actually, I'd only heard about warehouse part-time work—I'd never done it myself.

And I sincerely realized just how amazing those workers were.

"Labor truly is sacred."

Even Cedric muttered that.

'I've never heard of someone possessed into a romance fantasy world doing warehouse part-time work.'

Even as I thought that, my hands never stopped. Sweat poured down like rain.

"Let me help."

"Thank you, Assistant Manager Morian..."

The work was so hard that when Morian carried boxes for me, I was moved to tears.

"You look suddenly handsome..."

I actually said that to Morian—it was that tough. It felt like I was drawing on every ounce of strength I had.

I could understand why people sometimes fell for each other at part-time job sites...

"Senior Staff Cedric, you don't have to work that hard."

Cedric suddenly seemed to have awakened and was working too hard, so I tried to stop him, worried about muscle pain tomorrow.

"No. I enjoy labor."

"......"

"I can see right through that mindset."

I always felt that among our guild members, Cedric was the most insane.

No, we'd come here to gather information—at this rate, we'd just work and leave.

While carrying boxes, I tried not to miss any information about where these boxes were being distributed.

Hmm, most were distributed to stores in the capital. Expensive fabrics seemed to go to famous salons...

"Ughhh..."

As soon as break time came, Susanna let out a strange sound and collapsed. She looked spaced out.

"Assistant Manager Susanna, we need to investigate!"

"Where do you get that energy, Guild Master... You seem to be getting weirder and weirder..."

Susanna muttered, pointing to the boxes behind her.

"We're not executives—there's no information we can get as part-timers here... Look, this box is just going to the Grand Theater... Huh? Does the Grand Theater sell things too?"

She narrowed her eyes at the box.

"Fresh produce... asparagus. Why would the Grand Theater sell asparagus? It's so heavy!"

Susanna grumbled, but I spotted something suspicious.

Boxes going to the Grand Theater?

"Right, why would there be boxes going to the Grand Theater?"

"Break's over! Everyone, get up!"

"Damn."

Sweat was now blurring my vision. Since it was the sweltering summer heat, it was twice as hard.

"This short break is unjust... I will definitely improve labor conditions..."

Cedric, who worked the hardest, seemed half-crazed, but I checked a few more boxes destined for the Grand Theater while working.

They weren't theater props or costumes—they contained items that had nothing to do with the theater.

The Grand Theater... did they sell things there too?

"...Huh? They pay well?"

After work, the manager paid us in cash.

Susanna's expression brightened a bit upon receiving payment. It had been incredibly tough, but the pay was very good for a day's work.

"Great for when you're running low on living expenses."

"Assistant Manager Morian, is that from experience?"

Anyway, our next destination was decided.

After resting at home today, we agreed to meet in front of the Grand Theater tomorrow.

My intuition was telling me that the Grand Theater was suspicious. There was no reason for a theater to sell asparagus.

"Alright, good work today. See you all tomorrow..."

I staggered home, exhausted. Seeing how unsteady I was, Cedric offered to walk me home, but I refused.

It was unjust for an employee to escort the boss.

---

The next day, we gathered in front of the Grand Theater.

But there was nothing suspicious outside, so it seemed we'd have to buy tickets and go inside.

"These are the cheapest seats."

Susanna, a frequent theatergoer, recommended cheap tickets for the upcoming performance. I gladly bought them with the guild budget.

We entered the theater and found our seats among the spacious audience section.

Since they were cheap seats, the distance was far and the seats were cramped, but that was fine.

"...This is my first time."

"Excuse me?"

"Th-this is my first time sitting in a seat like this."

"Ah, you've never been to a theater before."

Seeing Cedric look at his seat with unfamiliar eyes, I thought I should provide cultural opportunities for my employees in the future.

Good companies had cultural benefits, after all.

"Sigh, my dream is to sit in those high seats someday..."

Susanna gazed dreamily at the terrace seats on the second floor. Those seats were only available to nobles or the very wealthy.

"Wow, a famous chef is here today?"

Susanna seemed to recognize a man sitting in one of the terrace seats.

"He's the chef of the most upscale restaurant in Central Arcade! He recently became even more famous for catering a dinner for His Majesty the Emperor."

"I see."

"Yes, I've also heard that his skills are very good..."

If even Cedric knew about him, he must be truly famous.

Soon, the play began, so we observed proper etiquette and fell silent.

The play's content was ordinary—a typical love story about a baron's daughter from the countryside who falls in love with a duke.

There were several amusing moments that made the audience laugh.

"Ah, that was so much fun!"

My face darkened since we hadn't uncovered the Kasan Trading Company's secret, but Susanna was excitedly chattering.

"Especially when the duke fenced with asparagus—that was hilarious, wasn't it?"

"That's also what I remember most."

"Right? Their comedy style really matches mine!"

As we left the theater listening to the guild members' conversation, something caught my eye.

"That's...!"

In front of the theater, a mobile market was selling vegetables.

And naturally, asparagus was among them!

"Assistant Manager Susanna, I was too focused on the musical to ask—do you think the asparagus fencing scene stood out to other people too?"

"Of course! The mise-en-scène there was really..."

This was it. I'd found the Kasan Trading Company's secret!

The famous chef who'd been watching the musical from the central terrace seats earlier had also spotted the asparagus and was walking this way.

"Oh, asparagus."

"Haha, right."

"There are so many dishes you can make with this, and they used it for fencing!"

"I've figured it out!"

I turned to my guild members and exclaimed.

"The Kasan Trading Company sends performance tickets to celebrities, and after the show, they sell the most memorable items from the performance! When celebrities use those products, they naturally become trends."

"So..."

"They didn't bribe the celebrities with money. They used a natural promotional method that makes celebrities believe they chose the items themselves!"

"It's a more sophisticated method than I thought."

Cedric nodded in admiration.

With this, the Golden Scales Society's commission was solved.

"Now we just need to deliver this news to the owner of the Golden Scales Society."

"Then will the Golden Scales Society use the same method?"

When Cedric asked, I shook my head.

"What the Golden Scales Society truly wants is to suppress the Kasan Trading Company. I'll have to teach them a few marketing tips."

Now that I knew marketing worked in this world too, there were many ways I could help the Golden Scales Society with their commission.

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