Konbini Ossan Volume 3 Chapter 11 — Regular Customers
After the four heroes first visited my shop, word must have spread.
Other students summoned from Mutsugaya High School began dropping by from time to time as well.
Still, almost none of them became regulars. Most only came once, out of simple curiosity.
That didn’t matter. I had already built the important connections I needed.
In fact, two of the four heroes themselves had become regular customers.
One was, just as she had declared, the [Saint] — Mimori-san. The other, exactly as I had hoped, was the [Sage] — Matsuriya-kun.
Matsuriya came regularly, not so much to buy anything, but simply to visit me.
Apparently, he was glad to find someone who shared his distrust of the royal palace.
He would come to chat about things like how to distance himself from the war, or how his classmates were too eager about it and causing him trouble.
Naturally, such conversations would disturb other customers.
So, Matsurike made a habit of coming during the late hours, when visitors were almost nonexistent.
For my part, I welcomed his visits. I wanted to build a relationship with him, and in the quiet of night, I could give him my full attention.
It was convenient for both of us.
In this way, I managed to deepen my ties with Matsuriya-kun.
At last, it was time to put my true purpose into action — to ask him for a certain favor.
“What do you mean, you want information?”
Matsuriya tilted his head at my request. Tonight was still early, before midnight, so Arisa was present with us as well.
Since she was here, I decided to explain more openly.
“I want to know how the students of Mutsugaya High are faring. How the royal palace is treating them.
…
Whether there are complaints. Or if anyone is behaving strangely. On the other hand, I’d also like to hear about the palace itself.
…
I do have acquaintances among the palace staff, so I can learn a little from them.
…
But I would prefer to ask someone who stands on the other side — someone calm, with the ability to think things through.”
Shuri-kun and Marceline occasionally stopped by the shop, and when they did, I would gather what I could about the palace from our conversations.
But they were citizens of this country. Information seen from the perspective of the summoned carried a different kind of value.
Once I explained this, Matsuriya readily agreed.
“I don’t mind. In fact, I’d like to keep cooperating with you, Otsugi-san. I want nothing to do with war. If there’s a way to escape it, I’d rather make good use of it.”
To declare so openly that he would use me — Matsuriya was no ordinary youth.
Yet for all his boldness, his actions were careful and well thought out. As allies went, there was no summoned student more reassuring than him.
“Hey, old man. Are you sure that’s okay?”
For some reason, Arisa suddenly spoke up.
“What do you mean by ‘okay’?”
“Well, isn’t Matsuriya supposed to be a really strong hero? And here he is, hating the war and even helping you find a way out of it.
…
If the kingdom’s serious about winning, doesn’t that make things… kinda bad?”
Arisa’s blunt words cut straight to the point.
Indeed, if the goal was victory in war, then cooperating with Matsuriya would be a contradiction.
But the truth was, the heroes’ movements were so critical that I needed inside information regardless of contradictions.
Depending on what they did, I might have to alter my plans entirely.
Besides, Arisa was mistaken on one thing.
“I have no intention of winning the war. That being the case, there’s nothing wrong with cooperating with Matsuriya-kun.”
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E/N:
Information is more powerful than weapons, Ossan knows that well! Stay tuned!
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