Konbini Ossan Volume 4 Chapter 4 — Head-Hunting
To resolve the issue of appointing a new manager for the magic tools shop, I paid a visit to a certain place.
It was early morning — the Adventurers’ Guild.
“I’m so bored…”
When I stepped inside, the receptionist, Shirley, let out a weary sigh.
“It’s been a while, Shirley-san.”
“Eh? O-Otsugi-san!”
Apparently startled, Shirley quickly straightened her posture.
“It really has been a while. What brings you here today?”
“Yes. Actually, I’ve come with a good offer for you.”
“A good offer?”
“Though, whether you see it as good or not depends on how you look at it.”
“Um, and that offer would be…?”
Pressed by her curiosity, I spoke the words that revealed my purpose here — the move that would solve the manager problem.
“I’ve come to head-hunt you, Shirley-san. How about working at my shop?”
There were several reasons and circumstances behind my idea to recruit Shirley.
First, regarding the new manager issue. I had been considering Arisa and Maria. With both refusing, I was left without a suitable candidate.
The reasons they gave were both about lacking ability. In other words, if that shortcoming could be compensated, either of them would be willing to take on the position.
But that wasn’t something easily solved. Originally, I had planned to make one of them the manager and the other the assistant.
Yet, with the combination of Arisa and Maria, the crucial problem — their lack of management judgment and broad perspective — couldn’t be fully covered.
If Maria supported Arisa, it would help somewhat, but not to the level Maria herself deemed necessary.
In the end, whichever I chose, the same shortcomings remained.
That’s when I decided: I would hire someone to fill in the missing piece.
A person capable of making management decisions from the shop’s standpoint. Someone like that could cover Maria’s weak point.
It might even work to split authority between Maria and the newcomer, with Arisa filtering their decisions using figures processed by «Calculator».
In short, each of the three would have their own role and tasks, managing the shop together.
Rather than placing the heavy burden of manager on one person at once, giving them supporting roles while I was away would make things easier.
This meant the new hire had to be immediately useful. Someone with experience sharing tasks and working in a team would be even better.
Considering all this, I judged that Shuri, the guild receptionist, was the ideal candidate.
Receptionists deal with adventurers daily, handling deliveries and negotiations. They always balance it with the guild’s interests in mind, not just the adventurers’.
In other words, they already have the foundation for “management decisions that prioritize the shop’s circumstances.”
On top of that, Shirley already handles money transactions, making her an immediate asset for my shop.
With a little training, she’d become a full-fledged employee in no time. And since receptionists share work among themselves, she’s also used to dividing tasks.
That’s why I decided to recruit her — and since she’s the receptionist I’d worked with the most back in my adventurer days, I already knew her character well.
It was easier to approach her. I explained all of this to Shirley.
Since I had to start from the basics of my shop’s current situation, it turned into quite a long discussion. But I conveyed everything important.
“So, what do you think? Would you consider working at my shop?”
At my question, Shirley fell into thought, silent for a few seconds before answering.
“To be honest… ever since Otsugi-san stopped coming, the guild has felt really boring.”
“Oh? I see.”
True enough. Back then, I delivered large amounts of diverse herbs every single day, and she was my exclusive receptionist. The workload was far denser compared to now.
“So, if I can find the same sense of fulfillment working at your shop as I did back then, I’d like to accept your offer.”
“I see. Thank you.”
She accepted simply out of wanting job satisfaction. Negotiation wasn’t even necessary.
If she had refused, I had prepared to argue about how receptionist work only lasts while you’re young, and that my shop offered more stability for the future.
But it seems none of that was needed.
“Then let’s go over the details soon.”
“Yes! Please take care of me!”
Thankfully, the discussion wrapped up smoothly.
With this, the new manager problem should finally be resolved.
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E/N:
Early Chapter!
Certainly, Shirley would be a great asset to Ossan! She was the one who first pointed out that Ossan looked similar to a Cave Dwarf after all! Stay tuned!
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Also: Check out the new WN I'm translating -
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