Chapter 70: Need Some Sunglasses? Only 3,000 Yen Each!
A soft, gentle light glowed from the hotplate and the chilled display case on the cart. The air was filled with a complex, intoxicating aroma—the savory scent of the rich demi-glace for the Omurice, the creamy fragrance of eggs, and the sweet, alluring notes of burnt sugar from the Crème Caramels, all mingling together to create a smell that made everyone who caught a whiff of it instantly hungry.
"Minos, have a taste first," Ryohei said. "It's too early for a full meal, but you can have more later." He put a small spoonful of the savory chicken rice and a taster-sized Crème Caramel into a small dish and handed it to her with a spoon.
"Okay," Minos replied, accepting it happily. The aroma on the way over had already made her hungry, and she was dying to know what these new dishes tasted like.
Jashin-chan glanced over. In the past, when she was the one pulling the cart, she would have gotten the first taste. But that was then. She was no longer the manual laborer. She confidently stood in what used to be Yurine's spot, opened the cash box, and held a takeout bag at the ready, prepared to help with cashier and bagging duties.
Ryohei gave her a look. When the scumbag snake wasn't causing trouble, she was actually quite competent. He then turned his attention to the customers and began the day's service.
A few minutes later, Ryohei saw Jashin-chan stealthily open a hidden pocket in her snake skin and quickly stuff a wad of cash inside.
(ο´･д･)??
You little—!
"Ehehe~," Jashin-chan said, noticing his gaze. She tried to play dumb, cutely tapping her head, closing one eye, and sticking out her tongue in a failed attempt to be charming.
"You…!" Ryohei couldn't resist, and gave her a light punch on the head.
"Alright, you've hit me, you've let out your anger, so let's just pretend this never happened," Jashin-chan, her HP now at -1, said with a goofy grin, her hands on her hips.
"Jashin-chan, you're a disgrace to all demons," Minos said with a look of pure disgust.
"Huh?! What do you know! This is exactly how a demon is supposed to act!" Jashin-chan shot back, completely unrepentant.
"Alright, Minos, you can help with the money and bagging for now," Ryohei said, handing a packed order to a customer with a strange expression on their face. He pushed Jashin-chan aside. "I'll let Yurine educate her later." Professional matters should be left to the professionals. He was confident Yurine could make Jashin-chan see the error of her ways.
"Okay," Minos agreed, moving to his left side.
"Chotto matte!" Jashin-chan panicked. "You already hit me, why are you still going to tattle?! That's not how this works!"
Ryohei gave her a sidelong glance. "That wasn't a hit. That was a 'greeting'."
He's denying it! Who greets people like that?! Jashin-chan's eyes widened. She then pouted and reluctantly reached into her snake-skin pocket, pulling out the stolen cash. "Tch—! Here, take it back, alright?" she grumbled, tossing the money into the cash box.
Ryohei looked at her and said in a low, ominous tone, "I'll ask Yurine to go a little easier on you later."
"What?! Are you a demon?! I already gave the money back, what more do you want?!"
"You're the demon here," Minos deadpanned.
"You shut up!" Jashin-chan glared at her, then back at Ryohei. But he was already ignoring her. If you do the crime, you do the time.
"...So many people!"
Banjo Kazuichi, a tall, imposing man with a uniquely styled beard and an earring, arrived with his two underlings. He was shocked to see the line in front of the stall, which had to be over a hundred people long. He had been intrigued when his subordinate, Sota, had told him about the glowing food, but he had never managed to find the stall. Then, this morning, he happened to see the street interview and had immediately brought his crew to find it.
"Banjo-san…" one of his underlings said, swallowing hard as he stared at the front of the line. "I think I smell… an aroma I've never smelled before. But it's incredible!"
"I smell it too!" the other one added, inhaling deeply with a look of pure bliss.
"...Let's go take a closer look." Banjo smelled it too, an unbelievable expression on his face. A wild theory began to form in his mind. The answer was right in front of him.
But they had only taken a few steps before they were stopped by a man in sunglasses. A Ghoul! From another ward? In an instant, Banjo and his crew were on high alert. For Ghouls, their own kind weren't always allies; they could just as easily be prey.
"Come with me for a second," the Demon Ape Ghoul said, gesturing with his finger before walking to a quieter spot.
Banjo's underlings looked to him for a decision. After a few seconds of thought, he followed.
"There's no trouble-making here," the Demon Ape Ghoul said, laying down the law. "If you want to buy the Glowing Cuisine, you wait in line. And you don't offend Chef Ryohei. If you even think about laying a hand on him, you'd better be prepared to be hunted by more than one SS-class leader. And if you don't have sunglasses, you don't eat here."
He then pulled three eyeglass cases from his bag. "Need some sunglasses? Only 3,000 yen each."
Life wasn't easy. The Ghouls had started their own little side business.
"...Huh?" Banjo and his two underlings were completely and utterly stunned. The threat from an SS-class leader, the confirmation of the food, and then the sudden, bizarre sales pitch… it was a lot to process.
"Need some sunglasses?" the Demon Ape member asked patiently, giving them a moment to recover.
"You mean… we can eat that… that glowing food?" Banjo asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Yes," the Ghoul replied. "You can smell the aroma, can't you? Your body's reaction can't lie."
"We'll take them!" Banjo almost shouted, his heart pounding with excitement. He paid for the sunglasses and then, after a moment's thought, led his two underlings to the back of the very long line.
This is incredible. Human food that Ghouls can actually eat… What does it taste like? It smells so good, it must be… absolutely delicious! Damn it, I'm drooling! The three Ghouls were filled with an ecstatic, almost unbearable anticipation as they waited their turn.