Amidst the preparation, Ludwig never forgot about flicking the system to open the restaurant. It might be a gamble because some new customer could walk into his restaurant before the prep was done. But he had an answer for that kind of situation. Giving them what was ready.
Of course, if it was people from the known world, he would tell them to come back later.
The reason he did so was because of the promise Ryouma gave him the night before. The man had promised to drop by the first thing in the morning with the magical leather coat Ludwig had lent him yesterday, an enchanted piece that resisted heat, cold, and offered reduction to magic damage. Ludwig had offered it to Ryouma as a test subject for his Cleaner Slimes.
Now he'd see if the man's confidence was well-earned.
A few batches of batter and a few piles of raw ingredients later,tThe front door's bell chimed once, soft but distinct. Ludwig didn't need to check who it was. The restaurant had whispered to him about the identity of the coming guest.
Ryouma stepped inside with his usual modest posture, carrying a neatly folded coat in both hands. Behind him, one of his Cleaner Slimes bobbed quietly.
"Good morning, Ludwig-san," he greeted with a polite bow. "I hope I'm not too early."
"Right on time," Ludwig said, drying his hands on a towel. "So, how is it?"
Ryouma chuckled softly. "I was quite surprised last night to be honest. You gave me a piece, not just clothes."
Ludwig reciprocated his chuckling with one of his own. "To be honest with you, most of my clothes now are stronger than that coat in your arms. I mean, you are confident when it comes to normal clothes, but I only have a little bit of them with me now. If you want me to use your service, wouldn't that mean you have to be capable of cleaning it?"
Ryouma chuckled and nodded at his explanation. "Indeed."
"And the verdict?"
Ryouma unfolded the coat carefully, laying it across the counter. The black leather gleamed under the rune light, supple and spotless, as if newly made. "Quite well. I must admit, I was nervous about damaging the material, but the Cleaner Slime handled it perfectly."
Ludwig leaned closer. "Not even a crease."
"The Slime dissolved every trace of dirt and impurities," Ryouma explained, calm and precise. "Then secreted a thin layer of natural coating, keeping the leather soft. I didn't add any external polish or soap."
However, rather than just seeing the appearance, Ludwig willed his mana to empower his eyes. Then, he saw it. The simple yet reliable enchantment was still there, not being flagged as impurities by the slime and erased.
"Seems like you Cleaner Slime is quite smart." Ludwig looked at the slime bobbing at the counter. "It didn't erase the enchantment. I hope it's not a one-off thing?"
"I can assure you. Your enchantment is safe." Ryouma spoke with confidence.
Ludwig nodded. That confidence in him was not something unfounded. It borne from the trust he had with his slimes. Just like him with his cooking skills.
Ryouma's answer eased the considerable worry he had about using his service. Just like he said before, most of his clothes were enchanted. Not enchanted like the coat, those were the basics every smith and seamstress could do.
It was more… powerful.
Displacement resistance, magic resistance, self-mending, slight healing boost, strength boost, speed boost, and mana boost were the basics on many of his clothes. If they were erased, he had to go to great lengths to procure them again.
The time was one thing, but the price was the real problem.
The reason he had so many clothes enchanted to hell and back was because of his identity as the member of Hero's party. If it's not, even his wealth wouldn't be enough to pay for them.
At that moment, Valerie peeked over the counter, eyes wide. "It looks brand new!"
"It feels better than new," Ludwig said, running his fingers along the sleeve. He felt nostalgic looking at the clothes. The texture was clean but still warm, not the brittle smoothness of overtreated leather. It looked the same as the day he brought it with his hard-earned gold. "You really do know your craft."
Ryouma smiled modestly. "The Slimes did most of the work. I just make sure they eat properly."
"I'll have to start feeding Rimuru more Wyvern steaks if it means results like this, then."
They both laughed softly.
Ludwig straightened, satisfaction flickering across his features. "You've proven your point, Ryouma. Let's talk about the cost then. How much do you offer your service for?"
Ryouma straightened as well, matching his posture. Then, with bright eyes and a restrained smile, he started. "Bamboo Forest offered a personal laundry and group laundry. A laundry for one will cost you 10 Sute, while laundry for 14 and 35 will cost you 18 and 40 Sute respectively.
"However, to use our service, we required the customer to buy our own bag. Bag for 1 cost 20 sute, while bag for 14 and 35 cost 25 and 30 sute respectively. Moreover, if you wanted a pick up and delivery service, it will cost you 2 sute more. We also have equipment cleaning service. A whole set for 15 sute. Shield and weapons are not included of course."
Damn… Ludwig chuckled inside. The man is a businessman through and through alright.
Once converted to Ortus' currency, the laundry will cost 20 bronze, 36 bronze, and 80 bronze for each category. While the bag would cost 40 bronze, 50 bronze, and 60 bronze. The bag was significantly higher in price.
Nodding his head to his explanation, Ludwig stretched his mouth to the side. "You are in the business of selling the bag rather than cleaning clothes, huh?"
Ryouma chuckled loudly at that moment, surprising everyone, including the slime he brought with him. "I have to make sure my employees are paid well, don't you think?"
"Indeed." Ludwig nodded sagely.
Upfront fees were not something new. Many businesses ran on the same method. Moreover, he was also doing a cheap but high in volume business as well, something tested and tried through time. Just looked at the Pintxo shop in Pintxo Street in San Sebastian, all of them ran on the same principle.
"So, about that group laundry… We should use the same bag together, aren't we?" Ludwig asked.
Ryouma's smile stiffened, but then he answered. "Indeed… Well, for someone like you, it might be difficult, isn't it?"
Ludwig smiled at his words. He knew what Ryouma was trying to say, and he was not surprised at all. Just looked at how smart he was about running his business. It was only expected that he stitched together his identity/
Sharing laundry with a male friend was borderline unacceptable, after all, it would also include undergarments and stuff. But with females as well, yeah… no.
"Yes," Ludwig nodded. "Then I guess, I'll settle with a personal bag for each one of us. Of course, pick up and delivery as well."
Ryouma nodded his head at Ludwig's words. "Thank you for your belief in us. I will send someone to bring the bag today. But Ludwig-san, if I may… Can I propose something else?"
Ludwig raised one of his eyebrows at the question. He felt it was quite straightforward. He sent their dirty clothes for him to clean, and he would pay him. What else was necessary? Maybe a discount?
"I can waive the delivery and pick up fees altogether, in return…" Ryouma paused for a beat. "Can I station one of my employees here?"
Ludwig's brow lifted slightly. "Station one of your people here?"
"Yes," Ryouma said, folding his hands neatly before him. "Kale and Kashi mentioned how many people come to this restaurant every day. When they told me that, I realized. This restaurant connects not just people, but markets. If I could run even a small portion of my service through it, it would help my employees back home."
The quiet conviction in his tone wasn't the kind of boldness Ludwig often heard from merchants. It wasn't greed; it was vision.
He rubbed his chin, still half-smiling. "You know… I never thought of that."
The closest idea from what Ryouma just said was when Rimuru intimidated the Hokage. Trade of potions through the worlds, something Ninja World desperately needed. The more fictional was Claire's idea, stretching the Shadow Hand's grip beyond Elos. But that was impossible for now since they ran on fame.
But the same point about those two ideas was trade between worlds directly. Ludwig thought he just had to prepare the place, both worlds would do the business on their own. But what Ryouma brought was different.
He wanted to use the restaurant as the bridge. At the same time, the restaurant would gain another service under their belt, albeit, the money would flow to Ryouma not the restaurant.
That idea opened a new possibility for his restaurant. What if… he used his restaurant like a hub for anything?
Do you need people to help you exterminate something beyond the capability of your world? We have it.
Do you need miracle drugs that can regrow lost limbs? We have that too, of course it's expensive.
You fancy the sword? Want to know who made it? Better, the blacksmith would be brought here for you to order it. How about that?
"That a restaurant like mine could become a hub," Ludwig said plainly. "I've served nobles, adventurers, even a slime, but I never considered what they leave behind. Food fills the stomach. But people always carry needs that follow them home."
He looked toward the kitchen, where Valerie and Vilera were preparing for today's voyage. "If this works, Ryouma, you might just be the first businessman to bridge daily life across worlds."
"I'll settle for being useful," Ryouma said modestly. "I don't need to build an empire. I just want to build trust."
Ludwig chuckled softly. "You might end up with both, whether you want it or not."
He extended a hand across the counter. "Alright, Ryouma. You have yourself a deal. You can station one employee here to manage collection. Just don't let them get in the way of service."
Ryouma clasped his hand firmly, gratitude lighting his eyes. "Thank you, Ludwig-san. I'll have someone starting from tomorrow. They'll bring the delivery bags and the record tags for the patron."
"Good," Ludwig said. "And tell them to wear something easy to clean. This place gets messy fast."
Ryouma laughed lightly at that, bowing once more before turning to leave. The slime wobbled cheerfully, as if sensing the deal made.
As the bell above the door chimed and Ryouma's figure disappeared, Ludwig leaned against the counter, watching the air where the man had stood moments ago.
A rare, thoughtful smile crossed his face.
Business between worlds, he thought. Not by kings or diplomats, but by slimes.
He hadn't seen that opportunity coming. And yet, somehow, it fit perfectly. The Thousand Doors Restaurant wasn't just serving meals anymore. It was slowly, quietly, weaving economies.
Take that, Rimuru… Ludwig chuckled. You are supposed to be the first to do interdimensional exchange. But because you forget, another slime gets the chance.
Mocking Rimuru's forgetfulness even when he had the Great Sage on his side, Ludwig looked at the kitchen. "You guys heard what I just discussed, from now on, you should use Ryouma's service, stop wasting time on cleaning your own laundry. I'll take care of the cost."
He let the words sink in for a moment before he opened his mouth again. After all, he had sensed an objection coming. "And no objection. I know you guys feel your pay is too much. If you still feel so, buy some new clothes. Even if it's hard doing it in Elos, do it in another world. I bet someone was willing to help."
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