Yeah, yeah, I know!　Let's just call for backup!　Guild House ...... is asking for support from the Guild House ...... to see if anyone's hands are open ...... either the branch of "Sundial Forest" or our branch ...... anyway Hollow Bottom. Do it!
Oh, I understand.

　I ask the kids in the branch for support and send them off, and then it's just me and Leila to run the shop for a while - praying that the trouble doesn't come, for God's sake.

　But bad things continue to happen, and soon after that a large wagon stopped in front of the store and began to unhook the horses from the carriage.

　With a bad feeling, I leave the shop to Leila and go to ask her what's going on.

''Um. ...... What can I do for you?''
'Sorry for the delay in delivery on our end. I have come to deliver the discarded armaments you requested for the Adventurers' Guild.
Oh, that's right!　Speaking of which: ......!
'......?　The carriage will be here tomorrow morning to pick up the carriage, please.

　I was inadvertent.
　The materials that Luke had ordered should have arrived by now.

　The contractor returned to town with some horses, and all that was left was a fully loaded wagon.

　I was at a loss to think about getting this into the warehouse alone with just the two of us, when Leila also came to the doorway to check on us, and then slumped her shoulders with a look of knowing everything.

'...... Well, there you have it.
We'll have to do our best to get it to the warehouse: ......
Can't we wait until after the backup arrives?
'But there's probably only one person I can pull in from the branch. If we don't start early, we might not make it by nightfall.

　If Garnet, who had the Strengthening Skill, and Alexia-san, who had the [Weight Reduction], this task would have been completed quickly.
　And Luke-san is also a proper man, so he should have been able to rely on them.

　I reach for the first crate, praying that the branch kid would bring a strong staff member to support me.

　But right after that, the branch kid who ran out the door came back with a cheerful voice.

'Erika-san!　Sorry for the delay!
'Yeah, you're back already!

　It would take more time to get from here to the back of the 'Sundial Forest' where the branch is located and back.

　Surprised, I turned around to see two familiar faces behind the branch kids who were waving to me as they ran.

'Erica, are you okay?　Mr. Noir asked me to give him my support earlier.
'When I passed Alexia on the way, I was panicked that it was indeed a bad idea, but it looks like I was right in my haste.
'Sylvia!　Sakura!

　Without a second thought, he grabs Sylvia's hand and swings it around in a happy manner.

　I had been thinking that I might have to make a decision to close my office temporarily, so I almost cry at the unexpected reinforcements.

　My best friend, Sylvia, is the girl who heads the best inn in town.
　Sakura, an Eastern adventurer, which is a rarity around here.

　Both of them have been with Luke longer than anyone else, and they're good friends who know the White Wolf Store well.

''I'm really glad to hear that. ...... Seriously, I wondered what would happen.
You're overreacting.

　Laughing as if troubled by my reaction, Sylvia explained how they were able to come so early.

'Both Sakura and I have been at the branch since this morning. The elevator wasn't feeling well, and we were afraid we'd have to call Alexia-san, and then Noir-san came down.
"We decided that it would be hard to have two employees who were used to the job leave, so we decided to go back up, but on the way, we ran into this kid.

　It makes sense if you ask me.
　Alexia-san was the reason why she was called in, so the loss of one person from the main office was a fit of schedule from the branch's point of view.

''However, if you can't turn it around, you could have made it a temporary closure, couldn't you?
"I thought about that, but ...... I knew I had the store from manager Luke, so closing the store was the last thing I wanted to do.
'Your sense of responsibility is one of your many virtues. But Master Luke isn't the kind of person who cares about that much. He's never hesitated to close up shop when he had to for a long time.

　Sakura pointed that out to me in a casual tone, and I reflected on it in my mind.

　I may have been too uptight to do something about it myself, and I may have been lightly spinning my wheels.

　To be cornered on the borderline of a cliff without my permission, that's exactly the kind of face I won't be able to match when Luke-san returns.

　I hope to have my own store someday.
　I need to learn from Luke's example and try my best to keep my cool at all times.

It's a lot of work, though, isn't it? It's a good thing I called on some of the acquaintances who seemed to have time on their hands just in case.
If it was your problem, I wouldn't have listened to it.
'Well, well. I'm indebted to Luke many times. I have to pay him back when I can.

　The late arrivals were an attribute wizard girl and a small Eastern boy.
　As I recall ...... yes, they are Melissa and Nagi.

　I've been hired several times before I started working here, and I've heard that I sometimes work with Luke on major dungeon related projects.

　From what I've heard from people, Luke-san once saved his life.

...... Okay!

　I tapped myself lightly on the cheek and regained my spirits.

　Being allowed to work at the White Wolf Store is an unearned experience for the future.
　Let's swallow this experience well and use it as sustenance.

''Well then, gentlemen, I'm counting on you to do your best again!





　Thanks to the fact that the number of employees had increased to seven at once, we were able to move the cargo and check the contents while continuing business as usual.

　Moreover, since Noir-san and Alexia-san joined us halfway through the day, we were able to afford to take turns and take a break around the evening.

　In such a way, our business hours were coming to an end, and a relaxed atmosphere began to flow among us.

Do you want to go out to dinner with me after we close?　With the shop's money, of course.
Are you sure?　I didn't do that.
Okay, okay. I also have some money that Luke has given me to spend on that sort of thing.

　Alexia said and waved her hand flutteringly as she went to offer Melissa and Nagi an invitation to eat as well.

　Just then, I heard another wagon stop in front of the store.

　Don't tell me there's another load now?
　When I headed to the front door with a bad feeling in my throat, I saw a different car from the wagons I usually see parked there.

''White Wolf Store, I hope I'm right here. ''It's a delivery from Luke-san of the White Wolf Forest.''
From the manager?　What is it?
And I've got a letter for you, too.

　The letter was addressed in the name of the White Wolf Store, not someone in particular, so I'm going to read the letter right away on the spot.

　-- The message written in the letter was to send a souvenir of the royal capital ahead of time and to tell them that they will have already left the royal capital by the time this package arrives.

　I couldn't help but feel my mouth relax.

　I know it's just a coincidence that the souvenirs from King's Landing arrived at this time, but I felt as if I had received a reward for my hard work today, and I couldn't help but be happy.