*Knock* *Knock*

  A rhythmic tapping echoed from the door. My eyelids fluttered open as I stared at the unfamiliar wooden ceiling.

  Oh, right… I’m in the adventurer guild’s third floor now.

  I turned my head toward the window—outside, the sky was still dark, only a faint glow on the horizon hinting at the coming dawn.

  I didn’t know the exact time, as clocks were luxury items only the wealthy could afford.

  But…

  <“Aza, what time is it?”>

  【It is currently 4:45 AM, Master.】

  That’s right. I have my own clock system thanks to Aza.

  Suppressing a yawn, I sat up and stretched before heading to the door.

  As I opened it, a young woman stood there, long brown hair cascading down her back, her warm hazel eyes reflecting the soft lantern light. She wore a white shirt and a black knee-length skirt, an outfit that gave her a neat yet approachable appearance. Her figure was slightly more mature than Sis Celes', and her smile carried the kind of warmth you’d expect from an older sister.

  “Hello, Freed? Did you sleep well? Or was it too early for you?” She spoke with a gentle tone, her hands clasped together in front of her.

  “Good morning, sister. I slept well, thank you. It’s a bit earlier than usual, but I think I can adjust my sleeping time.”

  “I see. That’s good,” she nodded. “Most kids have trouble waking up this early. But you don’t have to force yourself—today’s an exception since I need to explain your tasks before the customers arrive. Here, I brought your uniform and some water. You can wash up before coming downstairs.”

  She handed me a small wooden bucket filled with water and a neatly folded white shirt and brown pants—probably the standard uniform for part-timers.

  “Thank you, sis.”

  “Next time, you’ll need to fetch your own water, okay? There’s a well in the backyard, so keep that in mind.”

  “Understood.”

  “Well then, after you're ready, come to the guild’s bar on the first floor.”

  “Okay. By the way, what’s your name, sis?”

  “Ahh… Right, I forgot to introduce myself,” she chuckled, tapping her cheek. “I’m Morin, a waitress here at the guild’s bar. Nice to meet you, Freed.”

  “Nice to meet you too, Sister Morin. I’ll be there soon.”

  She smiled and waved before walking off.

  After washing up and changing into my uniform, I descended to the first floor and stepped into the guild’s bar—a spacious tavern-like area located further inside the guild, separated from the main lobby by a half-wall and an open archway.

  Rows of sturdy wooden tables filled the room, each surrounded by six matching chairs. A long counter ran along the back, lined with shelves stocked with various drinks, and behind it stood a kitchen. There was a wide rectangular opening in the wall, likely for the chef to pass food through.

  At this early hour, the place was nearly empty, save for a few guild staff.

  Four pairs of eyes turned toward me as I approached.

  A burly man in his thirties with short black hair and a strong, muscular build leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. His black apron over a white shirt and pants made it clear he worked in the kitchen.

  “Yo, new brat, eh? I’m Greg, the chef here.” His deep voice matched his rough, bear-like appearance.

  Beside him, a lean, well-dressed man who appeared to be in his forties gave me a polite nod. He had short, neatly combed black hair, white gloves, and a butler-like demeanor.

  “Morning, kid. I’m Tian, the bartender.”

  Standing near them was a lively brown-haired girl, around 18 years old, dressed in a similar waitress uniform as Sister Morin, except her skirt was slightly shorter.

  “Yahallo~! Freed, isn’t it? I’m Sasa, and I’m Morin’s older sister! My job is handling payments from adventurers~!”

  Her energetic voice instantly reminded me of Sissy’s.

  I greeted them respectfully.

  “Umm… I’m Freed. Nice to meet you, Sister Morin, Sister Sasa, Brother Greg, and… um… Uncle Tian?”

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  Unsure of how to address the bartender, I glanced at him, whose brows twitched slightly.

  A brief silence.

  Then—

  “Hahahah! He said ‘Uncle’! Uncle Tian! Hahahah!” Brother Greg burst into laughter, slamming his hand on the counter.

  “Hahaha! Tian, you really need to change your expression, or soon someone might call you Grandpa!” Sister Sasa teased.

  “Pfft… Freed, Greg is 30 years old, while Tian is 26. Isn’t it weird that you call Greg ‘Brother’ but Tian ‘Uncle’?” Sister Morin chuckled, barely holding back her laughter.

  Wait, he’s only 26!?

  I thought he was in his forties!

  “A-Ahh! I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” I bowed in apology.

  Brother Tian exhaled through his nose, then gave me a small, amused smile. “It’s fine. It’s not the first time.”

  “T-Then… Brother Tian?”

  “Mm.” He nodded approvingly, maintaining his congenial smile.

  Sister Morin soon clapped her hands, gathering everyone’s attention.

  “Well, let’s talk about Freed’s role. Usually, kids either help Greg in the kitchen or assist me with serving food. But we already have enough hands for those jobs, so you get to choose—help me, or help Greg?”

  “Ah, and just so you know, helping Tian is a no-go. Kids aren’t allowed to handle alcohol, and we also try to keep them away from rowdy adventurers who’ve had a bit too much to drink.”

  Ah, that made sense. Alcohol laws were strict in my past life, too. Even though it wasn’t uncommon for kids to serve drinks in medieval settings, this world seemed to have more modernized safety measures—probably because of the guild’s influence.

  Anyway, Sister Morin gave me two options. But, they seemed so troublesome, so I thought of another.

  “Umm, does Sister Sasa need help?”

  “Huh? Me?” She pointed to herself and tilting her head, confused.

  I nodded.

  “Un. I made a promise with my father—if I’m not strong enough by 12, I’ll become a merchant instead of an adventurer. So, I’ve been learning how to count. I think this is a good opportunity to practice.”

  I wasn't fabricating this, it was a promise with my father yesterday.

  My mother had taught me a year ago and I had knowledge on counting in my previous life.

  So, this job should be the easiest. I don’t need to move my body—I just need to count the money and perhaps the bills.

  Her eyes widened in surprise, then lit up with excitement.

  “You’re hired!” Sister Sasa grabbed my hand and shook it enthusiastically.

  “Geez, sister,” Sister Morin sighed, crossing her arms. “At least test him first before making a decision.”

  “Hehe, I know, I know. But do you have any idea how hard it is to find a kid who can actually count? Most of them struggle with numbers. Teaching them takes too long, and I might get fired if mistakes are made since it's tied to the guild’s revenue! So, I always end up doing everything alone during busy hours! If Freed can really do this, it’ll make my life so much easier!”

  Sister Sasa scratched her head while explaining her predicament.

  “Okay, come here, Freed. Let’s do a quick test!”

  “Good luck, Freed. We will prepare the bar.”

  Sister Morin arranged the tables and chairs, Brother Greg ventured into the kitchen to commence cooking, and Brother Tian readied the glass for drink.

  Meanwhile, Sister Sasa and I headed to the counter.

  She placed a book menu in front of me and began pointing at items.

  “If a customer orders this dish for 15 copper and this drink for 7 copper, how much is the total?”

  “22 copper coins.” I answered instantly.

  “Wow, that was fast! Okay, next—two of these dishes and one drink?”

  “33 copper coins.”

  “Hmm… correct! But what if they pay with 1 silver coin?”

  “They get 67 copper coins as change.”

  Sister Sasa fired off more complex calculations, and each time, I answered instantly without hesitation.

  “Okay, this is the last one. An adventurer sometimes covers their party’s meals, so if they order 5 of this dish, 3 of this dish, 2 of this dish, 4 of this drink, and 6 of this drink?”

  “3 silver coins and 17 copper coins. If they pay with 4 silver coins, we would return 83 copper coins.”

  Eventually, she leaned back, hands on her hips, looking stunned.

  “Amazing… Are you, by any chance, a genius, Freed? You calculate faster than I do!”

  “It’s because I’ve practiced counting for a while.”

  “Hmm… either way, I look forward to working with you!”

  With that, I officially passed the test and became Sister Sasa’s assistant.

  Unbeknownst to me, the people around started seeing me as a prodigy, a boy far too sharp for his age—but at that moment, I was just relieved to have avoided kitchen and waiter’s duty.

  【Congratulations, Master. But honestly, if you failed, I would have laughed at you.】

  <"...Isn't it normal to make a mistake?”>

  【A 25-year-old man reincarnated with all his memories, struggling with first-grade math. Wouldn’t that be hilarious?】

  <"Ugh… Shut up, Aza. It’s different when you have to answer under pressure!”>

  【Oh? So you admit you were nervous because of simple calculations? How adorable.】

  <"...I swear, one day I’ll find a way to tease you back.”>

  【I will looking forward to it, Master.】

  …Damn it.

  I still can’t win against Aza!

  Just as I was about to argue further with Aza, Sister Sasa chuckled and continued, “Oh, right. In this bar, customers order first, and payment is made before they leave.”

  “Are there adventurers who refuse to pay?”

  “There were a few cases in the past, but most of the time, other adventurers dealt with them before we had to step in. Nobody wants to mess with their own drinking spot, after all. And in the worst-case scenario, if someone really can’t pay, we make them work here for a while. But honestly, that almost never happens anymore.”

  She leaned in slightly, lowering her voice like she was about to share a secret. “No one wants to risk facing the guildmaster’s wrath.”

  “Is the Guildmaster that strong? She told me she worked for 30 years before reaching that position.”

  “Huh? You don’t know? She was an A-Rank adventurer. Also, she totally lied to you—she was an adventurer for about 70 years before she retired and became the guildmaster 20 years ago.”

  “Huh..? Unbelievable… Why would she lie?”

  Sister Sasa laughed. “Because she wants to keep her age a secret. She’s a woman, after all! Can’t have people knowing she’s over 200 years old, right? Hahaha!”

  <”Aza, did you know if the guildmaster is truly that formidable? An A-Rank adventurer with over 70 years of experience… That’s terrifying.”>

  【I don't have information on her specific ranks, but based on my analysis yesterday, she is undoubtedly far stronger than Master’s father.】

  …Oh.

  I made a mental note to never, ever, under any circumstances, make the guildmaster angry.