Chapter 26 : Cheese (5)

But the person who came in this time was also someone I knew.

“Miltein?”

“Yes…”

“A mercenary? What brings you here?”

“Haha! Well, you see…”

Miltein scratched the back of his head awkwardly. It’s true I’ve been seeing a lot of familiar faces lately, but this one was different. While Mr. Knoll and Ms. Elena had nothing to do with the ranch, Miltein was someone who had been in line for an interview.

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about quitting the mercenary business.”

“What?”

Quitting mercenary work? Why would he give up a perfectly good job?

“Why would you quit a steady job?”

“Well… I want to work with you, Mr. El! I saw the job advertisement! It said it’s a rewarding job creating new ingredients! I noticed that my senior, Melt has been unmotivated lately. He’s just doing clerical work at the mercenary guild, and it seems like he is getting really frustrated with it!”

At this point, Mr. Knoll suddenly jumped up from his seat. He scrunched his face and spoke up.

“Oh! So that’s why you haven’t looked well lately? You didn’t even talk to me about it, you rascal?”

As Mr. Knoll looked like he was about to storm out of the interview room, I hurriedly grabbed him.

“Mr. Knoll, don’t be hasty. Let’s hear out Miltein first and then decide. There’s no rush. Calm down.”

“I guess you’re right…”

Fortunately, he listened and sat back down, glaring intensely at Miltein.

“I thought a new challenge might help my senior recover his spirit! Working at the ranch after retirement isn’t such a bad idea, right? Even though he’s limping, he’s still strong. He only retired because his colleagues didn’t want to perpetuate the stereotype of a cripple in the mercenary guild! I’ve decided to follow him for life, so I want to work here with him! I’m serious!”

I glanced at the lie detector. As I turned my head, I met eyes with Ms. Elena.

“Is everything he said true?” I whispered in her ear.

Ms. Elena shook her head slightly with a conflicted expression, then brought her lips close to my ear again.

“What he just said is true, but it seems like he’s hiding something.”

“Hiding something?”

Ms. Elena nodded quietly. So, at least it’s true that Mr. Ments couldn’t adjust to new work after injuring his leg.

With Mr. Ments’s character, I could trust him with anything. And this young man, Miltein, seemed strong and had a good heart, especially considering how he asked for the job for his senior’s sake.

“Is there any ulterior motive?”

“Not to that extent…”

After whispering with Ms. Elena, I looked back at Miltein.

“Can you tell us everything without hiding anything? It seems like there’s another reason you’re not mentioning. You know elves can see through lies, right?”

“Huh? Ah! Well, that’s…”

As expected, he seemed to be hiding something. It was necessary to hear the hidden reason as well.

“Well, the pay is good! Better than mercenary work!”

The pay? That’s it?

“The scale is small now, but if it gets tougher, the pay might not be as high as you think.”

“It’s fine! Mercenary work isn’t popular with women! And I can’t deny that I feel guilty about my senior getting hurt because of me. I’ve been feeling self-conscious! Plus, I’m dating someone right now, and she said she’d consider marriage if I quit the dangerous mercenary work! Sob, sob, I really want to work here! And my senior’s story is true! I want to work at the ranch with him and see him smile again!”

As soon as Miltein finished speaking, I asked Ms. Elena.

“What do you think?”

Ms. Elena nodded without hesitation.

“It’s true.”

So, it’s about money, marriage, and his senior. Money and marriage are indeed significant aspects of life.

“If it was just an ordinary ranch, I wouldn’t have considered it, but there’s something special about Mr. El. I think this ranch will be extraordinary! I also know you’re partnering with Mr. Knoll”

It seemed he had thought it through and calculated various aspects. In that case, there was no problem. Mr. Mentz and Miltein were both former mercenaries, so they were strong. They were very suitable for handling animals.

“Then I’ll need to meet with Mr. Mentz. I’m planning to gradually expand this ranch. There will be various challenges, so it won’t be boring. Though it won’t be life-threatening.”

“That’s exactly what’s appealing!”

Miltein exclaimed with a very desperate expression.

In that case, there was no problem. After putting Miltein on hold, I resumed the interviews.

There were others who passed Ms. Elena’s rigorous screening, but there was only one position left.

That is to say, an experienced person was needed. Even if they passed the screening, it had to be someone with experience, but no one fit all the criteria.

So, I had to rely on Ms. Reine to find an experienced person.

After saying goodbye to Ms. Elena, who needed to visit the clinic, I went to find Mr. Mentz with Mr. Knoll and Miltein in tow.

Mr. Mentz, who was sitting idly in a corner of the mercenary guild, was actually happy with my proposal.

He explained that it wasn’t easy to find another job due to his limp, and he was sick of just sitting around wasting time and was bored with life.

Especially since he had already tasted the pizza, the conversation progressed quickly.

As a result, the two laborers were confirmed to be Miltein and Mr. Mentz. Thinking back, I wondered if the interviews were even necessary, but I couldn’t have known Mr. Mentz’s situation, so it was unavoidable.

Next, I went to find Ms. Reine, hoping for news about an experienced ranch worker.

“Hello, Ms. Reine.”

“Mr. El! And… oh, isn’t this my husband?”

Ms. Reine bowed to me and then dragged her husband with a fierce smile.

“Where have you been shirking your duties while you were supposed to be on duty! Honestly, I can’t live with you!”

“I was helping with the interviews.”

“That’s right! I was working. You always tell me to help Mr. El whenever he needs it!”

“Oh, did I say that? What’s going on? Did he help?”

Mr. Knoll began winking furiously from behind. Well, I guess he was helpful. Probably.

“Yes, he was. Haha. But about the experienced ranch worker…”

“Oh, right! You know, there’s someone who recently quit working at the Uka Ranch on Greike Mountain. They managed the whole ranch and used to visit our shop often since we have a contract with them. She’s an older lady, a bit older than me, and has been doing it since she was young. Suddenly, she wasn’t at the ranch anymore. When I asked, they said she had found a replacement and left.”

“Really?”

That sounded like the perfect experienced candidate. Exactly what I was looking for. If she worked at a cow ranch, she should be able to handle water buffalo as well. The only concern was why she quit, but it seemed worth persuading her.

“Can you take me to her? I’ll just stop by the restaurant first, then I’ll be ready.”

“Of course. We owe you so much for our livelihood!”

Ms. Reine nodded and then glared at Mr. Knoll.

“Stay put and watch the shop. If you’re gone when I get back, you’ll regret it!”

“Got it, got it. Don’t worry and go!”

Mr. Knoll nodded with a slightly pained expression. After stopping by the restaurant to make a pizza, I walked to the outskirts of the city with Ms. Reine to visit the experienced worker.

When Ms. Reine knocked on the door, a sturdy woman in her late forties appeared. She looked strong enough to lift an adult man with ease.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh, Reine, what brings you here?”

The woman recognized Ms. Reine and greeted her warmly, though her expression wasn’t bright.

“You’re taking a break these days?”

Ms. Reine started the conversation.

“Yes…”

The woman trailed off.

“This is Ms. Seral. El.”

“Hello.”

“Who is this?”

The woman looked puzzled. Ms. Reine began to introduce me, but Ms. Seral interrupted.

“Would you like to come in?”

Ms. Seral gestured for us to enter. She led us to a small table and offered us seats. Once we sat down, Ms. Seral served us tea.

“So, what’s this about, Reine?”

Once seated, Ms. Seral spoke again.

“Well, this is Mr. El. He has started a new ranch and needs an experienced worker.”

Ms. Reine slowly explained. As she spoke, Ms. Seral’s gaze shifted to me.

As soon as the explanation ended, I offered Ms. Seral a pizza. It was necessary to show what kind of work I was planning.

“Would you like to try this?”

“What is this? It smells delicious.”

It was a basic pizza with the fresh aroma of tomatoes, made with just tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

“Please, have a taste.”

Ms. Seral looked at Ms. Reine, who nodded. Then, Ms. Seral cautiously took a bite of the pizza. Seeing the cheese stretch, her eyes widened in amazement.

“What is this food? It’s delicious.”

“Isn’t it?”

“This rich, chewy texture and the bread go so well together. It has a great flavor. It almost tastes like Uka milk…”

As expected from an expert, she guessed the ingredients correctly. I was sure I needed her.

“The white part is called cheese, made from Berinerique’s milk. We’re raising them at my ranch.”

“Berinerique?”

“It’s similar to Uka, but it has horns.”

“Oh, really? I’ve never seen one…”

“They’re from the southeast region, and I managed to bring them here. So, I was hoping, based on your extensive ranching experience, you could help me out. I’ll offer you a generous salary, much more than before.”

Once mozzarella becomes widespread, salary won’t be an issue.

Ms. Seral looked at me intently but soon shook her head. It was a clear refusal.

“Thank you for the offer. I would love to accept, but my situation doesn’t allow me to work right now, Reine, and Mr. El.”