Ak Simin's hand, holding the price list, was trembling.
'What on earth is this place?'
It was a price he had never seen before.
When he first saw it, he wondered if a character had been misplaced, but even after rubbing his eyes and looking again, the character did not disappear.
"What do you want to eat, senior?"
"...Namgung Il."
"Yes?"
"What on earth is this place?"
As Ak Simin said that, Namgung Il answered calmly as if he understood sothing.
"Ah, the prices here are a bit higher than other places, right?"
"..."
"It's because it's the top floor. You could say it's the price for the beautiful night view you can see outside the window."
As Namgung Il said, a beautiful night view of Luoyang was spread out widely outside the window.
If he were to drink while looking at that scenery, he felt like he would feel as if he owned the whole world, but after looking at this price list, that thought disappeared.
'No matter how beautiful the night view is...'
This was no longer at a level that could be called the price of alcohol.
And for good reason, since the cheapest alcohol started at one gold nyang.
Even one silver nyang was considered expensive at most taverns, but even that was not even worth ntioning here.
"I think Hongruju (Red Tear Wine) would be good. What about you, senior?"
At those words, Ak Simin quickly scanned the price list.
And he found Hongruju.
Next to it, the price was written very clearly, as if to be kind.
'F-five gold nyang?'
He didn't know what kind of alcohol it was to be nad Hongruju, but at this point, he was on the verge of shedding tears of blood from his own two eyes before he even drank the alcohol.
But the scarier fact was that this alcohol was not the most expensive alcohol here.
Ak Simin was on the verge of being confused about whether he should be grateful to Namgung Il for choosing a five-gold-nyang alcohol.
"Th-then I'll have this..."
Ak Simin pointed sowhere with a slightly trembling hand.
The cheapest alcohol he had seen earlier.
Although it was called the cheapest alcohol, this alone was one gold nyang.
"You're going to have that? There are many more delicious alcohols than that."
"...I don't mind."
He didn't think he would be able to taste anything right now anyway.
As Ak Simin answered, Namgung Il called the waiter standing next to him.
"This and this for the alcohol. And for the side dishes, serve from here to here."
Namgung Il ordered, pointing at the price list with his finger indifferently.
As he added a few side dishes, the amount increased even more than before.
Ak Simin experienced for the first ti that eight gold nyang were gone with one order at a tavern.
"..."
Ak Simin's complexion was much darker than before.
If he had known that Yongmun Tavern was a place like this, he should have just not said anything.
He had thought that two gold nyang would be the maximum at best, but an amount four tis his expectation had already co out.
"Ah, and by the way."
"...?"
"Call the general manager here too."
"...Is there perhaps sothing you are uncomfortable with?"
At Namgung Il's words, the waiter asked with an anxious voice.
Because usually, when a custor looked for the general manager, it was because there was sothing they didn't like.
Especially since the custors on the top floor were mostly people with high social status, the waiter couldn't help but beco much more anxious than when dealing with custors on other floors.
"It's not because of that. I know the general manager."
"...I understand."
Although the waiter still seed sowhat anxious, he answered and bowed his head and stepped back.
Swoosh—.
After confirming that the waiter was moving away, Namgung Il looked at Ak Simin again.
Ak Simin, who was still staring at the price list even after the order was finished.
Namgung Il smirked as he looked at him.
"Is there anything else you want to eat?"
"...!"
"If there is, just say it. We can just call the waiter again and order."
"I-I don't need it! This is enough!"
Ak Simin waved his hands and answered hurriedly.
Since it was not often that he could see Ak Simin so flustered, Namgung Il was still smiling as if this situation were amusing.
"Senior Ak, it seems you're like this because of the price. It's not too late even now."
"...?"
"I'll pay for the alcohol here."
To Ak Simin, those words now felt like a rope that had fallen from the sky.
If he reached out, he could enjoy that beautiful night view without any worries, but Ak Simin could not easily reach out for that rope.
'I have my pride as a senior...'
There is nothing more unsightly than retracting the words you have uttered.
Moreover, was that brat just a junior?
His authority as a senior was already in jeopardy, and if he showed a weak side here, Namgung Il would not even treat him as a senior in the future.
"Forget it."
"...?"
"I'll stick to the words I've uttered until the end. Your senior is that kind of person."
Ak Simin said and took an exaggerated posture.
Although he seed to think he was cool right now, Namgung Il felt no emotion at all as he looked at him.
'He's so damn stubborn for no reason.'
Even if he said he would pay, he wasn't actually going to pay.
Because the owner of this place was him.
Just as you don't pay for eating at your own house, Yongmun Tavern was that kind of place to Namgung Il.
"Senior, actually, I am the owner of this place."
"...?"
"I was hiding it to tease you a little, but since I'm the owner here, you can eat whatever you want."
As Namgung Il said that, Ak Simin's expression montarily beca dazed.
But soon, a laugh burst out from his lips.
Ak Simin held his stomach with both hands and said to Namgung Il.
"You're the owner here?"
"...?"
"That was creative. It was the funniest thing you've said recently."
"It's true."
"If what you're saying is true, I'll strip naked and dance right here and now."
Ak Simin said and continued to laugh.
Seeing that, it seed he didn't believe Namgung Il's words at all.
Namgung Il closed his mouth and said nothing more.
'Well, I thought it would be like this.'
Even if he were Ak Simin, he wouldn't have believed it.
If it were a small tavern, it would be a different story. If he said that a tavern that was in the top five in Luoyang was his, wouldn't he naturally think it was nonsense?
Since it was a problem that would be proven over ti anyway, Namgung Il just drank his water and quietly watched Ak Simin laughing.
Thud— Thud—.
Just then, the sound of soone coming up the stairs was heard.
"...!"
The person who appeared was the general manager.
As soon as he ca up to the top floor, the general manager could see Namgung Il's figure, and he imdiately ran so fast that he almost missed his step.
"O-owner!"
"...?"
"When did you arrive?"
The general manager approached Namgung Il and asked.
Ak Simin stopped laughing and was watching him with a bewildered expression, and Namgung Il put down the glass he was holding and answered calmly.
"I just arrived."
"I-is that so? I'm sorry. I should have gone out to the entrance to greet you in advance..."
"Forget it. The general manager is also a busy person, so there's no need for that."
Ak Simin was still staring blankly at the two's conversation.
He thought he had heard sothing about an owner and a general manager just now...
As if only one person was now alone in a different world, the two continued their conversation without paying any attention to Ak Simin.
"But why did you suddenly co to the tavern without any notice..."
"Do I need a reason to co here?"
"Th-that's not what I ant... I'm sorry!"
The general manager imdiately knelt down and apologized.
Anyone could see that the hierarchical relationship was clear.
Namgung Il glanced at Ak Simin and then turned his head back to the general manager.
"General Manager. How much is the dium-grade cheongju sold for at Yongmun Tavern?"
"Pardon?"
"dium-grade cheongju. dium-grade cheongju."
"W-with all due respect, our tavern does not handle dium-grade cheongju."
"What?"
"In order not to tarnish the na of Yongmun Tavern, we only receive and sell cheongju of at least high-grade!"
The general manager stood up from his seat and answered.
Unlike before, a sense of confidence was felt in his voice.
The general manager was looking at Namgung Il as if a dog were performing a trick and asking its owner for praise.
'This... is a variable.'
He had never expected that Yongmun Tavern would not handle dium-grade cheongju.
If this is the case, I'll have to change the plan a little.
Namgung Il thought for a mont and then asked the general manager again.
"Then how much is the high-grade sold for?"
"One gold nyang."
"Not the standard for selling on the top floor, but how much is the cheapest it's sold for downstairs?"
"That... is sold for two silver nyang."
The alcohol that Ak Simin had ordered was the high-grade cheongju.
And the price the general manager had ntioned was the standard price for selling on the first floor.
Just because the floor was different, the price of the sa alcohol jumped five tis.
"How much is the high-grade cheongju purchased for from the brewery?"
"Th-that's suddenly why..."
"General Manager... are you talking back?"
"I-I'm sorry!"
The general manager bowed his head once more and answered Namgung Il's question.
"Our tavern purchases it for fifty copper coins!"
"..."
Fifty copper coins.
Compared to the price sold at the tavern, it was less than thirty percent.
In other words, if they just sold the purchased alcohol, the tavern would make a profit of one silver nyang and fifty copper coins, even after pure calculation.
Of course, the pure profit would be after subtracting the additional costs, but even considering that, the fact that it was a business with a huge margin remained unchanged.
"Senior, how about it?"
"Huh?"
"Fifty copper coins. Will people buy it at this price?"
As Namgung Il asked abruptly, Ak Simin barely ca to his senses as if he had woken up from a dream.
"Uh... isn't it still a bit expensive?"
"..."
"Of course, considering that it's high-grade cheongju, it's a very cheap price, but I don't think there will be many custors who will drink high-grade cheongju there."
Hearing Ak Simin's words, Namgung Il nodded his head as if he understood.
"General Manager."
"Yes?"
"Prepare ten thousand bottles of high-grade cheongju."
"T-ten thousand bottles, you say?"
"Yes. I'll give you seven days. Deliver them to the Flying Dragon Academy by then."
Ten thousand bottles in just seven days.
To be honest, it was sothing that could be difficult, but the general manager could not tell Namgung Il that it was difficult.
"I understand. But how about the money..."
"Of course, you have to pay the price."
Phew—.
Hearing those words, the general manager let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
If he would just pay the price, he could manage to prepare it sohow.
But hearing Namgung Il's continuing words, the general manager could not hide his bewildernt.
"Thirty copper coins."
"...?"
"Prepare it at that price."
"O-owner?"
Although he could have said he was talking back again, the general manager called Namgung Il with an urgent voice.
"The cost of high-grade cheongju is fifty copper coins."
"..."
"If we prepare ten thousand bottles at thirty copper coins... our tavern will suffer a pure loss of two hundred gold nyang just from that."
Was that all?
If you included the labor costs for moving ten thousand bottles of alcohol and the cost of other items, there would be even more losses.
On top of that, if you calculated it at the price originally sold at the tavern... the loss would be so great that it could not be just overlooked.
"Do you perhaps know about the Clear Bright Festival?"
"Pardon? That's..."
"We're going to sell alcohol there. At that ti, I'll promote this alcohol to people as the alcohol of Yongmun Tavern. Then won't we be able to make up for the losses?"
"..."
Hearing those words, the general manager quickly calculated in his head.
The Clear Bright Festival is one of the rather famous festivals in Luoyang, and nurous people flock there every year.
To be able to make the na of Yongmun Tavern known in such a place...
Of course, the reputation of Yongmun Tavern was already sufficient, but there was nothing wrong with increasing its recognition.
"...I understand."
"..."
"Indeed, for that much promotion, I think we can sufficiently bear this much cost."
As the general manager answered, Namgung Il smiled lightly and looked at Ak Simin.
"Senior Ak, with this, the alcohol is ready."
"Uh..."
"Let's also prepare so suitable side dishes from here. Then there won't be any problem, right?"
Just as Namgung Il had said, all the problems were solved.
Ak Simin was still looking at Namgung Il with a bewildered expression, as if he still couldn't believe this fact.
Swoosh—.
Just then, the waiter brought the alcohol that had been ordered in advance.
"Then let's have a drink to celebrate the successful resolution."
"..."
"Ah, before that, Senior Ak, you have to take off your clothes, right?"
"...Huh?"
"Did you perhaps forget?"
Namgung Il smiled aningfully as he poured alcohol into his own glass.
"That if I'm the owner here, you'd strip and dance."
"...!"
"Shall you take them off?"
As expected, a person should be careful with their words.
Ak Simin vowed never to speak carelessly in front of Namgung Il again.
(End of Chapter)
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