Dear father, I made it out alive, my dignity in shambles with a bounty on my head, but alive.
Apparently the bandits the guild were talking about have been terrorizing the forest for a while, poaching animals and ambushing unsuspecting adventurers.
Not to worry though, at the mere mention of the name Haru Mishimiya they were sent running for the hills!
Safe to say they won't be around to bother the farm any time soon, speaking of farm, with the forest back to the way it was and the different creatures out free so crops started to grow as normal.
Seems like everything's looking up!
"What do you mean we're in debt!?" I screamed, my hands shaking in horror at the news.
Bao took a minute, her eyes darting around the subpar room, averting from my eyes.
I should've known this would've happened! Bao was always bad with money, even in the games I played, I should've trusted my gut! It's only been two days!!
Yui tapped my shoulder, pulling my head down to whisper softly even as Bao fidgets in embarrassment, her ears burning red.
"She has… a problem," Yui mentioned.
"You don't say—" I quipped.
"She often bets…" Great, she has a gambling addiction! Wonderful!
"What could she possibly have to gamble on in this small town??" I hissed back, my voice just loud enough for Bao to pick up, her tail flinching at the mere mention of her situation.
Yui scrolled through her phone and pulled up a livestream—towering monster women, all muscle, claws, and impossible grace, thundered down a race car track.
Some had glistening scales that shimmered under the stadium lights, man is this world awesome or what?!
"It's a big thing," Yui explained, scrolling through her social media to show more on it, one of the pictures showing a girl with frilly orange hair, her curls practically covering her eyes yet make way for her high fox-like ears.
"Even if you've never betted on them, most people do know about them."
"And to whom do we owe this money?" I muttered, almost too afraid to ask, both of us turned to Bao who continued to fidget with the frills on her dress.
"W-well…" Bao's claws nervously traced the lace trim of her apron, her crimson scales dull with embarrassment.
She opened her mouth, closed it, then finally exhaled in defeat."W-well, um… the site does offer loans i'd say there"
Yui's tail stiffened. My blood turned to ice. My head snapped to her as she rapidly searched for something on her device, muttering to herself before her face ran completely cold.
Without another word she handed the phone to me, my eyes reading through the article she founded before my face soon matched hers.
"The Velvet Fang Syndicate?!"
Bao flinched at my shout.
Even I—a reincarnated shut-in with zero street smarts—knew that name.
The Velvet Fangs were the underground kings of Fraievet's black market. Rumor had it they'd sink entire merchant ships for missing payments.
And now we owe them?
"How much?" I croaked.
Bao's whisper was barely audible. "...50,000 gold."
"We're gonna die!!" I collapsed onto the café's nearest stool, gripping my hair.
"Do you have any idea what kind of people we're dealing with?! They'll turn us into fertilizer!"
Yui, ever the voice of calm, scrolled through her illusion-phone.
"Actually, they prefer dismemberment. Less cleanup."
"NOT HELPING!" Bao slammed her hands on the counter, her draconic eyes burning with sudden resolve, pulling out a betting slip from the monster derby.
"I-I'll fix this! There's a monster derby tonight—if I bet on Raging Tempest, the odds are 20-to-1! One win, and we're—"
"NO MORE GAMBLING!" I snatched the betting slip from her claws and tore it to shreds.
"We're solving this like actual business owners." I straightened my collar, forcing my voice steady.
"We'll… expand the café! Attract more customers! Maybe even advertise!" Yui and Bao exchanged glances.
"Or," Yui mused, "we could just sell you to the Fangs. Noble blood's gotta be worth something."
"I'M PRACTICALLY DISOWNED, YOU SHARK-BRAT!" Bao's ears perked up. "…Actually, Haru's not wrong. If we revamp the café—"
"Would be nice if we weren't broke—" Yui sighed, the words hitting Bao's resolve right in the stomach. The dragonborn leaning on a stool right near me, burning her head in her arms.
"We're gonna die!" She sobbed,
The café fell into a heavy silence, broken only by Bao's muffled sobs and the distant clatter of dishes from the kitchen.
I rubbed my temples, my mind racing for a solution that didn't involve dismemberment—or worse, manual labor.
Then, it hit me.
"Wait a second." I straightened up, snapping my fingers.
"We don't need money to attract customers. We just need spectacle."Yui's eyebrow arched. "You want to put on a show?"
"Better." I grinned, my otaku instincts flaring. "We're going to host the first-ever Monster Derby Maid Café Pop-Up Event.
"Bao lifted her head, sniffling. "A… what?" I smirked, the plan fitting together perfectly.
"Yes, yes I see it now! They're going to need food and drinks! Especially since most of them are going to need to drink their sorrows away from losing!"
My hands balled into fists in excitement, I couldn't believe I forgot how brilliant I was!
"Great idea!" Bao shot up, tears still in her eyes. "I'll help to—"
"Hold it–" I muttered, stopping her right in her tracks. "You have a different job to do."
"W-what?" Her head tilted to the side, in confusion, I crossed my arms as I spoke, my voice leaving no room for argument. "While me and Yui tend to the stand, you're going to try and win back the money you lost!"
"W-what you can't be serious–" She tried to argue, my hand poking into her skull, pushing her head back slightly.
"I'm dead serious! Do you know how much 50,000 gold is!? We need every option in the playbook here!!"
"Good idea but—" Yui raised her hand slightly, as if asking a teacher an important question. "If Bao goes to race, who's going to be a maid and stuff—"
The room fell silent, both me and Bao looking at each other before turning to her, meeting her deadpan stare.
"Well…"