The two of them returned to the opening of the alleyway, where Elizabeth said, "Perhaps you can also become a giant dragon someday. You"ll be able to soar up high as a ruler of the skies rather than have to attend to the needs of and serve humans.""Thank you for taking me up there. I never knew that was what the scenery in the sky was like. The moon and the stars were so clear, yet the mountains down below were so tiny. It was such a wonderful feeling." Yabemiya"s cheeks were flushed with excitement.
However, she then shook her head with a smile as she continued, "However, I don"t want to become a ruler or anything like that. I like my job as a waitress, and I"m not ashamed of it. My customers and I are equals, and they extend their acknowledgment and approval toward me to reciprocate my smile and service."
Elizabeth fell silent as she looked at Yabemiya"s genuine smile before nodding as she said, "Do whatever you like, then, but try to pick a wider path home in the future."
Elizabeth disappeared on the spot after leaving those parting words of caution.
"Thank you," Yabemiya said to the empty air before continuing on her way home. A joyful smile lingered on her face, and she suddenly wasn"t nervous about the store opening the next day.
The Golden Dragons are also selecting candidates to become their new chief. If she really is that person, then there"s most likely no way for her to become a candidate… Elizabeth stood on a large tree in the distance as she looked on while Yabemiya entered a small building. She thought back to how Yabemiya had been screaming with elation on her back, and a gentle smile appeared on her face.
…
I wonder if business at the ice cream shop will be as good as it is in Mamy Restaurant. Even if it isn"t, it should still rake in a significant income, right? Mag lay on his bed, thinking about the store opening the next day. He was also rather excited, yet slightly nervous as well.
"Father… Manifest!" Amy was already sound asleep as she murmured to herself while waving her little arms in the air.
"What is she dreaming about?" Mag looked at Amy with an amused expression before shaking his head with a smile. He then closed his eyes to get some sleep.
…
In a well-lit room in the Buffett Manor, Polka quietly said to Scheer, "Young Mistress, Mr. Mag has agreed to attend the banquet in three days."
"Good." Scheer nodded as she continued to flick through the accounts book in her hands.
Polka hesitated momentarily before asking, "Young Mistress, I have a question. Mr. Mag"s restaurant has gained some renown in the Aden Square, but he still hasn"t joined the Chamber of Commerce, and his restaurant is limited in scale. There"s almost no chance that he"ll be able to affect the election in a month. Why are you paying so much attention to him?"
"If you only look at this basic information, then Mr. Mag is indeed not someone who"s worthy of my time. There are many restaurants of the same size in the Aden Square, and to the Chamber of Commerce, the gastronomic industry isn"t a major source of income." Scheer put down the accounts book in her hands as she said, "However, this restaurant successfully mediated the conflict between the demons and the giant dragons, and it has attracted more than four great magic casters to its doors. It is the most popular restaurant among the n.o.ble circles in Chaos City, and the owner"s daughter has been accepted as a disciple by two great magic casters. On top of that, this restaurant has revolutionized the eating habits of countless people in the city. How many restaurants like this can you find in Chaos City?"
A surprised look appeared on Polka"s face. He shook his head as he said, "If Mr. Mag really has accomplished all of these things, then his restaurant is most definitely unique in Chaos City."
"Hence, it"s not a matter of whether he can join the Chamber of Commerce; it"s a matter of whether he"s willing to join the Chamber of Commerce. The gastronomic industry does indeed only account for a small proportion of income for the Chamber of Commerce. However, it is almost entirely under the Moreton Family"s control. If Mamy Restaurant can replace Ducas Restaurant as the number one restaurant in the city, then we could take control over the entire gastronomic industry by forging strong ties with Mr. Mag. That will be extremely important for both the mid-year and end-of-year election." Scheer nodded before picking up the accounts book again.
"Young Mistress, I also have something else I have to report," Polka continued. "According to our estimates, in the upcoming mid-year election, the votes we receive will most likely only be close to half of what the Moreton Family will be receiving. Jeffree has been in power for over 20 years, so many of the businesses in the Chamber of Commerce have thrown their support behind him. As such, it"ll be very difficult for us to come out on top in the election."
"I expected this from the start. At the very least, we"re in a far better situation than the Marquis Family; they didn"t even get 10% of the votes during the last election." Scheer smiled as she brandished the accounts book in her hand, and said, "However, we"ve loaned out a lot of money in the past few years. If these people can"t pay up, then we"ll have to issue them some reminders, won"t we?"
…
In a brightly lit room, this time in the Moreton Manor, the chief secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, Manard, respectfully said, "President, the preparatory work for the mid-year election had already begun. The Buffett Family has been pulling a lot of strings in this recent period of time, and many of our board members have alerted us to this, but we still hold a crus.h.i.+ng advantage in the votes."
"It hasn"t even been a month yet, but this little la.s.s from the Buffett Family has already taken a third of the votes. She"s a lot more capable than those two idiots from the Marquis Family, that"s for sure." Jeffree put down the book in his hands as he fell into deep thought.
Manard stood silently beside him. Jeffree never needed to hear anyone else"s opinion. All Manard had to do was to silently await his decision before acting in accordance with his instructions.
Jeffree was silent for a long while before delivering his verdict. "Next, she"s definitely going to use the loans that the members of the Chamber of Commerce have taken from Buffett Banks as leverage against them. The majority of money in the market goes through Buffett Banks these days, and many people have taken out loans with them. That"s an undeniable fact. a.s.sess the economic condition of our members. For those who have run their businesses well and are creditworthy, we can provide some benefits a.s.sistance to them on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce."
"Alright, I"ll go do that right away." Manard nodded respectfully before departing.
"The mid-year election is just the beginning; the true battle has yet to come. Let"s see what other tricks you have up your sleeve, little la.s.s…" Jeffree chuckled to himself as he rose to his feet.
…
"Father, wake up! Look; there are two of you now!"
The next morning, Mag was woken up by Amy. As soon as he opened his eyes, he caught sight of his own face, and was so startled that he almost fell off his bed.