A Background Character's Path to Power-Chapter 74: Just Another Day As An Unfortunate Manager

Finally... it’s over.

Late evening had settled over the shop by the time the last customer left. My legs gave out the moment the door clicked shut, and I collapsed onto one of the sofas, throwing an arm over my forehead with a groan.

Turns out, the "crisis" Cassandra had summoned me for was the early arrival of customers—far earlier than planned.

What was supposed to be a soft opening turned into a full-blown, chaotic debut when a flood of students showed up before we’d even finished setting up.

And of course, Cassandra and Princess Sara had to give an impromptu speech—some grand spiel about the shop’s purpose, future, and ideals—which only hyped up the crowd further.

What should’ve been a manageable number of customers quickly spiraled out of control. The long queue of students attracted curious townspeople, and before I knew it, our expected crowd had tripled.

Which meant I, the supposed manager, had been reduced to playing waiter alongside the twins, darting between tables, taking orders, and occasionally glaring at giggling students who recognized me from the academy.

The only saving grace? Cassandra actually rolled up her sleeves and manned the counter, her sharp efficiency keeping the orders flowing. Without her, the whole place would’ve descended into absolute anarchy.

A thud beside me made me crack an eye open. One of the twins—Mira, I think—had face-planted onto the adjacent sofa, her red braids frayed from the day’s chaos.

"I’m... dead," she mumbled into the cushions.

"Same," her sister’s voice floated from somewhere on the floor.

I didn’t even have the energy to laugh.

My arms ached from carrying trays, my feet burned from hours of running around, and my face hurt from forcing polite smiles at customers who thought it was hilarious to ask, "Hey, aren’t you that guy from the academy?"

"You mean the necktie guy?"

Yeah, I nearly punched them(the boys) in the face right there and then.

Well, at least it’s better than getting beaten... Or is the latter good?

...Nah, I’m not a masochist who enjoys getting beaten, it’s probably because I would rather get beaten than put a pretense like this.

The sound of footsteps made me tilt my head back. Cassandra stood over us, looking far too composed for someone who’d just survived a retail warzone. freewēbnoveℓ.com

"Well," she said, hands on her hips, "that went better than expected."

I stared at her.

She grinned.

I considered throwing a cushion at her. But remembering she was the boss and also contributed to work, I held back. And there was my kind heart too.

Princess Sara peeked out from behind her, her usual grace slightly wilted but her eyes bright. "We... we actually did it! Everyone seemed so happy!"

Lannete, who had somehow remained pristine despite the chaos, nodded. "Revenue projections were exceeded by 280%."

Of course she’d been keeping track.

....Wait? She’s good at this too?!

Cassandra clapped her hands together. "Alright, enough lying around. We’ve got a real problem now."

I groaned. "If you say ’more customers,’ I quit."

She smirked. "Worse. We’re out of pastries."

Silence.

Then, in unison, the twins and I let out identical, exhausted sighs.

Cassandra’s smirk faded into a more serious expression. "Jokes aside, we’re really out of everything—desserts, specialty drinks, even basic ingredients." She crossed her arms, adopting her business tone. "The main shipment wasn’t supposed to arrive until next Monday—the day after our planned opening. But since we rushed things by four days..."

I nodded slowly, the full weight of the problem settling in. Five more days without supplies. That meant empty shelves and disappointed customers right after our successful debut.

Sighing, Cassandra rubbed her temple. "This is probably my fault. I didn’t consider the supply chain when I pushed for the early opening."

The twins immediately sat up in protest:

"Boss, it’s not your fault!"

"Yeah, everything happened too suddenly!"

Princess Sara clasped Cassandra’s hand with surprising boldness. "And everyone was so happy today! It went amazingly well, Sis Cassie!"

While they were busy comforting Cassandra, my mind raced through possible solutions. After a moment, I lifted my head. "What if we do this?"

All eyes turned to me with varying degrees of anticipation.

"We cooperate with—or outright buy from—local shops to cover us until the shipment arrives." I counted off the advantages on my fingers. "Since they’re in town, we can make daily purchases. The food will be fresh, and we won’t have storage issues."

Princess Sara bit her lip. "But what about the taste? Our customers loved your special recipes..."

A knowing smile crossed my face. "Don’t worry about that. I know someone who can help—he’s the best when it comes to food."

And also the main reason our stock disappeared so fast, I added mentally, remembering how Gavi the Glutton had single-handedly demolished tray after tray during his "quality testing," ordering more as soon as he finished each portion.

Thankfully, I got the contact(dorm room number) of our fatty junior. He personally gave it to me, saying in case I would need his help. And I must say, that guy sure knows what to do.

Cassandra nodded slowly, her business instincts clearly assessing the plan. "This might actually work. But..." She frowned slightly. "Classes start tomorrow. You won’t be able to help with the arrangements."

I waved off her concern. "Don’t worry. I’ll meet with that person tonight and either visit the shop early tomorrow morning—if I can—or send a list of recommended shops through someone." I glanced around at the exhausted but attentive faces. "I’m sure you can handle the rest. And like you said, with classes starting, students won’t be able to come until afternoon. That means you’ll only have townspeople as customers till then. You can manage them with whatever supplies left until the new plan kicks in."

As I finished speaking, I noticed everyone staring at me with varying expressions of surprise and admiration. The twins’ mouths were slightly agape, Princess Sara’s eyes sparkled with something like hero admiration, and even Lannete’s usual stoic expression had softened into something resembling approval.

Cassandra clapped her hands together—almost subconsciously—a proud grin spreading across her face. "I really picked a top-tier manager. Good job, me." She patted her own shoulder in self-congratulation before turning back to me. "Alright, Manager, you’ve got your mission. Go charm our savior into helping."

I pushed myself up from the sofa with a groan, my muscles protesting the movement after the day’s exertions. "Right. I’ll head out now before it gets too late." I glanced at the clock on the wall—already nearing eight in the evening. "If all goes well, we should have everything arranged by tomorrow’s opening."

As I moved toward the door, Princess Sara suddenly called out, "Wait!" She hurried over, her tiredness seemingly forgotten in her enthusiasm. "At least take some of the leftover pastries with you! For... for your negotiations!"

I opened my mouth to refuse, then reconsidered. Knowing Gavi, food might indeed be the best bargaining chip. "Good thinking, Princess. That might actually help."

The twins scrambled to pack up a small box of the remaining treats while Lannete watched with her usual quiet intensity. Cassandra leaned against the counter, her earlier exhaustion replaced by satisfied energy. "Just don’t let him eat everything before he agrees to help," she warned.

"I’ll do my best," I said dryly, accepting the box from Mira (or was it Lira?). The sweet aroma of cinnamon and sugar wafted up, making my stomach growl—I realized I hadn’t eaten since lunch.

With a final wave to the group, I stepped out into the cool evening air. The streets were quiet now, a stark contrast to the day’s chaos.

As I turned to leave, movement caught my eye from the second-floor window. There, barely visible behind the glass, was the shy archivist—peeking through the curtains with squitning eyes. Kai perched on his shoulder, tilting his head curiously at me.

I raised a hand in farewell. The archivist froze like a startled rabbit, but after a heartbeat, Kai chirped and fluttered his wings. To my surprise, the young man’s fingers twitched in the smallest possible wave before he vanished back into the shadows.

Haha, at least there’s some progress, I thought, hiding a smile.

And as I made my way back to the academy, I mentally prepared my pitch for Gavi. Knowing him, this could go one of two ways—either he’d be thrilled at the opportunity for unlimited food access, or he’d demand some ridiculous favor in return.

Either way, the shop’s survival might depend on the appetite of our resident bottomless pit. I sighed, adjusting the box of pastries under my arm.

Just another day in the life of Cassandra’s unfortunate manager.

______

[ Author’s Note:

The small cozy (if chaotic) slice-of-life arc has come to an end—for now. Our characters have survived their grand opening, but the real challenges are just beginning.

Brace yourselves. The pace quickens, the plot thickens, and the mysteries lurking beneath the surface will soon rise.

Stay tuned. Things are about to get interesting. ]