I Have An SSS-Rank Service System: Hire Me For Anything!-Chapter 26: The Need To Speed Things Up [1]

The sound of hammer striking metal slowed down little by little until it finally stopped. The heat from the forge still filled the air, but the constant noise that had been there all day faded into a quiet hum. Outside, the light had already begun to fade, and the sky was turning darker by the minute. It was already evening, almost nighttime, and the long day of work had finally come to an end. Horg stepped back from the anvil and wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his arm, his breathing steady but heavy from hours of effort.

Dory looked at the stack of finished metal beside the wall, his eyes scanning it carefully as he adjusted his glasses. The pieces were not perfect, but they were solid and consistent enough to be used. He counted them silently, making sure there was no mistake in the number.

"Fifty," he said.

Lila blinked, clearly surprised.

"That many?"

Dano nodded slowly as she wiped her hands.

"We didn’t waste time."

Maya stretched her arms with a low groan, rolling her shoulders as she tried to ease the stiffness.

"We didn’t rest either."

Horg gave a short grunt as he walked past them, his tone as blunt as ever.

"That’s what work looks like."

Lola stepped away from the bellows, shaking her arms lightly as if trying to bring feeling back into them.

"I can’t feel my hands anymore."

Lisa let out a tired breath and leaned slightly against the wall.

"I don’t even know how I’m still standing."

Dory didn’t say anything at first. His attention shifted toward the entrance of the forge as he noticed Liam still hadn’t returned. The sky outside had dimmed further, and the faint glow of early night began to settle over the area.

"He should be back by now," Lisa said, glancing outside.

"He’ll come," Dory replied calmly.

The group fell quiet after that, the silence settling in as they waited. The faint crackle of the fire was the only sound left, until the quick sound of footsteps broke through the calm.

Liam rushed in, slightly out of breath, but unlike before, he wasn’t exhausted. There was clear excitement on his face as he stepped forward.

"They sold out," he said immediately.

Everyone turned toward him at once.

"All of them?" Maya asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Yes," Liam replied, nodding quickly. "Every single one. All five shops."

Lola’s eyes widened, the tiredness on her face replaced with surprise.

"That fast?"

"I didn’t even need to wait," Liam continued. "People were already asking for more before I left. Some shops didn’t even keep theirs for long."

Lisa covered her mouth slightly.

"So it worked..."

Dory remained calm, his expression unchanged as he looked at Liam.

"Any complaints?"

Liam shook his head.

"Not really. Some people didn’t understand it at first, but once they tasted it, they started buying more. One of the shop owners even asked if we could bring double tomorrow."

Maya let out a short laugh.

"Of course they did."

Dano smiled faintly, clearly pleased but too tired to show it fully.

"That means we did it right."

Liam stepped closer and placed a small sack on the table.

"And I brought more ingredients."

Dory glanced at the sack briefly before nodding.

"Good."

Horg, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke without looking at them.

"If you’re done talking, eat. Tomorrow won’t be easier."

Lola let out a small breath of relief.

"Yes, please."

Without wasting time, the group moved out of the forge and into the house. The shift from heat to a slightly cooler space made it easier to breathe, though their bodies still felt heavy. The girls quickly took over the kitchen without needing to be told, moving with a sense of urgency despite their exhaustion.

"We’ll make something simple," Lila said as she started gathering what they needed.

"Nothing heavy," Lisa added. "I can’t handle it right now."

Maya tied her hair back again.

"Just make sure it’s fast."

Dano was already cutting ingredients without saying anything, her movements steady despite the long day.

Dory stood near the entrance for a moment, watching them work before stepping in to help without saying a word. Liam followed behind him, stretching his arms as he let out a tired sigh.

"I didn’t think walking around selling snacks would be this tiring," he said.

"You talk too much," Maya replied without looking at him.

"I don’t," Liam said. "People kept asking questions."

"That’s because you look suspicious," Lisa added.

Liam frowned.

"I do not."

Dory ignored them as he focused on preparing part of the meal, keeping things simple and efficient. The cooking didn’t take long, and soon enough, they all gathered around to eat. No one spoke much at first. The hunger from the day made them focus more on finishing their food than anything else.

After a while, Lola leaned back slightly.

"That helped."

"Barely," Maya muttered.

"We don’t have time to sit too long," Dory said calmly.

Liam looked at him.

"Don’t tell me we’re working again."

Dory adjusted his glasses slightly.

"We are."

Lila blinked.

"Now?"

"Yes."

Lisa stared at him.

"We just finished an entire day." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"And we sold out," Dory replied. "That means tomorrow will be worse if we’re not ready."

Maya let out a small breath, then nodded.

"He’s right."

Lola looked at the others, then sighed before standing up.

"Fine. Let’s do it."

One by one, they got up from where they sat, the brief rest already over. The tiredness was still there, but the earlier success had given them enough reason to keep going.

They moved back into the kitchen, this time with more focus and less confusion than before. The process was already familiar, and no one needed long explanations anymore. The plums were washed and sliced quickly, the rhythm of their movements much smoother than earlier in the day.

"Same steps," Dory said.

"We remember," Dano replied.

Liam leaned against the wall for a second before pushing himself upright.

"Alright... I’ll help this time."

Maya glanced at him.

"You better not slow us down."

"I won’t," he said.

Dory watched them all for a moment before stepping in again, guiding where needed but saying less this time. The work spoke for itself now. Lola handled the honey more carefully than before, controlling the heat with better timing, while Lisa and Lila worked faster with the slicing.

The night grew deeper as they continued, the outside growing quiet while the kitchen stayed active. The only sounds were their movements, the low crackle of fire, and occasional short exchanges between them.

It took time, but not as long as before.

When the final stage was done, Dory checked the batch again, taking one piece and testing it before giving a small nod.

"Good."

Maya took one and tasted it.

"Still works."

Lola smiled slightly despite her tiredness.

"Then we’re ready."

Dory looked at the prepared snacks laid out neatly before them, then adjusted his glasses once more.

"Yes," he said. "Now we are."