Quantum Leap - Vol. 6 Kingdom Building Garnering Wealth

C019 Three... Two... One... Synchronise...!

I suddenly glanced at them and noticed that they too had left their food half-eaten and were staring at us discussing our business matters. When they realised that I was looking at them, they started to resume their meals.

"Sorry... Sorry... Please continue your dinner, and don't mind us for discussing certain matters." I profusely apologies to them, for no matter how young they may be, but they were still our guests.

"Senpai, how do you learn to write like that? I had never seen a person of your age is able to write with such gusto and explain things to Sensei with such details. You told me you had never gone to school but it seems that you had a mind twice or even thrice your age." Hanna asked with amazement with the state of my mentality as well as the ability to think and act fast.

I simply smiled at her and said its just my exposure to people in my last village. We finally finished eating our dinner and rested a while when the sellers selling suppers arrived.

"Senpai, we are still full, don't have to buy so much supper for us," said Izumi as she looked at me with her big brown eyes.

"OK, just order what you wished ok. Sensei here will pay for it. Discuss among yourselves first." I said and moved to the terrace with Hiko-sama and his jars of yumeshu and me with my sketchbook and Reed pen.

"The girls were too excited about seeing the house being near completed. Use the fireworks for the warehouse instead. At least its more formal as if we use it for the house, people thought we were running a brothel." I advised Hiko-sama and asked for his opinion.

"That would be a good idea, kid. I had forgotten about it. Our actions were true and simple but then people would misunderstand it." replied Hiko-sama with the same thoughts and agreement with my idea.

The girls, on the other hand, ordered what they wished to eat and the seller came over for the payment and Hiko-sama handed the amount to him. Some shared the food, while some just had a few of this and that.

They stayed a while longer and chatted at the garden area when I approached them. "Later when you are living here, I will arrange someone to cook for your lunch, mid-afternoon and dinner while breakfast and supper would be arranged among yourself. There will be a kitchenette for you to prepare your own breakfast and supper."

"You have to be independent sometimes, and since you are going to work here, you may not have the time to prepare lunch and dinner. So I will arrange someone to cook, not only for you but for the rest of the employees."

"Soon, there would be others working here, each with their own specific duties and not interfering with what you might be doing. Our laundry and the cleaning of the houses would also be arranged as well."

"Besides the building of the house, there will be a warehouse behind us and it will be used as a storage area and a place where Hiko-sama and I will work. I will inform you in detail when the time comes."

"Tomorrow, the workers will install the floorings as well as the partitions of the house and you may be expected to leave your current jobs and stay here at the moment even if there's no work to be done on your part."

Some of the girls nodded while some responded. At least we could help some of the girls and also the workers that had worked on this house to have a permanent livelihood and 2 women that we need to recruit from the pleb's District.

Once we have decided on the plannings, we can execute it upon completion of the house and decide on the wages of the other employees.

Since we would be having 18 employees on this ground alone, their monthly wages would only cost us 36 gold coins monthly if we based on 2 gold coins per month for each employee.

That would be a minimum sum for them and I think its a swell idea. This I shared with Hiko-sama so that he would inform the workers to stay on after building the warehouse. He too, thought was a swell idea of getting the men so that if we need to make some woodcraft, they could lend us their expertise.

"Sensei, we would not be adding any other projects, as we were the only two people who were handling the main production and process. Once we had spearheaded this ongoing projects, we would make records on which is the FMCG or fast-moving consumer products based on the number of movement for the Scented Soap."

"We increase the production on those favourites and lessen the production and keep the less favourite ones at a minimum. In this way, we can see how our monthly sales projection would grow."

"Since the girls were here, what do you think if we move them in once the furnishings are in by the day after tomorrow? We can clear the first 5 scents one at a time and use their living space as a temporary work and storage space before the warehouse is ready."

"Once it's ready, we could fire off the fireworks, hang the banner and resume our intended operations already. In this way, our operations would be non stop and everything should be clockwork."

"Forget about the rail system, we can build a small trolley fit for each pallet to be pushed into the warehouse from the Realm of Mind room. We save resources and time."

"The initial start would be hectic but once we have settled down these products, we can expect a slow and steady production from then on. There won't be like us right now working our ass off to hit a certain target."

I kept silent as I looked at Hiko-sama and he looked far away in the distance when he spoke up, "Eh? You were talking to me, kid? Sorry I wasn't listening."

"Ara ma.....!!! I was talking to you and you didn't hear what I said?!? I stood up and clenched my fist and bent my body and faced him, my face was red and I have to repeat what I had said to him once more.

"Hahahaha... C'mon, kid! Can't you take a joke? I heard everything you said and I just wanted to tease you... Hahahahaha. This is the first time I saw you look so angry! I thought you don't know the meaning of angry... Hahahahaha!" Hiko-sama was laughing at me when he saw my face turning red with anger earlier and now I was laughing with him too.

"Hahahaha... You've only got the chance to see my wrath twice. But with a normal expression, unlike you who has a permanent frown on your face... Hahahaha!" I joked too and made fun of his eyebrows.

He held me in a headlock and rubbed my head again and I laughed out loud when he did that. It was weird for someone who doesn't like physical contact but loves doing that to me. Maybe he had a dark secret that he never opened up to me because I had never once asked him about his family members at all.

I do not wish to probe but I'd prefer him to open up the matter himself as it was too sensitive and private. Even in anime and Live action films, Hiko Seiko lived his life as a hermit along some mountainside away from social life and civilisation.

"Sensei..."

"Yes, kid..."

"Did you forgot to wind up your pocket watch today?"

"Ara ma...!!! You never reminded me and this pocket watch had been dangling around my neck the whole day! Quick... Synchronise our watches now!" as he pressed the pocket watch over his ears and heard its ticking sound.

He asked me the time and I asked him because I was the one who had forgotten to wind mine....we both laughed at each other again as we keep teasing each other one after another.

I synchronise my pocket watch and wound up 10 times until I felt the spring inside tighten a bit.

I wanted to say that the pocket watch that was hanging around his neck, was like my own heart and ticking close to his heart... But saying it would mean a totally different thing and could be easily understood, and I would definitely be confronted with his smelly foot on my face!!!

I took mine and hang around my neck as well. Now we look like a matching pair.

God! The above sentence sounded so wrong even it is being said in a right manner!!!

It's already 830 pm and the girls all had their fill and were milling around the new house, never intending to go in as the floors were not ready and I had warned against sharp objects in there. Since there was no lighting, they simply walked outside and found that their house was much nicer than ours... Huu... Huu... Huu...

But a home is a home and the most important thing is that we are protected from the elements.

"Senpai, can we ask a question?" asked Gin as she walked over to us.

"What is it, Gin."

"Can we keep pets at home?"

"What kind of pets?" I imagined the fleeting of birds flying around with the cats chasing them and the dogs barking and chasing after cats that were chasing after the birds and the girls all were running after the dogs that were chasing the cats that were chasing after the birds while not a single work had been done for the whole day.

Ara ma...

"We would like to keep cats, they are so cute and fluffy and so soft and warm to sleep with too," she said.

"And the cats start to chase the birds while being chased by the dogs and all of you running after the dogs that were chasing the cats that were chasing the birds...." I mumbled to myself inaudibly but Hiko-sama heard me and laughed loudly.

"Sorry, Senpai... I cannot hear what you were saying because you were mumbling about dogs, cats and birds..." said Gin as she tried to understand what I was mumbling.

"Ah, keep pets. It comes with a huge responsibility, you know. They cannot poopoo or weewee inside the house, they cannot chase after birds or chicken or ducks even. They cannot go running around all over the houses and warehouse but they can catch the Gokiburi Ninjas and Rats. Their main duties are to catch Gokiburi."

"Ok, Senpai. I will teach them how to catch Gokiburi and rats." with that she held her fist to her heart like making a solemn promise.

I laughed at her and wished she had chosen rock as a pet.

"Sensei, may we know what is the time now? Normally around this time the yatai had gone to the square or had gone back." Izumi asked as she peered at the 'necklace' on Hiko-sama's neck.

"It's already close to 9 pm."

"In that case, we would like to take our leave. Thank you for dinner and supper. We would all be here again tomorrow. We would also thank you for making our dreams come true, and for both of you to create a path for us a better and promising future." Hanna spoke up and everyone bowed down low and we bowed back.

"One more thing, please inform your current employers that you would be living in the household of Samurai Hiko Residence in 2 days time and work here too. At least they can look for replacements and won't give you a hard time like reporting against you or create infamy et cetera. That is all. Be safe and see you all tomorrow."

I made a closing speech to them and made sure they informed their employers and in 2 days time, they and their whatever worldly possessions that they have and moved in.

The girls bowed low again and leave the grounds in a group. I saw that they had packed properly all the bowls, cups and kettle and placed it neatly on the table.

I had missed my shower again and this had dragged for almost a few days. I told Hiko-sama that I would enter the Realm of Mind to check on things and he gave a nod as he prepared to go for his shower.