NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: it’s just delivering food and drinks
"Uncle, is this the place you were talking about for work?" Anthony asked.
"Yep, this is it. With your slim build, heavy labor might be tough, but you've got a clean look, so this place is just right for you. The pay is good, the work isn't too hard, and sometimes there are extra earnings too," the driver uncle replied as he strode inside. After hesitating for a moment, Anthony followed him. He figured he'd give it a try to see if it would work out.
As soon as he opened the door, Anthony was taken aback by the luxurious and elegant decor of the Red Romance Bar. From the outside, the place looked ordinary, but inside, it was so lavish that Anthony almost thought he had walked into a palace.
At the reception desk, two extravagantly dressed women were lounging lazily. When they saw someone walk in, they casually said, "Sorry, sir, the Red Romance Bar opens at 8 PM."
"Belinda, it's only been a few days, and you don't recognize me?" the driver uncle said with a laugh.
One of the women, who had been leaning against the desk, turned her head and immediately broke into a smile. "Oh, it's Delvin! What brings you here at noon?"
The driver uncle chuckled. "I've got some good news. Look, I've brought a promising young lad for you."
Upon hearing this, the two women, dressed as bunny girls, followed Delvin's gesture and looked at Anthony.
In this society, after two hundred years of war, the culture of the Normandy Kingdom greatly valued soldiers and the image of tough, muscular men. Even teenagers were trained from a young age. The image of a delicate, pretty boy was only appreciated in certain niche circles.
At first glance, the two women thought Anthony might fit that stereotype, but they quickly realized he was different. Although Anthony had pale skin—almost sickly pale—and a thin frame, which was quite different from the rugged men they usually saw, his demeanor wasn't effeminate. His clear, bright eyes made him look more like a child who hadn't yet faced the harshness of the world—pure and innocent.
In these chaotic times, it was rare to see someone with such a pure gaze. The two receptionists looked at Anthony with a sparkle in their eyes, circling around him as they sized him up. Anthony felt a bit uneasy under their scrutinizing gaze; they looked at him like hunters eyeing prey.
But even as Anthony grew tense, Anthony noticed something peculiar—both of these women were espers! Were there really so many espers now?
Straightening his back, the driver uncle, whose name was Delvin, said, "So, what do you think? Pretty good, right?"
"Not bad, not bad. It's rare to find someone like him. Delvin, I'll give you a 30% discount next time you come," one of the women replied.
"Haha, I was waiting for you to say that," Delvin laughed, then turned to Anthony. "Kid, I won't charge you for the ride today. Whether you stay here or not is up to you."
After Delvin left, the atmosphere in the hall became a bit strange. However, determined to find work, Anthony forced himself to ask, "Are you hiring?"
"Yes!" Before Anthony could finish his sentence, the blonde-haired woman quickly replied.
The other woman, Belinda, who had a more voluptuous figure, immediately closed the door and smiled sweetly at Anthony. "What's your name, and how old are you?"
"My name is Anthony, and I'm seventeen years old," Anthony answered honestly.
"Anthony, seventeen? So next year will you be called Eighteen?" the blonde receptionist joked.
"Christine , you don't get it. Anthony obviously means it's his first time, right little brother?" Belinda whispered playfully in Anthony's ear, even blowing a puff of warm air.
Anthony shivered, his face turning bright red. Even though he was inexperienced, he could sense that something wasn't right. He recalled something he had once seen in a certain book. Back then, young and naive, he had thought he'd found a treasure and showed it to Grandpa Alan, only to be scolded harshly and have the book confiscated, never to be returned.
Despite being out of touch with society for seven years, Grandpa Alan had instilled in Anthony some core values. Even though he was slow to catch on, Anthony quickly realized what was happening and hastily said, "Um, I don't do anything illegal."
The two receptionists burst into laughter at his words, their shoulders shaking with amusement.
Belinda, still smiling, said, "Little Anthony, which illegal activities are you referring to?"
Seeing his pale skin now flushed with embarrassment, the blonde woman, Christine, quickly intervened. "Alright, Belinda, stop teasing him. Anthony, you can call me Sister Christine. Don't worry, the Red Romance Bar is a legitimate business—part of a national chain, no less."
Hearing this, Anthony breathed a sigh of relief, though his stomach chose that moment to growl loudly. After traveling all morning, fighting the demon, and not having a drop of water, he was starving.
When they heard his stomach rumbling, the two women chuckled and said, "We can talk about work later. Come on, let's go get you a meal."
Even though Anthony felt a bit awkward, his instincts told him that these two women weren't bad people. In the end, he followed them, thinking that if nothing else, he could at least get a meal out of it.
A little while later, at a mid-range restaurant, Anthony finally leaned back, satisfied, after finishing his sixth bowl of noodles. Since leaving the White Mist Zone, he hadn't had a proper meal, and after arriving in Main City No. 7, he had been too stingy to spend money on food due to the high prices. But now that someone else was footing the bill, he made sure to eat his fill.
Belinda and Christine, the two women, were shocked by Anthony's appetite. They couldn't help but wonder if he had been kicked out of his house for eating his family into poverty.
Once Anthony had eaten his fill, Belinda explained, "Christine and I are the managers of the bar. You've got a unique look, so you can work as a server—delivering food and drinks to customers and keeping the place tidy. Additionally, servers here can also act as companions for customers. If a customer asks, you can pour them drinks and chat with them, and they'll give you tips. Whether you want to do that is entirely up to you; we won't force anyone to do anything. You'll have a three-day trial period, and if you pass, you'll get a monthly base salary of three thousand. The tips are yours to keep, and how much you earn depends on your skills."
Christine, who was sitting beside Anthony, winked at him and added, "These days, there are plenty of female customers at bars, and some of them are even espers. If you serve them well, you might earn a thousand or two in a single night."
The thought of making that much money in one night tempted Anthony, but he still asked, "So, it's just delivering food and drinks?"
Belinda licked her lips and replied, "Of course, but if you want to try something more exciting, that's not out of the question either."