For Natsuhiko, who had just received tens of millions a few days ago, five hundred thousand ryo annually wasn't much. However, for the orphanage that had lost its source of funding, it was like a timely rain in a drought. After all, the reward for a standard S-rank mission was only one hundred thousand ryo, often split among several people. Fifty thousand ryo annually was more than enough to keep a small orphanage running.
So, when Nono heard Natsuhiko's words, her eyes behind the round glasses lit up with joy.
"Boss, are you serious?"
"Of course, I wouldn't joke about something like this," Natsuhiko replied with a gentle smile.
"Boss, you really are a good person," Nono said gratefully. "On behalf of the children at the orphanage, thank you!"
She then stepped back two paces and bowed deeply to Natsuhiko.
Receiving this "good person" card, Natsuhiko waved his hand and said, "No need to thank me. After all, when I first started at the ninja academy, my parents were gone too, so I understand how tough it can be for those kids. I'm happy to be able to help them."
"I see," Nono said as she lifted her head, her gaze becoming softer. It was as if she felt a special connection to Natsuhiko because of his orphan status.
But at that moment, Natsuhiko began to reveal his true intentions, shifting the conversation with a smile, "And now, Miss Nono, you won't have to work so hard here. You can focus on taking care of the children at the orphanage."
As soon as he said that, Nono's smile subtly stiffened. If Natsuhiko hadn't been paying close attention to her expression, he might have missed that fleeting moment of hesitation.
At that moment, Natsuhiko felt like the wealthy parents in a melodrama who threw a check at the female lead to break her up from the male lead. This made it easy to see whether Nono was genuinely working at the tavern to support the orphanage as she claimed or if she had another motive—one that involved Natsuhiko himself.
At this point, Might Duy, who was standing nearby, also expressed his happiness for Nono, "That's great, Miss Nono! Now you can continue doing what you love most—working at the orphanage!"
"Um…" Caught between Natsuhiko and Might Duy's congratulatory gazes, Nono fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, hesitating for a long time before finally saying, a bit embarrassed, "Boss, if possible, I'd like to continue working here."
A meaningful glint flashed in Natsuhiko's eyes, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Why? Is it that the orphanage has too many children, and fife hundred thousand ryo isn't enough? I can always increase the amount…"
"That's not what I mean," Nono hurriedly waved her hands in denial, then stammered, "Actually… it's because the orphanage's funding was cut off before, and I'm worried something like that might happen again—oh, of course, I'm not doubting you, boss…"
Seeing Nono's flustered explanation, Natsuhiko smiled and interjected, "In other words, you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket. You don't want the orphanage's funds to rely entirely on donations, so you want to work and earn money to enhance the orphanage's financial security, right?"
"Yes, that's exactly it," Nono nodded vigorously, like a pecking chicken. "Besides, this job pays well, has stable hours, and gives me enough time to continue caring for the children."
"Plus, as Mr. Might Duy mentioned before, the tavern will keep opening new branches, and if we do well, we might even get the chance to become branch managers…"
"So, I think staying here would be more beneficial for the orphanage."
She then lowered her head again, a bit embarrassed, and added, "I'm sorry, it's only my first day here, and I'm already thinking about becoming a branch manager. It's a bit presumptuous of me."
"Not at all. An employee without the ambition of becoming a manager is a good employee. Your aspirations are commendable," Natsuhiko said with a slight smile, though he was sceptical inwardly.
Doesn't this make her an orphanage director who doesn't want to be a manager or a poor spy?
At this point, Might Duy was moved to tears, "Striving to become a branch manager for the sake of the children—what a youthful and passionate story! I'm so touched!"
Mr. Might Duy, how can you believe everything she says?
Natsuhiko thought to himself, but he remained calm outwardly. After a moment of reflection, he added, "Miss Nono, I understand your point."
"However, when it comes to choosing branch managers, I won't show any favouritism just because of your special circumstances."
Nono nodded thoughtfully, "Of course."
With that, Natsuhiko smiled warmly and extended his right hand to her, "Well then, welcome to the Geki-nin Tavern."
"I'm also glad to be here," Nono replied with a warm smile, shaking Natsuhiko's hand.
The two smiled at each other, a sight that brought Might Duy to tears again as he wiped his eyes with the cloth he'd just used to clean the glasses.
This scene filled him with emotion because it reminded him of when Natsuhiko first invited him to join the tavern.
If it weren't for Mr. Natsuhiko, he might still be doing exhausting and thankless low-level missions and living in poverty.
Where would he find the peace of mind to practice taijutsu or even have the opportunity to become a teacher at the ninja academy next semester? That was something he hadn't even dared to dream of before!
However, what Might Duy didn't know was that the two people in front of him, who were smiling and shaking hands, each harboured their secret intentions.
Though Nono was gratefully shaking Natsuhiko's hand, she was thinking:
"Finally passed the first test and successfully infiltrated this tavern…"
"For now, I don't have to worry about Danzo targeting the orphanage…"
"It's a pity that my target, Natsuhiko, seems to be a genuinely good person…"
Meanwhile, Natsuhiko, smiling back at Nono, was thinking:
"As expected of the Wandering Miko, she managed to say 'I want it all' so elegantly that I couldn't tell if she was sincere."
"Maybe helping the orphanage break free from Danzo's control is a genuine goal of hers."
"But since she chose to stay in the tavern, just in case, I'll have to assume she's a wolf in sheep's clothing."
"However, there's no need to expose her yet."
"After all, even if I chase her away, Danzo, who clings like a leech, will just send someone else. It'd be harder to tell who the spy is then."
"Plus, based on the information from the original story, this Priestess Nono truly cares about the children. She's trustworthy and might even become a secret weapon against Danzo…"
"But if I want to bring her over to my side, there's one critical issue to solve…"
"And that's the curse mark that might be on her…"
"So first, I need to confirm if she has it. Fortunately, that won't be too hard. I just need to do what I did last time…"
With these thoughts in mind, Natsuhiko released Nono's hand and, as if suddenly remembering something, said, "Miss Nono, I don't think you've tried out the arcade game yet."
"I've recently developed a new game mode. Could you help me test it out?"
Nono hesitated, "Boss, but it's work time now. Isn't it inappropriate for me to play games?"
Natsuhiko smiled, "It's fine. Testing the game is also part of your job here."
"And since the arcade machine is our tavern's flagship product, if you really want to become a branch manager, you need to understand it thoroughly."
Then, leaning slightly toward Nono's ear, he whispered, "Miss Nono, you don't want to miss the opportunity to become a branch manager, do you?"
(End of Chapter)
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