Emi gritted her teeth in frustration. "I knew it! The Demon King is up to no good!" she muttered to herself. "Opening a shop is just a cover. His real goal must be to conquer the world!"
"I have to uncover whatever evil plans the Demon King and these dragons are scheming!" she resolved firmly.
Inside the small shop, Sui turned to the newcomer, Elma. "You'll be working here from now on. I'll pay you 5,000 yen an hour. How does that sound?"
Elma's eyes lit up. "No problem! I'll definitely be a great maid!" she declared confidently.
But before long, her stomach growled audibly.
"Uh... could I eat something first?" she asked hesitantly.
"No," Tohru interjected calmly, acting like a stern supervisor. "We eat after the shop closes. If you want this job, you'll have to prove yourself first."
Elma swallowed nervously. "Alright... I'll do my best!" she promised, though her tone was less confident now, her hunger getting the better of her.
Sui could only shake his head. 'These dragons are supposed to be protectors of another world, and yet... is this really all they've got?'
Then again, Sui reasoned, dragons from the guardian faction wouldn't stoop to robbing or stealing, and their skills weren't exactly suited for modern society. Perhaps working in his snack bar was their only option.
Before long, the shop was filled with customers.
"Two orders of Sinangag Fried Rice and two pork skewers."
"I'd like some Dinuguan, please."
"Owner! One fried rice and a serving of Dinuguan."
The steady stream of orders had Sui bustling in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Kanna climbed up to the counter, lazily daydreaming like the shop's unofficial mascot. Many female customers couldn't resist pinching her cheeks, and she had quickly become a popular figure.
Elma got straight to work, efficiently pouring water for waiting guests. Her diligent, well-behaved demeanor was a stark contrast to her earlier arrogance when she was determined to take Tohru back.
Tohru, on the other hand, was fuming. 'Damn it! Is she trying to steal my position as maid? Never!'
Determined to outdo Elma, Tohru redoubled her efforts, entertaining the guests with far more enthusiasm than usual.
As Sui emerged from the kitchen with prepared dishes, he noticed the unusual energy between the two dragons and asked Kanna, "What's going on with them? Why are they acting so intense all of a sudden?"
Kanna, as calm as ever, replied, "Tohru-sama and Elma-sama have always had a rivalry. Even as maids, they're competing to see who's better."
Sui glanced at the two dragons, glaring at each other with barely concealed hostility. He wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead. 'If these customers knew that these two cute maids were actually walking nuclear bombs, would they still be waiting for their food so casually?'
Soon, closing time arrived.
After Sui sent the last customer on their way, he headed into the kitchen to prepare dinner—not just for three people, but now for four.
Meanwhile, Emi hesitated outside the door. Finally, steeling her resolve, she pushed it open. In her mind, the Demon King and his three-headed evil dragon allies were probably plotting something nefarious now that the shop was closed.
But the moment she stepped inside, a cute girl with short black and purple hair appeared. "Sorry, we're closed for the night. Please come back tomorrow," the girl said politely.
"Wait... what?" Emi blinked in confusion. 'This isn't how I imagined it would be...'
She examined the newcomer more closely. This was the same dragon she had just seen join the Demon King's "evil organization," yet she couldn't reconcile her innocent demeanor with any malicious intent.
"You again!" Tohru's voice broke through Emi's thoughts. "Why are you here? Did you come to pay for your meal?"
Emi's face flushed with embarrassment. The reminder of her previous unpaid meal stung, and she felt guilty.
Just then, Sui emerged from the kitchen, carrying dinner.
Tonight's menu consisted of pork fried rice, Sautéed Cabbage, Dinuguan, and bone broth—a hearty spread.
"Is this our dinner?" Elma asked eagerly, her eyes glued to the food. She had been eyeing the dishes all evening and could barely contain her excitement.
"Yes, that's right," Sui nodded.
Suddenly, Emi gasped, as if realizing something. "Wait! You're not a demon dragon, are you?" she exclaimed, noticing something different about Elma.
"Ah, no," Elma said, momentarily confused by the outburst. "I'm a guardian dragon from my world."
"Then why are you working with the Demon King and his evil dragons?!" Emi demanded, clearly outraged.
"Oh, she's just here for the job," Sui explained casually.
"Yeah," Elma nodded, confirming it. "I'm working part-time here, and the pay is 5,000 yen an hour."
"Five... five thousand yen?! You're paid that much?" Emi's jaw dropped. She was utterly stunned.
A wave of frustration hit her. She worked tirelessly and only earned 1,000 yen an hour. At this moment, she briefly entertained the unthinkable: 'Should I work for the Demon King, too?'
Sui, catching her conflicted thoughts, added, "Just so you know, we already have enough staff. If you were thinking of applying, don't bother."
Emi's face flushed with shame. Her true thoughts exposed, she shouted in embarrassment, "As a hero, I would never work for the Demon King!"
Turning to Elma, she added furiously, "And you! A guardian dragon working for the Demon King for 5,000 yen an hour—don't you have any dignity?"
Elma blinked innocently. "Isn't that normal? Plus, there's free food."
At that moment, Tohru called from the kitchen, "Dinner's ready!"
Elma, without hesitation, rushed over, grabbed a spoon, and happily scooped a large spoonful of fried rice into her mouth. Her face lit up with joy. "It's so delicious! I'm so happy there's food!"
Meanwhile, Sui heard a soft chime in his head.
"The host has successfully tamed a dragon. Current progress: three-fifths."
He glanced at Elma, now blissfully eating her meal, and couldn't help but wonder: 'Are all the guardian dragons this hopeless?' It seemed they were willing to work for anyone as long as there was delicious food involved.