Finally, the day of the grand opening arrived. Michael invited his mother and sister to celebrate this important milestone.
The restaurant's exterior looked impressive, with a premium architectural design that stood out in the lane.
His decision to buy the other two stores had paid off, as now his restaurant was the sole establishment on the block, enhancing its appeal.
Many people passing by noticed the new restaurant.
"Hey, wasn't there a bookstore here before? Why is there a new business in its place?" one person asked.
"Don't you know? The owner of that bookstore is my friend. He told me that some guy came to his store and bought it for 2000 gold coins," another replied.
"Wow, who is that big shot?" someone else wondered.
Similar conversations were happening around the restaurant. Everyone was attracted to the beautiful building that seemed to appear from nowhere.
Taking advantage of people's attention, Michael started advertising his restaurant.
"Hey there, everyone! I've opened a new restaurant with dishes that no one has ever tasted before. I invite you all to try my dishes, and I bet no one will dislike them."
After promoting the restaurant for a few minutes, he turned his attention to his mother and sister, who were standing nearby.
Michael's mother and sister were in awe of the transformation. The decorative plants and a welcoming sign on the entrance added a charming touch.
Nancy noticed a ribbon tied across the main door of the restaurant.
"Michael, why is there a ribbon on the main door?" she asked.
"Mom, this is just a small tradition that people do when opening their business. It's like announcing to the world that we are starting something new. I read about it in a book," Michael explained.
Alongside his mother and sister were the Mage Apprentices who helped build the restaurant, his two guards, and Raziel. Since it was only the opening day, Michael decided not to hire additional staff for now.
Although confident in his recipes, Michael was uncertain how people would react to the new food. He planned to hire more staff as the business grew and the workload increased.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official opening of "The Happy Belly." Michael cut the ribbon with pride and anticipation, welcoming everyone into the restaurant.
The restaurant's interior was warm and inviting, with enchanted lighting creating a cozy ambience. The self-cleaning surfaces and stylish furniture showcased the innovative magic of the restaurant's design.
Michael was about to pass the menu when Nancy and Lila took it from his hands.
"Brother, let Mom and me take the orders from the customers. You focus on cooking," Lila suggested.
Michael hesitated, but seeing Lila's enthusiasm, he agreed.
Michael and Raziel went into the kitchen and began preparing the food. With fewer guests to serve, Lila quickly took everyone's orders and passed them to Michael.
"Lila, what do you want to eat?" Michael asked.
"Brother, I'm fine with anything; just don't make it spicy. I don't like spicy food," Lila replied.
Michael smiled at her. "Okay, little girl, go and sit with Mom. Your food will be ready shortly."
Having already prepped the ingredients, Michael swiftly started making the dishes. Soon, the aroma of the food began wafting out of the kitchen, drawing immediate attention from those outside.
"Wow, the smell of the food is so good. I can't wait for the food. By the way, what did you guys order? I ordered a dish called Herb Roasted Chicken." asked the demon Mage Apprentice.
"I have ordered Elven Garden Salad. It has the word Elven in it. Maybe it's related to Elves, so I want to try it." Said the elven Mage.
"I was attracted to this dish called pudding. They are selling it as dessert. You know I love sweets, so why not try this new one." another Elf replied.
As everyone was discussing, Nancy started bringing out the dishes individually.
The demon who ordered the Herb-Roasted Chicken began eating it as soon as it arrived at his table. Seeing this, the elven Mage waiting for his order gave him a disgusted look.
"Dude, calm down. Nobody is going to eat your food," the elf said.
The demon ignored him, focused on savouring the taste. Within a few minutes, he finished his dish and quickly ordered a second one.
Similar scenes played out all over the restaurant.
The elven Mage who had spoken earlier found himself devouring the Elven Garden Salad. He never thought a salad could taste so good.
After everyone had eaten their fill, they only had praise for the restaurant. They paid the bill and were pleasantly surprised that the food was not as expensive as expected.
Michael had enlisted the System's help in setting the prices for the dishes. The System charged 30 copper coins for a plate of Elven Garden Salad, 60 for herb-roasted chicken, and 50 for golden honey bread pudding.
Michael considered increasing the prices, but the System advised against it, emphasising fairness and customer satisfaction.
The System informed Michael that he must run his business without exploiting his customers and warned that any violations could result in fines.
Satisfied with the initial success and positive feedback, Michael felt reassured that his pricing strategy would attract more customers and ensure their loyalty.
This strategy worked in his favour as the customers who enjoyed his food started advertising his restaurant for free.
The first day passed quickly, with over 100 customers dining at "The Happy Belly." After deducting the cost of materials, he profited at least 300 gold coins.
Michael thought this was a great start for an opening day. If this pace continued, he estimated it would take him six months to complete his mission.
However, he believed he could achieve it much sooner, as he had not yet implemented the strategies he had learned in his previous world.
However, he has decided to take things slowly before shifting gears. He wants to hire a proper working staff to help him manage the restaurant more efficiently.
However, Michael soon discovered that he had greatly underestimated the powerful effects of his dishes on people.
[Yearwood Royal Mage Academy]
Mox, the Demon Mage Apprentice who ate three dishes that afternoon at "The Happy Belly," was delighted that he got to eat good food and the restaurant's Boss had generously paid them for their construction work.
Despite being a Mage Apprentice at 21, he had not yet broken through to the First-Tier Mage.
He was frustrated by this and worked hard every day to achieve a breakthrough, but his natural talent wasn't enough. He will soon have to leave the academy if he doesn't have a breakthrough. The academy doesn't want to waste its resources on untalented mages.
That evening, like every day, he went home and started practicing the breathing skill all apprentice mages in the kingdom used to absorb mana from their surroundings to break through to the first tier.
As soon as he started practicing, he felt he could absorb the mana more easily. Within half an hour of practice, he felt the breakthrough approaching, and after an hour, he achieved it and became a First-Tier Mage.
Mox was shocked to see that he broke through so easily.
After some thought, he realised that the reason behind his breakthrough was the faster absorption of mana, which had never happened before.
Then he remembered that his visit to the restaurant was the only different thing he did that day.
He never thought that the food he was eating for its taste would have such magical effects. Mox decides to visit the restaurant the next day to confirm his suspicions.
The same thing happened with the other Mage Apprentices as well.
They, too, had been stuck at the Mage Apprentice stage for a long time, but they suddenly experienced breakthroughs.
They decided to visit the restaurant the next day to eat the food again and see if it continued to have the same effect.
The next day, Michael woke up early in the morning. After seeing yesterday's success, he decided to go to the restaurant much earlier and prepare the pre-cooked components of the dishes he would serve.
He also planned to hire additional staff for roles such as Manager, waiter, and dish cleaner.
Thinking this, he quickly took a bath and had his breakfast.
"Mom, I am planning to hire some staff for our restaurant. I cannot make you and Lila work so hard for me."
"Who said I am working hard for you? Don't forget I have a 30% stake in your restaurant." Nancy responded.
Before Michael could say anything, she said,
"After your father passed away, I feel pretty lonely sitting at home. Yesterday, while working in the restaurant, I felt happy for the first time after that incident.
Seeing you working so hard made me realise that after your Dad passed away, it was my responsibility to look after you both.
I cannot just stay at home while my son works out there to provide for us. Also, I am a third-tier mage. I could help you look after any unruly customers."
Michael felt warmth from her words and was a bit sad, too. He was so busy completing his mission that he never considered how Nancy must have felt after Jacob's sudden demise.
"Okay, Mom, you can come to our restaurant, but I don't want you to work too hard. Why not sit at the counter and collect the payments from the customers? You can also keep a tab on those unruly customers you discussed."
Lila, standing beside Nancy, nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Brother, even I want to work in the restaurant. I have learned some martial arts. I will protect you and Mother from the bad guys." Lila flexed her tiny muscles to both of them.
Michael and Nancy smiled after seeing this.
"Of course, I know my little sister will protect me and Mom," Michael said laughingly.
After that, the trio went to the restaurant. They were shocked to see so many people waiting outside their restaurant when they reached there.
As he reached the entrance, he saw Raziel standing before the door, arguing with one demon.
"Hey, where is your Boss? I have been standing here since this morning, but he still hasn't arrived. Doesn't he care about his customers?"
"It's not my Boss's fault that you came so early. Now, stand there quietly. We are not open yet." Raziel retorted.
When Raziel first came in the morning, he noticed many people crowding in front of their restaurant. He tried to find the reason behind this, but their answer shocked him.
They said the restaurant's food helped them and many other Mage Apprentices break through to First Tier Mage, and now they are calling it magic food.
At the start, he found it unbelievable, but when he asked others standing there, they gave him the same answer.
They also bought many acquaintances still stuck in the Mage Apprentice stage, hoping the dishes would help them, too.
Raziel was arguing with them when he saw Michael coming towards him.
"Hey Raziel, what is happening here? Why is there so much crowd?"
Before Raziel could answer, one demon said
"Hey, look, the boss of this restaurant has come."
As soon as he said that, everyone quickly gathered before Michael.
"Hey Boss, what took you so long? Go quickly and make us that magic food," he demanded.
Michael didn't like how that man talked but decided to ignore him. He stood near the entrance and then said,
"Hello, guys. Good Morning. Everyone here wants to taste our food, but I hope you maintain some decorum. I don't want people fighting in front of my restaurant and disturbing the peace. Now, everyone forms a queue and enters the restaurant accordingly."
As soon as he said that, some people started pushing the others to stand ahead of them, and soon, there was a mess amongst the crowd.
Raziel tried to calm them down, but one burly guy pushed him aside.
Seeing this, Michael got angry. Before he could say anything, he saw a wind magic, throwing everyone to the ground.
"Third Tier Mage. That woman is a third-tier mage." One demon who was standing away from the fighting crowd shouted.
Yes, that woman was none other than Nancy. Everyone at the start had noticed Nancy, but they never considered such a frail-looking woman this powerful.
"Those who don't want to follow the rules can leave. Our restaurant won't welcome them." Nancy said sternly.
"Mom, I didn't know I would need your help so early," Michael said sheepishly.
She looked at Michael, then smiled and went inside.
"Brother, I had hidden some candies inside my room. Should I tell Mom about it, or will she make us fly away like those people?"
Michael was speechless. This little girl was so afraid that she included him in her mischief. Michael asked her to go inside; he would deal with her later.
He then looked at the crowd and said:
"As I have already said. Form a queue, or you will be permanently banned from my restaurant for creating a nuisance."
This time, everyone quietly stood in line. What a joke; they were just Mage Apprentices. If they offend the Third-Tier Mage, they won't even know how they died.
Michael was happy seeing this and thought, "So this is the power of a third-tier Mage. I can't wait to get my hands on such power."
Michael then went inside, but before going inside, he asked Tom and Jason to watch the crowd and handle them accordingly.
Once inside, he started preparing the dishes. Since there were already so many customers, he didn't waste his time making pre-cooked components.
Raziel, too, started helping Michael. Within half an hour, Michael created all the necessary elements to make the dishes, and then they quickly began making the complete dishes.
Outside, Jenny, a beautiful Elven Mage, was standing in the line waiting in the queue for her turn. She was passing by when she saw the commotion of the customers and Nancy's subsequent action.
Out of curiosity, she came to see what it was all about. After asking another girl standing in the queue, she found out about this so-called Magic food that helped the Apprentice Mages advance to First-tier Mage.
Jenny was skeptical about this whole situation but decided to try it herself.
She was a second-year Yearwood Royal Magic Academy student but was still stuck at the Mage Apprentice stage.
Most of her friends and fellow students were already preparing to break through to the Second Tier Mage. Although it will take them at least two years to advance to that stage, the earlier one starts, the more chances they have for a future breakthrough.
If the food is magical, as people claim, she will regret missing this chance for a breakthrough. Assuming this, she went inside the restaurant.
Once inside, she saw that her queue went to the counter where Nancy was sitting while taking customer orders. Seeing a Third-Tier Mage sitting on the counter shocked her beyond belief. She was not alone, even others who were standing in the queue were feeling same.
At first, they thought that the Third-Tier Mage was just there to stop people from creating a nuisance, but seeing her sitting on the counter made them realise they couldn't mess with this restaurant.
When it was her turn to order food, she saw three dishes on the menu.
For testing purposes, she ordered the cheapest one on the menu, the Elven Garden salad. Although she could afford to pay for all three dishes, she didn't want to waste her money on just some speculations.
If the dishes work the way people mention, buying them won't be too late. Everyone around her had more or less the same feeling.
She didn't have to wait long, as Lila bought the plate of Elven Garden salad she had ordered. She took her plate and sat down at the nearby empty table.
Because the place was crowded, many people were sharing tables with strangers. It was inconvenient for some of them to do that as nobody likes to share their tables with strangers, but the allure of breakthrough made them care less about such a thing.
She had never seen a salad that looked this delicious. She took the first bite and then started savouring its taste. It was so good that she forgot she was eating a mix of raw and boiled vegetables.
Initially, she didn't feel anything, but as she took more bites, she felt some strange energy growing inside her, helping her sense the mana in the surroundings. By the end of the dish, she knew this wasn't a scam, and it was actually very effective on Apprentice Mages.
After finishing her salad, she quickly ordered another, only to get rejected at the counter.
Due to the overwhelming response, Michael could not serve everyone, so he immediately decided that people could order only one of three dishes today.
When those who had ordered salad saw that rule, they were frustrated that because of their doubt, they missed the chance to order the Herb-Roasted Chicken, which could have helped them accumulate more of that strange energy. But fearing Nancy's retribution, they didn't dare to voice their frustrations.
Some of the rich customers found a loophole within this rule. They immediately sent their servants to order the dishes for them.
Nancy noticed this but didn't say anything. After all, she cannot be angry with customers just because they want to enjoy their food. It won't be good for their restaurant's image.
Like others, she was surprised at first. Although she had tasted the food yesterday, she didn't find anything magical about it.
But again, she was a Third-Tier Mage. Maybe that food has a magical effect only on Apprentice Mages.
Although the business was blooming, she needed to talk with Michael.
It would be fine if the food's effect were limited to only Apprentice Mages, but if it even affects Second or Third-Tier Mages, then it would be a huge problem.
Although the world was peaceful, the rules meant nothing in front of the True power. If there are enough benefits, people will take risks irrespective of the consequences.
By the end of the day, many people visited the restaurant. The fact that there was some magical food that helped in the breakthrough made enough people interested.
Many first and second-tier mages came to see if the food could help them too, but soon they were disappointed because the food's magical properties were only applicable to Apprentice Mages.
But that didn't stop them from ordering the food.
Despite its magical properties, the food was something they had never tasted before. In short, most of them were attracted by its magic but stayed for its taste.
Michael spent the whole day in the kitchen. He was so tired that he purchased one energy capsule from the System to prevent himself from feeling overworked.
At the end of the day, when the restaurant was closed, Michael asked System about his earnings.
"Ding! After deducting the cost of the ingredients, Host has earned 3000 Gold coins."
Michael was shocked to hear that. He was happy with the 500 gold coins he profited from the business yesterday, but his earnings have grown 6 times today.
Now he knew why he was so tired. He never expected so many customers to try his food, and that too on the second day.
This assured him that not only did this restaurant help him earn his first pot of gold, but it also gave him a way to gather the whole treasury of gold through it. And this is just the beginning.