By the Grace of the Gods (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter SS1

Extra Story: The Noncombatant and the Secret Room

While the laundry shop Bamboo Forest was under attack, employees without combat experience were hiding out in the shelter that had been secretly built deep under the storefront. Though the four walls were built of thick stone, the room looked just like any respectable living room.

“Oh?”

“Maria? What’s the matter?”

“My slime is terrified...”

Carme, the assistant store manager, said gravely, “We have an uninvited guest, just as Ryoma said.”

Fina, who worked in the front end, nervously muttered, “I hope Lilyn and others will be okay...”

“They’ll be fine. They’re all super strong, and we can’t get in their way if we’re down here.”

“Jane’s right... I know, Fina. Why don’t we all make some dinner right now. I think it would be nice for them to have something to eat when they come back in. Carme, we can cook in here, can’t we?”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Sherma. Since Ryoma placed a magical item in here for ventilation, we should be fine as long there’s not too much smoke involved. I saw a small magical item for cooking, so let’s make use of it.”

Carme swiftly approached the shelf in the corner of the room and brought back a box full of cookware. “Here’s what we have to cook with. I’ll bring ingredients over too. What would you like to cook tonight?”

“It must be biting out there. Let’s make a nice, warm soup. Easy to eat, and we can make it more filling with potatoes, for example.”

So, all the noncombatants got to work on dinner.

“This seems strange, doesn’t it? Not that I have any doubt about them, but being able to cook under an attack,” said Jane.

“That’s true. There were times when we had to evacuate because of monster attacks, but those were always tense,” Fina said.

“Maybe because there’s the packing,” Sherma chimed in. “I don’t know how it was in the farms, but I’ve never been to a shop more securely guarded than this one. How about you?”

“A few establishments that mainly serve nobles. But certainly not a watch system with slimes, or even a bunker like this. At most, you might find similar tools and facilities ready for evacuation.”

“Right? It can’t be normal that we have this room far underground, guarded by a giant stone slime disguised as a wall.”

“I’ve come accustomed to things like this, but it is incredible when you stop to think about it. If I hadn’t been shown the place and given the password to get in, I never would have known about this place.”

“Even the security guards only saw it as a normal wall.”

“It’s pretty much like we’re stuck in the wall, anyway... Oh!” Maria raised her voice as she noticed something. “Sounds like it’s gotten quiet up there. My slime isn’t scared anymore, so everyone should be okay.”

“Really? Thank goodness!”

“Will they be coming in soon? Our soup won’t be done in time.”

“We do have some instant food we can eat right away, so there’s no rush. Since the security team seems to be faring well, why don’t we go over what we’ll do moving forward?”

The employees went on to discuss how their business would operate the next day, and how they could help the city beyond the scope of the shop. Each of them was determined to do what they could, even without the capacity for fighting...