Raised in Dungeon



"Mr. Bedell... it's time for work; please wake up."

Bedell awoke abruptly from his brief slumber upon hearing Susan's voice heard from in front of his door room.

"Indeed, today I am obliged to help Mr. Rodion's work," he said as he woke his body up.

The reverberation of skillfully cleaved wood emanated from the first floor, attracting Bedell's attention. Descending the stairs, he saw Allen chopping the firewood and Rodion preparing the fire.

"Take Allen's work; he has to prepare this morning's meal," Rodion said.

"Okay!"

Bedell took Allen's place, splitting the wood while Allen started cooking.

"Hmm? So you guys have been cooking since the morning? Not when the customer ordered?"

"Of course not; this is a special dish for the customers. They will come here in the morning for breakfast," Rodion explained.

It turned out that almost every morning there were people in shabby clothes coming to the shop, asking for food in the restaurant with a bowl. They didn't say anything related to the menu; Allen immediately filled the bowl with the soup he had made, and then they would just go without paying anything.

"Are they really customers? Why didn't you ask for their money?"

"We already accept their money. They have to pay for their food every week. We charge them a low price because they don't have the right to choose their food."

"So that's it... This way, the poor people will invest their money in food for the next seven days."

Rodion then explained

"Poor individuals often struggle to save or secure their finances. Money can be easily lost, stolen, or used frivolously. In contrast, investing in food for the upcoming week is a practical and wise choice for them."

"That's actually an excellent idea. With this system, depending on the people, the system has the potential to alleviate poverty and reduce theft gradually. With the assurance of sustenance for the following week, everyone will be motivated to work to their fullest potential. Because they have a guarantee to live for the next week.

But this won't happen if poor people don't trust this place. How do you build trust so that people will give you the money? Did you have any guarantee from the nobility "

"Its Allen... No one doesn't believe in Allen in this town. This system is also actually a way to shackle that boy," Rodion said.

"Shackle? You mean Allen?"

"If I hadn't made this system, that kid would have easily used all his money for others.

While aiding others is commendable, it would not benefit him in any way to constantly sacrifice his own needs for theirs."

Bedell admired how Allen's slight frame seemed dwarfed by his enormous heart. "For one so young, he already thinks of things for others. The reason he could be like that must be his redemption, the weight of past experiences on his shoulders."

'He must also be very sorry for what he did to Sir Waldo.

But...

That makes me even more certain that he shouldn't be with Lady Felicia. I didn't want Lady Felicia to know that Allen was Sir Waldo's murderer. And I also didn't want Allen to continue to suffer from having to hide the matter when he was with Lady Felicia.'

...

The tavern was more crowded than Bedell expected. As the noise and commotion filled the air, Susan called out,

"Table number 1 Stew, Table number 4 Trenches, then table number 9 potato soup, oh yeah, table number 4 wants the trenches without mushrooms!"

"Okay! I'll be right there!" Bedell responded with a resounding shout, assuring Susan that he would attend to it promptly.

In this bustling establishment, it became clear why Rodion had asked Bedell for this job. Though the tavern itself was relatively small, with only six sets of tables, there seemed to be an endless stream of customers eagerly awaiting their turn. Some even came prepared with their own bowls, indicating that they intended to savor their meal at home.

The sight of so many people assembled in one place emphasized this tavern's popularity and success.

"So the reason the food was cooked so early in the morning was not only because of the regular customers but also because of this crowd.

They would have prepared it earlier if they knew it would be this crowded."

"Uncle! Don't just stand there! Get on with your work!" shouted the little boy who kicked Bedell's butt from behind.

"Hey! Don't act like that to your elders!"

"That's because you're slow! There's no time to fight!" shouted Rodion.

It wasn't just Susan and Allen who worked there. Two other boys were working there who came in the morning around 7. They were Jack and Pascoe. They were still small, so they lacked the energy to help for 12 hours. But from what Bedell could see, they both worked quite skillfully.

After shuffling back and forth, Bedell noticed a crowd in the corner by the window. There was a crowd of women there, and even one woman was peeking through the window. It looked like they kept talking to Allen, restraining him from going away.

"Hey! Allen! Don't just stay there! You still have another job to do!" Bedell shouted with all his might, as he was already tired.

"Y-yeah! I will be right there!" replied Allen.

Allen's face when he said that looked a little relieved, as if Bedell's call saved his life.

"Umm sorry, I've been called, so I have to work," Allen said to the woman in front of him.

"All the women immediately looked at Bedell sarcastically."

'Eeek?! Why?! Why do their eyes suddenly look like they want to kill me?!'

One of the women tugged on Allen's hand and said, "Allen, I'll talk to you later. My daughter is really beautiful. Her name is Ville. I assure you, you would like her. Could you come to our house tonight?"

"Hey! Don't just make promises! Besides, compared to your daughter, my daughter is prettier, she can sew and cook!" replied the woman beside her.

"I-I still have a lot of work to do, so maybe next time," Allen said as he ran away.

Rodion suddenly whispered beside Bedell, "You're doing great."

"Eh?! What's so great about it?"

"You just made that group of ladies angry. Well, thanks to that, Allen could get out of there, so that's good.

We had all given up on them, so we just let Allen talk all day there."

"W-were they that dangerous?!"

"Well, at least you'll get spit on every time you walk near them. Then if you shop at their stalls, they'll give you an extra price."

"Then, thank goodness I'm only staying here for three days."

Allen came near the kitchen with a sigh,

"What are they talking to you about?" asked Bedell.

"Aaah..." his face immediately looked unhappy. "They asked me to meet their daughter. Some kind of 'matchmaking.' But I don't really understand this matter, so I always try to avoid them."

"Pffft hahaha! What the heck, I didn't expect you to have such a problem. You turned out to be quite popular with the woman."

"Don't laugh. This is a serious matter; it involves someone's feelings. There were a girl who had confessed their feelings to me before. But Master and Susan said I should reject them if I didn't feel that 'love' thing to them. But when I rejected them, for some reason, they all cried.

I can't deal with things like this. At least not yet. I still have a lot of things to think about."

'Eh? Seriously? He's really thinking about that seriously? But wait, I think he has special feelings for Lady Felicia, right?'

After seeing the current Allen, Bedell perceived him as nothing more than an ordinary child. While Allen may possess the age at which noblemen often enter the realm of matrimony, he is still young and has much to learn.

Bedell was sure that whatever mistakes Allen had made in the past, it must be because of his childish nature, were simply a result of immaturity rather than deliberate intent.

Thinking about it again, Bedell then asked Allen.

"Allen, do you want to return to Boldenville with me?"

'From the beginning, I didn't have the right to decide whether I wanted to bring him back or not in the first place. I was just the one who picked him up, not the one who decided whether to take him or not.

If Allen wants to come back, I'll take him along.'

Watching Allen turn away and ponder the decision, Bedell couldn't help but wonder if his hesitation indicated that he had a desire to go back.

Realizing the weight of the question, Bedell reassured Allen. "You don't need to answer that now. Think about it carefully. There are still two days before I leave."

"Alright."

'Right... there's still time.

Not just for Allen, but also for Lady Felicia.

If it's Allen, he can definitely take Mr Waldo's place in Lady Felicia's heart.'