The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]

Luca took out a bottle that seemed to shimmer from within. But just as he stared at the clearly cold drink, Reeve realized he was an absolute idiot.

The menu boards and the photos had been posted all over the stall, but only now did he notice, after seeing the bottle with very familiar contents, because of the very familiar name.

Lemonade.

LEMONADE.

”T-this is lemonade? For three thousand star coins a bottle?” asked Reeve, who actually trembled as he said that.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the journalist, Luca, the initially excited cashier, was suddenly taken aback.

Had they priced the drink too high?

This time around, Luca had actually asked his friends for their opinions on pricing.

For those who weren’t used to the dungeon space yet, they definitely gave six-figure numbers that shocked the little penny-pincher when he heard them.

But while he definitely loved money, he was also thinking about several important things. What about the younger people? If the young kids had only a little money, would they be able to buy anything?

The others probably realized his dilemma because he looked like a problem-laden wet puppy. Xavier, in particular, calculated it and said that they could price it in correlation to how they priced the concentrated jars before.

Truthfully, they could’ve gone lower than three thousand star coins while still having a great profit margin, but the others said that going lower than that would be difficult considering their long-term goals.

If the plan were to produce the crops using their planet-bound farming facilities like the aquaponics complex, they would need to set the prices to match the appropriate operating costs.

It was a sound conclusion, and so they ended up pricing their goods like that. And Luca felt that was more than okay when he learned just what kinds of freebies the other booths were giving.

Actual gadgets, materials, and even mecha raffles! The other guilds were doing something insane, and the money-grubber in him didn’t even want to add up the cost!

In Luca’s mind, he figured doing such a thing would be so much better when even their utensils were to be returned for a chance at other incentives.

But what to do now? Was the customer not happy with the price?

”Customer, is there something wrong?” He asked carefully as he tried to think of ways to smooth things out.

However, the little cashier was surprised because the man before him said, ”Oh no! Nothing! I’ll definitely buy the lemonade!”

Luca became excited, and for the first time, he used what he learned about scanning someone else’s terminal to receive payment.

How absolutely novel!

He’d long wanted to do those cashier jobs back at Tesseris, but considering how he couldn’t really be around people for a long time, that was definitely not possible.

But look at him now?!

Luca proudly took their first expo earnings as he watched and hoped for the best.

Their goods should taste fine, right?

__

More than fine and even better than great.

Because Reeve seemed to have entered a different realm entirely.

He probably had the worst footage among all the journalists in the Empire, but it could not be helped. Not when he was in the middle of being transported into places in his mind that he had never ventured into.

Luca Kyros was not kidding when he mentioned the gentle kick because the young man could not help but straighten up the moment he tasted it.

Then came the burn that had him hissing in satisfaction.

Reeve’s face was red, but only because he was so flustered. So flustered that someone in his line of work could not even figure out how to describe his feelings.

He was simply speechless.

Speechless, addicted, and unstoppable.

Like a crazed person, Reeve used a potato ball for each dip, and with each one, he entered a different stage of emotional devastation. At some point, he found himself kneeling on the ground while clutching the counter where he had been ordering.

It was crazy. And he finally understood what Luca Kyros meant by enhancing the experience because holy hell, every dip felt different. It was as if his tongue were at a party he had only been invited to today.

He even took a step back, then forward, realizing how he was suddenly thirsty after the attack on his senses.

Reeve reached for the lemonade with trembling hands. He twisted the bottle cap, and a small pop echoed like a blessing from the heavens as it loosened. He took a massive gulp.

Then it came.

”Ahhhh!”

The kind of satisfied sound only people whose lives had been made ten times better could make.

And that was it.

The crowd around the booth, who had taken a small step forward each time he ate a potato ball, had officially given up and moved behind him.

There was no stopping any of it. Not when the golden-eyed cadet said things that made their hearts thump.

__

”Customer, I hope you enjoyed our products. The other freebie you received as our first customer is a dessert called mini doughnuts.”

”Dessert?”

”Yes. But they can also be enjoyed as a snack anytime. I just wanted to let you know about something in case you prefer to save it for later.”

”?”

”Once you’re done eating, the containers as well as the glass bottle can be taken over to the other side.”

”Huh? Do we return these there?” Reeve pointed at the items before him.

”Yes, customer. And for every marked item of ours that you return, you will be able to collect points you can use for a spin on our little game.”

The journalist, as well as everyone else, stiffened at the mention of a game.

”In truth, our booth actually has three parts,” Luca continued, ”and access to them will be determined by the wheel.”

”Three parts?” Reeve echoed faintly.

Luca nodded. ”Yes. The cafe, where all guests are welcome. The minimart, where we sell items offered by our guild, and finally, the restaurant, which, like the minimart, is by invitation or by luck.”

Gasps filled the area.

But surprisingly, it was a young boy who gathered the courage to ask, ”Excuse me, Lord Hero. But would everyone, even kids, be allowed to participate?”

The child’s mother immediately tried to stop him. It was not their turn at the counter yet, and being disrespectful to nobles was dangerous.

But to everyone’s surprise, the young noble simply said, ”Of course. If you recycle and return well, you should have enough points to take a spin daily. If you’re lucky, you may receive a small gift, a purchasing allocation at the minimart, or even access to the restaurant.”

The child’s eyes sparkled. His grip on his mother’s skirt turned firm with the determination of a soldier ready for war.

Then, as if injected with chicken blood, he turned toward Reeve.

”Mister! As the lucky first customer, could you please show us how it is done?”

The boy’s shining eyes were already overwhelming. Only then did Reeve notice that the entire crowd behind him was staring with the same pleading look.

”???”

Reeve didn’t know if he had ascended to heaven or been thrown into a battlefield.

Maybe both.

But what he could be certain of was that he would inevitably kick off the scene that would define that year’s Annual Expo.