The next day, Taichi kept his word and made the furniture for their living space, figuring they could live comfortably now. It would be difficult for him to create all of the more minor items they required himself, so he decided he would buy those in the city. Taichi had selected one of the larger rooms for his and Luke’s personal quarters upstairs. He’d furnished it with a soft bed for himself and an oversized beanbag chair for Luke.
“Hmm.” Luke inspected the interior. “I suppose it will do. It’s arguably too cramped for someone such as myself, but in light of the superb beanbag chair you have provided, I shall make an exception.”
“Ha ha, I’m glad you’ve taken a liking to it,” said Taichi. “Oh!”
“Hm? What is it now?”
“I’ve forgotten something important.” With Luke following close, Taichi moved from the upstairs living space to the café downstairs. “This is supposed to be a fluffy café, but we don’t even have a signboard, now do we?”
“Oh. So that’s what you’re on about.”
“C’mon, it’s a vital part of any café!” Taichi slid out the front door to survey the exterior. He noticed there was nothing attached to the door, so he created a bell that would ring whenever anyone entered or left. There, much better.
“I want this to be a cozy café where people can relax and recover,” he said. “Create!” Taichi pictured a signboard in his mind, shaping his mental image into what he wanted.
A moment later, an A-frame signboard appeared in front of him. To match the theme of the café, he had used Luke’s profile as a logo, giving their new sign a striking yet adorable look. The name of the café was displayed prominently: Fluffy Café. Written below, in smaller text, was: A safe space to decompress and relax, with a cup of tea drawn beside it. This would make it easy for people to identify the place as a café. The business hours were listed as well: Open from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
This is supposed to be a place to relax for me too, so I’m not about to pull long hours working! Avoiding overtime was a hard line for Taichi. He wanted this life to be the exact opposite of his previous one, with no unnecessary stress or burnout.
“On the other hand, I can’t open for business right away. The Commerce Guild exists for a reason. I should probably go have a chat with them. Luke, do you want to come?” It might take quite a bit of time to work everything out at the Commerce Guild. He warned Luke as much, to which the wolf wrinkled his snout.
“What, and come listen to long, rambling technical explanations? I think I will nap on this beanbag chair instead,” said Luke.
Taichi couldn’t help but smirk. He’d anticipated that response. “All right,” he said. “Then I’ll be back later.”
“Very well.”
Taichi left Luke behind at the café and made his way to the Commerce Guild. It was about as crowded as the Adventurers’ Guild, but the counters were more carefully divided to ensure a steady stream of business. Taichi beelined for the counter with a sign hanging over it reading “New Registrations.”
“Greetings,” said the clerk. “What is your business here today?”
“Afternoon. My name is Taichi Arima. I’ve come to discuss starting a café where customers can touch and interact with my fluffy companions.”
“By ‘fluffy companions,’ I assume you mean monsters?” The woman cocked her head to the side, brows furrowed with confusion.
Ugh, no one here seems to understand just how amazing fluffy critters are! But as much as that frustrated him, he would soon remedy the problem. Once his café was officially open to the public, Taichi was confident he’d capture the hearts of the nearby city folk.
“Yes, exactly!” he answered passionately. “You say ‘monsters,’ but I’m talking specifically about the soft, fluffy ones that feel incredible to touch. They’re amazing for your mental health when you’re feeling fatigued. Trust me—the people need this!”
The clerk giggled at him. “A bit of an eccentric idea, if you ask me. But considering how passionate you are, I’m kind of curious to see it for myself.”
“Really?! You’d be more than welcome!”
Taichi hoped his café could be a refuge for all those in receptionist or clerk-type jobs that were weighed down day by day with office work. The more he pursued this, the more he foresaw himself filling an underserved niche.
“Now then,” the clerk continued, smiling at him, “there’s nothing wrong with you running such a café, since you’re a Tamer. In fact, it’s common for Tamers to use their monsters for work, such as the transportation of heavy items.”
This came as a huge relief for Taichi; he had worried whether he’d be allowed to use monsters for his café.
“There is, however, a requirement.”
He froze. “A requirement?”
“Yes. When a Tamer has their monsters perform work that puts them in direct contact with other humans, they are required to register those monsters with the Tamers’ Guild.”
Most people would assume the monsters were tamed if they were being used for work, but anyone could lie about that. It was only natural for the Commerce Guild to add such conditions to maintain public safety and security. Taichi could discuss registration with Chartelle later.
“All right,” he said.
“I appreciate you being so understanding. Next, let’s discuss income tax. It is dependent upon where your shop is located and whether it’s a personal business or one run by a company.”
“This is personal,” Taichi told the clerk. “My café is located on the outskirts of the city. I’m renting a property from the Tamers’ Guild.”
“Very good,” she said. “Sounds like you have everything in order.” The clerk produced a document, which she slid over to him. It included an explanation for people running their own personal business.
Taxes were imposed depending on where one’s business was located. For those in the middle of the city, the Commerce Guild required a payment of 15 percent of all income earned. This was reduced to 10 percent for those on the edge of the city, and for those living on the very outskirts like Taichi, tax was reduced further to only 5 percent.