New Workers

"Huh? I can't run!" Ruben mumbled.

"Same here, I can't move my legs," I replied while trying to make a step.

"You want to run again, right?" The girl asked as she walked to our front. "I won't let that happen," she smirked as she watched us struggle.

"What sort of trap is this?" I asked with a frown.

"This is a spell that works on any being," she replied. "You can't escape from it and that's what you get for trying to play smart. Do you think you can steal from us and go scot-free? in your dreams!"

I saw all these coming and I tried to warn Ruben but this boy wouldn't just listen, now we've been caught!

"Can you take this trap off us, it's needless for all these," I impatiently said. It was beginning to annoy me that I could get trapped by a spell.

"Not until you pay for the meals!" She replied not ready to appeal to my demand.

'System, is there a way I can destroy this spell?'

Since she wasn't ready to remove the spell, I might as well do it myself.

!Ding

<This kind of spell can only be removed by the caster>

'Damn it!' Now, there's no way I can destroy the spell and be free, I turned to look at the girl and she was smiling. "Hey, how about we make a deal?" I asked.

"What deal?" She inquired as she stared at me with a serious face.

"How about you let us go and we'll give you the money? I am sure that you are reasonable enough to know that this is a school environment and it won't be nice if people see us like this, remove the trap and we'll think of ways to settle you."

'Hopefully, she would agree' I thought while staring at her.

After a while, she sighed and waved her hand and we were now able to move our legs. "Don't even dare to run off," she warned.

"Don't worry, we won't!" Ruben replied and turned to face me, "Wh—"

"Don't even ask me because I warned you," I said, cutting his words short. He had no choice but to swallow up the words that he was about to say. "Tell me, is there anything we can do to make up the ten silver coins?" I asked the girl.

"Hmph! There's a lot but I'll give you only one option!"

"Which is?"

"You two will have to work at the inn for a week!" She blurted out.

"What!" Both Ruben and I yelled in response to what she said. "Working at the inn for a week? How much will be the daily pay then?" I inquired.

"Well, a day's pay is one silver coin," she replied.

"Hold on, hold on! Then we'll only need to work for only five days. Why the extra two days?" Ruben asked with a frown.

"That's the punishment for the crime you both committed, next time, don't try something like it again!"

"Yo—"

Ruben wanted to say more but I held his shoulder, stopping him from continuing, it would be pointless trying to argue further with the girl.

"Fine! It's a deal!" I replied to her.

"Meet me at the school gate after school!" The girl said and turned around, walking away almost immediately. As she left, I saw her turn around with a smirk on her face as she briefly glanced at me.

"Why?" Ruben asked after the girl had walked away.

"Why what?" I asked in return.

"Why did you agree?" He asked with a frown.

"It's not like we have a second option or do you, besides, I checked her power level, she's 70, would you fight with her here?"

His silence meant only one thing and I let out a tired sigh, "Let's go back to the class," I responded and began to walk in the direction of our class.

At the end of the day, we met with the girl just as she instructed and she told us when to meet her at the inn. After that, she left and we went back home to change. At 5 p.m, we left for the inn as it was when she told us to come.

"You both are here, on time!" She spoke as she saw us coming. She was currently standing at the door, talking with the waiter who served us yesterday.

"Those thieves! Miss, what are they doing here? And it seems like you know them!" The waiter said as she frowned at us.

As guessed, the girl is either the owner of the inn or the child of the owners, it's no wonder she's bent on exacting her punishment.

"I do know them and they are here on my own accord," she replied to the waiter.

"Okay, miss! I'll go continue with the work," the waiter said and walked back inside the inn.

"Of course, we'll be here or we might end up getting trapped again!" Ruben scoffed, earning a chuckle from the girl.

"Whatever! Follow me the both of you!" The girl said and walked inside.

I gave Ruben a second look and shrugged my shoulders. We both walked into the filled-up inn, following her into the kitchen area.

The kitchen is a large room with lots of cooking utensils and ingredients occupying the place, about three to four girls were cooking and doing other things, they stopped what they were doing the moment we entered with the girl.

"These here will assist you girls in cooking!" She announced to the shock of everyone in the kitchen, including us.

"What!" The girls yelled.

"Miss, you know boys aren't allowed to work in the inn," one of the girls spoke as she stared at us.

"Yes, it's an order from Madam," another girl responded.

"And what does that have to do with you?" The girl asked, glaring at the two girls that spoke. "This place is equally mine and I have fifty percent of the rights and so I can do what I want, you have no right to tell me what to do and what I shouldn't!"

"Damn! I like this side of her!" Ruben mumbled by my side.

"I heard that!" She said, turning to look at him.

"Oops! It's a mistake!"

The girl ignored him and became serious, "As I said, you two will be assisting them in the preparation of the meals, I wouldn't want any mistakes, I believe you too can cook so make it perfect and make no mistake! What are you waiting for? Grab your aprons and begin!"