AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 102
Man, I’m really tired……
Episode 10-4
“What is this mass of magic power?! And this speed!? Run, Naoya! A tremendously powerful monster is coming!”
“…What is this feeling of déjà vu?”
“No good, we won’t make it! Naoya, get behind me! Anna, go all out! Barbara, you too!”
Chloe stood in front of me, shaking droplets from her blue hair.
She positioned herself between the approaching formidable monster and me, the one who couldn’t fight, to protect me.
“Chloe and Anna-san are strong, right? It’s no big deal, right? Hey, Anna-san?”
Neither Chloe standing in front nor Anna-san beside me answered.
While the two of them were agitated, Barbara, in her school swimsuit, leisurely came out of the sea.
“…It’s fine.”
“How can it be fine, Barbara! Whether you’re a dragon or Anna is a lich, this magic power is on a whole other level! What is this!?”
“Hehe, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Ignoring the panicked Chloe and the tense me, Anna-san let her guard down.
“Barbara? Anna-san? What are-… Now that I think about it, this seems familiar…”
We all stared ahead.
The sea split, revealing the “tremendous monster.”
With a splashing sound, the seawater flowed onto the beach.
It was huge.
Its deep blue scales shimmered, reflecting the sunlight.
The horns or protrusions running from its forehead, down its back, to its tail? That’s what we had seen earlier.
Its streamlined body seemed designed to minimize resistance while swimming in the sea.
Its milky white eyes glared at us. Suddenly, the milky film lowered, and our eyes met with its vertical pupils. It looked like a nictitating membrane.
Its exposed fangs were sharp, looking like they could bite me in half in an instant.
A dragon.
And according to Chloe, it was even bigger and stronger than Barbara, with an overwhelming amount of magic power that we couldn’t possibly contend with.
<ROOOOAAAARRR!>
The dragon’s roar shook the air, leaving me standing in a daze.
It was more intimidating than Barbara.
Neither Chloe, Anna-san, nor I moved.
Time seemed to freeze.
The dragon glared at us, then slowly brought its face closer, its mouth slightly open, almost biting Barbara who stood closest. But Barbara reached out and placed her hand on the dragon’s cheek, then pointed at us with her other hand, and the dragon nodded—
“…Hm. Mama.”
“Oh my, it’s just a homecoming, isn’t it? It’s been a while, humans.”
The dragon greeted me.
“Ahhh! I knew it looked familiar! It felt like déjà vu! It’s Barbara’s mother!”
“Anna and Claudine’s daughter are here too. What’s going on?”
The dragon tilted its head in front of me.
Barbara tilted her head too.
Their gestures were so alike, definitely parent and child. But shouldn’t Barbara explain why we’re here?
Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I remembered this dragon had helped us before. It’s the mother of an employee. I shouldn’t be rude.
“It’s been a while, Barbara Mama. Wow, you can talk in your dragon form once you become a fully-fledged dragon. That’s amazing.”
“Even in the face of such a powerful dragon, Naoya remains calm! This is the legendary Water Dragon Queen!”
“Naoya-san should be able to sense magic now, but… maybe he doesn’t understand the dragon’s power?”
“Well, if Barbara Mama were serious, we’d be helpless. I just have to accept it. But that’s pretty much how it is with most people here.”
Neither Chloe, Anna-san, Barbara, nor even the skeletons and the adventurer customers, nor the peddler who supposedly have some fighting strength, are match for me.
So, no matter how strong the opponent is, it’s the same.
In other words, I must be used to facing “opponents I can’t win against.”
Anyway.
It’s the 25th day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.
Investigating the supply and distribution routes for seafood doesn’t seem to be going smoothly.
I only came to this port town for a market survey to enhance the supermarket section.
“The blue sea, orange roofs, fishing boats floating on the sea, and sailing ships anchored in the distance… Amazing, it’s like a Mediterranean tourist spot. I’ve never been there, though.”
After taking a break by the seaside, we headed to the port town.
We climbed the slope from the beach and walked along the cliff for about an hour.
A port town came into view at the foot of a gentle hill.
The sea was blue, the waves were calm, and houses lined the coastline.
The outer walls were white, and the roofs were orange, likely due to the available building materials and paint rather than aesthetic ordinances. There probably weren’t any regulations prioritizing appearance. Probably.
“Oh! This is a beautiful view! Not as harmonious as the elven village with its forests and springs, though!”
“Why are you getting competitive here, elf? Didn’t you run away from home?”
“…Been a while.”
“Oh, is Barbara’s hometown nearby? Can we ask for a tour with Mama-san?”
I looked at Barbara, squinting her eyes, and her mom holding her hand.
Barbara Mama’s dark blue long hair and her draped cloth fluttered in the sea breeze.
Unlike Barbara, she wore clothes since she transformed into a human. I wish Barbara would learn that spell soon.
Heading to the beautiful port town that looked like Nice in southern France, I readied my smartphone. Although I couldn’t connect to the internet, I could take pictures.
“It’s not sightseeing. This is a field survey. I’m just taking pictures to capture the town’s size and atmosphere.”
Muttering excuses, or rather, explaining my reason for taking photos, I snapped away.
“Naoya-san? What is that tool?”
“Oh, this is a smartphone, a device with various functions. Right now, I’m using the camera function to take pictures.”
“Camera function. Taking pictures. I see, it’s the same as when you took our photos for the signboard.”
“As expected of Anna-san, you’re quick to understand! Yes, I brought it for the field survey, to capture the market and the town’s atmosphere—”
“By the way, I heard the same sound while we were on the beach earlier?”
“Ah.”
“I was relieved there was no camera… but Naoya-san, did you take pictures of us in our swimsuits?”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the port town.
I felt pressure from behind.
Barbara and Barbara Mama were idly gazing at the port town in the corner of my vision.
“Wha?! There’s no way I…! I didn’t take any embarrassing pictures to blackmail you with, like ‘You know what to do if you don’t want these spread around,’ or anything! Know that elves won’t succumb to threats!”
“You would resist there. Don’t worry, Chloe, I won’t blackmail you. Besides, ’embarrassing pictures’ are just swimsuit shots. It’s the same as the signboard in front of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.”
“I see… So you did take pictures with the camera, Naoya-san.”
“Oh, I’ve dug my own grave.”
“Dug your own grave… I see, you’re prepared to be buried.”
“That’s not what I meant! Uh, Anna-san, that’s an undead joke, right? The black aura and the grayish skin I’m seeing, that’s ‘illusion’ magic, right? This isn’t your true form, is it?”
A quick glance back revealed a high-ranking undead with a faint smile.
“That’s right! Barbara, Barbara Mama, look this way! Let’s take a two-shot photo! I’ll print it out when we get back to the store!”
“…Mama, photo.”
“Photo? Oh, humans can draw beautiful pictures. Hehe, let’s have a picture of the two of us, Barbara my dear.”
To support the vague Barbara, I quickly displayed the photo I had just taken on my smartphone and showed it to Barbara Mama.
She seemed to mistake it for a painting, but the message got across.
They quickly moved to the best position for the shot.
Barbara Mama, in high spirits, hugged her daughter’s shoulder and smiled.
I immediately started taking pictures, snapping away.
“Great smiles! How about getting a little closer to Barbara? Yes, that’s it, perfect.”
Playing the role of a pseudo-photographer, I directed the Barbara duo.
The pressure from Chloe and Anna-san subsided, probably because Barbara Mama, the absolute powerhouse, was in high spirits.
“Let’s have a nice, long talk later, Naoya-san.”
…
……
The grave I dug might actually become my grave. Undead jokes aren’t funny. Well, it’s my own fault, though.