AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 110
Episode 10-12
“……Papa.”
“Honey? What is the meaning of this?”
Barbera Mama’s question made the bodyguard freeze. Apparently, the bodyguard was actually Barbera Papa.
Since it’s been a while, I considered greeting him, but then stopped. While Barbera innocently ran over, the way Barbera Mama was closing in slowly was terrifying. Dragons are scary.
“Huh? What’s wrong, Boss?”
“C-Come on, do it! You said, ‘Leave it to me, the strongest of all!'”
“If you drive out the outsiders, I’ll present you with some rare liquor! Come on! Come on!”
“…Oh? So you said that? For the sake of liquor. I see.”
“N-No, it’s not what you think! This is just because I couldn’t stay calm knowing the area around our lair was in turmoil! I was just trying to protect the peace of our town!”
“So, did you enjoy the liquor you’ve received so far?”
“I secured it as a gift for Barbera, I haven’t drunk it myself!”
“Oh, really? A gift, I see. Using it as an excuse to come see your beloved daughter.”
“Indeed! I wanted to see you, Barbera!”
“……Papa.”
When Barbera Papa opened his arms, Barbera jumped into them. He caught her and embraced her, but Barbera didn’t hug him back, instead just staring at his face.
“……I want meat.”
“Ah, yeah, that’s right. Barbera isn’t interested in liquor and looks like she’s ten years old, after all.”
“W-What… Then all my efforts…”
“But the liquor was just a pretext for going to the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store. You could have just prepared some meat as a separate gift.”
“Honey? Weren’t you supposed to watch over our daughter’s independence out of love for her? Didn’t you promise me, ‘I won’t visit for a while’—”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Barbera Mama slammed her tail onto the ground with a thud. The stone, which should have been reinforced with magic, cracked with a sharp sound. Barbera Papa, who had been crouching, quickly knelt and bowed his head.
It was a full prostration. Apparently, prostration exists even in other worlds.
“T-The highest rank of the Red Dragon lineage, the legendary Crimson Elder Dragon… The being I’ve heard about from the elders since childhood… prostrating… T-This must be a dream! Yes, I must be having a daydream!”
“Calm down, Chloe, this is reality. Either stay calm and quiet or retreat into your usual delusions.”
“The ‘Fire King Dragon and the Water Queen Dragon.’ In the ballads sung by bards, the King was supposed to be stronger, but…”
“Anna-san, calm down too. We don’t know the details of a married couple’s relationship. Even the strong and stern might be henpecked. Not that I know for sure.”
It seems that higher-ranked dragons of the fantasy species are incredibly powerful in this world. It’s said that calling Barbera Papa “the strongest” is no exaggeration. And that dragon was prostrating himself. No wonder Chloe and Anna-san were trembling.
“Do you always wander off like this? Do you have no intention of guarding our lair? No matter how old you get, you still act like an immature dragon. How many thousands of years will it take before you settle down?”
“I-I’m sorry, I just… you know, in about another hundred years…”
“I’m not interested in your excuses.”
Barbera Mama said sharply, slamming her tail against the ground once more. It seems that even in another world, talking back to an angry wife only makes things worse. The young men who brought Barbera Papa along were also prostrating themselves behind him for some reason. It seems that being scared of an angry mother is universal.
“Um, Barbera Mama, could you ease up on him? I mean, he didn’t do anything to us. Also, the lifespan seems long. I wonder how old dragons actually live.”
“Intervening between dragons!? Are you a hero, Naoya!?”
“No, Chloe, this isn’t heroic. It’s more like mediation. Yes, ‘World Mediator’ would be a better title.”
“You’re exaggerating, both of you. I mean, we can talk it out, right? Barbera’s Papa and Mama understand each other, after all. We should be able to resolve this through discussion. Right, Barbera?”
“…It’s okay. Papa and Mama are close.”
Barbera took her mother’s hand and walked over to her father. She pulled their hands together, making them shake hands.
“Barbera…”
“Barbera-chan…”
Moved by their daughter’s earnest actions, tears welled up in the eyes of both parents. Ah, I guess that kind of thing is universal. It seemed like this confusing situation was about to settle down when…
“Wait, wait, wait, don’t jump to conclusions, you guys! Do you even realize who those people are?!”
A shout echoed from the direction of the sea. Something was approaching from the calm bay inside the breakwater. It was running on the surface of the water, rapidly spinning its two hind legs while swaying its upper body.
“…Huh? Isn’t that a frill-necked lizard? I’ve heard they can run a little, but…”
“Oh! Water running! That’s done with wind magic, Naoya! Brings back memories. The kids in the village of Vertu used to cross the lake like that.”
“Magic, huh? Seems like anything’s possible with magic. Well, yeah, I guess if you used wind under your feet, you could do it. So, Chloe, can you do that too?”
“Well, I… I can’t use spirit magic… Hah! Naoya, you must be planning to soak me through and then say, ‘We need to dry you off, so take off your clothes,’ and then try to get me naked! I won’t fall for that!”
“I’m not saying that. But I guess it’s better that you’re not saying ‘kuh kill me’ anymore?”
While Chloe and I were having a trivial conversation, the figure running on the sea kept getting closer.
It wasn’t just any figure—it was an iguana. An iguana wearing a small hat and carrying a modest backpack. It ran on the surface of the water, then finally leaped up and landed on the embankment where we were standing. The iguanas in this world are surprisingly agile.
“I’m so sorry, Ma’am! Young Miss! Please forgive these folks! And I’m the one who asked the Boss for help! I’ll take responsibility! I’ll slit my belly open!”
The iguana slid in between the young men and Barbera Papa and prostrated itself. It placed its hands and knees on the ground, bowing its head repeatedly. Prostration. Or is that just the iguana’s default posture?
“‘Slit my belly’… so it’s not just prostration, but seppuku too?”
“I’ll gut myself, take out my innards, and then you can cook or grill me, do as you please!”
“Seppuku, or rather dissection. It’s prep work for cooking.”
“Our species is supposed to be delicious, so please, settle this matter with my life!”
“So iguanas in this world can talk, huh? I guess I should’ve realized by now. I mean, a talking iguana came to the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store too… Wait, are you the same iguana? The same person?”
“Oh, it’s been a few days, Manager-san, but this isn’t the time for that! Ma’am, Young Miss, please forgive us! I’m begging you too, Manager-san!”
The talking iguana seemed to be the same one that visited the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store. The same iguana person. It kept bowing its head repeatedly. Yeah, I guess that’s a form of prostration. The feeling of apology is definitely coming through, though.
It’s the 25th day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store. This inspection of the fishing port turned into a chaotic mess with a sea serpent escaping and attacking, Barbera, who looks like she’s 10 years old, effortlessly taking it down, and the strongest dragon, the young men at the port, and an iguana all prostrating themselves.
…It seems that business trips to other worlds aren’t going to be straightforward.