AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 151
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Maria : Mebius World Online
Ouren/Yuuzen : I Was a Small Fish
Episode 12-8
Day 36 since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.
I was on the second floor of the Aion Mall, which had yet to open for business. It wasn’t that we weren’t ready for operating hours, but we were still lacking both staff and stock, so this area remained closed to customers.
“It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve come back to the store.”
The day before yesterday, I was in the dungeon known as the “Underground Catacombs of the Old City,” and from yesterday until just now, I was in the “Petrified Forest.” I had been on business trips to nearby towns, port cities, and even Twin Dragon Island, but this was the first time I’d spent several days in a typical sword-and-magic fantasy setting.
Come to think of it, it was probably also my first time sleeping outdoors.
“Yeah, both the dungeon and the outdoor camping… I really think they were necessary. You don’t get a real sense of it just by hearing about it.”
The second floor of Aion Mall was divided into several spaces. There was the food court, which had almost become the employee cafeteria, the tenant spaces, still empty, and Aion Style, a store selling large furniture, appliances, clothing, and daily necessities. I was walking alone above the operating Aion Supermarket downstairs.
I touched some of the displayed items.
“Futons… not great to bring along, they’re bulky. And with only three cartloads worth of <Small-Scale Transfer Gates>, we can’t bring in that much stock.”
The bedding section would be tough to sell. If it’s a one-off sale, it might sell, but blankets, futons, mattresses, and pillows are all bulky, so only a few can be stocked. Maybe if we could connect to a large-scale gate that could transfer both people and goods every six months, we could bring in more and boost sales. But then again, I don’t even know what’s in store for me or for Aion Mall Otherworldly Store. Before that, we have to reach one hundred million yen in monthly sales, or our survival is at risk.
As I strolled along, I thought about it, items adventurers would want and that could sell continuously. Even if similar products exist in this world, they might sell well if they’re convenient or of high quality. Or items that don’t exist in this world but could potentially sell well.
A few ideas came to mind, but nothing felt like a clear winner.
“If only I were a sharp Aion employee or an elite with overseas experience. Maybe I wouldn’t be struggling like this.”
It’s been just over a month since I was assigned to the Aion Mall Otherworldly Store. We hit the daily target of 3.34 million yen on Dragon Sale Day, but we’ve never reached it on any other day. I bet someone else could boost sales much more. After all, Aion has a lot of talented people…
I sighed and looked down.
Then, a dark mist peeked up from the floor.
“Whoa!”
Its upper body? appeared, waving at me.
“Don’t do that! It’s really surprising—even in broad daylight.”
A ghost, fully emerging from the floor, drifted around me.
“Are you a new hire who didn’t get the memo from Anna-san? …No, wait.”
The ghost quickened its movements, as if saying, “Correct!”
I get it. It’s that shameless vibe, no costume required.
“You’re the ghost—no, wraith—that went with us to the ‘Underground Catacombs of the Old City,’ right?”
When I asked, the ghost froze midair, its black misty outline wavering. Was it happy?
“C-Can Naoya really tell ghosts apart?! Even though he’s human!?”
“Sort of. Anyway, how’s it going downstairs, Chloe?”
“W-Well, it’s a quiet time for customers, so I thought I’d take my lunch break… But that’s not exactly something you just sort of learn to do…”
Apparently, Chloe had witnessed my interaction with the ghost. I don’t know why, but it’s a bit embarrassing. But at least she probably didn’t hear my muttering… I hope.
“To recognize ghosts, accept elves, dragons, liches, skeletons, and even boost sales—you’re the ideal Aion employee for us, Naoya! Have more confidence!”
“Ah, so you did hear it! This is way more embarrassing than having my conversation with the ghost overheard!”
“So, what are you doing, Naoya? Holding some bedding… Don’t tell me, you’re about to push me down right here and say, ‘You came to where the bedding is, so you know what that means, right?’ G-Go ahead, kill me!”
“Uh, yeah, it wouldn’t be you if you didn’t say something like that, Chloe. I’m just trying to figure out what products we should sell next.”
“Oh! So that was why you went dungeon-crawling!”
“Yeah. I found a few promising items, but I can’t quite settle on one.”
“Why not just sell them all?”
“Huh? Well, there are some bulky items that would be hard to restock from Japan if they sell out…”
“Isn’t it fine if they sell out? Having the same product around is unusual, isn’t it?”
“Oh, right, most stuff here is handmade. I guess I could sell everything off, and restock based on demand using the <Small-Scale Transfer Gate>. But with more items, we’d need to train the staff on product knowledge, too…”
“Naoya?”
“What if I explained things with POP displays? Wait, but what about the literacy rate here? Then maybe I could do live demos instead, explaining different products one after another…”
“R-Right… Don’t worry, ghost. Naoya’s like this sometimes.”
The ghost drifted away from me to hover around Chloe. I didn’t have time to pay it any mind.
“Naoya, I’m off to eat lunch!”
“Alright, this could work! Thank you, Chloe! You’re amazing, a true Holy Knight and a former manager—your advice is spot-on!”
I called out to Chloe as she walked off.
“W-What?! Naoya complimented me? Such words won’t sway an elf as lightly as that! Ugh, what’s happening… I have to get away from here!”
Flustered and blushing, Chloe ran off in a hurry.
“Right. I don’t need to stick to the same sales methods as in Japan. It’s better to localize, to adapt properly to this world!”
It finally felt like I could see the way forward. We’re still a long way from the one hundred million yen monthly sales target, and it’s hard to tell how things will go, but—
“Just wait, customers! I’ll get you all excited with our new product lineup!”
I pumped my fist in determination. The ghost, which I thought had followed Chloe, had come back and raised its… arm-like appendage? in a cheer with me.
Let’s do this! Even if I can’t bring you in front of customers like this, I’m counting on you behind the scenes!
Day 36 since I became the manager of Aion Mall Otherworldly Store.
I might finally be getting used to life in this world. There are things I want to hold onto as an Aion employee, but there are also plenty of places where I need to adapt to this world. Time to take a fresh look and make a list.
Even though it’s 36 days in, better late than never, right?