AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 158
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Maria : Mebius World Online
Ouren/Yuuzen : I Was a Small Fish
Episode 12-15
The 40th day since I became the manager of Aion Mall Otherworldly Branch Store.
The 4th Dragon Sale was off to a strong start.
“Ah, this is it! It’s so nice to have fish that’s easy to eat!”
“Tch, rookies. This place is all about meat! It’s called the ‘Dragon Sale’ for a reason!”
“Here you go! Fresh fish that just arrived today!”
“Wait… this is fish? Really?”
“Hold on, hold on! You’re going to cook this, right? Right, Colette-chan?”
“Kufufu, you just don’t get it, do you? The real connoisseurs eat it raw. Ah, so nostalgic.”
“Are you crazy?! Eating raw fish will destroy your stomach! It’ll rip you apart!”
“You don’t need to worry, everyone. The knights and apothecaries purified the fish before the store opened, so it’s perfectly safe to eat,” Francine-san explained.
The mage-like adventurer nodded in admiration, but most of the others still looked horrified.
Even though the fish was fresh and safely prepared, it seemed raw seafood wasn’t going to catch on here.
I should ask Quano-san, the iguana—no, dragonkin merchant, to stop including these in our stock. Though, I didn’t order them in the first place.
The 4th Dragon Sale.
The eat-in space, which now had even more tables and chairs than last time, was almost full, despite it being just the morning.
Francine-san-san and Colette were busy handling prepared foods at the deli counter.
Through the crowded eat-in area, I could see animal-costumed figures—dogs, cats, and rabbits—moving between the tables.
These costumed ghosts were in charge of bussing tables.
They seemed unusually enthusiastic, probably because they were excited about their new tasks.
“Alright, looks like everything’s running smoothly, except for the whole ‘raw fish’ situation,” I muttered as I walked around, keeping an eye on things.
With staffing stretched thin this time, I was left in a flexible position, ready to jump in and support wherever the crowds might get out of hand.
Leaving the eat-in area, I headed toward the carriage rotary at the main entrance.
The area was bustling with activity. Along with the free shuttle carriage, many visitors were arriving on shared carriages from the nearest town.
It was still morning, yet the rotary was already packed.
But it wasn’t chaotic.
There were no angry shouts.
Everyone was cooperating with the staff.
And by staff, I mean…
“Hey, move your carriage once you’re done unloading!”
“Chill out, I’m moving it now, so wait your turn!”
“What’s your problem? If you’ve got time to yell, just move your damn carriage!”
“Stop arguing!”
“Hah?! What’re you—oh no…”
…A group of six full-plate armored figures would silently show up whenever things got noisy, delivering unspoken pressure.
Hearing the loud voices of the drivers and adventurers, a squad of six armored figures approached one of the carriages. Holding up placards reading ‘We appreciate your cooperation’, they stood silently nearby.
“Y-yeah, it wasn’t a fight or anything! Just messing around with my buddy, right?”
“Right! Lots of people waiting for carriages in town, you know? Sorry, sorry!”
After a moment, the six armored figures nodded in unison, the clanking of their armor adding to the effect, and stepped back.
Even seasoned adventurers couldn’t help but feel the unspoken weight of a coordinated full-plate squad.
Of course, the truth is, they’re skeletons under all that armor. But they must not be ordinary skeletons to command this level of intimidation…
Thanks to the skeleton squad, dressed in cloth, gloves, and rubber masks beneath their full-plate armor, the rotary was busy but free of major conflicts.
Thank you, skeleton crew. Please keep applying that pressure, but don’t blow your cover.
“Alright, this area’s good too. Now, let’s check on the new products—”
As I wandered off again, I heard Anna-san calling out.
“The waterproof fabric is sold out. We sincerely apologize.”
“What?! Seriously?! I heard it’s tiny but repels rain, so I rushed here to buy it!”
“It can’t be helped… With that quality at that price, it’s no wonder. When will the next batch be available?”
“Ugh, fine, I’ll just buy a chair then.”
“What? Just sit on the ground like everyone else. You think you’re some kind of noble-sama?”
“Hey, cut it out. Not everyone can handle sitting on the ground, you know? Right?”
Today, Anna-san was selling daily necessities along with Peddler-san.
It seemed Peddler-san handled existing products while Anna-san was promoting the new ones.
“So, the leisure sheets sold out already? Wish we could’ve prepared more, though.”
The connection between this world and the Small-Scale Transfer Gate only happens every two weeks to a month.
And even then, it’s just three cartloads’ worth. The amount we can procure is limited.
“If I think about it, to hit our monthly sales target of one hundred million yen, we should focus on selling local products, like dragon meat and seafood.”
Even after hearing Anna-san’s sold-out report, the customers didn’t make any unreasonable demands and left calmly.
It seems “sold out, sorry” is just a normal occurrence in this world.
“Well, at least the reaction is good. Now, for the main highlight—”
The new products for the 4th Dragon Sale weren’t limited to leisure sheets or picnic supplies.
The stars of the show were the items Chloe, Anna-san, and I had seen positive reactions to during pre-sales.
“…Brought it.”
“Mm, thanks, Barbera! Let’s get started!”
At Chloe’s request, Barbera carried out some cardboard boxes from the back.
Stacked higher than Barbera, who looked about ten years old, the boxes were clearly oversized for her.
Though I knew the contents were light, the sight still startled the customers, drawing attention to the special stage.
With a squad of fully armored skeleton knights in tow, Chloe climbed onto the stage.
“Everyone, listen up! I’ve got some amazing products for you today!”
“Yooo, we’ve been waiting, Chloe-chan!”
“Whoa, got your own entourage now? Moving up in the world, holy knight-sama!”
“Who’s that beauty? An elf?”
“Hah, you don’t know? She’s the infamous ‘Failure Elf,’ the town’s ‘clumsy knight-sama’!”
“Come on, we’re here to cheer for Chloe-chan, right?”
“Chloe-oneechan! Do your best!”
Flanked by three fully armored skeletons on each side, Chloe’s loud proclamation sent the crowd into a frenzy.
All she did was step onto the stage.
“Could she actually be a charismatic demo-salesperson? Maybe Chloe’s got a knack for this kind of thing. She’s got the lovable character vibe going on. Though, I guess her reputation as the ‘clumsy knight’ is pretty widespread.”
“Kuh! Why is everyone showering me with praise? What are you planning?! Could it be, like Naoya, you want to flatter me, make me happy, and then toy with me?! Kuh, kill me!”
“It sounds like you’re accusing me of toying with you, clumsy knight! I’d like my fleeting admiration back, please!”
I couldn’t resist to retort, and the crowd burst into laughter.
Ah, yeah, this wasn’t supposed to be a comedy show. That was unscripted.
…Well, if it worked as an opening act, I’ll take it.
Forty days into my tenure as the manager of Aion Mall Otherworldly Branch Store.
Chloe, the elf holy knight, also known as the “Failure Elf” and “Clumsy Knight,” began her product demo.
Here’s hoping she lives up to being a “charismatic demo-salesperson.”
At the very least, I hope she explains the products properly.