AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 169
Check my other translation works for other interesting stories
Maria : Mebius World Online
Ouren/Yuuzen : I Was a Small Fish
Seneca : Unrivaled Sewing Skill
Episode 13-9
Day 48 since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Branch Store.
Since the Catkin left on their journey on Day 42, my life has been nothing short of hectic.
“Let’s keep the ones in the front on lower displays so they catch the eyes of passersby,” I suggested.
“Oh, uh, sure? But won’t that mean fewer items can be displayed overall?” asked Quano-san.
“Exactly, Naoya! It’s storefront sales! We should stack the products high and dense!” chimed in Chloe.
The busy days weren’t solely because of the increase in customers—although, honestly, the growing numbers have been pushing our current staff to their limits. Still, that’s just one part of it.
The other reason is that while running day-to-day operations, I’ve also been preparing the tenant spaces.
The Catkin’s store depends on negotiations with their village, but Quano-san from the Dragonkin has already decided to set up shop as the overseer of the port town.
We even finalized the contract.
His operation is modeled after the fish market stalls, so I’ve been giving him plenty of advice.
Sure, it’s a “tenant agreement,” but I want every tenant at Aion Mall to succeed!
As part of the Iwon family, they need to maintain a certain level of quality.
Not that anyone from Iwon would reprimand me if they saw it—since I’m the only Aion employee in this world. But that’s beside the point.
“Calm down, Chloe. While storefront displays are unusual here compared to samples-only setups, if it becomes hard to see, it’ll have the opposite effect,” I explained.
“Hmm, is that so?” she pondered.
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Quano-san conceded.
“Forget Quano-san—what about you, former manager! You’ve been handling sales even after I got here!” I shot back.
I’m busy, but it’s fulfilling.
Once the mall opens, I’m sure more people will become interested in renting tenant spaces.
I hope the Aion Mall becomes even more attractive, drawing more customers and boosting sales!
If we don’t hit 100 million yen in monthly sales, my chances of returning home become dicey!
Luckily, sales from tenants count toward our goals.
“Also, only the front displays will be lower. The key is to grab attention, make them pause, and bring in new customers,” I added.
“Huh, I see your point,” Quano-san nodded.
“And placing core products, specials, or popular items near the aisle is best,” I suggested.
“Alright then, let’s line up these dried fish! Hey, grab this!” Quano-san instructed his worker.
“Got it, boss!” came the reply.
“No, no, no, not ‘Got it, boss!’! Let’s avoid placing anything alien-like in such a prominent spot! Even if it tastes great, first-time customers will be put off!”
“What are you talking about, manager? You’re the one who praised how amazing it tastes in soup!”
“That’s true! And yes, regular customers have been growing thanks to our prepared dishes! But generally speaking, we need broader appeal!”
“Putting those dried fish in a prominent spot? Don’t tell me the whole store will feature even stranger items! As long as these eyes of Chloe remain black, I won’t allow such nonsense!”
“Chloe, you’re already eating those alien-like dried fish, remember? ‘If I close my eyes, it’s delicious! Wait, Naoya, are you trying to make me close my eyes so you can take advantage of me!?’ Who said that?” I teased.
The port-town store joining as a tenant isn’t the end of the story.
Selecting products, pricing, and display methods—all need careful attention.
Since this is Quano-san’s first store, there’s no name or logo yet.
…If the Catkin set up shop, they’ll need to do all this too.
Just as I was mulling over how challenging it is to maintain Aion quality in another world:
“Th-this is bad, Manager!” yelled Colette.
“Hm? What’s wrong, Colette?”
Colette, who had been working at the outdoor dine-in area, came running over. Her dog ears stood straight up, and her tail was rigid.
“Y-you need to come right away, Manager! And Chloe too!”
“Uh, okay? Is it a visitor? Maybe the Catkin came back?”
“With how frantic Colette looks, could it be a monster? If so, I, the Holy Knight Chloe, shall make it my sword’s rust!”
“It’s a wooden sword. It won’t rust, will it? Quano-san, we’ll step out for a bit.”
“Sure, don’t worry about me! I’ll handle things here.”
Colette grabbed my hand and started running. She kept glancing back to confirm that Chloe was following us.
Is Chloe’s presence important? Does that mean it really is a monster?
But Anna-san and Barbera are outside too.
It’s hard to imagine a monster they couldn’t handle.
Unless it’s… something on the level of an adventurer-defying creature. Wait a second.
“…Could it be that they found out? And we’re being called to smooth things over, me and Chloe, the kingdom’s knight?”
An unpleasant thought crossed my mind.
Running inside the store is a big no-no, so I settled for the fastest possible walk—practically running in spirit.
We passed the tenant spaces, the drugstore, and the supermarket, exiting through the main entrance.
Colette still gripped my hand as she led me to the carriage turnaround in the rotunda.
“Thank you for your hard work! Oh, today we have the mascot guide—uh, I mean, the mascot is helping with directions. Much appreciated!”
“Manager! That’s not the point here!”
“Oh! Welcome back, you two! Was the journey uneventful?”
“Thanks for coming to greet us, Nyaoya-san! The escort you lent us was so strong that it made the trip completely safe, nya!”
“Everyone’s so curious about Iwon’s products, saying, ‘We want lots, so we’ll make lots!’ Everyone’s really motivated!”
“Wow, so does that mean you’re joining as a tenant?”
“Yes, we’ve decided, ny?!”
“That’s right. Please take care of us.”
“Yes! The second store tenant! Thank you, Colette. You brought me here to share the good news quickly, didn’t you?”
Waiting at the carriage turnaround were the two Catkin with a small cart. Standing beside them was the escort, a fully-armored skeleton in full plate mail with a concealed face—intimidating, to say the least.
“No, that’s not it, Manager! There’s more to it…”
Colette glanced nervously at Chloe.
Chloe, unclear about why she’d been dragged here, tilted her head in confusion.
I copied her, tilting my head too, shifting my perspective.
“Ah.”
“Um, Nyaoya-san, the journey was smooth, nya. Even when monsters appeared, the escort handled them quickly…”
“And they kept watch at night, which was a huge help. But actually, we had a visitor at the village…”
From my tilted perspective, I saw a figure behind the skeleton escort.
The Catkin, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable, stopped as the figure stepped forward.
I followed Colette’s lead and cast a sideways glance at Chloe.
Chloe was avoiding eye contact and sweating profusely.
“We were asked to bring them along. I told them we should check with Nyaoya-san first, but they insisted on meeting immediately—”
The calico-patterned Catkin explained apologetically, her face troubled.
As she spoke, the figure emerged from behind the skeleton escort.
Standing before Chloe was someone unfamiliar yet oddly familiar.
Chloe steadfastly avoided looking at them, keeping her gaze averted.
“Hey, uh, Chloe?”
“What is it, Naoya? Isn’t it great that the Catkin made it back safely? They’re ready to open their shop, so we must start preparations immediately! So busy, so busy!”
Chloe rambled and tried to retreat toward the store without acknowledging the visitor.
But the visitor moved to block her path.
Yeah.
I had a pretty good idea of what was happening.
Confirming my suspicion, the person brought by the Catkin leaned in to meet Chloe’s eyes and spoke.
“You seem to be doing well, Onee-chan. Everyone’s been so worried about you.”( Onee-chan = Big sister)
The elf—who bore a striking resemblance to Chloe—smiled gently.
Chloe’s sweat showed no sign of stopping.
The long-eared elf fixed their gaze on her.
And then Chloe bolted.
“Aaaahhh! Chloe, why are you running away when your family came all this way to visit?! Stop running and talk to them, runaway daughter! Let’s go, Colette!”
“Y-yes!”
Day 48 since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Branch Store.
Following Barbera’s parents, Chloe’s younger sister has come to visit.
…Why does it feel like every time an employee’s family shows up, it turns into a big incident?