AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 176
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Maria : Mebius World Online
Ouren/Yuuzen : I Was a Small Fish
Episode 13-16
On the 49th day since I became the manager of Aion Mall Otherworldly Branch Store.
It was early morning before the mall opened, and I stood in front of the entrance by the carriage roundabout.
“Alright, I’m taking the picture now.”
“Hmm! How do I look, Naoya? Am I looking dignified?”
“Onee-chan, what’s this?”
“Hold still, Francine-san. Alright, that’s perfect.”
“Wow! Mom, you look so pretty!”
“It’s been ages since I last wore makeup. Thank you, Apothecary-sama.”
“…Shall I take one?”
“Thanks, Barbera. I’ll be in the last one. I’ll have the full-plate armor captain take that one.”
I captured a shot of Chloe and her sister Carol standing together. Even if the content was ordinary, Chloe’s appearance was striking.
As expected of an elf—her dignified look was undeniably captured, much to my envy.
After taking a few photos, I patted Barbera on the head as she toddled over.
We weren’t gathered in the early morning for the upcoming Dragon Sale preparations.
It was to take photos of the elf sisters, Chloe and Carol. And also…
“Next, let’s take one of Francine-san and Colette.”
“Yes! Come on, Mom!”
“Hehe, I’m excited to have such a detailed portrait taken, Colette.”
I also photographed Francine-san and her daughter Colette.
When Francine-san first arrived here, she looked worn out, but thanks to Anna-san’s medicine and Aion’s meals, she had gained some healthy weight. Combined with Anna-san’s makeup, she looked much healthier.
“Alright, I’m taking the shot… Colette, your tail is blurry. Can you keep it still? …No, guess not.”
Colette, the dog-eared beastkin, wagged her tail vigorously.
She was delighted to take photos with her now-healthy mother, and her tail wouldn’t stop wagging.
I gave up and took the picture. Well, the happiness it conveyed was worth it.
“Alright, how about we take a group photo with everyone?”
After finishing the individual shots, I suggested a group photo, and the captain approached.
As usual, he was fully armored in a full-plate mail suit with a full-face helmet, which was essential.
“Let’s use a tripod and a timer. Captain, join us. …Anyone else in appropriate attire can join too.”
With a loud clatter, the captain stopped. He seemed surprised.
After seeing me nod and Anna-san nod in agreement, the captain swiftly drew his sword and raised it high.
Instantly, the fully armored skeleton squad appeared. It seemed to be their way of signaling without a voice.
The mascot ghost arrived a bit later, dancing as they came.
“Thank you, Naoya-san. Everyone seems so happy.”
“…Let’s plan another proper group photo sometime, at a more convenient time and place, with the right people.”
“Wow! Thank you so much.”
“You’ve all helped us out a lot behind the scenes. If this makes everyone happy, then it’s worth it. Just…”
“Just?”
“Well, there’s nothing I can do for those who can’t appear in photos, okay? Please bear with me on that.”
“Hehe, understood.”
The setup was complete.
I set the timer and quickly joined the group.
“Where are you going, Naoya? That’s the edge of the group.”
“The manager should be in the center!”
“Hey, don’t pull—fine, I get it. Ah, cra-.”
I had intended to stand on the edge of the back row, but Chloe grabbed my collar.
Losing my balance, the shutter clicked.
Fortunately, I had set the camera to take a series of shots to ensure no one had their eyes closed.
“…Well, it’s fine. It’s not like we’re sending this anywhere.”
It felt more fitting for our store to have a slightly imperfect photo like this.
“Alright, I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you so much, Carol-san.”
“No problem at all. It’s on my way, and if I can help someone who’s been so kind to my sister, it’s nothing.”
“She’s…normal. Despite being Chloe’s sister, she’s normal—and such a good person.”
“Naoya!? I-I’m normal too! No, more than normal! After all, I’m a holy knight!”
“Carol-san, here are the photos. Please deliver them along with the letter to Chloe’s family. And this one is for the Elf Village.”
“Thank you, Naoya-san. This will put my parents at ease.”
“I wish I could let Chloe accompany you with some extended leave.”
“Well, Naoya, it’s time to get back to work! We’ve got the Dragon Sale tomorrow! So busy, so busy!”
“You’re sweating a lot, Chloe. Oh, and she’s off.”
“Sigh, my sister is always like this… Naoya-san, please take care of her.”
“Of course. She’s more dependable than she seems.”
“Ah, she’s well-regarded, it seems.”
Carol-san smiled with relief as she tucked the letters and freshly printed photos into her bag.
“Well then, I’ll be off. See you again soon!”
“Yes, we look forward to your next visit.”
With a final wave, Carol-san set off. She planned to skip the nearest town and head straight to the capital first to deliver Francine-san’s letter to her family’s business, then proceed to the Elf Village.
I had been a bit apprehensive about the visit from Chloe’s younger sister, but it turned out she was a genuinely good and sensible person.
Barbera’s parents, on the other hand, needed to be sneaked in to avoid causing a stir.
It felt like every time a staff member’s family visited, it led to some sort of commotion.
“…Anna-san, your family…they’ve passed away, right?”
“Naoya-san? What’s on your mind?”
“Sorry, that was a strange thing to ask. Forget it.”
“Hmm, alright. If you’re feeling tired, would you like a special energy drink?”
“No, thanks. The last time I had one, I couldn’t sleep for two days, and the crash was terrible.”
On the 49th day since I became the manager of Aion Mall Otherworldly Branch Store, we sent off Chloe’s family and got in touch with Francine-san’s relatives.
Thankfully, the list of potential tenants had grown again.
Maybe the goal of hitting monthly sales of 100 million yen was within reach.
With a little over four months left in the six-month timeframe, it felt daunting…but I had to make it. If I didn’t, I might not be able to return home!