AIWON Mall Isekai Store, Grand Opening Today! - Chapter 178
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Maria : Mebius World Online
Ouren/Yuuzen : I Was a Small Fish
Episode 13-18
It’s the 63rd day since I became the manager of the Aion Mall Otherworldly Branch Store.
Right now, I was in the second-floor food court, which wasn’t open for business.
After all, my business meeting “partners” were quite numerous, and the break room in the back or the meeting space would’ve been too cramped.
“So, Carol-san, what’s this about?”
“I’m sorry, Naoya-san… I tried to stop them, but my older sister was determined to see with her own eyes that I was safe, and she just wouldn’t back down…”
“I understand how she feels, so that’s fine… but isn’t this a bit too many people for just family?”
There were probably more than 50 people in the food court.
A group that seemed to be Chloe’s parents and relatives surrounded her.
Since she was reassured that she wouldn’t be forcibly taken back, Chloe was getting showered with praise like, “You’ve grown into such a fine young lady,” and looking extremely pleased with herself.
Her cheeks were slack, and she had a completely goofy smile plastered on her face.
“Well, when I brought up the idea of opening a store here to the elders’ council, everyone got really excited…”
“Well… I guess it’s better than them opposing it… And you seem to have plenty of potential store staff…”
“I’m really sorry…”
Not everyone gathered in the food court was an elf.
There were only about ten elves, but apparently, even that was considered unusual outside of an elven village.
“Did they agree to the tenant conditions?”
“Oh, yes. Everyone was getting all fired up like, ‘Let’s sell and sell and sell and earn foreign currency!’”
“Uh… well, I guess that’s good for such a closed-off village, but…”
“The village has mainly relied on barter trade until now. Because of that, purchasing goods from other races was quite a hassle… but thanks to you, Naoya-san, that problem might finally be solved.”
“I-I see…”
“Everyone got so into it that they’re saying, ‘Let’s get used to money!’ and right now, acorns are trending as a substitute currency in the village.”
“Are they children? Couldn’t they have picked something a little more fitting?”
“Our village doesn’t have a currency… Whenever it was absolutely necessary, we used this country’s money.”
“Hence the acorns. No wonder earning foreign currency is such a big deal. Wait, but if elves make too much money, won’t that reduce the amount of this country’s currency in circulation and cause a major economic problem?”
An unsettling thought crossed my mind—one that was way beyond what a mere mall manager could handle.
It’s fine, it’s fine. The elf village and this country have different populations and economies. It won’t be enough to cause a problem. It should be fine. I hope it’s fine.
…Yeah, I should consult Iori-san. Headquarters should have someone knowledgeable about this.
“I plan to have the store employees rotate on a shift system. Is that acceptable?”
“As long as their customer service level meets a certain standard, that should be fine.”
“That’s great! I was really worried about what we’d do if it wasn’t allowed!”
“So, you said you’d go back to the village to decide on what to sell. Have you made a decision?”
“Yes! We plan to sell bows and arrows, as well as small wooden crafts!”
“Oh, elven bows. Carol-san, your bow was amazing—hitting monsters from such a distance.”
So far, the confirmed tenants included:
- Francinesan’s galette shop
- A magic-enhanced adventurer’s clothing store run by catkin
- A specialty shop from a port town selling exotic goods and rare delicacies
Bows, arrows, and wooden crafts wouldn’t compete with them.
“What do you think, Anna-san? I assume bows and arrows can be bought in town, but do you think there would be people who’d want elven bows?”
“Of course. They’re high-end items, so it won’t be a problem for the town’s stores.”
“So they won’t compete on price. Sounds good.”
Setting aside how former runaway Chloe felt about all this, the elven store seemed like it wouldn’t be an issue.
Maybe I should expand the employee apartments.
Depending on how discussions with the other groups went, it might be better to just build a few more buildings.
“Well then, please fill out this application form with the necessary details. If there’s anything you’re unsure of or haven’t decided yet, you can leave it blank.”
“Understood! …I’ll be praying for your success?”
“Uh… thanks.”
After confirming the major points, I wrapped up my conversation with Carol-san.
I should probably explain more and help with decision-making, but…
Right now, I have too much on my plate.
This was just the easiest discussion, so I tackled it first.
Carol-san smiled and saw me off.
I stood up and moved to the next group among the 50-plus people in the food court.
Leaving Chloe surrounded by elves, I had Anna-san as my support.
“I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
“Please don’t worry about it, Naoya-san. Father, this is Naoya-sama, the benefactor of both myself and Colette, and the divine messen—”
“Oh! So this is the esteemed one! Thank you, Naoya-sama! Because of you, I am able to reunite with my daughter and my little angel!”
“You’re exaggerating… Please calm down. I didn’t help Francin-esan and Colette for free—it was a mutually beneficial transaction.”
“But! By working at this store, Francine finally felt inclined to reach out to us! It is all thanks to you, Naoya-sama!”
“Uh… I see.”
“If I think about the possibility that my daughter and my angel could have perished without my knowledge… I am truly, truly grateful!”
“But, Francine-san’s husband…”
“Naoya-san. He passed away before Aion Mall was even built.”
“Yes… I’m sorry, Francine. If only I had set aside my pride and accepted you both… I regret it more than I can ever say.”
“Please don’t make me repeat myself. We are happy now.”
“…I see.”
The second group in the food court was Francine-san’s father and his entourage.
In terms of numbers, this was the largest group.
There were over 30 people. Isn’t that too many?
“Father. More importantly, isn’t this supposed to be a business discussion?”
“Oh! That’s right! My apologies for getting sidetracked, Naoya-sama.”
“Um, could you call me just ‘Naoya’ or at least ‘Naoya-san’? The ‘-sama’ is a bit much.”
“Hmm… I suppose I have no choice. Very well, Naoya-san. My trading company wishes to become a tenant here.”
As Francine-san’s father bowed his head, the 30-plus people behind him all bowed in unison. The sheer force of it was overwhelming. Weren’t they all just drinking and having a good time moments ago? So they were paying attention.
“Is this because you want to stay close to Francine-san and Colette, or keep an eye on them?”
“That is certainly part of it. However, I also see a business opportunity in this venture. If not, no matter how much I respect my benefactor, I would not be making this proposal.”
The moment the discussion turned to business, Francine-san’s father became completely composed.
He was the head of a major trading company—this must be his true self. Probably.
“I’m relieved to hear that. What kind of products are you planning to sell?”
“Of course, our specialty: clothing and accessories.”
“Huh? But wouldn’t that compete with the catkin’s store…?”
“Naoya-san, my father’s company deals in non-magical, ordinary clothing and accessories. It won’t be in direct competition with the catfolk’s products.”
“Ordinary clothes…? But if that’s the case, does it really need to be here in Aion? If it’s not aimed at adventurers, wouldn’t people just buy them elsewhere?”
“Our products reflect the latest trends from the royal capital. We plan to offer both custom-made and ready-to-wear clothing. We are also considering selling fabric.”
“So, high-fashion trend items. If people can get capital trends here without going to the royal capital, I guess residents of the town and people from the port might buy them. But in that case, wouldn’t it be better to open a store in town?”
“Naoya-san. Are you aware that merchants must pay a tax to enter the city?”
“Oh, yes, I heard about that. Though I also heard that traveling merchants who visit villages get tax reductions since they’re essential for village survival.”
“Exactly. This location connects the royal capital and the port town, and it is also near the villages of elves, dwarves, and catkin. It is a ‘key transportation hub.’”
“Yes. …Wait. Oh.”
“I see you understand now. Yes—placing a store selling the latest capital fashions in a ‘key transportation hub’ outside the city walls means we avoid the toll tax.”
“So, it’s like a duty-free shop. I get it now.”
“I do not know what a ‘duty-free shop’ is… but I have also heard that there is a carriage service running between here and the city. In that case, we can expect a minimum level of sales.”
“So your target customers are the town residents and merchants traveling the main road. A wholesale-retail hybrid model. And with tax-free advantages… Yeah, this could work.”
I nodded in agreement.
Francine-san’s father wasn’t just acting out of sentiment—he had a solid business strategy for becoming a tenant.
Whether it would succeed or not was something only time would tell.
For now, though, the second group didn’t seem to pose any issues.
After agreeing to discuss the details later, I stood up.
Then, I looked over at the third and final group—and let out a sigh.
This one was going to be the most troublesome…